Confessions of a GARAGE QUEEN | FerrariChat

Confessions of a GARAGE QUEEN

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by KKSBA, Jan 26, 2004.

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  1. KKSBA

    KKSBA F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    14,921
    SBarbara-La Jolla CA
    Full Name:
    KKSBA
    This is a story of my experiences of buying a new used Ferrari and what happens when you buy a 26K mile car that is 18 years old. It has a happy ending.

    Prologue:
    In November of 1988 I bought a new black metallic with tan interior Ferrari Mondial 3.2 88.5 Cabriolet from Los Gatos Ferrari with 26 miles on the ODO. It was a great reliable car, and one of my daily drivers. Unfortunately for me, it was a CHP magnet and it was impossible to not get tickets in that car. Tickets from cruisers, bikes, airplanes, city police, it was agonizing. I was also in my early 20’s which probably had a lot to do with it.

    By 1992, I had such a bad record that my car insurance cost more than for my twin-engine airplane. Not only that, but I was invited to visit the California DMV driver-safety office which is where excessive offenders go for their license suspension hearing. DMV proposed a one year suspension.

    I was able to convince the DMV that ALL my tickets were received in my Ferrari and not in my other car and that the F-car was the root of all evil. It was a successful strategy. I got the suspension down to 1 month, during the month of December, when I was going to be overseas so it had no real impact. However, part of the agreed upon settlement was that I sell my F-car. Well, I could have gotten away with maybe storing it for a year, but why punish the poor car for my mistakes, and besides the insurance was still a killer.

    By the time of the hearing I had driven the car about 26,000 miles and Ferrari of Los Gatos serviced it at factory spec’d intervals. That worked out to be about 6500 miles per year. The car had never had any problem, small or otherwise. I wonder how it's doing now (ZFFXC26A9J0077549)...

    I decided to give up my car and sell it. I was without a Ferrari for 11 years until …

    Confessions of a garage queen:

    It’s now the summer of 2003 and I’m years older ;)

    I’m on eBay one night and decide to look at Ferrari Mondials. I can’t believe the value these cars are going for. Well, I guess I can, they’re almost 20 years old now. But, 20K miles, 30K miles, very low mileage for a 20 year old car! Some Ferrari’s have hundreds or a few thousands of miles for being 5-10-15-20 years old.

    So I’m sitting there thinking about F-car’s and I vaguely try to remember the last time I got a ticket, was it 5 years, 7… Anyway, it was a long time ago.

    OK, I decide to buy another F-car. And actually I decide to get a few different models that I always wanted. New Ferrari’s don’t click for me, something about the 80’s and 90’s styling that I just love. I love the 0-90 experience, going 150+ isn’t usable anywhere but a track…

    First I thought I would get another Mondial Convertible and enjoy it and learn to do some work on it. Mostly simple stuff at first and graduating on upwards. After reading a lot of the F-chat users posts leads me to believe I can do more and more of the work which I would really enjoy on such a great car.

    I start looking for a black with tan interior Mondial Cabriolet to replace the car I once loved. I wanted to confine my search area to California because I didn’t want to deal with any iffy smog passing problems. It needed to be titled in CA and pass the smog check before I handed over my $$$.

    I looked at Ferrari Market Letter, LA Times, Collector Car Trader, and some of the dealerships between Santa Barbara and San Diego.

    After looking at four black on tans (most were red which I wasn’t interested in) over the span of 3 months I was surprised to see very few cars on the market in CA. I looked at QV’s and 3.2’s only. Didn’t want to go with the t so it would be easier for me to get into the servicing myself one day.

    One 1987 3.2 with 26K miles (for $40K) at a Newport dealer looked nice, but you could see daylight through the top (at the front header) once you muscled it close. The shifting was so notchy that it wasn’t any fun (felt like major transmission issues), and the slow-down light flashed so much it was like a light show at any speed from 10 to 50. The tires were as bald as you can get. ABUSED.

