How to properly enjoy a Ferrari?

As others have already mentioned in this thread, there isn't a right or wrong answer. I am not going to question your motivation or how you decided that the Scud is "THE CAR" for you. It is my opinion that once you make up your mind (no matter how you came to the conclusion) you should follow through and not compromise.

There's nothing worse than having something in your possession and then wanting something different a short while later. I could've bought a "cheaper" Ferrari many years ago but I waited until I was able to get the exact car I wanted and it has been truly fantastic!

I've never compromised in my personal, professional, or automotive life and it has served me extremely well over the years.

As long as your cutting the check it might as well make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This is basically why I skipped over Porsche ownership. Didn't want to have a 911 in the garage and then be dreaming of an F car weeks later.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck!

 

How to enjoy it?
Buy it, that's exciting
Drive it, nothing like it
Work on it, very satisfying
Looking at it, it's the best art I own

 

Yes, some people always want the latest and greatest but consider the other side of the Ferrari coin:

There are lots of people like me who search and search for a great example of a special model that they love and once they own it, they hold on to it forever, drive it often and maintain it religiously.

I would rather pour money into my cars to keep them the best instead of spending money on something new. I own all the Ferraris I have ever really wanted and I'm not tempted to sell any of them to buy other ones. I have plenty of money to over maintain them and they never get old or boring to me. So they stay with me forever. Maybe my taste will change and another model will grow on me and I'll add another - but not at the expense of the ones I have.

I don't limit my mileage to maintain their value; I honestly don't care about their monetary value because that's only relevant if you plan on selling. I drive them as often as I feel like and I try to drive one every day that weather permits, even if it's just for an hour. I'm a car fanatic and aficionado, not a seller. I own them for the love of them and take great pride in owning and driving them - that's quite a different picture than the one you painted in your opening post.

BTW, if you're so close to a Scud that you can taste it, why would you have to wait a couple of years for a 550 (which is a spectacular car)?

 

^^ well said.
.

 

Agree too!

 

+google. Lots of poetry in this thread, but this is one of my all time favorites. Brilliant and so perfectly true.


To the OP: Take every opportunity to drive the cars. When one speaks to you and the time is right, you will know and you will buy it. In my opinion, you should only buy when the cost of driving it is outweighed by the experience. Whatever the cost of each mile of depreciation is, and I've never wasted the time to calculate it, I know that cost is a tiny fraction of what the driving experience is worth to me.

Having said all that, most of us probably wish we had bought sooner than we did rather than waited longer!

 

I agree, I have the same story. It took me a long time to get my first Ferrari. I had a little buyers remorse at first, but quickly got over that. Every time I go into my garage, I have to pinch myself that I really have one. I find myself uncovering the car and just looking at it. Ferraris are truly works of art.

 

That's a gorgeous piece of road right there.

 

Keep in mind your five-year-plan is moot if you get hit by a truck tomorrow.

So if you would have fun driving the snot out of a 328 now then great. If that doesn't push your buttons and you need a 430 to get you all revved up then keep saving.

Nobody else can decide that for you.

You could do a 550 and a used Ducati now and sell them in a few years without losing $ and have a blast while saving for the 430.

 

Exactly!

 

An awesome shot w/ a nice caption too!

 

Many say a Ferrari is art (including myself). There are countless ways to enjoy art.
Some art is kept locked behind guarded walls where only few can see it, and may never see the light of day. Some art is wide open and is allowed to be touched, climbed on, by thousands.....

The "right way" is to be decided by the owner, and how they hold the vision....nobody else's opinion really matters. Some people say cucumbers taste better pickled.


Last week I stopped at the art installation called "Cadillac Ranch" just outside Amarillo, Tx.
Some people call it art, some call it an eyesore and want it torn down. Everyone I saw there was enjoying it immensely. Is this the proper way to enjoy a classic Cadillac? Maybe not all Cadillacs, but certainly these Cadillacs.
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Here is how I enjoy my Two ......Chasing other Ferrari's .....nothing like it!!

