Stephen, without checking the high mileage thread, do we think your 575 is the highest mile example in the US? can’t be too many others between your mileage and Clyde’s?
Probably and makes it "worthless"....I told my wife to keep it for another 20 and hopefully by then a 575M, OEM gated and FHP will be rare enough that mileage will be less important. I must say that driving around the US, 45 States, has been worth every dollar of the depreciation and five majors with belts.
It’s funny about mileage and the Ferrari “buyer”. Maybe 95% of buyers are focused on under 20k mile cars? Between you and Clyde and here in the Bay Area Montgomery and his 140k-ish mile 550…you guys are winning from where I sit.
Apparently our engines only come alive at 50,000 miles according to Ian Tyrell. So, I guess most don't get to understand the full potential of their cars.
He isn’t very active here but is more so on BaT. I really like his comments over there. He has a nice collection of cars and I LOVE that he “dailied” his 550 (original owner) for a long time. Here is just one of his posts below. If you search for his user name over there you can read his Maranello comments which again I enjoy/value. From his comments, I think he is just over the bridge in Marin. Would be amazing to meet him IRL at one of our get togethers. JMKClassic This author's likes: 1,267 Fellow BAT fans, and 550 lovers: @The_Underhill_Account has “paged” me to ask my comments on longetivity: I bought my 550 in 1999 (new) and now have over 130,000 miles, and gone through 14 sets of PZeros, and one replaced clutch, and 4 services for the timing gear (every 30k miles the tune-up costs over $10k, but it is CRITICAL to do all factory maintenance). When I bought my 812 new two years ago, the sales guy told me I would no longer drive my 599 nor my 550 . . . boy was he wrong: as delightful as the 812 is to drive smoothly up to redline in auto mode with those 1 – 7 gears spinning through to top end, the manual trans in the 550 is special and engages the driver in the experience of the open road, more tightly than the 812. WHY? Cuz of the gated shifter! Nothing else like the “clang” of rowing swiftly through that box . . . easily gliding in neutral when warranted, so you almost never have to brake hard if you are matching the gear box to your driving. You can start off the line in first, and shift straight into third (that is what I do to reduce clutch throw out bearing wear), or downshift instantly from 5th to, say 3rd or 2nd . . . but in the Formula 1 paddle shifters, ya gotta go through every single gear in order, whether shifting up or down . . . . very different experience than the manual box. So, after all that “road hard, put up wet”, I decided during the Pandemic to rebuilt the 550. Once the heads were off, my excellent mechanic said: “It really needs nothing more than new belts, chains, etc. — the clutch still has room.” (my second clutch still holding on!). No issues with the engine. He asked what gas I use: exclusively Chevron. He told me that was clearly superior on engine build up (none). Bill out the door was just over $30k (I had expected to engine out it, but wasn’t necessary at all). I did the “sticky no more” which is expensive (I think like $4,000?) but it was key to bring the interior up to snuff. But we were surprised how “bullet proof” the drivetrain is. To bidders I say: the last of the 6 speed manuals is special to own and drive; this beauty at auction is in outstanding condition (all things considered) and an excellent example of the model. It is good that it has mileage as the worst car to buy is the garage queen that is never let out to play, so its seals and belts, and shocks and brakes and so many other components dry up to cause major issues once back on the road. GLTWA, and whomever snaps this up, will never sell it (just as I won’t ever sell mine); and it was cute the Seller showed his daughter driving his Barchetta. WOW~ My daughter learned on my Lotus Elise, and she can drive my 550 with ease (only 5 foot 2 inches tall!).
This is simply amazing. Thanks for sharing. It actually back up my own feeling of the 550. It is like a John Deere or Rolex watch. It just don't wear at all. I did a gear oul change after about 30.000 kms. and that oil was as clean as when you pour it out of the can. I just did not understand a damn thing. People talking about "driver" and high milage cars at 30.000 kms... Hahaha thymey waste their time saving the car for later (or when they can't drive any longer due to age, heart attack, cancer or a divorse etc....). What a waste. Mine is at 160.000 kms (100.000 miles) and the engine is running like new.
