Has Fchat decreased your desire to own a Ferrari?

I am an aberration here.....
I never really lusted after Ferrari's, at least not newer ones.

Sure 250 GTO's, and the Miura was always my dream car.

I had always heard and known that maintenance costs were outrageous,
repairs through the roof, As I had a boss that owned a Mondial.
She loved that car, drove it to work sometimes, lived with
it's shortcomings and truly enjoyed rowing those gears.

I was actually looking at getting a GT3, and was enlightened that
for the cost of a GT3 I could get a 360.
This got me into buying a Ferrari. I read up on F-chat and made
a conscious decision to buy a 360 along with the high maintenance
and repair bills.

I also own a 97 Viper GTS, a car aka "widow maker", and renowned for
lack of room, comfort, no ABS/nannies, mediocre AC, insane heat,
crappy ride, so/so handling, and somewhat difficult to drive and live with.....
but I really enjoy the car. The rawness, the attention you need to give to drive it well.

Are there faster, better handling, more comfortable, reliable, more cost effective cars than my 360 and Viper ? Of course, I can just get a C6Z......
But it does not deliver the same "fix" as the 2 other cars. Would love
to add that GT3 to the stable, and a new C7 Vette, but there is a limit to the toys.....

 

No.

In fact, it increased my desire to own certain models (288GTO, 550 Barchetta, Daytona), cars I didn't desire as much before, but after reading extensively about them...yeah .

Always liked 360's and would love to one day make a manual CS superleggera, much like Trev360 has done. Same goes for the 550. A GTO inspired 550 Maranello...superlight weight.

 

For those that don't own a Ferrari, know someone that does, is well-read, or hangs out here, there is a lot of mystic about the brand and the cars - and the person that owns one.

For those without the means to pay cash, it can become a fantasy, obsession or life long quest to own one. But why? How is that even possible? Is it the same thing that drives women to fantasize, obsess and save all their money to buy high-end hang bags and shoes?

A Ferrari is just a man made machine that people feel will fill a certain void in their life based on their perception of reality.

That might seem like a strange way to put it, but that is the truth. Nobody "needs" a Ferrari, the latest Louie Vuitton bag, or "most fashionable" shoes du jour. Nobody. But the thought of owning these things does something to the brain that tells people that they absolutely, without question or without a doubt need to possess these things. I certainly can't explain it - and am a "victim" of this as well.

So now that the fantasy has been shattered and you know "the truth" - that the cars weren't forged buy Zeus' own hands on Mount Olympus, that they aren't as perfect as the most perfect diamond in the world, and for some - but not all, they are a huge pain in the butt, why would it make a difference? What was/is Ferrari ownership suppose to do for you that it won't do now? The cars and the company hasn't changed, just your perception of them - your perception of reality.

I always tell people that jewelry store diamonds are nothing more than shiny glass - and gold is nothing more than shiny metal. It's people's consensus that it has value and/or meaning that makes it desirable and gives it monetary value. People don't get too excited about the prospect of wearing polished aluminum.

Just something to think about ....

 

Yes. True for me also - over the last 10 years I would say. Just doesn't seem to call to me in the same way anymore.

 

+1
I have always been an enormous Ferrari fan but I've met many great people and friends through this site. I've seen more because of this site and learned more about something I'm very passionate about than I ever would have without it.

 

Great thread.

I have had many cars. The 10 Ferrari VIN's I have had are in my profile. I am going to stay with the 308/328. The 348 and 355 cars had too many issues when they were newer and were ignored by Ferrari.They are expensive to service , maintain and still have some failure areas. The 360's and melted jellybean cars are ugly, they made too many, and require specialized tools and skills to work on.

Testarossa's are amazing, but diff failures and expensive engine out services make me want to buy something else. I may get a Mondial one day, to counterbalance the 911's that come and go.

The 80's Lamborghini like the Jalpa and Uracco were mostly junk as far as the 3 I owned. 2 Lotus Esprit's and they were also crap. So what can you buy for under $40k that is beautiful, fun and generally free of Achilles heel failures: the 308 / 328 series, and 84-89 Porsche 911's. Not much else.