Chasing a Bunch of 430's in our 328
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTkb_OI0IDE

my F 430 chasing my brother in his California
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEwUh7PLElI

 

My extensive research on this subject has resulted in the discovery of a syndrome known as FAPD which stands for Ferrari Addictive Personality Disorder. See the example above. People who have FAPD must never driver a newer, faster Fcar. If they (we) do ownership of this newer, faster Fcar becomes an obsession.

Thus, I am afraid to drive an F12 and an FF. Cause if I do I know I will move heaven and earth to buy them.

Sure. I loved my 360 spider. Then a friend let me drive his Italia. He warned me: if you drive it you will want one. Sure enough I bought a 458 Spider. The rest is history. But I know driving another new Ferrari would be fatal.

Best

 

You said it all, Timothy!

Happy new year!

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

Exactly. Nothing more need be said.

 

And its worth nothing if it IS driven

Part of the conundrum, such a huge penalty for cars that exceed 2k miles per year or so.

 

But it's not a conundrum.

If it's too much of a concern as to how much the car depreciates to enjoy using the car as it was made to be used, then you can't afford the car - plain and simple. Buy something else that you an afford. What's the point of buying a car that you can't afford to use and enjoy. If you're buying a car to leave sitting, then you're buying something else: a conversation piece to brag about or something. But it's not a car at that point and you can't afford to buy it as a car. You think that PhilNotHill gives a hoot what his car is worth? He puts 10k miles a year on it. He gets every dollar's worth out of it in smiles and enjoyment. That man can afford the car.

Look, people can do what they want but I don't buy a car unless I plan on driving it consistently and spending the appropriate time and money to maintain the heck out of it make sure it's perfect in virtually every way. I own some wonderful cars and they've all gotten better during the course of my ownership - more miles, more maintenance, more care, more love, more everything. And I've said it a million times: when I die, I'm not going to be all excited about what my cars are worth; I'll be happy from all of the miles and enjoyment that I got from them and look back on my lengthy ownership with fond memories.

As far as always wanting the next thing, maybe I'm different but more the most part I have acquired my bucket list cars and I really don't want for anything. I too have seen lots of people suffer from the new car addition and I guess I'm just lucky that I don't feel that way. The new cars don't do much at all for me and I'm rarely tempted to pull out the check book for the latest and greatest. I appreciate them but don't want to own one as they just don't seem as special as the old cars. Hardtop said it best years ago: true car happiness is having everything you want for less than you can afford. And the nice thing is that I never have to worry about what Ferrari is going to release next year that makes my current model old news because all of my cars are old news and that's exactly how I like it.

 

Here is how she did it: for my 50th birthday she rented 458 Spyder. My dad had 308 and Boxer, this was very different.

Problem, I am a larger sort and while the 458 was fine for a day, need something a little roomier. I enjoy my 911, but I need one of these cars. I am not at all handy but can deal with the bills.

Any and all guidance would be appreciated

 

People who prioritize the value of their Ferrari above driving it are not properly enjoying it!

 

Maybe so, but decades of history says otherwise. You get penalized for driving them, something we all know when the car is bought. Some choose to pay the penalty, most do not.

 

Decades of history says that the proper way to enjoy a Ferrari is not to drive it? - I think not!

What decades of history has shown is that if you're more interested in the value of your Ferrari than enjoying it then you shouldn't drive it! (too much at least!).

How can you enjoy a Ferrari properly if you're so worried about devaluing it every time you dive it?

To quote Napolis:

"Not putting miles on your Ferrari is like not having sex with your Girl Friend so she'll be more desirable to her next Boy Friend. "

 

Yep, and for 95% of us, we ARE the next boyfriend....LOL

Of course the fallacy of Jim's quote is saying that women age as well as well-designed cars, and I don't see a popularity boom of the over 70s porn sites as compared to a nice Daytona.

Look, I understand the point you are trying to make but the paradigm won't be changing.

 

Given a choice, someone will always choose a less used item over a more used item, all else being equal. Given the economic principles of supply and demand, less used will command more money. That's not going to change.

However, it is a far reach to go from that to saying that if you use it less then you will enjoy it more (which is what you're saying). I think that's what Phil is telling you.

I have no idea what 70's porn has to do with anything so I will just leave that alone.