Dino rip off, need advice

As long as it’s a solid car, the items you listed are relatively minor. You can probably fix most of the items yourself. Forget the money and enjoy the car. “Knowledgeable sources” should be taken with a grain of salt. I bought mine sight unseen and got a great car that just needed a bit of refurbishment. The prices have been all over recently, so once again don’t think you got screwed, rather enjoy the journey you have in front of you. Life is short and there are plenty of basket case cars that you most likely avoided.

 

Don't be surprised now if you haven't personally inspected the car prior to the purchase!!
Whoever spends $ 445 K and doesn't do the homework first should not complain later.
Also called due diligence.

Marcel Massini

 

Appreciate it for the rolling artwork it is. I bought my BBi also sight unseen, and after a stressful month of cataloging all the missing parts and work to be done, I got over it. Post some pictures!

 

Tell the seller you are not happy with the car and return it.

 

Was the dealer’s description of the car’s condition in writing? Were you dealing with the dealership owner, a salesman, or a broker?

 

Geez, I got a a PPI on my 360 that cost a fraction of that. Why on earth did you not get one? Even the best dealer in the world is not going to know everything wrong with a car.

 

I think if the sales contract says "As Is/Where Is", and no in person inspection was done, it gets kinda difficult to fight without deep pockets. Like Skippr9999 said, these are in the grand scheme of the car minor items that would be expected in a car that old, the court would take that under advisement, and so I think it may be tough to claim the vehicle as misrepresented. Now, if they said that all those items called out specifically in the ad or specific paperwork worked perfectly, then that is a different story. You can get minor wins there, but is it worth the $25k additional for the lawyer? It is still a fight though. It's just my opinion, and the OP is rightfully upset, but I would just spend the money fixing those items and make it perfect, exactly like Enzo would have wanted.

 

Why not put a deposit down subject to viewing car in person?

 

Your options are simple.

First, you can accept the car as it is and spend the money to restore it to your satisfaction. You couldn't have spent the money on a $250 plane ticket to inspect a car that you're about to plunk down nearly a half mil for?

Second, you can consult with a lawyer to see if the seller misrepresented the car in such a way that you would have a chance of winning a legal action.

 

Sorry about the issues, but...I'm always surprised & amazed that any person spending $50K or more...i.e. $445K does not do their *due diligence - does not put any time or effort into getting a PPI on a car, or inspection of art, antiques, etc, and buys sight unseen accepting the dealer, sales person, gallery owner, etc at their "word." And then are surprised or disappointed when the item purchased has any issues and does not meet their expectations. It's a 1973 Ferrari Dino, not a "Pebble Beach entrant" restored to better than new, so these things are to be expected. As Skippr1999 said, "Forget the money and enjoy the car."

* "Doing Your Due Diligence

Due diligence has been used since at least the mid-fifteenth century in the literal sense “requisite effort.” Centuries later, the phrase developed a legal meaning, namely, “the care that a reasonable person takes to avoid harm to other persons or their property”; in this sense, it is synonymous with another legal term, ordinary care. More recently, due diligence has extended its reach into business contexts, signifying the research a company performs before engaging in a financial transaction. This meaning may also apply to individuals: people are often advised to perform their due diligence before buying a house, signing a loan, or making any important purchase." i.e. a 1973 Ferrari for $445,000

 

I hate to tell you this but some of these are chronic problems or normal wear and tear if you use it just a little.

I’m not making excuses but Dinos of the 1970’s are nothing like todays modern cars. Stuff on them break all the time or appear to be less than perfect— because they were made that way.

Rule number 1: your idea of “excellent condition” and an expert’s opinion can be two different things.

 

Yes, but it's a reality. I'm not even saying they were crooks though. That car is 50 years old, and no matter what the value, there will always be some wear, patina, etc. What may be acceptable to someone else for a car that old may not be acceptable to you. It really is up to the buyer to make that call and spend that amount of money. It's not like the motor had a knock and they filled it with ATF to hide it. Any of those things would be able to be uncovered by a third party inspection, which is what I would have done (and did) if I was unable to make the trip to see the car first hand. You can contact the shop and see if they may help with some of the repairs, and they may...or may not. But at the end of the day, you have a badass Dino. It may need a little elbow grease but it's a good opportunity to get to know the car.

At any rate, congrats on the purchase. You're one of the lucky few.

 

Let’s see some pictures of this heap of trash !
Welcome and you’ll get it sorted.

As soon as you mentioned Florida and Dealer……LOL

 

I found Skipp his Dino, and just by having a private photographer go over the car, and us grill the owner to answer specific questions, we were able to nab a solid specimen. But it wasn’t without faults. He dove in as any new owner and (is still?) making it his and sorting things here and there. It’s been quite a few years! These are old cars, at the end of the day.

Crack a beer, hit the garage door, and gaze upon the wonder. I HOPE I’m in your shoes someday. Give me a hooptie 246. I’m all in.

 

It won't help that you have waited months to sort this out. Did you contact the dealer and tell them of the issues when you took delivery?

 

I've bought most of my (much less expensive) cars without seeing them but requested specific photos and videos. (which I think could have revealed most of what is noted here)

For nearly half a million however I would let someone sneeze covid directly into my face and ride my mountain bike cross country to see it in person

Given the age of the car and the amount of time that has passed I don't think there's anything you could really do other than drive it as-is and fix it as time and funds permit.

 

Most of the items on your list seem to be in the wear/tear category, and many of these can be corrected/restored by any good restorer, or yourself. I don't see mention of too many powertrain issues, which is good. If such becomes an issue, MAKE SURE you use someone with a known, solid reputation specific to Dinos. I bought an L-series in '01, also without personal inspection or PPI, which almost immediately needed an engine rebuild along with cam lobes. This was done by a highly recommended local outfit in Reno (where I lived at the time). This proved to be a disaster, with all the work eventually needing to be redone (correctly this time), by Juan Villarreal at Grand Prix Motors in Campbell, CA, a true Dino expert. I would imagine there are similarly renowned people to do this work on the East Coast, when/if it becomes necessary. Good luck and enjoy your car!

 

The Dino was never meant to be a race car. If you wanted a race car as I see it you purchased the wrong car.
Even with COVID you should have inspected the vehicle. Trust no one. Lesson learnt.

 

By any chance did this Florida dealer also include Classiche as part of the deal?

I'd recommend immediately getting a thorough inspection so you can see just how big the iceberg is. I hate to say it but most often these "little things" are red flags that there are more "bigger things".

 

Hi Steve, that list doesn’t sound so bad. Fix it up, and enjoy the car!

 

Was the dealer a Ferrari franchise or an independent?

 

Replace all fuel lines, fluids ,brakes,tyres then just drive the thing .

Ohh and check carefully for rust..