Ferrari and the influence on your life. | FerrariChat

Ferrari and the influence on your life.

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by thadbrown, Dec 8, 2003.

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  1. thadbrown

    thadbrown Karting

    Nov 3, 2003
    229
    I am writing a paper for school that needs a little bit of f-chats influence. Here are the questions at hand.

    How has Ferrari influenced your life?

    How has the 308 series impacted car culture?

    Do you have any neat stories about Ferrari in general.

    Thanks guys. Leave your real name so I can quote you.

    Thad Brown
     
  2. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    35,532
    Victory Circle
    Full Name:
    HUBBSTER
    I caught the F car flu very early in life, must have been around 7 or so when I bought a book about race cars in school & it had a photo or a drawing of a 1967 330P4 & that was that. Ive been hooked ever since. Ever since then I knew I wanted to race cars, especially Ferraris, Check out my profile photo :) I started driving a go cart when I was less than 10 & by 19 I was in the the Skip Barber Racing School doing racing school & 1 season of Formula Ford racing. I knew some Ferrari models & some history up until I bought my 1st 308 when I was 25 thats when the real education started & I learned much more about all the vintage models. Ive gots LOTS of stories :) but I'll give some other people a chance now
     
  3. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    35,532
    Victory Circle
    Full Name:
    HUBBSTER
    Since nobody else has chimed in yet. 1 very important thing for me has been the Ferrari community. Throughout High School & undergrad I was sort of on the fringe as many car nuts are, other guys just didnt get it. Once I joined the FCA & started going to events & meeting people it was like I discovered my tribe, where I should have been all along. Ive met a lot of great people at FCA & FOC events & I have many good friends whose blood runs as red as mine :)
     
  4. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    I started out as a F1 nut and only after many years got the F bug. Basically from a friend who had a 328 and a TR back in the eighties, when they were new and hot. Ever since I wanted one. Finally I got a 308 (fits my budget and garage) and I don't ever want to be without a F car. Don't really care about any other car brands anymore. Not that I'm a snob (I hope I'm not), it is just that I don't have any passion for any other brand.

    The 308 had not only a revolutionary design, which stood the time of test (The most often question I'm being asked, is what year my car is.), but also took Ferrari to a new level. With the backing of Fiat these cars started the modern era of production techniques; for better or worse. We lost the romantic days of completely hand built cars, but on the positive gained some helpful amenities like real rust protection, courtesy of Fiat.

    The 308 itself made its mark on culture with its appearance in many movies and of course the TV show Magnum P.I.. This and the fact, that it remains the Ferrari with the highest production rate, made it really an icon of its time. Probably the most recognizable Ferrari there is. Which is why it also ended up on numerous posters. The shape of the 308 might be to Ferrari what the classic 911 is to Porsche. Not for its technology, but just for its public image.

    Neat stories are abundant in the FChat archives.
     
  5. thadbrown

    thadbrown Karting

    Nov 3, 2003
    229
    Thanks William Thanks Andreas
    Keep it coming F-Chat. James G, Des, Rob, Martin, and Bryan I know you guys are out there.
    thanks
    Thad Brown
     
  6. jimpo1

    jimpo1 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jul 30, 2001
    24,510
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    Jim E
    When I was 16 the Surgeon that lived down the street from me bought a 77 308GTB. I looked out my front door one day, and there it was in his driveway. I knew instantly what it was and rushed down to look at it. While my nose was pressed against the glass, he walked out and asked me if I wanted to go for a ride. It just so happened that the ride coincided with the release of school a few blocks away. As we went around the block, every kids head turned and watched. I'll never forget him telling me that you couldn't put it in 5th gear until you were going 100mph. That was the first Ferrari I ever rode in and I started saving for my own shortly thereafter. I bought my car for my 40th birthday. It was the first Ferrari I'd ever driven, and I've yet to drive another.

    Since I bought it I've learned that there's a pocket of people that are just as crazy as I am. I've made friends with many of them, because they're the only ones that understand. You can't explain ownership to an 'outsider'.
     