I love hearing yours and Clyde’s and Stephen and others high mileage stories. It’s embarassing how little personal time and time I can get with just a 2 seat car but I am regardless grateful the 550 is in my life for the times I get to spoil myself and enjoy it.
A FWIW, but my 575 has been very reliable, even more than the six Porsches that I have owned/own. The car has needed two flat bed rides in my 18 yrs and 105,000 miles of ownership. Once for a locked up A/C compressor in Winslow, AZ in August (if I had known what the loud screeching howl was on start up, I could had pushed the A/C button and driven to a dealer), second was a metal on Interstate shredded tire/bent rim at 2:00 AM around Houston. The car has been compulsively maintained (not inexpensive) and the only mechanical "weakness) has been with the roller bearings associated with the cam drive sprockets and idler wheels.
I drove my 2005 575M F1 FHP (139805) over a period of 4 years mostly on long "speed trips" without having any problems. Warming up engine oil before higher revving and cooling down engine oil respectively engine hood to open by fueling stops/garaging was essential. I drove "him" to 80.000 km and then exchanged it to a 599 from Basel dealer Niki Hasler. I liked the "old school feeling" 575 more than the "digital feeling" 599.
just finished a 2200 mile run up to New Jersey some of the temps in the morning were around 25 degrees on start up I had the low oil warning on the gear box come-on, but once the car warmed up it went away here's the odometer car runs flawlessly, could never figure out why people would buy a six figure car and wash and wax it to death! this vehicle has the supersprint system on it with Trevor ECU's its the only way to go if you plan on keeping the car I get over 400 mile on a tank of gas at highway speeds incredible performance Image Unavailable, Please Login
thats another key open the hood to vent the engine compartment and during fueling stops when I park my car in the garage the hood is open until it cools down the 575 unless you have the supersprint mod has the cats right by the headers which are incredibly hot
are you talking about the cam drive sprockets at the lower end of the engine? when did your go bad? and how did you know they were bad?
you should get a power operated hopd opener, and make it automatic. Fit the blank switch in the center console with a "pop tha hood switch" ;-) Erik
Yes, IIRC, it was the driver side. This was 18 years ago, when three year belt change was recommended. Car was purchased at 2 1/2 years of age and 2.5k miles. I was going in for belt and major service at three years and 10k miles. Several weeks before, I had started to notice a change in engine noise. At service 1/2 (?) balls missing from bearing. Since then, bearings have been changed in various locations in the cam drive "system", at least three times.
ok thanks i had heard that can be an issue with the engine did it require the engine to come out? I am thinking not
No. Once belts are off its a pretty simple operation. If belts are changed on time and lower bearings are inspected every time they are usually caught before they become symptomatic.
575 were built right when Ferrari started sourcing bearings from literally anywhere in the world. They were buying from low bidders in Asia mostly and we did have issues. I was chasing a noise in the front of the motor in a 575 still under warranty. Turned out to be one of the support bearings for the oil pump dive shaft. All of the balls and the cage pieces were laying in the bottom on the oil pick up strainer. Ferrari had no spares and the car sat for 2 weeks waiting for a bearing from China. Its usually a pretty good clue you are dealing with substandard products when the manufacturer does not even put his name on the product. Never seen bearings with no manufacturer markings until that period. I make it a matter of routine to listen to the lower cam drive housing with a stethoscope on every service of cars from that period onward. I have long criticized Ferrari for going to low bidders for many of their parts. The in house made parts are of of terrific quality. There was a time when outside suppliers were pretty good. Bearings from SKF or Vandervell, electrics from Bosch, shocks from Koni and on down the list. As time has gone on price has become more the sole driving factor. You can actually get pretty good bearings from China but they are not even doing that.
Not from the lower cam drive bearings but possibly an oil pump drive chain issue. I have had complete failures of the oil pump driveshaft bearings and that allows the sprocket and chain to flop around making noise.
I think we should call you the Doctor from now on. Perhaps even Dottore! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
