Stupid Question for the Week (only for NW'ers)

Hello NW'ers

I am considering buying a Mondial 3.2 Cab, and I have a couple of questions for you local experts!

1. How stupid would I be to try to use the Mondial as a daily driver (7-10K/Year)?

2. Would I be insane to drive it in the Winter with our weather? Would I end up with a wet and mildew-ed interior and a rotten top? I've had a couple of convertibles, and a little leak here and there is fine, if the car can take it, so can I.

3. I am considering a car from the Northeast, but the car appears to be well kept and sorted out with 30k service just done. Any advice on how to inspect and examine a car long distance? I think someone here just got a BB long distance, how did that work out?

4. Here is the kicker. I live in an older house in Bellevue WITHOUT A GARAGE! Theft is really not an issue in my neighborhood, I live on a dead-end street, and I have convinced myself that a good quality weatherproof cover would be OK, and I will be driving it often to warm it up and dry off...Yeah, well.

Anyway, let me know what you think and if you have any other advice.

PS - I need the seating cap of the Mondial so that wife and two little kids can fit - A purchase requirement.

Thanks

Dave

 

I can't speak for the Mondial but living just north of the border with 100"+ of rain a year I would never consider a targa or convertible living outside. I did a T-roof Mustang once and ended up with the midlew interior and rotted out floor-boards (so that's why the seat "reclined"!).

Can you swing one of those temporary garage structures? anything? just my 2c.

 

Wait for MondialTCab (aka JMG) to chime in on this topic. He's located in the Eastside area and I've seen his car in the wet stuff before. He'll have some tips for you.

I'm not sure about leaving a Ferrari park for extended periods out in the weather. A good car cover might do the trick though.

 

Hi Slomo (V?) ,
Welcome!
Even hardtops have a bad time of it here if left out everyday year round. Moss grows in the window channels and the paint takes a beating from the various acids and chemicals in the rain.

I have a temporary Quonset type cover for my 240 that keeps it dry but it still suffers from the WET HUMID air. If not driven often and fully warmed, the interior will mildew and various aluminum bits on the engine and in the interior will corrode. The rest turns to rust. The real enemy is the high humidity. Circulated air is also better for the car.

With that said I propose one scenario that could work for a convertible. If it is parked under cover (outdoors) every night and driven nearly everyday the interior and engine bay should do fine. If the car is parked in a parking garage at work the top and paint should last fairly well as long as proper steps are taken to preserve them. Regular cleaning and application of protectants for the top, plenty of wax on the paint.

Although I would prefer not to, that would be the most I would put ANY Ferrari through, convertible or not.

Please note; light colored tops suffer the most!

DJ

 

Answering your questions....

1) no problem

2) no problem, the cars leak, some worse than others...if you get a "good one" you should be fine...if not, you get the seals replaced, and it will only drip a little in places...like near the top of the a-pillars.

3) You can hire someone to perform a mechanical and cosmetic inspection for you...between that and lot's of jpegs, you should be covered.

4) Totally insane! The cars are not that durable...to subject them to the additional indignaty of being left outside constantly will show it's toll in short order. A cover is not a substitute for a dry garage. Wait until you have a garage. Or just figure the additional wear/depreciation of sitting outside as another "ownership cost".

Just my in-expert opinion...

 

Good stuff!
So for I haven't heard any "NO WAY's" yet, except davehanda's last point, so I am feeling pretty good. Some additional info is that I am just completing a new master suite addition to my house, with a major kitchen remodel next summer. Garage is in 4 years when we add a second story. I hope I don't have to wait that long for the Ferrari?!
I have been considering a rental garage or storage unit at one of those "rent a space" places for the winter, or a temporary garage (one of those tent-like things) in addition to the car cover idea. Rental garage so far is about $250 in Bellevue, tent thingy is ugly, car cover may not be adequately weatherproof. Damn.

Keep it coming! Any other thoughts or opinions?