  7. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,282
    Birmingham, AL
    Full Name:
    Tommy
    Mine has made me save (more) money. Some repairs I cannot do and are not cheap. My car has its own money market account.
     
  8. ragtop

    ragtop Rookie

    Feb 9, 2003
    29
    As with anything in life, respect and desire for 'the best' can really motivate you. In my case, I love cars and Ferrari has the longest history of being associated with 'the best'. The opportunity to experience 'the best' motivated me in school, work, and life. When I finally got a chance to own a Ferrari, it gave me a tiny sense that all the work had been worth it. I love the car. Every time I drive it I really feel the value of the present I gave myself. Oddly, I drive a Mondial which is far from 'the best of the best' but it still makes me feel wonderful and fortunate when I am behind the wheel.

    This isn't really something that is unique to Ferrari, however. Any passion has something associated with it that fills the slot of 'the best'. For my passion for cars, it happened to be Ferrari.
     
  9. mondial85

    mondial85 Karting

    Sep 9, 2003
    168
    Indianapolis
    Full Name:
    Casey Slattery
    Like others, my Ferrari has made me appriciate all my hard work. I mowed grass for two summers to pay for mine, and every time I drive it I think of how hard I worked for it.
    While I dont own a 308, I appriciate what it did for Ferrari. It took the company off a pedistal that was previously only accessable to the very rich. The 308 made it possible for anyone willing to work hard to experience the joy of Ferrari ownership.
     
  10. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    35,532
    Victory Circle
    Full Name:
    HUBBSTER
    You must have mowed the whole county :)
     
  11. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

    Oct 19, 2001
    16,078
    Arlington Heights IL
    Full Name:
    Kenneth
     
  12. mondial85

    mondial85 Karting

    Sep 9, 2003
    168
    Indianapolis
    Full Name:
    Casey Slattery
    "You must have to do landscaping for the belt change"-quote

    30k mile service was done before I purchased it. The Mondial is a very reliable car (or at least that has been my experience). Besides,I refuse to be one of those owners who buys a great car and then just lets it sit for fear something will go wrong. I bought it to drive and enjoy it, not rub it with a diaper and worry every time I take it out.
     
  13. castex

    castex Karting

    Nov 1, 2003
    125
    Rouen, France
    Full Name:
    Thomas Daniels
    I remember Lauda's crash. I was five.
    I remember my amazing Uncle producing incredible pit passes - valid with only one particular steward - at the British GP, and basically just loitering around the chassis; Alboreto and Johanssen, my brother, my uncle and me, and no-one else.
    I remember the camera coming off Alesi's car and smacking into Berger; then Alesi retired too.

    I remember the beautifully dusty 308GT4 that screamed past the bus on which I was going skiing for the day when I lived in Florence.
    I remember the Testarossa that cruised noisily past the outside table I was sharing with my new wife late at night by the Sacré Coeur just a year or so ago. A spur to action that I haven't for a moment regretted.

    Thomas Daniels
     
  14. Ksullender

    Ksullender Formula Junior

    Sep 3, 2003
    887
    USA
    In addition to all the above fine points, it can in some situations help you with the opposite sex! Not that any of the Fchatters here need help.
     
  15. Kds

    Kds F1 World Champ

    As a Canadian growing up and watching "Gilles" drive for Ferrari in his win at all costs style was what got me hooked on the marque.
     