    A 1986 3.2 with 27K miles (for $38K) in San Diego was listed in the ad as “mint and needs nothing”… Well, the right grated intake had several strakes cracked, the pinifarina logo was peeled back partially, the rear seats had leather stretch marks like both seats were once pregnant, the two rear convertible storage bins were covered in black leather when the rest of the car was tan, which was a really bad restoration job or whatever it represented. The car drove ok, but turning on the AC stalled the car every time. The records were complete for the proceeding 4 months only showing a 30K done where the owner said he had spent $9K, he also bought it only 6 months earlier and had some “fishy” reason about a job transfer as why he wanted to sell it. He said that he was unlikely to lower the price. I saw it still listed a few months ago for a new price of $32K. This poor car had ABUSED written all over it.

    The car I ultimately chose to buy was a black with tan 1985 Mondial QV Convertible (List $37.5K, bought for $34K). It had 26,000 miles, new tires, a new top, good paint, good interior, drove great, shifted great, and top went up and down with ease. It had it’s tool kit, owners manual, warranty book, records since 1991 where it was bought by the owner from Ogner (Autogallery now) in Woodland Hills. Carfax reported 2 owners by registrations. Car was bought new by 1st owner from Ferrari of Denver in 1985. No reported mileage rollback problems, or flood/salvage issues.

    There were a few things wrong: Glove box wouldn’t open, radiator fan was bridged to always run (not controlled by temp sensor), A/C wasn’t cold, car when warm took about 8 seconds of cranking to fire up (fired up right away when cold), and last major was 7 years ago.

    Looking at the available service records they showed the following:

    6/91 @ 17050 miles – Purchased by 2nd owner (the owner I purchased from) from Ogner. Car went through dealer safety and pre-purchase inspection.
    Cooling system bled, license plate bulb replaced, fuel sender replaced, climate control repaired, oil temp sender repaired, 1-4 valve cover gasket replaced, 1-4 ignition wires replaced, r/r window lubed, cigarette lighter replaced. Labor $327, Parts $547

    12/95-1/96 @ 21231 miles – FOC service – Timing belts changed, rebuild A/C, replace fuel sender (again), oil/fluids changed, realign&lube LH window, replace front tires and align front end, recharge A/C, replace rear sway bushings. Labor $399, Parts $1098

    8/00 @ 24271 miles – owner service – Rebuild 5-8 distributor, spark extenders replaced (4). Parts $330

    Owner said he replaced the clutch with a mechanic friend and did fluid changes etc. himself and didn’t keep records so no real dealer service from beginning of 1996.

    Looking at the mileage, the car was driven 17050 miles from its birth in 1985 through 6/91 which is about 2850 miles a year average.

    I bought the car at 26031 miles so the average from 6/91-7/03 was about 750/year. Garage queen statistics…

    If you break his ownership down, from 6/91 – 1/96 it was almost 950/year. And then, from 1/96 – 8/00 about 675/year. 8/00-7/03 only 585/year.

    Very little usage. That’s the double-edged sword of buying a used Ferrari. If you want low mileage, you have to bite the bullet of low miles/year at the expense of deterioration of parts that age with little use like rubber gaskets, hoses, and metal parts subjected to corrosion etc…

    I understood the numbers, and decided to accept the risk.

    On 7/03 I bought the car in Manhattan Beach and was driving it back to Santa Barbara on a beautiful sunny day with the top down and the Ferrari sound! About a 1 1/2 drive with light to moderate traffic at a good clip for a weekday afternoon.

    I had just passed Calabasas on the 101 and was a few miles from Westlake Village. Cruising at about 90. I was driving the car, going up and down in speed and letting the car rev through the gears. Driving it the way it was meant to be. It was a very hot summer day around 90F near LAX. I didn’t like how hot the oil & water temp was getting earlier when on the 405 in the stop and go traffic, but now I was cruising along at a good speed. The temp near Westlake must have been closer or past 100F.

    All of a sudden, I stabbed the gas pedal at 90 to go a little faster and the car didn’t want to. In fact, it began to slow down… 85…80…

    OH OH.

    In aviation lingo: Get ready to declare an emergency, and look for somewhere to land.

    An exit was coming up, 70… 60…. I got in the slow lane. It wasn’t a great exit, still not at Agoura.

    The car held at 60 with almost full gas pedal. No temp problems other than mildly on the high side, but it was a very hot day. Oil pressure was good, no warning lights.. I decided to go for the next exit.

