Road trips with your 355?

ANY car can leave you stranded. The only thing you are risking is the transportation costs.

I drove my 355 from Lynchburg VA to Kershaw SC, stayed overnight, tracked the car, drove it home, no issues. Had the boot packed to the brim.

Go for it!

 

There are some great repair facilities along that route IF you have a problem....but I would drive it and not worry about it..

 

dude, at 14000 miles, that car isnt even broken in yet...... drive it like you stole it.

 

Your car is much happier on the road than in the garage. Make your car happy and it will be good to you!

 

That looks like a Naples MotorSports auction car, so I'd question everything that you've been told about it (e.g. major service actually being done properly).

If you've driven 1,000 miles or more in a Naples car, then I'd bet that you've already experienced problems with your exotic. Engine? Headlights? Tranny?

I hate raining on your parade, but my suggestion would be to first take your car to a qualified Ferrari shop before taking anything from Naples on trips of *any* distance.

 

Drive it, it's good for it. I've put 4000 miles on my spider in the last 8 months and wouldn't hesitate to take it any distance. Last week took it from home to Orlando and back (over 800 miles). Even drove back through Tropical Storm Barry without a hiccup. Of course both legs were on the back roads between the panhandle of Florida and Orlando, no fun driving the interstates. A good radar detector helps.

 

I'd confirm that it had that major service -- i.e., call the shop that did it. Also, I'd have a good Ferrari tech do a fluid service on it (engine/gear oil, coolant, brake fluid) just to make sure nothing's about to go wrong. (My mechanic found a coolant hose on my 328 that was nearing the end of its life; $9 hose and I was happy to have it replaced while the car was at his shop instead of having the car flatbedded there with green liquid dripping out of the engine bay.)

Get the fuel lines checked to make sure you don't have any looming issues there.

Also, as mentioned, any car can leave you stranded. Just take a cell phone (like you weren't planning to...) and figure out the desirable Ferrari service facilities along your route. I think you'll be fine given where you're driving. (It's not like crossing Montana and Wyoming...)

And:

Wear a cap!

 

Get a full inspection done now that the car's in your possesion, if you haven't already.
If all checks out, drive it and enjoy it! The car really does better long term when it's driven instead of parked. It shouldn't ever have problems that would cause you to be stranded on the road.
I've gone back and forth between LA/Vegas with out a problem or concern. Just did it this week again, 265 miles in a little under 2.5 hours! Drive the car!


I agree with wearing a cap, and some good sunglasses! I get so much sand in my eyes it's not even funny.

 

What is wrong with Naples Motorsports? I have seen them on Ebay and they seem to get really good feedback. Have you had any personal experiences with them?

 

Driving it more and not less is the key to reliability and piece of mind. 1000 miles total in several months in pretty sad IMO.

You are more likely to run into issues babying it and preserving it for that elusive perfect day rather than by driving it every week rain or shine.

If it has a recent service (assuming that is verified) you are golden. Drive it. I did a 1700 mile journey in my 348 a couple months back. It handled like a champ.

 

The thread in which owners who had been screwed by Naples has been deleted (or at least I can't find it). That thread listed a $5,000 "restocking" fee for a Naples customer who discovered that Naples hadn't disclosed front bumper work on his 360 Spider (paint overspray drips and other hints that it could have had front end damage at some point). It also listed a buyer who discovered that a claimed Major Service turned out to only be an inspection by Robb/Todd who merely opened the hood and pronounced that engine "inpsected/good."

To be fair, no Dealership is ever going to have 100% happy customer experiences, so just listing a few complaints (e.g. the Lotus buyer who found weed in his armrest) could be unfair as they may be a minority of customer experiences.

I can tell you *my* experience with Naples, however. First, when you call them, Todd/Robb are always in a meeting. You never get them...they *only* call you back. You'll never be able to just reach them at your pleasure. Only theirs.

If you are an executive of any serious experience, then you know what the above means. Say no more about that.

From my experience, Naples wouldn't negotiate *at all* on the price of the Ferrari that I wanted. Not a dime. They'd call me back and demand that *I* give them a new price...and they'd never offer their own price to me other than their original list price.

If you have any serious experience buying cars, then you know what the above means. Say no more about that, either.

Also, when you call about a car, they tend to have "a guy who has just bought it, but if you send in your money first then maybe we can sell it to you instead."

Call them about a car "that you love" on Monday and test all of the above. Won't cost you anymore than the price of a phone call, and I'd suspect that they will be consistent in the above games as I've described them.

...And if I'm wrong per your test, then I'll apologize.

 

I don't know where you live in CT but Nino's in Avon over on Route 44 is pretty good, if you're going to get it inspected before you go!

http://www.avonct.us/merchant2.php/list2/93/Nino's+Foreign+Car+Service