  16. Lee White

    Lee White Karting

    Nov 1, 2003
    115
    Colorado, USA
    Full Name:
    Lee White
    I have a F-car story to tell- I have been an F-car fan about 30 of my 41 years, and was fortunate enough to live reasonably close to a dealer on Long Island for many of those years. The dealership was called Grand Prix motors, located in Setauket, and the manger, Mr. Meyer, if I recall correctly, would let me come in and look, and sit in the cars to dream of when I would have my own Ferrari. Anyhow, on one visit, they had a strange looking old car in the showroom, and I went to look it over. It looked like an Allard race car from the '50's, and it was RHD, with a shifter that looked like it was carved form a piece of orange-tinted marble, or quartz, with Roman numerals on it. "What the hell is this thing?" I thought as I climbed into it. About 30 seconds later, Mr Meyer came back into the showroom, saw me and where I was sitting, and quietly, but urgently asked me get out of the car. Since Mr. Meyer had been gracious enough to me in the past, I complied immediatley. After he examined the car to see if I had damaged it in any way, and was satisfied that I had not, he explained to me that this car had just finished being restored by a company called Britalia, and was in the process of being sold. He explained to me that the car was in fact a Ferrari, a 166 spyder corsa, SN 002C, and that it was the FIRST FERRARI EVER MADE. I asked about 001C since that would be a logical place to start a serial number sequence, but he didn't know if such a car existed. So, that's my F-car claim-to-fame. Anyone know if there was a 001C?

    Lee White
     
  17. notoboy

    notoboy F1 Rookie

    Jul 8, 2003
    2,531
    NYC
    Full Name:
    David
    I've been an car nut since I was 2 or 3, and have been crazy about Ferraris since I was 6 or so when I saw my first 308 in Ireland in the mid 70s. I still remember that dazzling red car. Well, when I was 12 or 13, my father's friend bought one of the first TRs and had it converted for the US market and shipped over - he took my brother and I for a ride and that was it! It became the object of my dreams.

    Then when I was 19, my uncle bought a TR, and when it had a little over 600 miles on the odometer, he called me and said, "I have the car for a few months and it still doesn't have 1000 miles on it. Lets drive down to Florida (from NY)." He let me drive almost the entire way from NY to FLA and back. I even got my first speeding ticket on the way down to FLA in South Carolina, doing 80 in a 55 - Good thing too, because I had slowed from 125mph for no good reason and was about to speed back up again when I saw the lights. After that trip, I was in love and had to have one!

    So, when he was selling the car in '99, I couldn't let him sell it to someone else and bought it myself. Then I got addicted and decided to buy another one... Its just one of those monomaniacal passions you can't explain to someone else.

    David
     
  18. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Now THAT's a great story!!!!!


    I also bought my car after my 40th birthday. My father died that day, as well. The best friend I had ever known.

    A low key, no frills guy, he thought of cars as "transportation".

    I drive my car all the time. When friends and customers ask "Why?",
    I respond "because life is too short not to!"

    Owning a Ferrari makes you think of cars as "excitement".

    PM me if you want some "Art Car" stories, or any other experiences.

    Best Wishes.
     
  19. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    When I was a kid I used to love watching Magnum just to see the car. I would also get jumpy during the credits to Beverly Hills Cop 2. When I was 10 or so I saw a 308 in a tiny car show in London, Ontario, and couldn't get over it for a while... but that all laid dormant for my teenage years, until 3 years ago a friend in Seattle took me for a ride in his 348 Spyder. Then it became an obsession!

    I'm the kind of person who's very goal motivated in the long term, and I was set on owning a Ferrari ASAP (and still am). It fused with my desire to go to a good graduate school and drove me like a bloody madman to get into the best law school I could. Now ownership is imminent for late spring 2006.

    For me, it became an exciting carrot that drove me to academic success. It has introduced me to a new social world and connected me to other driven, motivated and successful people. I do not judge people on their material possessions, but to me more important in a person is the drive to excel in one's interests and a passion to improve... and these people own Ferraris!! I also enjoy the energetic joie-de-vivre and (healthy) indulgence they represent. People who are Ferrari guys, whether Mondial or Maranello, just have a spark of energy and life that is invigorating and happy - I think because they have something they enjoy that becomes a positive outlet for their lives, to accent the time with family, at work, and other responsibilities that fill our time.
     