    Next exit at Agoura came up where there were services so I pulled off. I pulled into a large home supply parking lot and stopped. I tried to start the car up again, cranked and cranked and almost lit up, but nothing. Tried again… nothing.

    It was very hot. I decided to go in the store and get a cold drink and think about the big mistake I might have just made! Hahaha.

    I called the previous owner, he was a nice guy. Offered me some suggestions as to things to check. I said I was more of a finance and hi-tech geek than gear head but I wanted to learn!

    You know, I learned the toolkit in Ferrari’s is not just a collectors item, they actually have uses when your stuck in a parking lot somewhere. I found out as I was taking apart a distributor and swapping coils etc.. No go.

    I messed around for about a half hour and then decided to flatbed it over to the Ferrari dealer I had passed about 10 minutes ago in Woodland Hills. As far as breakdowns, it couldn’t have happened in a more convenient spot.

    The fact that I again owned a Ferrari, even if sick, still kept me happy as I rode along with the flatbed driver. There are worse ways to spend the day then at the Ferrari shop with 360’s, 550’s, TR’s, 3x8’s etc..

    I met some great guys at the shop: Eric, Gary, and Pedro. They would become more than casual acquaintances over the next few months! ;)

    In about 30 minutes, Eric figured out it was the fuel pump. It was flaking out. The curse of the garage queen. Hot weather and spirited driving was the last straw for the pump that couldn’t.

    I decided to have them do a bunch of other stuff while it was there and was waiting for the pump to get overnighted.

    7/21/03 @ 26073 miles – Replace fuel pump & in-tank filter, change all fluids and filters, recharge A/C, replace spark extenders 1-4, rebuild distributor 1-4, adjust fuel injection to try to get rid of the warm start delay. Do a PPI (In this case, a POST-purchase inspection—I’ve learned from F-chat that it is better to have the first P stand for PRE. Although nothing was found that I didn’t find already except a bottom scrape. Compression OK) Labor $1225 Parts $920.

    Picked up the car a few days later. It was great for Gary and Eric to get me into service and out so quick. I stayed in LA with a GF for a few days while the pump was getting delivered.

    After a week of driving the hell out of the car to shake loose any other bugs. I brought the car back for a few things the PPI found that I skipped the first time.

    New things that came up after 500 miles of hard driving in a week: Car had a minor oil leak, engine oil level sensor not working, car would sometimes stall (and start right back up when cranked) when going to a stop light (maybe 10% of the time), coolant began dumping overboard after a fast run (I pulled the tank and found some hairline fractures that had begun to leak-used JB weld as a temporary fix to last the week until service), windshield washer jets didn’t work, l/f window was too slow (sometimes needed help near the top to get it all the way up), oil and water temp still on high side of normal even when the days weren’t complete scorchers in a lot of stop and go traffic, when lights are on, the yellow “lights“warning light comes on (indicating one of the many exterior bulbs is supposed to be blown), also only when lights are on, the “brake” warning light comes on (not brake pressure) each time the brake pedal is pushed (supposed to indicate a brake light is burned out).

    The week was out and I returned the car to Autogallery to clear up the remaining issues

    7/28/03 @ 26530 miles – Replace rear crank seal to stop oil leak (apparently previous owner re-used and did not replace the seal when he did his home clutch job). While in there the clutch disc was replaced, flywheel was resurfaced, replaced pilot & t/o bearings and a loose nut was noticed, it hadn’t caused any damage so probably had come off recently during my 500 debug miles. Expansion tank replaced, l/f windshield motor replaced, replaced glove-box solenoid, radiator foam strip installed (was missing), some blown bulbs replaced, an extra radiator fan was installed (85QV model year only has 1, 328 and later had 2 but the QV’s have the wiring for it.), bridge clip on radiator fans was de-installed and hooked back up through the thermostat. Brake light switch was wrong type, correct type installed. Replaced engine oil level sender. Replaced rear bonnet strut, replaced spark extenders 5-8, replaced fuel accumulator, and fixed windshield washer. Labor $2288, Parts $3976.

    After this service, there remained the hot start issue. Fuel injectors were determined to be the culprit and had to be ordered. The yellow warning light was still on, but the brake light warning was fixed. The oil/water temp was now fixed and remained very cool in the nominal range. Left front window was faster (any other car is 4x faster of course) and made it all the way to the top. Occasional stall was fixed, possibly the loose nut is the only theory. It didn’t happen when I first bought the car so I guess it could have been dislodged during the debug running.

