355 PPI performed by dealer I purchase from?

Hey everyone I'm new here and I'm going to look at a 355 GTS today. I've been a huge Ferrari fan my whole life so this could be a big day for me! I just had one quick question that I could not find an answer to by searching.

I've been reading the forums here and read the entire the355.com site so I know the problem areas to look for in the 355 but I just had a question regarding the PPI. Would it be alright to have the dealer that is selling the car to also perform the PPI? I'm driving fairly far to go see this car and I may not have the luxury of having an independent Ferrari specialist perform the PPI on such short notice. Should I still have it done at the dealer? My fear is that they may be biased and say everything is in good condition. I do realize that the numbers on a compression test don't lie but I'm asking in regards to all the other checks they would perform. I've been assured that the car is in great condition and I have no reason to suspect otherwise. From what I've read, everybody still advises to get a PPI done anyways. Any feedback is appreciated!

 

I'd get a third party PPI if possible. If not, I'd want to watch the mechanic do the PPI first hand.

Do you have a link for the car? Someone here likely knows it.

 

You've answered your own question

Unfortunately you have given no geographical information but if you had someone might have a suggestion for a local third party PPI

 

Huge conflict of interest - try and go elsewhere. Otherwise you will always wonder.
I bought a car from a dealer and since is was very low miles, was sold new and serviced by them for 14 years and they showed me the service records I didn't get a PPI. Looking back, I kind of wish I had.

 

If you do not have the option of having it done by a 3rd party, I would suggest having everything in writing as to the actual condtion and status of xyz items.

Then, when you get it back to your area, have a PPI completed by the shop you will have the work performed at and compare notes.

TELL the Selling dealer that you are going to do this, so that everyone is on the same page.

That way if anything shows up that's way off base, you can have a civil discussion after the fact. ( EX: Dealership says pads at 7mm thick. Your shop shows 1.5mm thick )

Document, Document, Document, you should be just fine.

I am speaking from what I would and have done in the past with good results.

S

 

I had the PPI done by the mechanic that serviced the car I bought.

They knew I was moving the car 600 miles away. No new business. So the best they could do was get the money for the PPI and the sale of the car.

I was lied to on so many fronts I quit counting.... I am 2 years in and still finding horrific issues that need correcting with zero recourse.

It is likely (actually certain) that your dealer is more ethical. But remember they have an objective....and that is to sell the car. With no returning on-going maintenance business because you are taking the car away, that objective becomes singular.

Do an independent review if at all possible.

 

Thanks guys, great advice. I found out today that the car is having a new clutch installed and therefore is not available for a test drive so I'll have to fly back at some point to do that. I view this as a positive though as it gives me some time to schedule a 3rd party PPI.

Link to the car on the dealers site:

http://www.ferrarimaseratiofatlanta.com/1998-ferrari-f355--c-492.htm

Long shot but if anybody knows this car or any of its history it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also if anybody knows of a reputable 3rd party Ferrari specialist in the Atlanta area that could perform a PPI please let me know.

 

What is this? A speaker?
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You may want to post this in the Georgia section to see if someone knows anything about the car.

 

That thing looks amazing. Barchetta is a great color. I had it on my last 355, and got tons of compliments wherever I went.

 

I saw the car in person today and yes, that is a speaker. It has an aftermarket stereo as you can see by the head unit.

 

Fantastic looking 355. Great color!

 

Like others have commented, I would be very hesitant to have the dealer do a PPI on this car. Unfortunately, others in Atlanta also seem hesitant to do PPIs on FoA cars. Not sure why that is.

In my view, the dealer also seems to be asking quite a princely sum for this car. While it looks to be in very good condition and is priced better than then black/tan/6spd GTSthat has been on the market in Atlanta for the last year or so, I called them and found out that it hasn't had a major/belt service in three years. It's also stock in all the mechanicals, so no Tubi or upgraded headers/cats.

I inquired on pricing, and they don't seem to have much flexibilty. The car is on consignment. Every other 355 GTS priced at or above $55k has been sitting on the market for months, so I don't see this one going anywhere fast at $68k.

