Anyone know Fantasy Junction in Cali?

There's a ton of "old school Ferrari/exotic dealers" that are familiar to the Market and are not the ones I am referencing in the post above.

But the current business "Internet Car Dealership", well, they are buying and selling 'wholesaled cars" for the most part, and while some of them are from expired leases and things like that, that's the stream NORMAL dealers use to 'get rid of" problem vehicles......sometimes.

I guess the answer to your thread is ..."Yea, we ALL know Fantasy Junction!"

LOL!

Get that red/tan 550 Barchetta 6 speed at Marshal Goldman Sales (they are a huge leasing agency). That's a blue chip car, man......

 

Happy. Best of luck with the search.

 

I second that...Dog, I want my 20% commission.

In all seriousness...subscribing is important to maintaining the community...every dollar Rob milks out of us is another nickel of improvement to the site.

EDIT:

Just saw above; you're welcome and thank you!

Rob, I'll take a free lifetime Rossa instead of a commission check.

 

For the record, I wasn't busting Dog's balls, I was just saying he would have an easier time finding a car if he had more of a plan. I am a car chaser- I want EVERY car I see (but don't get any (many)). Sometimes figuring your budget, then what you want the car for, then what you want in the car narrows down the search enough that you can find the car.

I hate the "do a search" mongers. I think he's fine posting questions and inquiry's.

Good luck with the search.

 

Take your time and find the right car-- look for the best example you can find. It will be much cheaper and more pleasant in the long run, even if you do have to pay up to buy it.

I loved my 456-- they are fantastic cars, and unless you're on the track, you most likely won't notice the difference in performance to a 550-- and it should be cheaper to buy (but also cheaper to sell).

I disagree with Dr. Who on condition. 456s and 550s are getting cheap enough now, and are expensive enough to maintain, that you are starting to see a lot of cars with significant deferred maintenance. Look for one with complete records, and which has been well maintained. Don't be surprised to see some expensive invoices in there-- it comes with the territory in these cars.

 

Fantasy Junction has an excellent reputation and it they had the right car at the right price I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them. I saw the 456 - it's a nice car if it's what you want. One thing I did notice when I was there in August, and it's only my opinion, but their prices did look high. Previously I haven't thought that they were out of line but there were several cars that I felt were way too high.

 

Are you serious? They opened in the mid 70's... That would put you pushing 60. No offense,... but you're posting style doesn't come across as a 60 y/o.

Better hurry,... you're not getting any younger!

I agree with etip,... figure out exactly what you want (that's the hard part). Then buy it,... that's the easy part!

Don't rush either step.

 

The Doc is the real deal; not new to cars, just new to Ferraris, hence the barrage of questions (which is how it should be done). I've spoken to him quite a bit in the last couple of weeks; and just like you, my advice was not to rush anything. So while he finds different cars, he's seeing attractive pricing on other models and, naturally, that's broadened the scope of his inquiries.

 

I had no doubt about him being serious. I was just surprised by his stated age due to posting style,... not that there is anything wrong with that. Oh wait,... that may not have come across correctly....

 

Yes I believe that would put them on Dwight Way in Berkley. Right at the end of the street.
At the time a pretty little shop with a bunch of very cool stuff inside, and parked out on the street.

 

Choices.......choices.....like a kid in a candy store......lol
I can empathize with him; because after selling my 400i 5 speed, I was in the market for a 430......and the more I searched.....the more models I started to look at.....and the more I questioned myself and if I would be happy with the 430.......and ended up buying a Barchetta instead.....lol
I don't know if it's just me,...... but I was all over the map when I was re-entering Ferrari ownership.......it must be my character/personality flaw.....

 

While green may be an "off" colour on some/most Ferraris, I think that green/tan, blue (especially TdF)/tan and silver/black are classic, timeless combos for the 456.

Good luck with your search. At the end of the day you're the one who has to smile every time you go into the garage so don't worry too much about all the theories. Find the car that "clicks" for you and buy the best example you can.
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Well it took me three years...so I don't think Doc is taking a long time!

Ace

 

Two months is not that long at all......dog

 

Saw a couple more threads today,... so just for grins, searched...

54 threads started with 150 posts to date. Got to be a record!

Just busting your chops dog. No offense intended. Enjoy the hunt.