    I continued to drive it, and drive it, to see if I could unearth any other problems and establish a “trust” factor to rely on it for normal every day driving.

    After a month I had put on another 1200 miles with no problems. I decided to get the hot start issue over and done with, and it had been 7 years and 6000 miles since the belts.

    8/28/03 @ 27768 miles – Replace timing belts & tensionner bearings. Replace water, A/C, and alternator belts. Rebuild 5-8 plug wires, replace all fuel injectors, re-calibrate fuel distributor, make some spare keys. Labor $2125, Parts $1200.

    Total service costs to get it to mechanical perfection: Labor $5638, Parts $6096.

    Hot start problem fixed. Everything works great. Yellow “lights” warning light still on, but no bulbs blown. I’m going to investigate this more myself one day once I get some time and the wiring diagram.

    Car runs strong, sounds great, and is a blast to drive in the mountains around Santa Barbara. Love it!

    It is almost the end of January 2004, and the car is a few miles shy of 31000 miles. In the 6 months I’ve owned it I have driven it 5000 miles almost daily. It has never had a problem except for the first 40 miles after I bought it.

    If the P had standed for PRE it wouldn’t have discovered the show stopper (the fuel pump), or the nut that came off in the clutch assembly, or the expansion tank. So, surprises lurk no matter what precautions you take. But, Pre-P-I’s are still the thing to do.

    This was my first used car ever bought, so I learned a few things. One thing was when you first get it drive the hell out of it and see what breaks.

    35% of the purchase price of the car was spent curing it of being a garage queen. But, in future used F-cars I have learned from this experience. And, this car was by far the nicest of the other really abused ones I saw. It is a really nice car now.

    All the rubber and metal is now heavily used and is lubed and flexible, the car is no longer a garage queen.

    Next, the 400i and TR.
     
  2. 456mgt

    456mgt Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2002
    628
    Cambridge UK
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    Enjoyed that! And no tickets this time around either. Seems that you quite enjoyed putting everything straight. Have fun.
     
  3. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    Great story, very well written and with a happy ending. Welcome to Ferrari ownership !
    Tony
     
  4. sherpa23

    sherpa23 F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 28, 2003
    9,992
    Rocky Mountains
    Full Name:
    Bastuna
    Great post.
     
  5. saiid

    saiid Karting

    Jan 6, 2004
    52
    London, UK
    Great story. Sounds like you have a new car there! :)
     
  6. flashman

    flashman Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 5, 2004
    483
    Star Valley, Arizona
    Full Name:
    William Rappaport
    What a great story! It really is a lesson everyone should read and learn from.
    WilliamR
     
  7. 355f

    355f Formula Junior

    Nov 1, 2003
    307
    thats a great post and written in a very amusing way I have to say.

    Actually, its an intersting point that with increasing use of electronics and driver aids in vehicles, when the modern generation of cars gets older it will cost more in bits than the car.

    Imagine a 360F1 in 10 years!
     
  8. 456mgt

    456mgt Formula Junior

    Mar 24, 2002
    628
    Cambridge UK
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    In 10 yrs time the 360 F1 system will probably be regarded as electronically quaint. My 14 yr old son will reprogram it using his Playstation 8. "Faster upshifts Dad? here ya go". :)
     
  9. rossofiorano355

    rossofiorano355 Karting

    Dec 22, 2003
    210
    NOLA - Bham
    Full Name:
    Ron
    great post, good luck!
     
  10. branko

    branko F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Mar 17, 2003
    3,710
    Birmingham, Alabama
    Full Name:
    Branko Medenica
    And very well written.
     
  11. 007

    007 Guest

    Feb 18, 2003
    289
    Scottsdale&LasVegas
    Full Name:
    Brad
    Thanks for sharing this story. It's great to hear in such detail an ownership experience. Sounds like you have a very well sorted car there. Enjoy!!
     