 

Thanks gt1995. I appreciate your investigation on the car.

I was aware of the impending belt service to be done 2 years from now and that was definitely a deterrent. I received the service records from the dealer today and I found that it's also had a host of other service issues that have me worried as well, including replacing worn engine mounts, replacing a worn wheel bearing, a leaking steering rack, an off center steering wheel that needed aligning, a broken shock wheel, there were signs of the water pump leaking coolant and the pervious owner was told to "keep an eye on it," window switches that "popped out and needed replacing," a right headlight retraction problem, a history of knocking and rough idle and when a leakdown test was performed it was found that "cylinders #1 and #4 have 20% leakage," a cracked turn signal and windshield (accident?), some dashboard electrical issues, an exhaust manifold and two cats went bad and needed replacing, the cylinder heads had to be rebuilt at 12,000 miles and the owner had the valve guides replaced at the same time even though there was nothing wrong with them (at the time), it was completely reupholstered, and the front bumper and hood were resprayed just before listing for sale.

All of this leads me to believe that the car has had somewhat of a rough life, despite its frequent and regular service. I love the Rosso Barchetta color and I was immediately drawn to it, but I don't want to purchase a car with a history of problems that will cause me more headaches than it's worth.

I guess my question is, is this an average amount of maintenance for a 355? To me it seems like a lot. Not to mention that this car may be a little overpriced to begin with. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Your response suggests you might need to do more research - for a start this is over about fifteen years and for a second it is a positive that the valve guides have been done not a negative....shock wheels often go as do most of the other minor-ish items listed

 

Nothing on that list is a surprise. As greyboxer says, the valve guides being done is a very good thing and I would take it as sign that that particular owner knew what he was doing with the car.

Painting a front bump is pretty common....hood maybe not so much. But neither is shocking.

Not having new aftermarket headers is a concern.

If that repair list has you concerned, you may want to re-think this purchase. The easiest part of a 355 is buying it. Keeping it running...well...is not for the faint of heart.

 

If this is how you feel, then you are better off getting a neutral party to do this for you, otherwise you will forever have that gauntlet hanging over your head.....now, if you can get over this fear and actually trust them, then it is a non-issue.

I bought a 348 from Ron Tonkin in Portland - they also did the PPI for me, I didn't have an issue and I am still satisfied to this day (almost 4 years later).

 

Having the PPI done by the same dealer that is selling the car is equivalent to trying something on at a clothing store and asking the sales person if it looks good on you.

They'll always tell you it looks good.....all for a crappy nickel and dime commission.

Imagine if thousands of dollars were at stake like, for example, selling a Ferrari!!!!!

 

Get them to warranty the car for 90 days.

that gives you time to drive it, break it and make them fix it, even if you have to trailer it back to the dealer for the repairs.

I bought two cars from a Ferrari dealer, used, they did the PPI, they warrantied the car and they fixed EVERYTHING that went wrong in the first 90 days, including needing brake pads (missed on their PPI and replaced when it went in for a suspension light), a couple of O2 sensors, and actuators for the suspension, among other stuff.

Done right, a dealer PPI isn't a bad thing.

D

 

Understood everyone. Avoid a PPI by the dealer (unless maybe it comes with some type of warranty). I'm going to have to think about this car some more considering its repair history. I can basically add the ~$6000 impending belt service on to the asking price. A 98 GTS with 35,000 miles for $74,000...There are better 355s out there.

GT1995 I sent you a PM. Let me know if you didn't get it because it's not showing up in my outbox.

 

Good luck with that.

The car is way, way, way over priced.

 

If the dealer insists on you using his PPI to make a decision, he should be willing to stand behind it.

Mine did. I don't know about other dealers, but Algar sure did.

Hell, they warranty their service work too. Or at least they have with me.

You almost always pay a premium for buying a dealer car, it should come with some benefits like a short term warranty, if it doesn't then why EVER buy from a dealer.

D