I Love My 575M Maranello

Greetings to My Fellow Ferrari Lovers. It is a dream come true to finally own a Ferrari. I finally bought my 575M last year this time and am delighted. First, a little history. I grew up loving cars and fell in love with Ferraris when I was about 13 or so when I saw the Road & Track test of a 275GTS. It cost around $14,000 then and I figured, if I cut enough lawns I could manage it! Ah, the dreams of a young boy. As time went on though, I never got Ferraris out of my blood, but I was still too young; didn't even know how to drive yet. When I was finally able to drive, one day I saw an ad in the local paper for a 1963 250 GTE 2+2 for sale. The asking price was $6200, which was a lot of money for a kid still in high school, but my folks said let's go look. It was stored in a garage across the bay from where I lived and I was so excited to go look at a Ferrari. We met the owner and he showed us the car. I remember it was a very light violet color with a white leather interior. He even started it for me and it sounded awesome and the exhaust was wonderful smelling! My parents were concerned about the cost to fix it up since the interior needed new leather. So I never bought it even though the price included two VW Beetles. A missed opportunity....perhaps.

Many years passed since that happened and I bought many cars over the years, each one more expensive or interesting than the one before, but never my dream car....a Ferrari. Until that is, I met and married an incredible woman, my wife. I had told her about my love of Ferraris when we were going out and she encouraged me to enjoy cars and to buy what I liked, but she was not a car person and could not get excited about cars. After we got engaged (best decision I ever made was to propose to this lovely gal), I saw that Michael Sheehan had a 1986 412i for sale and since I always had an affinity for the 412, I thought buying one and driving to our wedding in it would be great. Carbon McCoy was working with Mr. Sheehan at the time and I had some long conversations with him about Ferraris and this Ferrari in particular. Carbon is a terrrific guy and was very honest about this 412 and based on his recommendation, I even went so far as to have a PPI done and it came back pretty good, except that the emissions equipment had been removed. Turns out that my state requires emissions checks on cars up until 25 years old. Since the catalytic converters were removed, this 412 would not have passed the tests and I could not register it. I was quite disappointed, but Carbon understood and we talked about possibly getting a 550 or 575, but they cost a lot more that 412s did, but I kept the possibility open. My thanks to you, Carbon for encouraging me to keep looking.

Things died down for a while as I settled into my new life with my beautiful wife, but I still had that hankering for a filly. I found out that my nearby mega-luxury dealership had a 360 Modena for sale, so I went over to look at it. It was a yellow, 6-speed manual with black and yellow Daytona seats. It looked cool, so I got to sit in it and check it out. I found out it came from Florida and had 8 owners! When I checked the underside, the underpanels at the back of the car were broken and hanging loose. This was a turn off as it indicated to me that the car had been abused or as I thought to myself "rode hard and put away wet". I am a perfectionist, so this wouldn't do at all.

A few months later, I saw that this same dealership had a 1998 550 Maranello for sale, so I and my wife went to see it. It was red with a tan interior. My wife thought the car was beautiful and so did I since I had never actually seen one in person before. I asked to see the engine and the salesperson obliged, but stood there holding up the bonnet. I asked if the gas cylinders were shot and he said yes. Oh, that's not a good sign, I thought. I did get to sit in it and I instantly liked the seating position and layout, but this was not the car for me.

I guess it was a year later, this last December, when I was on the computer searching for a 550 or 575 6-speed manual. I had been looking fairly seriously for the right Maranello, but had not really found the right car with the right features and the right color. Then I pulled up Steve Harris Imports website in Salt Lake City, Utah and they had a 575M Maranello that caught my eye. A beautiful, silver 2002 575M with every desirable option, but what really sold me was the FHP option. It wasn't a manual, but I figured I could live with the F1 system since this was otherwise the perfect 575M for me. I got all sweaty as I realized that this was the one. I asked my amazing wife to look at the pictures and she thought it was beautiful and loved the color. She said "There is no reason to wait; you have wanted a Ferrari for your whole life and if not now, when?" Is she unbelievable or what!!

I called Steve Harris and talked with a fantastic and very knowledgeable saleperson, Tim Beers. He told me the whole history of this car. Bought new in California and then brought to Utah where a second owner bought her recently, but ran into financial difficulties and sold her back to Steve Harris. She had a bit over 16,000 miles and had up-to-date services and was in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. Tim sent me the build sheet that confirmed all of the options: FHP, shields, power Daytona seats, Hi-Fi stereo, CD changer, Navigation, 19 inch modular wheels, two tone leather on the seats and contrasting piping, leather shelf and the entire carbon package, and of course, the F1 transmission. Also, the complete tool kit, spare in a can, car cover and bag, manuals, flashlight, keys, fobs and PINs. Only thing not originally ordered was the spare tire. Who cares about that! It takes up valuable trunk space anyway. I had never seen a better equipped 575 in my year of searching. Honestly, I did really want a later model year 575 with a manual transmission, but they just weren't out there in a color I liked. You see, I did not want black, red, yellow or blue. I loved the silver color because it was low key and did a wonderful job of enhancing the beautiful lines of the Maranello. My lovely wife said go for it, so I did! We went out to Utah to inspect and drive the Ferrari and it was everything I expected and more. It was just gorgeous and I bought it on the spot. Steve Harris Imports and Tim Beers were fabulous to deal with and I would highly recommend them to anyone wanting to buy a Ferrari, or the Lotus my wife saw there and bought (a story for another time). The car was shipped home a few weeks later and that's when the real fun began because since I am a perfectionist, I went over my baby with a fine tooth comb and addressed a number of things that I wanted re-done. I had the driver's seat bolster reupholstered, wheels refinished, and replaced the center switches and center panel because the panel was cracked at one corner. Boy, was that expensive to replace, but I do all my own work, so it wasn't hard to do. I must thank Brian at Steve Harris Imports in their parts department for providing me excellent service, prices and assistance all the time. I also replaced the passenger's side sun visor hinge pin since that visor was drooping. I guess that is the usual stuff on a 575, but now all is done and she is in tip-top shape. I also spent a month detailing the engine compartment, a couple months detailing the wheel wells, brake calipers, wheels and underside and two months hand polishing and finishing the exterior...I am a perfectionist, you know.

