Hi folks, Location: UK First post, recently found this awesome forum. As the name suggests, I am eying my first Ferrari which was toss up between the FF and 612, but I have since settled on the FF. Trying to chose a used model however feels a little overwhelming - it's like to make the right call one has to be a ferrari expert, but I can't be an f-expert without being Ferrari buyer. There are a few things I am looking for / unsure about: 'Cosmetics' (i'll like be happy to chose one or the other, not expectant to find both) Updated console (for apple car etc) and ideally hi-fi. Pano roof. Colours Ext: anything but light greys or red. Love red Ferrari's but maybe not for this model. Int: anything but all black or red. Prefer tan. Mechanics This is the part I am really struggling with. Are there any major bonus's I should look for, such as replaced breaks etc? All the available autotrader options say they come with a full service records etc, so it's not like either have a clear advantage there. Some seems to have way more work done on them recently. The front/rear parking sensors seems like a very useful option, so I weight that highly. If a model already had a fixed PTU issue that would be a comfort. No of owners Was initially put off my high number of owners like 5-7, but apparently this is not particularly unusual, so will not let this be a particularly weighted factor if I find the right model. Mileage Almost all the models are between 27-40k miles. Reg year Is there much of a benefit of going for a later model, say a 2015? Most options are around 2012. If the car is mostly the sum of its parts, then is the car not as old/new as the various components of the car that have been well replaced over time? An example model: This model has been kicking around for awhile and is listed to have had lots of work done on it. Would greatly appreciate if any seasoned buyers could let me know their thoughts on it? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406200942133?sort=relevance&make=Ferrari&model=FF&postcode=w1u%207nt&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra Thanks in advanced for any help
GL with your search. I started late 2023 and finished on a car in may 2024. I have a 2012 and the Bluetooth with the stock radio is fine for me. I have the same system in my 2016 jeep wrangler so I am used to it. The sound system is also plenty good enough for it but your music taste and use may vary from mine (edm or classical). Agree on colors. I ended up with a blue car and I love it. That was unexpected. I am okay with interior cosmetic issues like sticky buttons or leather wear bc those are am easier for me to fix and I find generally cheaper. Needing Paint work on the outside is a deal breaker. I did that on my 360 and it is a money pit. Ymmv I also have parking sensors and I thought they were stupid originally but I use them all the time. I would definitely want them. I would also not buy another Ferrari without nose lift. It’s amazing and saved me a bunch of times. I always try to get a car that has been fully serviced but that’s balanced with the price. I would not be afraid of a car with some issues if it was cheaper but there is a point where you don’t want to have it in the shop for the first few months you own it. I would not require a pano roof but I have two other convertibles so this is a different thing entirely.
As I have learned thru the forum posts, be aware of what is considered a PTU 'repair'. A replacement from an authorized service center has certain pros/cons. This is different than a 'repair' from one of the known third party repair providers which has its own pros/cons. One of these third party providers is in your 'backyard' and can be found thru this forum. There are significant differences in cost between the two methods, if the PTU ever needs this kind of attention. I dont think 2012 had panos. 2013+ were optional. 2016 - the option was 'standard'. i believe later models had updated 'carplay'. Are the rims/tires stock? Do you have the tire height desired for the types of roads you travel? You seem to have researched well. GLWP
Hi Kerim, Welcome to the forum. You’ve obviously done your homework on the FF so you’re better informed than most who buy one. The one you linked to has a ton of nice options on it and I think it’s the one owned by the youtuber F-car Guy. https://youtube.com/@f-carguy?si=PUTg1LFrW2PFkqid It’s a lovely colour combo and the semi-aniline leather wears better than the standard painted leather so that’s a plus on a 12 year old car. The only major options lacking are the LED steering wheel and interior carbon - both of which are a matter of taste but be aware that non-LED wheel cars typically sell for 10k less than LED wheel equipped cars as that’s how much it costs to retrofit one. Good luck.
