550 purchase Q's...

a low mileage car is not an undesirable thing...however, someone who can do an expert PPI is needed to determine the condition of the mechanics. First question to ask, have the cambelts been replaced? Ferrari recommends frequent replacement of those cambelts, and just because the mileage is only 3000 miles, it doesnt mean those belts should not be replaced. This is part of a major service and this 8 year old car is due for one probably.

 

A car that has miles on is a GOOD thing. Ferraris are meant to be driven and cars that are driven regularly are much happier and run beter than cars that have been standing still for 6 years. Obviously you want to buy something that's not been to the moon and back but I'd buy a car that has around 10 - 20k miles on the dial. My car had 15k when I bought it which is a decent mileage for a 2000.


Onno

 

You might want to think about pulling the trigger soon on what you think best suits your needs. There are tumbleweeds rolling across most dealer/broker organizations for 550's. Hammer away and don't be afraid to lowball your offer. People are slowly becoming aware how much bang for the buck these models are. Enjoy the hunt.
Oceans

 

Agree with above logic. The other thing I look for is some miles during the past 24 months. The ideal amount is 2k - 3k per year for the last two years. Service docs are the best way to verify this. Most people at least get an oil change once per year even if they drive very few miles. Those oil change docs usually show the odometer miles in & out of the shop. So, if an older 550 sat as a garage queen for the first 6 years of its life but then the 2nd owner has driven it 3k per year for the past 2 years, it will usually be a very low mileage car for its age but the previous owner has made it completely road-worthy again during the past 6k miles.

This is just one of the many reasons why people like to buy cars with a good set of service history docs, especially nice if it is a private party that is selling the car and the guy/gal has owned it for more than a few years. One place to find some of these owner-placed ads for well-cared-for Ferraris is FerrariAds.com. Or posting a car search request on here on fchat.

Often the service docs disappear on the car when it gets auctioned between dealers. Especially if it gets passed around more than once. You see cars all the time with only one key, partial tools, partial manuals, and no service docs for sale by some dealer on eBay and when you research the owner history of the car on CarFax you see the car has had 3 or 4 owners in different parts of the country. I'd pay 10% - 20% more for a car for sale from a long-time owner with good a set of service docs and all the keys, tools, manuals, security codes, window sticker, original bill of sale, etc.

Good luck.

 

We really, really, need a sticky in this Forum. I'd be willing to start it, but I don't know how to make a thread stick.

Dale