  12. Chiaro_Slag

    Chiaro_Slag F1 Veteran

    Oct 31, 2003
    7,789
    CA
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    Thanks for posting - I also bought a car that wasn't driven near enough before I got it. I have all the issues sorted out now & feel like there is one more good Ferrari out there. :) Kind of feel like I rescued the little guy. My 328 only has 29k miles on it - I will be changing that!
     
  13. Ron

    Ron Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2002
    926
    LA
    KKSBA, great post and welcome back to the Ferrari world.

    I saw a prior post of yours and it had an airplane avatar and you mentioned owning a plane in this thread. Do you know Bob Callahan, also of Santa Barbara? He is an employee (owner?) of an aviation company there.

    I don't know if the drive is full or not but we are having a big drive on Feb 8th and Bob C will probably be driving down from SB in his 355 spider.

    Please look up the thread http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6359 and if you can make it send Byron an email [email protected]

    I look forward to meeting you. I am in Ventura County. We have several other F car owners in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, Henry (Hanknum), Craig (Beachbum), Rob Garven and quite a few just into LA County. We should form the Northern tier of the Ferrari Driving Club.

    Let me know.

    Ron
     
  14. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Apr 3, 2001
    11,237
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Randy
    great story. thanks for sharing!
     
  15. sjmst

    sjmst F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 31, 2003
    9,853
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Sam
    Enjoyed that! Who has bought a used F car that can't relate?
    And a Mondial! Love it, great car. The early models look great in black as the bumpers blend right in, so it probably doesn't look way different than your old 3.2. Also, I am just amazed at how many people claim they have a "mint" car that turns out to be anything but. Also agree 100% with your comment about it being fast enough. No matter what you get someone will say you shoulda/ coulda got something faster, but all that matters is if YOU enjoy it.
    Again, thanks for a great story. Any pics?
     
  16. norm

    norm Karting

    May 30, 2003
    204
    Rochester, NY
    Never just the purchase price, always the sorting out price that adds up.
    Unfortunately your sorting had to take place in a short time frame. Sounds like a sweet ride.
     
  17. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2001
    12,661
    San Carlos, CA
    Full Name:
    Mitchell Le
    Sounds good, although I don't know if I would classify 30% increase in price (sorting it out) as ... good news.
     
  18. EVartanian

    EVartanian Formula 3

    Mar 19, 2002
    1,179
    Sunny SoCal
    Full Name:
    Eric
    Great post, great story. I learned a few good lessons...and congrats on the car!

    Eric
     
  19. racedecknc

    racedecknc Karting

    Nov 24, 2003
    198
    Winston Salem
    Full Name:
    Ed
    Great story, thanks for sharing!

    Ed
     
  20. Eric308gtsiqv

    Eric308gtsiqv Formula 3

    Nov 26, 2001
    1,955
    Orange Park, Florida
    Full Name:
    Eric Eiland
    Very insightful, Karim! Thanks for your post...makes me want to take the day off and just drive!

    Glad to hear that you once again have a well sorted out Mondial to enjoy...great feeling isn't it? :)
     
  21. spyderman

    spyderman Formula 3

    Nov 4, 2003
    1,594
    Toronto - Canada
    Full Name:
    Spyderman
    Nice story...enjoyed it :)
     
  22. MARQ

    MARQ Formula 3

    Feb 9, 2002
    1,924
    East Coast US
    Full Name:
    Marq
    Excellent story...most enjoyable.
     
  23. KKSBA

    KKSBA F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    14,921
    SBarbara-La Jolla CA
    Full Name:
    KKSBA
    Thanks to all for your warm comments!

    I enjoyed writing my story, and hope it helps new, veteran, and prospective Ferrari owners.

    F-chat is a great community. It will be fun to meet some of you guys one day.

    Ron- Thanks for the invite! It would be great to meet up. I haven't met Bob, Hank, or Craig, but I did randomly bump into Rob in Ventura and he is a great guy.

    I do like to fly- planes and helo's.

    I may give Byron an email, I might be able to make it that weekend.
     
  24. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    7,765
    Nova Scotia Canada
    Full Name:
    Neil
    I ran a carfax on your old car:



    CARFAX is the leading independent provider of vehicle history information. This CARFAX Vehicle History Report is based on information reported to CARFAX from over 5,300 sources. CARFAX does not inspect vehicles; there may be additional information or problems with this vehicle that were not reported to CARFAX. Use this Report, with a vehicle inspection and test drive, to make a better decision about your next used car.



