456 Back seat room

I'm not sure where you are located, but here in the U.K early cars are selling for £40K-£45K from specialist dealers.

 

Brent, Just drove one yesterday. The back seat is okay for a small child. Very comfortable but still small. With the front seat in the "normal" seating position for an average adult woman, the rear seat has about 5" of knee room. Not great for a car that appears to be fairly large.

The new Maserati coupe has a lot of room in the back, has a ferrari built engine, handles well and can be had for around 85k if you haggle well. ...Might be something to consider.

Russ

 

Brent, i know of an 01 blue 456 with 1200 miles for around $135 if you are interested.

 

Short answer is yes to the first bit, and neither I nor my wife have to mess with the seats to compensate for the rear. I'm 5'10" and my wife is 5'6".

I've had my car for >3 years and my children, now 4 and 7, fit just fine when I first got it, and still do. My youngest used to use an infant car seat; both now use boosters. Note that this is an 'M' and they messed with it to give it more room in the back. The kids also fit just fine in the boot (trunk).

HTH

Kevin

 

Hey Brent!

Biggest 456 issue is with the window seals (and yeah, if that's the biggest issue, then let's celebrate!) They do cost a pretty penny to fix (talking like $8k+) though. 456 prices seem to range from $75k for an early car, to $130k for a newer example that had window issues, etc fixed. Either way it's a heck of a deal for a modern V12 Ferrari!

It's a fablous car, and can take kids around in a pinch, but getting them in and out on a *daily* basis will be a big of a drag. (so don't make it your only car.) Be fun as hell though for a traditional weekend ride with daddy!

I fit in the back seat of a 456 in a pinch (and you met me, 6'2" 175lbs) but my neck is ovbiously contorted a bit, and my head ends up in the middle. I'm still grinning though.

Overall the car is 2/3rds of a 550 Maranello, and room for 4.

Best!
Ben.

 

Brent:

I have 456 GT since 1/03.Is a 2000 model with a tubi exhaust.I have two childrens and they fitt w/out problems.There is plenty of choices at Steve Harris imports ferrari dealer.Only dislike will like to change the wheels for a 18" or 19".


jose

 

In the UK, when I was looking for one, 80-90% of the cars were autos. The M came here late 1998 I think, and my car is a Jan '99. Personally, unless I was doing a LOT of stop start stuff wouldn't opt for an auto. It will pull from 20mph in 6th, so the requirement for gear changing is not that great unless you come to a halt.

 

I have a 95 456, and my kids (ages 6 and 3) fit fine. I had my 6-year old in the back seat for an extended trip this summer, he was happy. There is quite a bit more room in the back than it appears, even by looking at it in person. The seats are pretty deeply sculpted, and if you have a narrow car seat or booster, it will fit back into the seat leaving plenty of room.

The cars are phenomenal, in my opinion. I love the looks-- I think it's the nicest looking Ferrari 2+2 ever, and one of the best looking of all Ferraris, period.

All of the 95 456s are 6-speeds, after that most of the cars are automatics. I've not seen much advantage to the M, other than easier troubleshooting of the ECUs due to the Motronic 5.2. The power is basically the same, the interior is not much different. And, I happen to prefer the 456GT styling with the reverse hood scoops.

Asking prices on 95 456s seem to be in the 70s, selling prices are a bit lower than that. I would think you will actually see less depreciation from this point on in a 95 456 vs. a 97 550. My opinion is that 456s will bottom out around 50, while 550s will end up in the 70s. Since 550s are still $110k+, that's more of a hit.

 

Rumpole allusion?