Dave

 

Do you have room on your property or will it be living on the street? If you have sufficient room on your lot, you could build a (four year long) "temporary" pole barn. My uncle did that for his RV. It looks okay and he didn't break the bank building it. Floor is gravel but that could be a poured pad I suppose. Depending on the size of your lot (my uncle has 1 acre in Portland), you could build the pole barn where it could remain after the garage is built -- for a boat or some other toy down the road.

 

Slomo,
Don't get me wrong, you CAN park the car outside all the time, but it will just cause more depreciable wear on the car, that will lower it's value. It can always be restored, but is often not economically viable, hence why people use garages to maintain the condition as long as possible.

The bigger concern is security. Dead end street or not, if the car is left out, night after night, someone is going to notice and either break in it to prowl it, or out right steal it. Any of your neighbors willing to "rent" you a space in their garage?

BTW, a few of us are going to drive over to Innovative Audio between 11 am and noon today (Saturday) in Bellevue...drop by if you can and find us.

I'll be in my red/tan 328 GTS.

Dave

 

As the former owner of a 3.2 Mondial Cab, I can tell you this is a bad idea. To answer your questions in order:

1) This is fairly reasonable, if you are willing to accept the compromises in the car. Once you get the bugs sorted out, they are pretty decent cars. I would put a high premium on getting a *good*, well-sorted out car. A bad one (like my old car) will eat you alive.

2) You can drive it in the winter, I used to drive mine some in the winter. However, the tops are not the best. They leak. At best they drip, at worst water pours in on you (I have experienced both). If you were driving from covered parking at home to covered parking at work, it would be livable.

3) Don't have much experience here, all my car purchases have been local. If at all possible, try to see it in person or at a minimum have someone you trust look at it.

4) You are crazy. The car would deteriorate rapidly. I wouldn't worry about resale, I would worry about it being a car you'd be willing to drive after a winter.

Might I offer a suggestion? Perhaps a 3.2 Mondial coupe or Mondial t coupe might work better for you (although I'm still wary of keeping one outside-- these cars are pretty shaky in the electrical area, and water can really wreak some expensive havoc). Ron Tonkin has (had?) a very nice looking t coupe that you might consider. Just a thought...

 

davehanda,

Just got your message about innovative audio, I think I am too late to join you (it is almost 1:00), too bad because it would have been great to meet some of the locals!

I hope I can hook up with you next time.

Dave

 

We were out to lunch by then, Dave. Four Ferraris were already there when I showed in my 360. Met Richard Griot while he was salivating over Gary Reed's immaculate 512 BBi.

 

Sounds like a good time today, sorry I missed it. As far as the ongoing Mondial saga goes, a friendly neighbor (308 GTB owner), has a sister up the street from us who has 1/2 of a vacant garage she may rent to me! This would be great because her house is a quick 5 block walk in nice weather and a very short trip by car when the rain hits. I am hopeful that will work out.

I don't think a night or two here or there in my driveway with a cozy car cover will hurt too bad will it?

Look forward to meeting you guys.

Thanks,

Dave C.

 

Who doesn't salivate over that gorgeous 512BBi?

 

Dave C.,

If you have the space, Costco was selling a folding canvas canopy top to park cars, boats, toys under. Not sure if they still have it but I remember seeing them this past summer. You could unfold it in literally a few minutes and put it away just as fast. Just an idea...

 

Slomo,
I did what you are considering to a new convertable years ago , that is, leave the car in the rain all year. In one year the car was trash inside and out due to the constant immersion in not only water but unending dampness. Mold was everywhere, rust invaded the inside of the body, the top rotted and leaked onto the upholstery which grew soggy and also grew mold. The rain water is full of chemicals here and it etched dark streaks in the paint. Even with an igloo over it the car won't dry off and every nook and cranny grows something, convertable or not. I'm not an expert on car care but if a convertable car can't dry out between showers, it goes to hell. It makes me hurt to think of a Ferrari sitting out in the rain all year anyway.