  20. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    Thad... My whole existence here at FerrariChat is a story within itself... i'll probably write a book about it, one day...

    i've known of Ferraris since a very young age; however i didn't know ABOUT them until i came here... i've learned so much since August of '02, it's unbelievable... i've always admired the cars; always stopped and stared whenever i saw one... When i was a kid, my father used to take a drive into White Plains to some dealership-type place and we'd check out the different cars in the window... Awesome stuff... i hated leaving there; we'd have to get back in the car and all i could do was sit up as high as i could in my seat and all but break my neck trying to look out the back window as we pulled away... i've always loved sports cars- exotic sports cars, but Ferraris in particular... They've influenced my life as a hobby, as an art form through enthusiasm and, recently, as AWESOME vacations...! :)

    i think you're asking about the 308 because of Magnum P.I. and i'd say that it impacted the car culture in that everyone can identify it as a Ferrari and everyone can identify it with a certain point in their life... Partly because of that show, though, i think it also misrepresents what some Ferraris cost; many owners here will testify to that...

    i have a bunch of neat stories- pretty much all of which have been posted here at one point or another... My first ride in a Ferrari; the first Ferrari i ever drove (which happened to be a convertible which happened to be the first convertible i ever drove), the 2nd and 3rd and 4th Ferraris i ever drove (one of which i was PAID to drive!:)), the great people i've met, the awesome places i've been... If you could only see all the stuff i've received from fellow chatters in the mail, it's unbelievable... Maybe you've read about the neat places i've been on here, because of the people here... The great people i've met... It's been a whirlwind of a world i never knew before...

    Dude - i GOT A RIDE IN THE FERRARI BREADVAN...! That's gotta be one of the coolest stories in my WHOLE LIFE, regardless of whether it's Ferrari-related or not...! i'm gonna see a P4 - a REAL LIFE USED-TO-RACE P4...! My whole life has been a wild roller coaster ride but the last 14 months have been a wild roller coaster ride in a Rossa Corsa Scuderia-badged roller coaster with fun-loving screamers sitting right beside me...

    i flew 3,000 miles away to hang out with people i'd never met before and i rode in and drove their Ferraris... After 24 years of never riding in or even sitting in a Lamborghini, i rode in TWO in ONE DAY...! (but there were Ferraris there, so that makes it Ferrari-related:))... If you want me to find and link you to the various stories i've posted, just let me know... :)


    -Carbon McCoy
     
  21. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

    Dec 10, 2002
    1,533
    Southern NJ
    Full Name:
    Mike Z.
    I've never been much of a car guy, but I fell in love with Ferraris in high school. The looks, the sounds, everything... Ferrari is a symbol of excellence to me. I vowed a long time ago that I would get one someday, and that vow has fueled my ambitions. Everyone has their goals in life; one of mine is to own a Ferrari. Because I fully intend on reaching that goal, I know that I have to be able to make enough money to comfortably afford it. In order to make the money, I absolutely have to do the best and be the best I can at everything I do. The Ferrari desire has got me through college and is putting me through grad school. It's helped me grow in my job, which in turn has produced massive growth in the company, which in turn will provide enough money for me to buy the car I've wanted for about 10 years. Ferraris have literally changed my life and have helped mold the work ethic that I'm sure I'll retain for the rest of my years.

    -Michael Zaic
     
  22. F1racer

    F1racer F1 Rookie

    Oct 5, 2003
    4,749
    Laval
    Full Name:
    Jean
    I remember that day when I was very young , my dad bought a Road & Track magazine and they were comparing the F40 vs the Diablo. But you know I was young and I didn't know that car was the F40 but everyday I took the magazine and looked at the red car (F40).I was obsessed about that car. And then when I was older I learned more about Ferrari. I remember asking Ferrari books for Christmas and Ferrari models. Oh yeah the first time I sat in a Ferrari was in a F355. (I will never forget that day).
    Now that I'm much older I'm obsess with every pieces of art that Ferrari have built. I also started watching F1 in 1997 and my team as always been Ferrari. (I'm a big F1 fan)

    You know sometimes my friends say to me '' Cool off with the Ferrari's '' I reply to them ''I can't.. I'm a complete Ferrari maniac ! I just love them.''

