430 Thoughts on Redondo Beach F430

I hope it's a deal for the dealer admitting to those problems and not wanting to fix it. The headers are a big deal and you need to pull the transmission to get to the throw out bearing so it's likely to turn into a "while you're in there" clutch job as well.

Dealers are usually good about sorting things like this out so they get more money in return. It would be a hard pass for me as the cost to do all the fixes is likely more than what a well sorted out version is.

Also, make sure those carbon pieces are on the build sheet and not some dealer itemization. All those are available aftermarket. Not saying it makes it less desirable, but a car with those options from the factory will obviously be worth more than one that has aftermarket add ons (even if they're OEM parts to a degree). Just make sure they're not trying to tack a premium on for aftermarket parts is what I'm getting at.

EDIT* Just check the price on the link. Seems high for a 2005 coupe, but it is southern California and the mileage is low. Lots of owners though. I'd make sure to get some service records. Seems the last owner may have let a few maintenance items laps due to price and just decided to sell it in the end instead of fixing it. Makes sense now why the dealer doesn't want to fix it. It's potentially another $10-15k+ worth of service and they'll be hard pressed to get that back from the current price point

 

Ouch. Yeah, stay away at that price. Seems like the previous owner was depending on some aftermarket warranty company to cover the cost of Ferrari repair. Most of those companies are a waste of money. The guy probably drove it with all sorts of issues towards the end making matters worse. The work they recommend is going to a be a huge kick in the pants for whoever decides to get it unless they want a DIY project. You'll see this one sit for some time at that price.

 

Are you looking for a driver or a collector? I ask that because lower mileage examples like this have more issues that they suffer from due to lack of driving. Now, almost 20 years later, the price gets down to where more people can afford them and start driving them more often. Immediately things start to go bad from the car sitting. Seals that have dried over the years from not having oil on them start leaking, coolant starts leaking, rust on bearings starts grinding away, etc.

This one is a hard sale in either regard. If you're buying a driver, you should be looking for something with more mileage which will have been exercised more often and likely maintained in more ways than just a yearly oil change. If you're looking for a collector, you want one with a factory service history in which case a DIY repair on all this stuff would work against you.

Don't be afraid to look outside California either. I got mine from Mississippi and had zero issues bringing it into California and got it for a much better price because of it. Local cars that were similarly spec'd were selling for $20k more here and were still for sale months after I bought mine.

 

Man, I wouldn't get a car with that many known issues unless it was a screaming deal. You will fine more issues.

Mike

 

Don't base it on mileage. People treat their cars differently. If it were any other car, 25k miles would be brand new. Some of these still are even at 40k miles. Some are shot at 10k miles because a larger owner just got in and out of it constantly or neglected to take care of the leather because it was garaged (leather still dries out and wears faster when not cared for). Most here would likely accept some type of wear on the inside that is easily addressed as oppose to chasing mechanical issues. You'll enjoy your car with worn bolster much more than with leaking fuel lines.

If you haven't searched with autotempest, I'd recommend trying it as there seem to be a good bit of black coupes for sale that are priced much better and are newer. There weren't many improvements over the years, but the later model cars still had some desirable updates mechanically that are worth shopping for if the price is close.

As for the one you linked, pricing is on par for one that is mechanically sorted. I wouldn't touch it for more than $100k flat and you might even regret it after that. There's nothing like constantly chasing issues from a poor steward to steal the thrill you were expecting to get out of your first Ferrari. Be patient and you'll find the right one. It likely will not be in your neighborhood either.

 

I bought an F430 within the last month (2007 red on tan spider), so I'm up on the current market and... there's deals to be had on these right now.

The crypto boys got bent over early in the year, now the banks are wobbly, and it's hard to live out of your Ferrari so the market is a lot softer now than it was even six months ago.

Unless you're a huge fan of a black-on-black coup as your dream car, NOW is the time to cast a much wider net.

As GP says above, it's pretty easy to have these shipped. I bought one in Miami and shipped to Chicagoland for right at $1K in shipping.

Kevin

 

I drive by this place often - just FYI it’s mainly a small outdoor lot, with a few indoor spots for the nicest cars. They definitely don’t have a lift on site or much of anything else. Do google street view and you’ll get the idea. Nothing against them but it’s not like a typical Ferrari dealership.

 

I don't know the 430 market and am still new to owning Ferrari's myself so I'm no pro. With that said, just try to get a deal, and especially if it has that many problems already known. It better be a great deal then. There will be more.

 

Market is 100% stronger than 6 months ago. Bottom of the market was right around Christmas.

Not that I am a crypto bro in any way but BTC has almost doubled up YTD. Rates are somewhat high but exotics prices are up across the board relative to Nov-Dec 2022.

That said, this price is high for a car that has so many un-sorted areas. My 430 will be available next month with under half the miles and extensive recent service and I doubt that I'd ask as much as these guys.

 

It's tricky because these cars have entered into the "affordable" pricepoint and they are becoming a lot of people's first Ferrari's (me included). I think most people are so stoked to have one, they let things like the ceramic brakes slide or don't value them as much as others might or are simply scared of having to replace them due to cost. Plus, if you move to 2007, they were standard. Some new shoppers don't pick up on this. However, because of that, you'll see 2007+ models usually go for more.

In the end, the price for some options are really just splitting hairs. It isn't like not having an option tanks the resale. The only options worth searching for that are not easily remedied by the aftermarket are things like the race seats, CCB's, or the Bose system since they can be harder to find in the second hand market. Other parts can easily be added later (like the CF parts) and the cost savings up front would generally equal any sort of premium you might get later from paying more for those options.

If you're paying Scud money, might as well consider at 458 or 488 or even a manual if you want a collector. That's usually a $100k+ premium for all those options.

 

When I was shopping I was trying to avoid ceramic brakes.

Since I was looking for a gated car, a late model with the f1 improvements wasn’t important to me. The steel brakes are strong enough for street use, and I didn’t want to deal with potential big costs of chipped rotors. I also avoided the tpms and parking sensors and engine bay carbon for potential yellowing. I wanted a simpler car, less headaches for long term ownership.

the posted car looks like it lived a hard life. Just the listed issues are $20k at an independent. Who knows what else is underneath…

 

I though carbon ceramics became standard in 2008.


Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Ahh, you’re right. I was going off a quick search and must have found more wrong info. Thanks for the correction.

 

There is no mention of regular service records, to me that is probably the most important thing when I am looking at a car like this. After 15+ years there should be a laundry list of things done, including ball bearings, engine mounts, water pumps, headers ect. Also I like to compare mileage on service records with yearly inspection mileage to make sure no obvious odometer rollbacks.

Just from cursory review, this had 6 owners, but lots of cumulated maintenance items. To me that is a red flag. If there are no regular service records I’d be worried about recent buyers enjoying the car and selling it before having to incur service costs. Cosmetics look great and stickies seem to be done already, but u never know what hides beneath the service

 

It depends on how badly u have to have those options and how much you’re willing to spend on upfront maintenance. That buyer was willing to put in at least 20k off the bat to make the car right, and who knows how many weeks in the shop waiting for parts.

No need to rush, these cars are not super rare.

 

Also, lots of uneducated buyers that simply see stars in their eyes and are blinded to potential issues.