Just my .02 but guns and guitars are more special to me than cars. So the cars better not drop valves, break diffs and have crap head gaskets and built in tendencies for failures.

There are other things / cars to spend money on. The 70's and 80s made more crap cars than not.

They changed the tax laws here in GA also. I am goign to try to stay pre 1985 as i refuse to pay these bastards 6-9% of what THEY SAY the cars are worth in taxes. I would rather find a different hobby or distraction. 308's uses to cost me less than $200 a year in taxes, and i only keep a car a year or so. I usually have 3-6 cars at a time. This year My 1986 328 cost me $1400.00 to register in GA. Never again.

 

Even with all of the complaints and problems people have, that still represents a minority of F-car owners on this forum. You just don't see as many people starting threads that read "I'm one year problem free!" And that's true with all cars. Consider the Tesla. There have been three fires and now people view it as a problematic car, while three cars is an extremely small sample size.

 

Specific to the point I bolded, Ferrari ownership is (i believe) more than the car itself. It is the car experience, the history of the marque, the racing, the relative rarity/exclusivity, the community, all of that blended together into a unique experience. Buying a Ferrari is not about logic. For some of course, it's simply the ability to show off that you have a horse on the hood, but I'd say that's pretty rare among the enthusiasts here.

 

Joined for info. Bought a car quickly after that (and f-chat made it easy to find a seller well-known by the community). Met some absolutely amazing people who will be lifelong friends from here. And read some things that will make me avoid some people out of happiness maximizing.

It's just gaining knowledge. That can never be bad no matter.

 

After joining, I surprised myself at how naive I was about the Cavillino Rampante leading up to FCHAT. Learning about the love it or hate it idiosyncrasies of the brand and its people has been a lot of fun. I'm now way more aware as a buyer if I ever get there. Maybe the one thing that FCHAT has turned me off of, is perhaps the Ferrari merchandising and 1:1 scale wooden sculptures with Mercury outboards! LOL

 

After a while here you know who to listen to and who's comments to take with a grain of salt.
I've known the marque Ferrari for decades but only after coming here did I learn about the car Ferrari.

 

^^^^ What he said. I love the marque as much as ever.

I might well say that this site has enhanced my knowledge, respect, admiration and desire for the manufacture.

I can even say that it has solidified my interests. I recognize other admirable marks. they simply have wonderful attributes. But I am not as passionate about them.


An interesting topic is, just which mark elicits the greatest loyalties and passions.

Mine lie here. I look around a lot. Seeing much to be admired. But am comfortably happy here. Indulging my passions on occasion.

 

This forum is the bomb. Not for *******!

 

Nope.

And the only way to know for sure is to own one and make up your own mind.

I've had two, an old one, and a new one, I'd go old again before I'd buy a newer one. The technology of the newer cars is great, but the fun factor in the older cars trumps it any day of the week.

D

 

In the end it is a physical object with lots of moving parts. Sometimes some of them are going to not be perfect. Isn't that part of the fun?

Anything that is performance orientated and have a high calibre of aesthetics will leave little room for error. When something is completely conservative and commoditised ie corolla than it is much more likely to be 'perfect' each and every time.

 

It hasn't put me off the marque - but it has opened my eyes to the full range of models

Where as I used to be interested in the newish V8s my interest is now more in the older cars (that said I WANT an FF)

 

I was lucky enough to own 4 Ferrari's 2 of them brand new which was a treat. I no longer own a Ferrari and outside of a desire (that comes every now and then) to own another gearshift 430 coupe I no longer have the need to own one. Though this forum had nothing to do with that need my life did. What's important to me has changed a great deal over the last 5 years, I still like cars though I see them in a different light than I used to. I have been here ten years and for the most part there are a great group of people here. I would say that this forum is a good place to learn about cars and other things as well. I fulfilled many dreams in life so far and owning a Ferrari was one of them. If it is still your dream I'd say don't stop dreaming, you never know when your dream might come true!

 

My desire to someday own a Ferrari has not waned but now I am just "tending the coals and not stoking the bonfire" in a manner of speaking. Thankfully I have made a few friends locally, that I do not see enough, who cure my jones with rides thus keeping the desire and passion alive.