    John
     
  23. FAMILY MAN

    FAMILY MAN Karting

    Nov 24, 2003
    153
    I fell in love with Ferrari in 1965. I was on a tour bus heading for Biloxi, MS to a church retreat. There was about 30 of us kids and we were all bored out of our minds. The bus driver announced that he was stopping for fuel in New Orleans LA, and the chaparones said no-one was allowed off the bus. BUMMER !
    I was 12 years old and had seen a 250 GTE 2+2 Ferrari in Road & Track magazine classified section, but had never seen one in the flesh.
    Well this was my lucky day, as we pulled off I-10 and approached the traffic signal, one kid yelled at the top of his lungs "LOOK ... IT'S A FERRARI " and those who had heard the name made a mad dash to our side of the bus to check it out.
    To this day I do not know what model it was ... maybe a 250 GT Lusso or 275 GTB ??? Who knows ... what I still remember is that beautiful V12 sound.
    These were the days of the mighty V12. As the car motored it made the best sound. I vowed right then that one day I would be the owner of a Ferrari.
    In 1994 my dream came true. I bought a used 1992 348ts, and drove it everyday. Rain or shine, hot or cold, that car was on the street. I drove it to California and all points in between. It was in the shop quite a bit but was worth every dime. Sold it in 1997 and bought another Ferrari. This time a 355 berlinetta. The car was great but at the time too costly for my budget. It was sold and replaced with an almost new 348 Spider. 348's got better as they neared the end of their production run. The 355s were much better and I am sure the 360s are better still.
    Ferraris are great cars ... buy one and DRIVE it.
    Family Man
     
  24. Cavallino Motors

    Cavallino Motors F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    May 31, 2001
    14,143
    Florida or Argentina
    Full Name:
    Martin W.
    My story begins with a Matchbox red 308GTB. It was my favorite toy car. I played for hours at a time with that car. RAn over carpets, curtains, desks, speeding past moms cooking pots.
    When I was 19 I got out of school and decided to open a cardealership. I imported cars from the US to Germany. From the early days of the Miata to later the 3000GT VR4, the Toyota MR2 Turbo and then I had my first customer that asked me if I could bring in a 308GTS from the US.

    I flew to Encenitas CA where a dealer had a black example sitting. I bought the car after my first test drive.

    I ended up buying one for stock (financially a bad move) so I could occassionally drive the car. I became known as having a US connection to Ferrari and imported some. Got some Ferrari contacts in Germany and Europe and from those days had usually a Ferrari in my showrooom.

    I got infected with the Ferrari virus.

    In 1992 I sold my dealership, married and moved away. No more Ferrari. It took almost 8 years until I bought my first car that I actually registered in my name. A 1991 348TS. It was a dream come true. Then stupidity set back in and here I am again, having a dealer license and buying and selling Ferraris.

    My wife was actually the one pushing me to buy the car. She saw me surfing on the internet for 348s and said: " buy the damn car already and get it out of your system", hoping I would stop walking, talking, breathing Ferrari once I had one.
    Well today I have 5 that I technically own. The "business" does not make any money but I spend countless hours, like now past midnight being on Ferrari Chat.

    As I said, I got infected. Once you had one, you will not be able to go without. The sad truth is, if you surf her eon F-Chat you are a serious Ferrariholic and only the local AF (annonymous Ferrariholics) can help you. There is no cure, there is only patches and they come with big $$$ attached to it.
     
  25. 365boy

    365boy Formula Junior

    Nov 5, 2003
    357
    Brighton, England
    Full Name:
    John Leaman
    Thad,

    I wish I could have written school papers like yours...!

    Ironically, most of my childhood motoring fantasies and happy memories relate to Lambos - and in particular the Countach - so I feel a bit of a fraud posting on this thread.

    However, at some stage I must have 'converted', as I now have a Ferrari !

    How has Ferrari influenced my life...?

    Well, what we're really talking about here is the joy - no, the necessity - of having a PASSION in life, and it doesn't matter whether it is Ferraris, Lambos, gardening, mountain climbing, music or collecting brown paper bags.

    You MUST have a passion in life - otherwise what's the point...?

    John
     

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