400i for sale in UK anyone know this car?? | FerrariChat
Buy

400i for sale in UK anyone know this car??

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by montreal, Sep 18, 2010.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. montreal

    montreal Rookie

    Sep 13, 2010
    2
    #1 montreal, Sep 18, 2010
    Hi all, This is my 1st post so please excuse my newness.
    I'm thinking about bidding on a 400i. Started looking at these recently and I'm strangley drawn to the 12 cylinder holy grail. As I can't afford any other V12 car I think this has to me the car for me! The yearning is strong now as I saw one for the 1st time last week. Stunning and much smaller than in the pictures.
    Anyway there is one for auction in the Uk at a 'resonable' estimate.
    I do know that specialist maintenance is expensive and complicated. Service history and records paramount.
    I wanted to know if the owner can tell me anything more if anyone knows of this car.

    Here are the details:
    Chassis No. ZFFEB07C000051575
    Engine No. 1119
    Registration number is A68 LLP
    It's a 1984 car in Mid Blue metalic.
    I will try to get more information on who has looked after it.
    Sales sheet says that sills have been replaced and that body will need some attention. It does not look rusty in the pictures but it must have some underneath. What other areas should I check if the sills have rusted at this stage? Uk weather is no good for these cars.
    Any tips apprectiated please as the auction is very soon and I am planning to drive some way to see the car. I plan to keep it and carry out necessary maintenance but don't want to rebuild or remove engine , gearbox if these do have any problems etc.
    This is the main point for me as i want use it and not do a complete restoration. I can do most maintenance but am not an expert in these Ferrari areas. Body work can be sorted if it's not terminal I think?

    thanks

    Del
     
  2. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2002
    33,276
    MA
    Full Name:
    John
    #2 Ashman, Sep 18, 2010
    First of all, welcome Del, to the best sources of information on the 400 series cars on the net. Some of the people here are amazing in their technical knowledge and advice about everything that you can imagine about these cars.

    I don't have anything in my database about 51575 but the 07 in the serial number indicates that it is one of only 424 5 speed 400i versions made out of a total production run of 1,308 cars. In other words, that makes it somewhat more rare and desirable than the automatic transmission version for many people. If it is RHD, it is even rarer, as there were only 31 5 speeds made out of a total of 202 RHD 400i cars.

    Buying a 25 year old car sight unseen is a huge risk unless there is a pretty substantial service history and lots of photos from above and below.

    If at all possible you should at the very least try to inspect this car in person and ideally accompanied by a mechanic who is familiar with these cars to provide as much of a pre-purchase (and pre-bid!) inspection as possible.

    The unfortunate reality with these cars is that a full engine rebuild will cost more than a good expample of these cars and there are several other areas where costs can quickly mount up. These cars are poster children for deferred maintenance issues in many cases.

    Specific areas to look at include the self-leveling rear suspension, the fuse and relay panel (under the front passenger side footwell) and the general condition of all of the electrical ancillaries.

    The drivetrain is strong and reliable if maintained but obviously you should try to get a sense of compression and leakdown tests as well as general starting and running condition.

    The TRX tires, if still fitted, are expensive and cost more than USD 500 each, so factor tire condition into your bidding decision.

    Good luck, be cautious, don't allow the red mist to cloud your common sense about having to have a V12 Ferrari "right now" as there are always other cars out there. Inspect and bid well.
     
  3. SouthJersey400i

    SouthJersey400i Formula 3

    Mar 14, 2007
    1,679
    Romulus, NY (Finger Lakes)
    Full Name:
    Ken Battle
    #3 SouthJersey400i, Sep 19, 2010
    Del
    Most of the floor of the car is fiberglass. The chassis is steel but the floor is not. So rust should not be a problem in those areas.
    Ken
     

Share This Page