456 reflections, and a vision.

To all my 456 friends. As many of you may know, my eight year love affair with my 2000 Argento/Sabbia piped in Black 456MGT is coming to a close. I honestly, almost tear up. It has been such a great car and a lovely experience.

In describing my car I would tell people, that many people see a Ferrari and they say "Woah!!" kind of strongly and abruptly. They see my car, and they say drawn out "whoahh" kind of softly and seductively. It is quite the sophisticate. ... This is a gentleman's grand touring machine. Not a playboy's toy.

I have had so many great times with her. Today I was running errands. I ended up on the interstate in the rain. After a while the drivers side wiper stopped working, in the straight up position. Well it was hardly raining and the exit was just ahead. I needed gas so I stopped and manually laid the wiper back in place. That had happened before one time. It is just the retaining nut loosening.

After gassing, I'm back on the local road. It had almost stopped raining completely. I was thinking about what I tell people about Ferraris. That they are magnificent machines. Except when they are being evil tempered Italian b**ches. I absent mindedly gave the wipers one swipe. OW! I heard a metallic sound on the windshield. Somehow the passenger blade must have hit the drivers blade. The passenger blade stood straight up in the middle of the windshield. It looked like a ... well you know. I think she was trying to tell me something.

The drive home after dinner was really nice. It was before dusk. I was driving with the running lights and the fog lights. A look that I like. And more streamlined than with the headlights up. I'm going down the interstate and it gets dark enough to put the headlights up. I'm giving her her head. She's smelling the oats. I'm thinking this could be the last time we are together like this.

We're back in the garage. I'm exiting. Loving the memory already, yet still fresh in my mind. I'm listening to the crinkle down. I go inside. I come back out and walk over to her. Listening to the crinkle down some more. Just loving being with her.


Later, I went to get my daughter from a party. I took my wife's S Class. As I was picking my daughter up out of the back seat and carrying her in, I caught the sight of her front fender out of the corner of my eye. I had my daughter in my arms. I rounded the corner of the S Class, turning away from the Ferrari toward the house door, I had to stop and turn around to take one more look. Such is the spell she has cast upon me.

I'm going to miss her. Thanks for the memories. I hope you find a good new lover. And you will take good care of each other.




Now for the vision.

I have an interest in aviation also. I think about the F7 Corsair, that was nicknamed "The last of the gunfighters". I kind of think of the 456MGT as the last of the line. I like the engagement of the six speed. But I could use more power. ... Hah! Ever hear that before?

Well, a future 456 might have more power. It will have to have a Sabbia interior piped in Black. That interior is just right. For me, getting in that car is like putting on a glove.

The exterior would be Argento again if I want that seductress look. Or Nero. That was the color that I thought that I wanted back in 2004 when I started looking. I know blue is very nice as well. I like stock looking cars. Especially for an understated car like this. But the NF2s become a consideration if I'm going to want to move a bit toward the dark side.


The only other thing that might be trick, would be to get a six speed 612. Then talk to Michiel Van der Brink about creating his vision of a shooting brake. Now that would be something. And I hope somebody makes one. It might be me.

This thread needs some pictures. I'll post some up.

To memorialize my 456MGT, she is ZFFWP44A9Y0121932.

 

Yes the 599 may really arguably be the last of the gunfighters. BTW, I made a mistake above I believe. I think the Crusader was an F-8 not an F-7.

I'm taking my beautiful Avio Metallica/Tan F1 599 up to the FCA annual meeting this month, not the 456. I'm really sorry to leave her behind. But I'm beginning to bond with the 599. My first little road trip was to Cavallino earlier this year.

I drove a 6 speed 599 before buying mine. It was challenging to learn the clutch. I stalled it first thing. Then got into it and was doing fine and really loving it for a while with several starts from stop. Then stalled from a standstill and started buggering it as I started getting rattled and the confidence eroded with the poor performance on my part.

The 599GTB is undoubtedly a grand touring car. But I really liked having the added capacity of the 456. And it's elegance in that old school way.