 

Wow Bob, that's a harsh reality. SLOMO needs a garage!

I'm SLOMO's neighbor (2 blocks away), and my Sister (5 blocks away) is not too hot on the idea. She said if you are desperate (and I know you are), then you could house it temporarily, but not long-term.

There has got to be a neighbor around here somewhere that will rent you a dry, warm spot.

-Todd

 

I wouldn't recommend parking it outside. I live in the Canadian Northwest and get just as much rain as you Seattlites. I have been parking my daily driver outside for the last seven + years and it has taken a beating. The paint has faded and during heavy storms, I do get condensation build-up on the windows inside (I suppose I could cure that by leaving a small container of desiccant in the car, but really, I don't care anymore, just a cheap P.O.S. hatchback). My GT4 gets the garage without question. Besides, I've got a bunch of crazies living around me and wouldn't trust parking it outside!...

JMHO

 

So I finally purchase a home with the extra detached shop...of nice new construction. Last winter was fairly dry and mild initially. I bought my first F-car, got it home, and the rains set in.

After 3 days of steady rain I went out to check on the toy box, the floor was wet! Humidity was high of course. YUK! There was no moisture barrier laid down before the concrete was poured!...I found out.

The problem was that 30% of the shop's foundation was dug into a 40" high landscape, after a few days of rain, the water table would build up against the "submerged wall." This October I dug a 50' long, 40" deep trench to build a French drain. So far so good! The floor is dusty dry after heavy rains.

When ya get around to building your garage, don't let the contractor or whomever talk you out of moisture barriers, etc...while you're building new, you might consider 'hydronic heat,' put the hydronic hose in the pad when you pour and hook it up to the boiler of choice (gas, electric...) It's cheap to heat your garage this way!

 

Sophia/Peter: Do you own the burgandy 3x8 I passed down at Redondo one evening this last summer? I was in the white 348ts coming down the hill. I live in Milton. See you sometime? Jeff B.

 

Peter's 308 is Grigio.
DJ

 

Jeff,

That might have been me that you saw during the summer. I owned a 308 GTS QV for five years. I recently sold it and bought a Boxer. The QV was rosso rubino (ruby red metallic) which is very burgandy like. I live in the Burien area, so quite often I take a drive south along the water thru Des Moines and down to Redondo and sometimes onto Dash Point, Browns Point, etc... I know the Milton area were you live very well, because I grew up in Fife.

Hope to see you sometime! You should come to a club event.

Gary

 

Gary, thanks for the reply. You grew up in Fife? I grew up in Federal Way (FWHS class of '70). I worked for Pete Lovely VW in Fife during the 80's, bought my house in Milton in '84. Haven't been in Burien for years. I don't belong to the Ferrari club, I used to "mooch" membership when I was working at Pete Lovely Racing. Hope to see you and your beautiful Boxer sometime in the future!!
Jeff B.

 

Like DJ said, I've got the Grigio 308. The Burgundy 308 was probably Gary Reed's old QV; did it have gold BBS wheels? Gary's off to the 512BBi land now...so the next Q is who bought the old QV and where is it living now?

Yep, it'll be nice to organize a South Sound Drive for the guys up north like DJ so they can get acquainted with some of our groovy roads down here and down toward St. Helens south of Buckley!

I'd like to check out your 348!

 

Sophia/Peter,

I sold my308QV to a guy (Vince C.) who lives in Renton, WA. It's his first Ferrari. In fact, he hadn't even ridden in one until I gave him a ride in mine and then I let him drive it.... That sold him!

I haven't seen the car since October, when he drove off with it.

 

I tried out the new indoor Kart track down here last night, between Fife and Puyallup, had a real good time, perhaps we can go "play" sometime?
Pete, you're welcome on any decent day (weekend) to come by for a 348 drive, I'd love to see your Fcar as well, I don't have any firsthand experience with the 3x8's. Regards, Jeff B.