Help deciding on 575M..

Is the interior the same dark blue as this Superamerica from another thread here?

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=141182880&postcount=2

If yes, then I don't think you'll have any resale issues with that color.

 

Jersey- Spelling is correct and the color is Grigio Titanio (gray titanium), considered by many to be the signature Maranello color. Sounds like a $90-105K car if it is as nice as you say and has Daytona seats and leather shelf. Depending on Assembly Number, your car already has an upgraded shock absorber ECU (201673) and possibly the steering position sensor (change made at Assembly Number 52556, Serial Number 1353XX) which make the car eminently livable without the Fiorano Handling Package. Plus it will have the late straight center pipes and late mufflers, which sound very nice.

Give us some more details like mileage and options, and we can give you a little more info. The TPMS sensors are not a big deal, but a good bargaining point. Do not tell whoever is selling it you can fix them for less. TireRack has them for ~$350 and the Mercedes sensors may be an even better deal. New kits for rebuilding the OEM tire valves are available on E-Bay for $6-15 each so you will not need new valves.

Here are the paint colors and leather colors for the 04 575M.
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IMO the big negative is the lack of FHP, so the car porposes at hiway speeds. But if you're going to be in an out in 2 years anyway then it don't matter so much. Car will probably need a clutch within 5k to 8k miles but that's not a big deal either. Mileage is not that high for an 8 year old car. I don't think the blue interior would hurt resale, sounds nice.

 

Frefan- Way oversimplified. 575Ms without shock absorber ECU 183960 do not porpoise badly at all. Early cars with that ECU do porpoise and roll a bit more. If the car has the steering position sensor, roll is much reduced, too.

Plus how do you figure a car with 27% clutch wear is going to need to have the clutch replaced? That is only a bit over 1/4 wear.

 

Jersey- No, that is what was, in the past, the Serial Number, before the 17 digit VIN came into being. The Assembly Number should be 562XX, and this car has all the updates I originally mentioned.

Another misconception is that the 19" wheels were part of FHP. They were separate options. My FHP, an early 04, came with 18" wheels. The 19" wheels were part of the HGTC package, because the CCM brakes will not fit 18" wheels.

If you read the 575 Serial Numbers vs Assembly Numbers thread backwards (we learned a bunch as we wrote it), it will help you understand the 575M and its options. This updates document may help, too.
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My clutch went out at thirty something percent. Left me stranded in the middle of a 6 lane intersection at rush hour so I remember it fondly. Had the clutch replaced and the dealer said that was the most miles they've seen on the original clutch. No explanation as to why the percentage was low but still failed.

 

frefan- Cannot explain how it happened on your car (clutch position sensor, throw-out bearing, who knows?), but most F1 clutches last until they are showing 70% or higher clutch wear.

Was your car occasionally dropping into neutral on its own before the clutch failed or was it an out of the blue failure?

Incidentally, there is a pin in a slot on the clutch housing which can give a direct estimate of clutch wear through use of a borescope.

 

Nope it was an outright failure. Went into neutral on its own. Would not go into first (wouldn't even try). Mine is a late model 04. And I respectfully disagree about FHP. I drove a non FHP car and it was b-o-a-t-y. Not only did it porpoise badly (probably did not have the ecu you mentioned), but in the turns it was horribly understeered. Fine as a boulevard cruiser but on a mountain road it was terrible. a 550 is better than a non FHP car. just my 2 cents. no offense meant to those that like theirs, its just my opinion.

 

frefan- Remember, I have FHP, too. What model year did you drive without FHP? Like I said, that is an oversimplified statement.

 

I don't know what year it was. I just know it didn't have FHP.

 

I'm pretty sure I saw the car you are referring to on the web ad.

That dark blue interior came in lots of the Grigio Titanio cars of that era. Some have black interior, but I saw more blue interiors. Its a fairly common combo.

Fwiw, I think 15k miles for a nearly 8 year old Ferrari is about par for the course and not a big barrier to that car selling.

Also, if you don't "love it", not sure why you get one! That said, I think 575s are beautiful!

Finally, when I was shopping for one, i wanted FHP but rarely saw any cars with it...

Oh, I lied...now the finally part...getting a 2004 is a big benefit as it was a later year of production and stuff was worked out by then...

I would think that car, assuming all checks out, should sell somewhere with a "9" in front of it. Picking the "second number" in that value would just be a guess by any of us...

Let us know what you do!

 

That sucks. Sorry to hear that. Both my Maser F1 and my CS have over 50% clutch used at 12k (maser) and 15k (CS) miles. Both shift very well right now (hold on...ok, I'm back from knocking wood). I have heard from several techs that clutches tend to first wear out and stop shifting well at 70%+. I've never heard of one going anywhere near 100%...but I don't hear of many. Something was wrong with yours of course...how many miles were on it?

 

Mine failed at 22,133. In retrospect I would consider replacement at 20k. But that's just me, I don't like problems as at times I may be on the 'loneliest' hiway. If the dealer whom I have a longstanding relation ship with, who sees lots of cars, says they don't see many cars over 20k on the original clutch, then I trust that. Somehow I didn't get the memo. Just sayin.

 

Jersey- So back to your car. With the late model shock ECU and steering position sensor, the car will drive fine without FHP, and we know how to upgrade it if you decide you want to stiffen the handling up a bit. Many FChatters have done that with FHP or HGTC parts. For me, having the steering position sensor would be a big plus, and your car can be upgraded to an HGTC shock ECU if you ever decide you want it.

Titanium and what is essentially navy blue is a nice color combination.

Good luck on the car.

 

Love to see pictures...

cheers,

Bill

 

22k is about par for the course I've heard...so that makes sense.

So, the "problem" was that the 27% readout was obviously incorrect!

That's why I have mine physically inspected annually and also during the PPI before I buy...

 

You will if you have to trade or wholesale it. If you hold on and go thru the hassle of selling at retail, then you will obviously fare better...

Also, I was after a 575 14 months ago, December 2010. The sale prices that I was privy to back then were all in the $88k-$105k range (asking prices IIRC were $95 to $115k), with the lower prices being for 02 and the higher ones being 04 model year. So, fast forward 14 months and (I don't study it as closely now) it seems we are still pretty close to that. So, like a couple of F-cars that I do follow pricing on closely (the CS and Scud) the past 14 months haven't seen *much* depreciation...not a predictor of the next 6-12 months of course! But, something to keep in mind...oh, a 2004 would have been $100k or therebouts back then...so closer to $90k is down a bit for that year (if you can get one for that)...I guess owning a used modern Ferrari is, virtually by definition, a money losing proposition due to depreciation (and the risk of something breaking). So, I always tell myself to expect 5-10% depreciation per year and a few $000s in maint each year...I posted in the 599 thread someplace the % depr for all recent F-cars over the years...ranged from low single digit annual rate to low double digit annual rate...IIRC 575 was right in the middle of that...

 

not in love with the lines of the 575.... it's gorgeous.

keep in mind many of the FHP/HGTC parts are getting pricey to retrofit (and getting sparse)

if terry says that build number will allow you to add all the toys that's a plus only if its a keeper for you.

 

i had no problem selling mine 2003 for full boat.