3k Mile F430

I have heard many folks on here voice concerns over such a low mileage car as known issues may remain hidden. This car has been driven less than 300 miles a year. It may have sat for years at a time. Issues such as the headers and exhaust brackets will need to be addressed. You may also have leaky seals or battery issues. I would also check the age of the tires. On the plus side you will be getting practically a new car that someone else has paid the depreciation for you.

 

Mine had 2800 miles on when i got it, had to change the 2 rear swivel joints and 1 steering unit. All so slack, you could feel the movement in the wheels with weight off them- grab them at 3 and 9 o clock and see if they move. 3000 miles later the 4th one needed doing.
Another 3000 miles and all 4 upper ball joints needed changing, old ones that came out had the chrome peeling off.
Mine was a 2008 car
If you get it, avoid ferrari oem bits and fit the hill engineering bits

 

higher mile cars have the same issues. leaky seals etc.
in my 20 years of ferrari ownership i can say that low miles or high miles there is really no discernible difference. these cars are ALWAYS expensive to drive and anyone who says different is full of it. If you like a car with low miles, get one with low miles. If you are indifferent go with high miles. I have had many examples of both.

 

I had mine from new and traded it in after 3 years. In that time I had several warranty issues that popped up in the 5K that I drove it.

Ferrari's aren't the best at being debugged. I had several ECU re-flashes for cold starting problems, a warning light for the E-diff that needed a part replaced, something in the exhaust that threw a Check Engine code, a catalytic convertor overheat light come on, the soft top hydraulic actuator replaced, 3 batteries replaced, and even the steering column came loose and had to be retightened.

So, a low mileage car doesn't mean it's a perfect car. After 5K miles I finally felt mine was "sorted".

Things that should have been found under warranty may still be out there needing to be fixed.

 

I wouldn't pay any sort of premium for such a low mileage car. Things wear out with age, not just mileage. I would want to see that it's been serviced properly each year regardless of mileage. As the saying goes - the most expensive Ferrari to maintain is the one you never drive.

 

Where in Kanada are you?

 

with all due respect this is absurd. i spend way more money servicing my FF which I've put 30k miles on compared to my CS, 512tr, 612, 456, F40, 355, etc which i don't drive much. I have 2 430s. The one with 2300 miles costs me a hell of a lot less to service than the one i have with 17k miles which i drive all the time. Sometimes i wonder if people who post on chat actually own these cars?!

 

I recommend buying the low-mileage car. You pay a premium for low miles, and you should expect to sort the car out over the next year...but you may have to do that anyway and this way you are ending up with a showroom-new car. I purchased my 360 it had done 200 miles/year in its first 12 years of life, and has done 9000 in the three years since. once I got through the first 1000 miles with a few minor problems, it has been perfect.

 

In my opinion its not so much the mileage its how it was driven and how well it was maitained.
A car that sat and sat but was maintained is maybe okay. Another that only had the bear necessities i don’t think stands the test of a well maintained one with higher mileage.
I try my TR every week 5-10 miles, make sure it goes in temperature, push it a little bit and voila...helps me straight away assess anything that is wrong and every now and then go on a longer nicer ride.


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The low miles is going to be a bonus on the engine side of it, its the poor quality parts in the suspension system i find a bit much. All down to plated mild steel parts with cheap chrome on them. If you fit oem replacements they are more of the same so hopefully the hill engineering bits will outlast the car.
You would think ferrari would use stainless bits

 

Which is ironic because the engine seems to be the best built / robust aspect of the car, and therefore mileage should be less of a concern lol

 

Just my opinion. There is no clue as to whether this car has ever been serviced. Hell I service my DD every 5000 miles so this Ferrari would not yet be due for it's first service according to some?
I drive my 430 (20k miles) every week thanks and it has cost me absolutely nothing in 3 years other than the correct annual servicing which I love doing myself.

 

I have an 05 430 spider with 8,000 kms on it. The regular servicing is performed on it and have proactively changed a few components as well but overall, no issues with the car. I wouldn't judge the car exclusively on its lack of mileage because there are many circumstances that should be taken into consideration. For some, it can be one of a number of cars they own and even if they don't drive it regularly, they have great pride and enjoyment of ownership and that usually translates into a well maintained car .

Cheers
FN

 

I would go for the low mileage car and not think twice about it

 

I would want to see item by item everything that has been done to that car over the years . Many items are age related not mileage. Many owners see these cars as trophies, and maintenance is an afterthought - especially when its not been out of the garage....

Do bear in mind that these are now 10-12 year old cars, so things like rubber seals, hoses - even airbags - are approaching their best before date and will need a full inspection.

From my view, I'd avoid such an ultra low mile car, as it has rarely if ever been up to normal operating temperature. A full PPI should show everything though