Thanks for your input. I don’t think the seller is the YouTube F-car guy as the seller doesn’t have an upgraded hi-fi system, whereas the chap in the video says he does. That’s convenient as it’s 10% more than I’d like to offer [emoji28] I’ve done as much reading on here as I could but that only really helps with the preference things. Mechanically / maintenance wise I’m still not sure what to look for. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Best thing you can do on the mechanicals is insist that the seller allows you to have an independent inspection done on the car. Leave that bit to the professionals.
Yeah +1 on that. Unless you know what to look for, you could spend all the time in the world looking at the car and miss stuff. Plus newer cars are much more complicated and the knowledge is pretty specialized. At a minimum have somebody make sure the drive cycle has been completed and all the monitors return ready and the CEL is off and there are no warnings. That is not sufficient in my mind but at least it gets you some things crossed off the list. Service history can also help, but not always. I bought a ferrari serviced (admittedly not quite as regularly as it should have been) but at reputable shops, but it ended up being a total basket case until it was sorted. The other car was always serviced at Ferrari stores and it's been care-free to own. The way I deal with mechanical research is I set my max budget, then try to spend 90% of that on a car that is acceptable so I have a cushion for when something goes wrong. It also helps to keep from getting too emotional and buying something that's not a good value.
I’m pretty sure that the car for sale belongs to our very own FChatter @IDKFA aka RUNDLL aka F-Car Guy. There won’t be many cars around in that colour combination with upgraded clear side repeaters and that very same Pioneer stereo with aftermarket front and rear cameras. Looking at the photos, I’m pretty sure the car for sale has the upgraded hifi system as I can see the rear midrange unit grille in one of the photos. Why don’t you drop him a line?
Perhaps! The reason I didn’t think its the same person is due two discrepancies: first that the owner told me his model had the factory sound system. Second, that his pioneer console model was a 2023 model. However the F-car guy says in his video that it’s a 2021 pioneer console which he installed (and posted to YouTube) in 2022. [emoji848] I’m not sure I can dm people yet, I heard that you need a certain level of forum activity, but I will try to reach out to him as soon as I can.
Hi Kerim, That is my car, we've been emailing on Autotrader. Apologies for the confusion on the Stereo. It is indeed a 2021 model, installed 2022. I have updated the firmware to late 2023 software. The HiFi is the factory fitted, upgraded Power HiFi. If you'd prefer, give me a call tomorrow, might be easier that way and less chance of any confusion. Have a good evening
Ah hello! Thanks for reaching and clarifying those details. And it’s good to meet you here too. It seems like the Ferrari world is a small world. I think I have your number from AT, could certainly do a call if not today then this week.
Will ask the seller re stock rims/tires. I had not considered a desired tire height, as amateur that may be. Naturally I would drive the car around the UK, probably everywhere I could take it save bad and off-road so a mixture of city use and trips to highlands, and in between. My major use case however was for some continental cruising, to and around Europe. I don’t know how to ascertain tire height from all that.
If a model already has the original CarPlay and central console, can anyone give me an idea of what price I would be looking at update it to a brand new one? And what if the example doesn’t already have CarPlay?
I’m not sure why you’d want to upgrade a car which has an OEM carplay head unit. They’re extremely thin on the ground and you’d lose the display integration with the instrument binnacle if you took it out. Either way, swapping out the head unit would cost the same, regardless of whether it has carplay or not. Another FChatter in the UK spent £1,250 for a head unit swap. https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/2014-ff-stereo-head-unit-upgrade-uk.665791/ Search is your friend, my friend.
I think we’re talking about the same thing, but in case I didn’t explain what I meant properly… I mean the central screen where you access satnav, music, CarPlay etc with the cd player behind. I thought they were quite common to upgrade, due to the fact the original interface screens have ancient resolution and not the best UI.
I think the price to upgrade to something as linked above, or what I did with mine, would be the same regardless of of what version of the factory stereo you have fitted. ( If I've understood your question correctly ) It sounds like you've done a lot of research online which is great, but perhaps you're ready now to start looking at some in person. I found that answered a lot of questions I had when I was looking for mine.
I’m really looking forward to getting started viewing some models, unfortunately I don’t have much availability until next month. The only thing is that every example of interest is the other side of the country [emoji28]
