Am I insane for even considering this?

Okay guys, I need your help. I need all of you to tell me that I'm out of my mind for thinking that this could be a good idea. This week I had planned on sending my car to auction in hopes that I could get out of it and into something a little more sensible and less dear. Well, in the middle of an early morning ride through the rain (today is supposed to be my last day with the car) I came up with a ludicrous idea. How about I just keep the 328 and try to move to LA with this as my only car! Yeah, that's the ticket! If there is a city in the world that you can drive a Ferrari everyday as your single mode of transportation it's LA right? I could be a sort of Italian Cowboy!

Okay, let's start the deliberations. This is a ridiculous notion, right? I couldn't possibly pull it off, could I? Surely the insurance would be astronomical. And using this car as a daily driver would beat me up, wouldn't it?

Here is where I stand right now. My car is due to get picked up by flatbed tomorrow morning for shipment to the Manheim Auto Auction. I need to make a decision one way or another. If I'm going to call this whole selling idea off I need to do it soon! What do you all think?

 

Your preaching to the choir! I can see the plate already........AZUR CAL!

DL

 

Your car is so beautiful! If it was mine I could not part with it! And get the plate that Darth recommended!


JMJ

 

Are you definitely moving to Cali? Sorry if that is a stupid question. Also are you in a financial rut? If you are definitely moving to Cali and you have a solid job lined up, I would definitely keep your car. Your car is one of the most beautiful 328s I have seen. The bottom line is you are in a financial rut, then you will have to do what you have to do no matter what other members say because you know yourself that you are the one that is going to be the one in the problem and not anyone else. And if you sell it, I definitely would not sell it at an auction. I see that you are a car dealer manager and I would have figured you would no best. If you do decide to keep it and your finances are solid and you are moving to Cali, it would not be at all bad to have as a daily driver. I drive my 360 almost everyday. The roads are quite nice here and the freeways are smooth also. One of my friends who had a 328 drove his every songle day going from Newport Beach to LA for work and had not a single complaint. So yea, if things all work out, I would keep it. Plus in Cali, if you decided to sell it, there is a huge market for Ferraris. Just try it out and if you need a daily driver, just buy a beater. You can pick up VW GTI or a Jetta for like 5 grand. I know you are pressed for time but make your decision wisely, as your car is not a car on production anymore and cannot be replaced or duplicated. If I offended you in any way please accept my apologies.
Just another fellow Ferrari owner in Cali

 

I am definitely moving out to California and I have some very good job prospects that I can jump into when I am ready. I am probably going to wait until late summer/early fall to make the move so that I can build up some "cushion" money to make everything smoother. If only I had been better at budgeting myself over the past few years. I could have paid the car off a few times! Anyway, I am hoping that this can be a reality because I would love nothing more than to take my blue baby out there with me!

 

Yea, not unless you're under a serious $$$ crunch I'd bring the car out here and see what happens. You don't want to get yourself up against the wall that's all.

 

Small world. I'm putting my Porsche C4 in the 4/22 auction. I guessing that you are aiming for the 4/8 one?

About driving a 328 around LA... Everything will be cool except the freeways. Driving anykind of stick and a car with marginal A/C will be no fun. This could be a problem seeing how LA is nothing but freeways.

As far as selling on your home turf, selling later in the Spring is always better. This is why I'm going to go for the 4/22 versus the 4/8 auction.

As to whether you will get a better price in LA versus the tri-states? I'll have to leave that the experts. My guess is that the top 3 places in the country for Ferraris are LA/OC, South Fla, and NJ/NY/CT.

Another option is to leave the car in NJ on cosignment.

I don't know why you're moving and what your emotional attachement is to your car. But I'm a big fan of starting over. Shed that old skin and grow a new one. But that's just me.

Good luck, DrTax

 

Depends on where you are moving too and where you are working.

 

Do not sell that car, it is the most beautiful 328 i have ever seen, keep it and drive a beater, my cousin had the same problem, he bought a taurus sho for everyday for like 2-3k, and kept his porsche. Keep the car.

Good luck, let us know what happens!

 

I'm pretty sure NJ has one of the highest insurance rate averages in the country... Heck, I'd think you'd save money moving to California....
( I use AAA.. best rate/quality org I found with all the extra liability I needed to get )


But I agree with Jet... It depends on where your moving....

Keep it... Dont do the auction .... It's car dealers looking to make a margin! Very few collectors....IMO

Good luck
Patrick

 

I have to agree there, Gus! Keep the car and buy a reliable POS for 1k. Of course if your lacking a garage when you move out, you can store the car in my garage If you need to commute, you can trade cars with me My Mustang does well in traffic but the clutch is a tad heavy.

 

If you can afford to keep it, keep it. Only you know the answer to that one. It will make a great So.Cal. tanning machine. The market here, in the summer, is probably better than the market there, now anyways. If you buy a new one here, you will spend another 3K in sales tax also. I have lived in So. Cal. all my life and the only car with an autotrans is the one in my Duelly used for pulling the race cars. I have also never lived in a house with air conditioning.

Good luck,
See ya here,
Rick

 

I think this would/could/should be the only time I disagree with DrTax -

L.A. not only has high quantity, but low quality of surface streets, with sadistic monkeys in charge of traffic lights.

 

You guys have sadistic monkeys too? lol

 

Yes - inbred, in fact.
It may seem I'm pessimistic about city roads, but I kid thee not about surface street "quality" in Metropolis. Though, the budget may be in the millions, but I think they use water-based asphalt, as it dissolves in the rain. As such, if Chicago is "The Windy City," LA is the "The Bumpy City."

 

I DEFINITELY agree, especially in BURBANK!!

More traffic signals per square mile than anywhere else I have seen, and the rate they change is MADDENING to say the least.

What amounts to a 10 minute drive anywhere else turns into a 30 minute stop and go fest because of the light programming.

Tim

 

Seeing as how I have never been able to figure out how to get off 405, I will defer to the wax man.

 

Well guys, I am happy to announce that my car has survived this scare. Just the thought of her going to market was making me ill and I've decided to hold on to her. Thanks to all for the great support. Hopefully I can make this thing happen.

 

Good call.

Rick

 

Cool, hope i can see it someday, hopefully as soon as you move

-David

 

Gus, just a quick question. When are you planning on moving? Do you have a loose date in mind yet?

 

I think it's do-able. I drive the 328 4-5 days a week and the insurance is exactly the same as it is for my Wrangler - About $700 a year.

Plus if you ever need to sell it, you can probably get a little more in Cali for it.

Glad to hear you are keeping it!

 

Jordan,

Right now it's looking like the end of the summer or early fall. That would be my guess.

David,

I realy hope to bring the car out there. If I do, you will definitely get one of the first rides. I think you'll like it.

 

Wow, thanks Aug!!!!!!

 

I don't mean to throw water on this parade, but....

I am a big believer that you should use cars for its special purpose.

Being at a dead stop on 405 in any kind of a Ferrari doesn't make any sense. Just because you can do it, doesn't mean that you should.

Now, if you are moving to OC, that's a different story. Rock on!