    GOOD NEWS - CARFAX Certified History - Guaranteed!
    This 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) qualifies for the CARFAX Certified History, a guarantee worth up to $5,000 that protects you from buying a vehicle that has had any of the following problems reported to a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): severe damage, major odometer problems, or Lemon history.


    CARFAX Talking CarTM
    The story of this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) according to our interpretation of the information reported to CARFAX:
    This convertible has had at least 3 owners. The first title for this convertible was reported to CARFAX by a California DMV in 1996.
    It has had no minor or moderate accidents reported to CARFAX.
    It has had no DMV-reported total loss events, like a major accident, fire or flood.
    CARFAX found an inconsistent odometer reading. CARFAX is uncertain whether this reading represents a rollback or a source-level clerical error.
    It was not reported to a DMV as a Manufacturer Buyback (LEMON).
    Go to the Detailed Vehicle History for the complete history and a glossary of terms.


    Report Summary
    1. ACCIDENT CHECK

    Total Loss Check No Severe Accidents Reported to DMV - GUARANTEED!
    Other Accident Indicators No Accident Indicators Reported
    2. MILEAGE ACCURACY CHECK

    Truth-In-Mileage Check No Odometer Problems Reported to DMV - GUARANTEED!
    Odometer Rollback Check No Potential Odometer Rollback Found
    Mileage Consistency Check Inconsistent Odometer Reading Found
    3. LEMON CHECK®
    No Manufacturer Buyback Reported to DMV - GUARANTEED!
    4. OWNERSHIP CHECK

    Number of Owners 3 Estimated Owner(s)
    Type of Owners Checked 9 Types of Vehicle Registrations
    5. RECALL CHECK
    FERRARI does not report recalls to CARFAX
    6. WARRANTY CHECK
    No data reported to CARFAX
    DETAILED VEHICLE HISTORY 10 HISTORY RECORDS REPORTED
    Tell us what you know about this vehicle







    Today's leading safety and reliability information for the 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET all in one report. Click on the link below to view your FREE report:
    SAFETY & RELIABILITY REPORT Crash Tests, Reliability Ratings, Theft Ratings and more...




    Year/Make/Model: 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET

    Body Style: CONVERTIBLE
    Fuel: GASOLINE
    Driveline: REAR WHEEL DRIVE
    Manufactured in: ITALY
    Safety Equipment: Active (manual) belts


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Still looking for the perfect FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET? Check out a list of them in your area.




    Total Loss Check:


    GOOD NEWS! This 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) has had no severe accidents or other total loss events reported to CARFAX from a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This vehicle qualifies for the CARFAX Certified History, a guarantee worth up to $5,000.

    No Salvage Title Reported No Loss Due To Fire Title Reported
    No Junk Title Reported No Flood Damage Title Reported
    No Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title Reported No Hail Damage Title Reported
    No Dismantled Title Reported No Canadian Total Loss Record Reported

    Other Accident Indicators:


    This 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) has had no accident indicators reported to CARFAX from its sources. This section checks for accidents and/or related damage reported from many public and private sources. Not all accidents are reported to CARFAX. A vehicle inspection completed by your dealer or professional mechanic is recommended.

    No Salvage Auction Record Reported No Crash Test Vehicle Record Reported
    No Fire Damage Record Reported No Airbag Deployment Record Reported
    No Police Accident Record Reported No Damage Disclosure Record Reported


    CARFAX depends on public and private sources for its accident data. Each one of these sources has different processing times. CARFAX can only report what is in our database on 27.Jan.2004 17:57:21. New data will result in a change to this report.
    Not all accidents are reported to the Police. Tell us if you know of other fender benders, accidents or damage.

    Accident Check FAQs:
    Accident FAQs | Glossary | Register FREE Guarantee| CARFAX Help Center





    Truth-In-Mileage Check:


    This 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) had no odometer problems reported to a DMV under the Federal Truth-In-Mileage Act. This Act requires owners to disclose odometer problems and an accurate reading when a vehicle is sold. This vehicle qualifies for the CARFAX Certified History, a guarantee worth up to $5,000.