It turns out that I absolutely love the F1 transmission and it perfectly complements that fabulous V-12. My 575M is not only beautiful to look at, but beautiful to drive. It is the most wonderful car I have ever owned. I really do understand what makes a Ferrari so special. Sure, it needs a bit more maintenance and care, but so what, it is a work of art and not only beautifully designed, but beautifully made. I have been in every nook and cranny of this beauty and I am constantly amazed at the details.

I know this is a long story, but I am so happy to have joined the Ferrari world that I wanted to share my story and my joy with all of you. I do have some photos of my baby and I hope you enjoy them.

Best regards to my fellow Ferrari lovers,
Joe
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Thank you all so much for your very kind words and wishes. She is a beauty...the car and my amazing wife. I will try and have more pictures later on for you. As far as the serial number, it is ZFFBV55A920130095 and the assembly number is 47409.

Best regards to you all and very Happy Holidays.
Joe

 

I learned a great deal being on this site and the amount of knowledge and information I gained as I looked for the right Ferrari was extremely helpful. I found out that finding a 575 with "FHP" or Fiorano Handling Package, was not easy as it was a rather rare option, but that it improved the handling of the car. So, I said I would try to find one. Mine did have it and it was the main reason I bought her. I am no expert, but if I am not mistaken, FHP consists of upgraded springs, a firmer rear anti-roll bar, 19 inch modular wheels and painted brake calipers. There may be more, but I am not sure. "Taz" could provide all the real details as his expertise on 575s is highly respected and he knows all the important stuff.

Now, about the Lotus. While my lovely wife and I were at Steve Harris Imports, we noticed that they also had Lotus cars in their showroom. I did not know it, but they were also a Lotus dealer. While wandering around all their fabulous cars, my wife saw a little Lotus parked with a couple of other Lotuses against a wall. I think we both saw it at about the same time. She asked me what that was and I told her it was a Lotus Elise. Tim Beers, our salesperson (great guy) told us it was a 2005 Lotus Elise with the Touring Package. It was beautiful and in a great color, a kind of bronzey brown with a tan leather interior. Tim said to check it out and my wife jumped right in the driver's seat. This is the gal who said she didn't care about cars, remember? Well, I encouraged her to take the Elise out for a test drive. Why not? After all, I just bought a Ferrari!! Why shouldn't she have a cool sports car too? Funny thing is, she always wanted a two-seat sports car. So, like she did for me, I said that she should take the car out and see if she likes it. Next thing I know, Tim and my wife go off for a test drive in this little Elise. She's gone, five, ten, fifteen minutes. She finally comes back (I thought she was having way too much fun---not!) and is all smiles. She absolutely loved the Elise. So, we bought it at the same time as the Ferrari. I was so happy for her because she has always done so much for others, certainly including me, that it was about time she did something wonderful for herself.

Since then, that little Lotus Elise has brought her nothing but joy. It is such a thrill to drive or ride in and they are so rare that my wife's Lotus actually stops traffic in our home town. It may be partly due to the car, but it's more likely it is because of my wife, since she is so beautiful. After all, how often do you see a beautiful woman driving a Lotus Elise? In fact, Tim Beers told us that he knows of only one other woman who owns an Elise.

That's the Lotus story and that little baby is snuggled up under her car cover waiting out the winter months until my wife can roll up the cloth top and take her Elise out for a spin.

Best to you all,
Joe

 

While searching for my post in the 456/550/575 forum about wanting steering wheel and seat covers, the search function found my original post about my 575. I had forgotten about this post. It must be fate that it popped up because I do not believe in coincidences. I read through it and it brought tears to my eyes because a lot has happened in the intervening years. My lovely wife and I went our separate ways. I went through hell to hold on to the 575, but I (barely) managed to do so. The Lotus Elise is long gone, too. Effie, my 575 is still beautiful and is safely stored, but she needs the cam belts changed and a complete fluid change along with some other odds and ends, but I cannot have any work done on her for the time being. Also, being in the Pittsburgh area now, there is no one here that I would have do any work on her. I still do not know where to have her serviced, but for now, that decision is not on my radar. I do not mean to go on with my life story, but I would appreciate it if one of my Ferrari brethren would be able to suggest where to find the red cloth steering wheel and seat covers for Effie. She has the Daytona seats, so the seat covers have to be the ones for this style seat; the sport seat covers do not fit. I know because I made the mistake of ordering what I thought were the right ones from an unscrupulous eBay seller and not only were they not the right ones, I believe that they were counterfeit. I will never use eBay again as a result of that experience. I did post a request for these items here in the forum a couple months ago - which was the post I was actually looking for when this one popped up - but no one responded. Perhaps, my tear-jerker of a story will inspire one of you to help me with the last items I need to make Effie complete. Ever hopeful, my friends,
Joe
5/18/2020