For some reason the pics won't load for me. I am assuming it has some issues as I thought these were selling higher than this. Anyone know anything about this car? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1980-FERRARI-400I-AUTOMATIC-400-RARE-12-CYLINDER_W0QQitemZ4618141655QQcategoryZ6212QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I don't know anything about this particular car but agree that the price is right (assuming it has no issues). To find a running 12 cylinder f-car for $17,000 is rare. It appears that the previous high bidder backed out on the deal after viewing/ driving the car. If you could contact this person they may be able to shed some light...
Bad paint, automatic, off color, probable money pit. A much nicer 365 GT4 2+2 didn't sell here for 23-24K Still, if you like the 400 (and I do) and aren't obsessed with making it perfect, it could be fun
I would guess that price is about right or maybe a bit high.... the 400i is a rather unloved Ferrari particulary in brown and it appears that there is at least one visible dent in the front left fender. Unfortunately Carbon is out terrorizing the roads of central GA and can't look up the asking price index right now.
I'm going to go check the page from another computer and see if I can see the pictures. I don't know why they won't work for me. I didn't think they were going for less than 30. It has been a long time since I've looked.
I've seen 400's for sale well under $15$... down to $10k in fact. The "TLC" required per that $ is a whole different matter..
Ok, I can see some of the pics now. I love the color and the model, its sad to see it like that. What would cause the exhaust to rust like that? Just being parked, perhaps outside. Maybe driven with road salt and not being cleaned after? I don't know if the materials are different on the cars back then but my newer high mileage cars don't have anything like that underneath them.
Honestly, it looks like any normal 24 year old car. It's just that we don't usually see Ferraris in 'normal car' shape. The bushings are going, the exhaust is rusted, the leather is worn. The price reflects all this, but the kicker is that if you use yellow-box Ferrari parts the repairs will be stupid expensive. If you sub aftermarket bushings and a muffler-shop custom exhaust, then maybe not so bad. It's certainly a car you could drive to Home Depot and leave it in the lot with no concerns. Restoration doesn't make sense, when really nice ones are only twice the price or so. On the bright side, you get the badge and the V12 for less than a 10 year old Honda. Seriously, isn't that neat? I am curious about the missing light.
Like I said, my shop is like 2 mins from it..PM me or email [email protected] if you want more pics info.
The prior auction winner ( a guy who really wanted it) completely backs out of teh deal upon seeing and driving the car...that should tell you everything you need to know and then the dealer just throws new plugs in the car to resolve teh problem ( I doubt that was the problem) and the mechanic warns about serious rear brake and rear suspension work needed....the 400 series was the largest production run of any ferrari ever...they are everywhere in all kinds of condition to choose from. most are automatics ( a gm box if I rmember ..yeah I know " modified by ferrari"...sure) the stick is usually preferred..remember this car is form the northeast ..up here we have winter and salt and rust..bigtime.
Car looks like it has spent a lot of time outdoors. Interior shows much more wear than 18,000 miles. Leather on dash appears shrinking near windshield (very common problem) but also really ragged around a/c vents. More than usual nicks in fascia leather behind steering wheel, clearance is kind of tight and people wearing big rings can chew it up pretty good. Engine compartment looks pretty neglected, assume pics of oil filters are "before" the oil change. Missing headlight is a mystery. It is a standard $7 sealed beam unit. Why not replace it? Lots of bucks to put right, especially if rear suspension is shot. John
Im about to finish restoring my 1977 400GT, and I was amazed by the price of the parts, I did a full suspension, and brake rebuild, replacing every bushing and suspension bit, full brake system rebuild, complete new exhaust from Ansa, full paint and bodywork, replaced the dashboard and some interior parts that were worn out, the engine taken out and fully serviced, I only did this because I like the car and it is very rare in Mexico, but I would have prefered to buy a car that had already been restored.
It looks like its all there..In fact its not in that bad of condition considering it is 24 years old. Interior looks good, and all the switches are present..tools are there, suspension can be done for well under what some may think..aftermarket is a wonderfull thing. No need to have the self leveling feature really. Engine compartment shows normal roadgrime and oil leaks expected of a 24 year old machine. I would buy it..if I was looking for a Ferrari 400I. Heck just the engine alone is worth 15k..and would make a wicked hotrod engine!!
looks like a car with a lot of issues. Even for a DIY'R its going to cost a lot of money. It would be nice to drive one around and not worry where you parked it, if it got a couple of dents, ect. But daily driver reliability is $10,000 -$15,000 away. without any interior work.
Nice of Brian to go and take a look at the car. Look forward to the report. I think the car is a decent value at $17k. Why not buy it, put a muffler shop exhaust on it for about $300, do some suspension work, and paint it any color you want for about $3000. You would be in it for around $22k and have loads of fun??? They may have made a lot of 400 series cars, but I rarely see them. BT
We will know first hand what the deal is, but let me guess. That is a parts car. It has been for sale FOREVER; not sure if by the same guy. It must have some major issues that even a novice can spot. OTOH, for the right DIY guy, this could be a real fun project! Just remember: 12 cylinders means 24 valves, 24 valve guides, 12 pistons, etc. etc. and the parts are the killer as you need that little horse on the box. Ken
The good thing is that as a 1980 model, it's exempt from emissions in most places. That means you could keep cruising on 10 smoking cylinders and nobody could do anything about it.
The key is the condition of the engine. A complete rebuild if needed can reach the $20-25K range easily. Having said that, the engines are pretty sturdy and should last quite a while with reasonable care. If it checks out okay, then a DIY person looking for a driver might, might make this work. Problem is that paint looks to have some issues, exhaust needs replacement, rear suspension probably needs to be converted to airshock setup, add new tires, rear brake rotors and calipers and it would be easy to have another $5-10K in the car, bringing it up to $22-27K all-in. You still wouldn't have put any money into the dash/interior, but it appears to be serviceable as is. The next question is what other unknowns are lurking that could bite you? If you have your heart set on a 400i automatic, $27K is enough money to find one with fewer stories. John
