Keeping Ferraris outside

Why not? See this post and related pictures.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=139211320&postcount=27

 

Put a big door in your living room and gut the interior....

 

just get a nice car cover. one friend says using two car covers together really keeps the car dry. if you want to keep the paint nice, do a quick pat down before putting on the car cover(s).

 

Funny!

 

Just make sure the car cover is "rain rated" and take it off regularly and keep the car
very clean. Dust or any material underneath will do a hard number on the paint.

Jedi

 

I would presume (Disclaimer: I have not yet owned a Ferrari), as a Ferrari is still a car, albeit a great one, that it would withstand the elements just fine outside. Like any other car, just make sure you wash off acidic bird poop when it lands on it, wash off tree sap before it hardens, etc... I doubt there is something mysterious about Ferrari paint that makes it more vulnerable than, say, a Ford.

My main concern would be vandalism or theft. If you're in a decent area though then hopefully neither would be a problem. Good luck!

All the best,
Andrew.

PS:
Remember, I'm not an owner so take those comments with a pinch of salt.

 

Heed the Jedi's warning! If using a car cover, the car should be kept very clean and dusted before putting the cover back on. If the inside of the cover becomes dirty, it can do a number on your paint - take it from someone who learned the hard way with a Porsche.

I kept my p-car outside and quit using the cover because it was a huge PITA. I just spent a lot more time taking car of the paint because it was parked outside under the pines.

 

Forget it. The added moisture will cause rust, make it musty inside, paint cloudiness etc. Plus as someone said it will draw attention. Find some old lady that will rent out her garage and if you're lucky make you cookies. The car cover thing is for short term only, no matter what kind of cover you have.

 

Surf gives good advice. When my Daytona was new, it was left outside (in FT Lauderdale) with a cover on- it rained that night and then was sunny the next day- ruined the paint!
From then on, rented a warehouse.

 

Absolutely agree with this.

Rent a private climate controlled garage somewhere. Between the sun, dust/dirt, rodents, insects, vandals, humidity, etc., you will be fighting a losing battle. The paint won't hold up well, and all those electrical bits are going to like living outdoors in Florida.

Hopefully if you have a Ferrari you can do better than an old lady and cookies, though.

 

I live in Singapore (so i guess similar weather to Florida) & have parked my 430 Spider outside since the day I bought it (4 years ago). It gets exposed daily to thunder storms, high temperatures and then cooler ones at night, bird ****, & not to mention leaves and branches from the large tree it sits under. In a nut shell the car has been fine. In the last 12 months I've taken to putting a CoverKing Stormproof cover on it when I don't expect to use it for several days in succession mainly to save me constantly cleaning it, but honestly I've never been too bothered about parking it outside - it's all about the driving pleasure afterall

 

I wouldn't leave it outside. Find a garage where you can park it.

 

You live near the beach? No way, if so.

 

It is NOT mostly rain, there is the other issue of the sun baking the life out of the leather--and there is lots of (expensive to replace) leather in the car.

{We know a thing or two about the sun baking the life out of leather up here in Texas, too.}

 

On the newer cars I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have an 87 Mondial cab and the top doesn't keep water out. If it's home under the carport I keep it double covered. Good one for right over the car, outter one to replace as it gets dirty. When I'm away from home I put it in a 10X20 storage unit. Mostly I do this to keep the sun off the interior and plastic rear window. There are a million different ways to own one of these cars. At the ends of the spectrum are keep it museum quality and drive it sparingly at the other end is abuse. They are still just cars designed to run in any weather. You can leave it outside and use it daily. After a couple years the dash material may pull tight or pull out, but like you said a sunshade will protect dash. Depends what you want out of the ownership experience. There isn't any reason you can't use it the way you used your Maserati. Don't go out of your way to keep it by someone elses standard.

 

From late March to early Nov I park my 308 outdoors, but under a roof in the parking lot of our apartment. On one side is a beige Camry, on the other a grey Civic.
I'm not in the worst part of town, but it is downtown Milwaukee. Haven't had any issues whatsoever in 2 years, but I've got insurance all the same.

In an article James May once made the case that parking a Ferrari outside is like building a Museum with all of the best artwork on the outside, for everyone to appreciate.

 

Collector insurance wants to know where you keep your car? Obviously a garage is what they want to hear. Outside represents a higher risk for a lot of reasons.

 

I would try to find a garage. Spending the occasional night outside isn't a problem, but day after day in the sun and heat will certainly cause issues with the leather interior-- especially the dash.

 

I kept my Dino in an open car port for over 2 years just a mile from the beach. I had a car cover for it but nothing ever happened.

Those were the days when I used it as my daily transport. It never broke down once but I did have to replace the clutch and one electric fan eventually.

In France, I kept my 308 GTB outdoors at a friend's rented villa because it wouldn't turn sharp enough to go down into my apartment's parking area.

Such was life with a Ferrari in the 80's. I don't think I was unusual for the time.

 

My insurance requires me to have secure indoor parking.

 

If you believe that a Ferrari is "just a car", park it outside.

 

John Corbani kept his 246 outside for 20+ years, plenty of pics in the 246 section on his car before he passed away. The car looked awesome !

 

I had no garage for a year so I dyna bolted a portable collapsable tent to the outdoor slab area and could drive the car in and out. If you have a specified parking area perhaps you can do this, they are available from camping or hardware stores.