For Sale 2010 Ferrari 458 Coupe 57K miles, $129k

Selling my 458 after almost 5 years. The car is completely original and unmolested (original firmware). I bought the car when I retired (I'm a retired automotive/aerospace engineer) and simply don't drive it as much as I thought I wound and I need the garage space!. I didn't want to spend a ton of cash so I focused on higher mileage 458s. High miles didn't bother me as I wouldn't buy anything that didn't pass my personal inspection. Being educated and trained in the automotive field my first priority was mechanical condition and only a few cars got past my visual inspection where I looked for obvious signs of collision and/or body work. I stayed away from any car where the paint/glass/engine bay/etc didn't reflect the mileage indicating some attempt to hide the actual condition. Of those that did, this particular 458 was the only one that passed all my visual and mechanical tests with flying colors!

In addition to the normal Ferrari Diagnostic System Tests and PPI (done by Ferrari of Scottsdale) this included the following additional tests that are not typically done during a PPI but which I insist on performing;
Compression test (both gauge and power balance), leak down check, oil filter debris analysis, crankcase pressure, acoustical testing (computer sound analysis), coolant system pressure test, AC pressure/vacuum tests, sparkplug reading, corner balance/weight test, coolant gas analysis, review of long/short term injector trims and many other OBD2 health related parameters.

In addition, the undertray and all inner fender covers were removed for additional in-depth mechanical/structural inspection of the suspension, drive train, brakes, exhaust system, electrical, etc.

The only concern I had was what I perceived as a slight off idle misfire. However, after taking the car to two different Ferrari dealers and one highly recommended independent shop I was informed that "all early 458s" exhibit that trait and mine was "better" than most!

Since then the car has had absolutely ZERO problems and I've been more than generous with all the typical maintenance items (oil/filters/belts/).

Having a Ferrari 458 with higher miles means venturing into some service areas where most dealers have never ventured. Being a mechanical perfectionist I wanted to change the DCT fluid but every dealer told me NO, it's not done. BS, the service manual even describes the process. So I ordered the special SHELL DCT fluid (only available in Europe) and did the work myself along with the normal DCT gear oil change.

That tiny off idle misfire eventually prompted me the bore-scope my entire intake tract from throttle body to intake valves/seats. What an eye opener. Because of the very limited miles typically driven, Ferrari has never openly admitted that the 458s have the same issue all the early adopters of Bosch Direct Injection had, burnt oil/deposit buildup on the backside of the intake valves! It's so apparent in other brands (Audi, BMW, and other's) that they have factory procedures to blast the deposits clean using "walnut shells" The Walnut shell is soft enough that it wouldn't harm the engine if small amounts got into the cylinders during the procedure. Again, Ferrari of North America (and no independents for that matter) was of no help so I developed the tools and procedure to do the work myself. Result, much better off idle transitions.

During the process (which involved removal of the intake manifold) I took the opportunity to replace all the injectors, plugs and dump the accumulated oil (from the crankcase ventilation system) out of the manifold. Anyone considering an early 458 with over 25k miles should have the intake system/valves borescoped, should only take about 20 minutes and 1 clamp band. Later models had firmware updates that altered valve and fuel timing to HELP self clean the valves but took away all the cool 458 sounds.

Other things done during my ownership (in addition to std maintenance) - New brake pads, new ceramic paint coating, clear bra, new battery, and at the urging of the current consignment dealer - a new windshield (the only non-original component).

The car performs flawlessly but does have some small road stone nicks on the hood and along the lower door panels as you'd expect from 57,000 miles but certainly nothing you'd notice without closer inspection. Other than the nicks mentioned the paint still looks fabulous. The interior looks more like 5K miles with only minor scoffing of the drivers side bolster.

Options - Wheels, Nav, Backup Cam, Lift, Front/Back Sensors, Shields, HiPwr Audio, IPOD/Bluetooth, probably a few more I can't think of.

You can see over 200 picture of the car at: http://s715.photobucket.com/user/maxvonauto/library/Ferrari%20458%20Pictures
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You can also review all my posts on this site as I was quite active for awhile. Any question please email me at [email protected] or text at 602 752 0083. The car is currently located at West Coast Exotic cars in Temecula, Ca. If you stop by tell them you saw it in Ferrarichat and you are dealing directly with me.

 

Can't figure out why I can edit my post . . .Title should say 2010 Ferrari 458 Coupe 57K miles, $129k.

 

Like most early model 458s, the DCT was replaced by the original owner around 20-25K miles. I didn't think to include this as an "non-original" part as it was practically a factory recall item as I'm told.

 

Honestly, probably nothing. I've address all the typical and atypical mileage related maintenance already. Maybe tires as they get hard with age.