 

There are roughtly two types of ferraris. the traditional ones with open gate, uncompromised styling and uncompromised everythign else. Then there are the moderns.

This site is a wealth of information, based on owners experiences in keeping traditional ferraris running right. Its also a pretty great comunity, even though most of us have not met.

On the othe rhand, the moderns and those who own them are mostly a different set. The reasons for ownership might also be different too.

In general ferrari owners are either Drivers or show'rs. Or lets say Show'rs or goers. Its a pleasure for me to talk to Drivers, as on the road there seem to be so few. In fact its the presence of goers/Drivers that keeps me interested, as the show'rs have very different motivations for ownign a ferrari to me.

When I was a child, in fact even when I bought my car 20 yrs ago a ferrari was somethign really really different to whatever else was out there, in looks and performance, not to mention driving experience.

From more recent driving experience with moderns, as well as lots of threads on this site its clear to me that the moderns are maybe visualy different to other offerings, (if you go for hey look at me) but from a driving experience they are not really that different from a number of cars, Mclaren Porche Audi, Vette, Viper. In fact there are any number of other choices out there that may better suit a Driver or serve as a really good alternative.

Partly this is the blanding and dumbing down of the product, as well as the attitude for ferrari itself. Between the two I just dont get excited to own a new ferrari. So yes the info on Fchat has reinforced what I belived on my own.

I am not irrelevantly wealthy to just buy and try, plus I think where ferrari sits these dyas, owning one is negative stigama. But by the same token If I were really motivated by the [roduct I could swing the 300k for a 458, I am just not so motivated.

In the past my motivtion to own a ferrari meant that I spent 50% of my net worth on one, admittedly I was younger with different responsibilities. But today its like why spend all that $$$ when there might be better choices for far less, when I have resentment against ferrari for the way dealers behaved when I wanted to buy a new car 10 years ago, when the stigma of owning a ferrari is so negative. So yeah F chat reinforces for me my lack of desire to own a new one, and the reasons why I really like an older one.

Personaly i think ferrari is taking its "brand" to a place that will end in tears when its no longer fashionable. Maybe then they will return to making some of their cars of the type Drivers really want and hopefully they will aprreciate having a built in fan base and treat that base as a precious comodity, not suckers.

 

Well said Boxerman. Looks like this thread is starting to merge into the Mayor's thread. I maybe mistaken, but I feel that alot of the "drivers" are buying the older, less expensive Ferraris and the "show'rs" i.e Justin Bieber, etc. etc. are buying New Ferraris as fashion accessories, garage queens, and ultimately ... will sell their car with less than a 1000 miles on it. That's the image problem Ferrari has and it was self-inflicted.

 

I am 100% CERTAIN that perusing the Marque forums has discouraged THOUSANDS of people from buying an older Ferrari. Good.

I didn't even discover Fchat until I was deep into my second Fcar, but I knew in advance that purchase price was only the downpayment on the Ferrari experience for cars o the 70s and 80s.

Heck even a guy like Michael (Carreaper) says he won't buy a TR because of "Diff failures"- well how many diff failures have there been? I know a dozen people with TRs and they have been showing up at local events for 10 years- not a diff failure in the bunch. I have a 355 that has been dead reliable, but I've been a good owner and lavished lots of love and cash on it's care and feeding. Even my 412 and 400i have been solid, reliable and fun to own. I've spent money keeping them on the road, with no regrets.

VERY different types of Ferrari experiences- driving a 308 vs. driving off the lot in a new FF, California or 458. Lots of middle class folks on here looking to experience the thrill of "Ferrari Ownership", which gets old quickly when the car needs a major service at the same time that first big orthodontist bill arrives.

Those who can easily afford the pruchase, care and maintenance of a car like this in general do not spend a lot of time on public forums *****in' about that expense. Fun ain't cheap.

People who can barely afford the purchase price of a decent 308 SHOULD be made aware that the older Fcars are going to require thousands of dollars of maintenance and repairs- if you're lucky.

 

This thread has not diminished my love for the brand at all! Drove my Scud in the mountains two days ago and am still amazed at the performance - and i have had it for 5 years