    No Not Actual Mileage Title Reported:
    Title issued by DMV when the owner discloses mileage fraud or a broken odometer.
    No Exceeds Mechanical Limits Title Reported:
    Title issued by DMV when the owner discloses an odometer rollover.


    Odometer Rollback Check:


    CARFAX found no odometer rollbacks for this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549). Rollbacks reported in this section originate from readings collected by a DMV or other verifiable source.

    Mileage Consistency Check:


    CARFAX analyzed the mileage history for this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) and found an inconsistent odometer reading. CARFAX is uncertain whether this is a rollback or a source-level clerical error. Please verify this mileage with your dealer or a qualified mechanic.

    Reading reported on 02/26/1992: 26,250 miles
    Inconsistent reading on 02/23/1994: 24,399 miles
    Reading reported on 01/23/1996: 27,697 miles




    Do you know this vehicle's current mileage? Tell us and help protect others from mileage fraud.

    Mileage Accuracy Check FAQs:
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    GOOD NEWS! This 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) has had no Manufacturer Buyback (LEMON) reported to CARFAX from a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This vehicle qualifies for the CARFAX Certified History, a guarantee worth up to $5,000.

    Lemon Check FAQs:
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    Ownership History:


    CARFAX estimates that this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) has had 3 owner(s). CARFAX analyzed this vehicle's title history and other supporting events to identify potential ownership transfers. In compliance with the U.S. privacy laws, CARFAX does not collect or report owner names or addresses.

    Estimated Owners: Date: Location:
    1st owner No data No data
    2nd owner 05/09/1996 California
    3rd owner 05/26/1998 California

    Types of Owners:


    This 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) was checked for 9 types of registrations.

    No Personal Use Registration Reported No Fleet Registration Reported
    No Lease Registration Reported No Commercial Registration Reported
    No Rental Registration Reported No Non-Profit Registration Reported
    No Government Registration Reported No Built to Non U.S. Standards Record Reported
    No Taxi Registration Reported

    Do you have information about how this vehicle was used or driven? Tell us what you know.

    Ownership Check FAQs:
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    FERRARI does not report recall information for specific vehicles to CARFAX.
    Go to the CARFAX SAFETY & RELIABILITY REPORT for recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET. You can also contact an authorized dealership or FERRARI at 201-816-2652 to find out if this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) still has recalls that require repair.

    Recall Check FAQs:
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    CARFAX cannot calculate the remaining coverage for this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549) because no original manufacturer warranty information was reported to CARFAX by its source.

    Estimated start date of warranty: 05/09/1996
    Last reading reported on 06/19/2001: True mileage unknown
    Today's Date: January 27, 2004

    Type of Coverage: Original Warranty:
    Basic No data reported to CARFAX
    Drivetrain No data reported to CARFAX
    Emissions No data reported to CARFAX
    Corrosion No data reported to CARFAX
    Transferable No data reported to CARFAX
    Roadside Assistance No data reported to CARFAX
    Safety belt & inflatable restraint No data reported to CARFAX


    CARFAX Warranty Check provides an estimate of this vehicle's remaining warranty coverage. It does not take into account some vehicle history events. For example, major accidents resulting in Salvage or Junk titles that may void the original manufacturer warranty or ownership transfers that may decrease warranty coverage. Complete warranty coverage information is available for this vehicle at the at the FERRARI web site.


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    CARFAX searched more than 2.7 billion records from over 5,300 sources and found 10 record(s) for this 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET (ZFFXC26A9J0077549).

    Date:
    Mileage Reading:
    Source:
    General Comments:


    09/16/1991 23,964 California
    Inspection Station
    Belmont, CA
    Passed emissions inspection


    02/26/1992 26,250 California
    Inspection Station
    Carpinteria, CA
    Passed emissions inspection


    02/23/1994 24,399 California
    Inspection Station
    Yorba Linda, CA
    Passed emissions inspection
    INCONSISTENT ODOMETER READING

    CARFAX AdvisorTM
    CARFAX analyzed this mileage history and is uncertain whether this reading represents a rollback or a clerical error. Please verify the mileage with your dealer or a qualified mechanic.