I'm actually enjoying your threads. I went through the same thing, but it occurred before I found F-chat. God knows what I would have posted... I want a lotus, now a 512TR, now a countach, now a 550 barchetta, now an f40!!!

 

It is sick isn't it,car fever; my wife says if I would be focused on the lawn like I am on the cars we wouldn't pay a landscape company....I say we need to, help the economy!

 

Thread idea: Have you seen a 550 Barchetta. Rare. Gorgeous. A bargain. And a good long term investment.

 

Sold two cars with Bruce T. Great people to deal with, good solid deals, wouldn't hesitate to buy or sell again.

 

55 threads started in 154 posts! I was worried you ratio was going to drop!

 

Doc, My 328 is in Ferrariads. I am in Savannah.

Just sayin .... .

 

but not yet into that model, who knows, dog

 

I've purchased two cars from FJ and wouldn't hesitate to do business with them again.

That being said, personal opinion, go with a 550 over a 456. It is a much better car, and much more reliable. There are some very good threads in the 456/550/575 section with regards to this.

And, ALWAYS get a PPI, no matter how much you trust the dealership. Good, trustworthy salespeople still are not usually Ferrari mechanical experts and shouldn't be asked to be such. I even give this advice when people are buying from me, so it is not a reflection of FJ, just a rule of thumb when you are buying an exotic.

 

Believe or not, I'm trying to help him, or at one time I was.

Yo Dawg, listen up. The Ferrari world is a small one. There are about three dozen authorized Ferrari dealers and about two dozen independents. These guys know every car on the market and then some. They also read Ferrari Chat, and they talk to each other. Without even asking, I'm sure they have your name and number, and I'm not talking about your Ferrari Chat name. So if you're not getting much love from these guys, there's a reason why.

So here is a short primer on how to buy a used Ferrari:

1. Do your homework in real time. Join the FCA. Go to meetings. Sit in some cars. Go to your local dealer. And most importantly, decide what YOU like. Notice I said in real time. Looking at cars on the Internet doesn't cut it.

2. Understand that ALL Ferraris are flawed. How Ferrari SpA gets a way with it, nobody knows. But they do. Ferrari does little or no product testing. The design it, build it, and sell it. Then when things start breaking, they sometimes fix 'em on the QT, and sometimes they don't. (The fact that many original owners don't drive their cars and then sell after the warranty has expired has something to do with it.)

3. Get a subscription to the Ferrari Market Letter. Why? Simple, the late Gerald Roush had a hard core rule: You have to list the VIN and a price to get the car in the Market Letter. (Are you listening Rob?) As a result, all the cars and sellers in the Market Letter are real. It is amazing how many Internet dealers don't own the cars they show on their web page.

4. Befriend your local Ferrari dealer. Tell him what you're interested in. Show him the money and let him go to work. That's his job. However, don't be surprised if he has limited patience. Back in the day, a dealer could make $10k to $20k on a consignment. Today, they're lucky to make $5k. Oh, and one more thing, when he calls you about a car, be ready to make a decision. Remember, these guys have bills to pay just like you do.

Oh, and keep in that your local dealer will know cars that aren't on the market yet. This is what you what.

5. If you don't like your local dealer, find a good independent. Ask around. Most old Ferrari hands I know, have at least one finder they trust. I don't know Atlanta as well as I used to, but Steve Barney is a good man.

6. When you find a car, be your own judge. Carefully review all the service records. Put the car up on a rack. You have eyeballs, use them. Find out if the car has all its keys and so on.

7. Finally, after you have gotten down to a price, then do a PPI, NOT BEFORE! A PPI will be on your nickle, so why waste money on a car that you haven't decided to buy? The way it used to work was you and the seller would agree on a price. You would then take the car to a mechanic who would come up with a punch list of what needed to be done to the car. You and the seller would haggle over some of the items; but, at the end of day, you would agree to split the cost 50/50, i.e., the seller would reduce the sales price by 50% of the PPI items.

8. Then buy the damn thing and drive it. It's gonna break. All Ferraris break. It's the nature of the beast. It you're worried about getting ripped off, buy a Porsche. I'm not kidding.

Look, the hunt can be more fun than the law allows. But sooner or later, you gotta make up your mind.

Dale


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I hate to say this about somebody from Texas ...but this is a very good post.