    01/23/1996 27,697 California
    Motor Vehicle Dept.
    Odometer reading reported for title


    05/09/1996 California
    Motor Vehicle Dept.
    Title issued
    New owner reported


    03/02/1998 34,753 California
    Inspection Station
    Yorba Linda, CA
    Passed emissions inspection


    05/14/1998 34,981 California
    Motor Vehicle Dept.
    Odometer reading reported for title


    05/26/1998 California
    Motor Vehicle Dept.
    Title issued
    New owner reported


    04/03/2001 37,056 California
    Inspection Station
    Passed emissions inspection


    06/19/2001 37,912 New Jersey
    Motor Vehicle Dept.
    Bloomfield, NJ
    Title #MR20011700407
    Title issued


    Tell us what you know about this vehicle

    Detailed Vehicle History Definitions:

    Mileage Inconsistency
    If a more recent odometer reading is less than an reading but CARFAX is uncertain whether the discrepancy is a rollback or a clerical error, then CARFAX calls it a "Mileage Inconsistency". In this case, you should verify the mileage with your dealer or a qualified mechanic.

    New Owner Reported
    When a vehicle is sold to a new owner, the Title must be transferred to the new owner(s) at a Department of Motor Vehicles.


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    CARFAX Certified History
    is Guaranteed up to $5,000!
    A CARFAX Certified History guarantees that this vehicle has none of the problem titles shown below. Should you discover any of these problems during the next three years, CARFAX will pay you 10% of the vehicle's wholesale value - up to $5,000!

    This coverage is valid from 01/27/2004 through 01/27/2007 and is transferable to a new owner during this period.


    1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET
    ZFFXC26A9J0077549
    Protection From:
    Salvage Title
    Hail Damage Title

    Junk Title
    Total Loss (Canada)

    Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title
    Manufacturer Buyback (Lemon) Title

    Dismantled Title
    Exceeds Mechanical Limits Title

    Loss Due to Fire Title
    Not Actual Mileage Title

    Flood Damage Title






    Register your FREE $5,000 CARFAX Certified History Guarantee Today!

    www.carfax.com/register


    *CARFAX agrees to pay to the holder of this report 10% of the wholesale value of the vehicle, up to $5,000 if this report indicates it qualifies as a CARFAX Certified History and a Branded Title actually exists for this vehicle. A Branded Title is defined as a passenger motor vehicle ownership document issued by any of the 50 states of the U.S. (or the District of Columbia) or any province of Canada that bears words or symbols signifying that the vehicle was salvaged or junked; dismantled; rebuilt or reconstructed; flood damaged; fire damaged; hail damaged; bought back by the manufacturer; odometer exceeds mechanical limits; odometer was not the actual mileage; declared a total loss (Canada only), or bears any other symbol or word of like kind. This Certificate along with corresponding full report must be presented in order to be eligible for payment. Terms and Conditions.





    CARFAX SAFETY & RELIABILITY REPORT
    CARFAX collected the industry's leading safety and reliability information for the 1988 FERRARI MONDIAL CABRIOLET into one convenient report. CARFAX Safe Teen Driving Tips
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    Inspection Programs and other auto-related services:



    CARFAX Disclaimer:

    CARFAX DEPENDS ON ITS SOURCES FOR THE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF ITS INFORMATION. THEREFORE, NO RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED BY CARFAX OR ITS AGENTS FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THIS REPORT. CARFAX FURTHER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CARFAX®
    Contact Customer Service
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    © 2004 CARFAX, Inc., an R.L. Polk & Co. company. All rights reserved. Patents pending. 27.Jan.2004 17:57:21
     
  25. KKSBA

    KKSBA F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    14,921
    SBarbara-La Jolla CA
    Full Name:
    KKSBA
    That carfax report on my first Ferrari is very interesting...

    It shows that I sold it in 1992 and has the correct mileage 26,250...

    But, it then shows evidence of a rollback in 1994 to 24,399 and then 27,697 in 1996.

    Somebody disconnected the odometer cable...

    Carfax also doesn't show my initial CA DMV title in 1988 saying it wasn't titled until the mid 90's..

    It does show the smog checks I had done in Belmont and Carpinteria, CA.

    Carfax doesn't seem to be 100% accurate. I wonder if it is true about the mileage rollbacks.
     

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