A good problem to have I suppose.

Hey, bcb70 just moved here with his 355. I would try to touch base with him via PM. You can also PM sowest about your choices. He is an indy here that works on Ferraris but I am not sure which models he prefers. There are a few 355's here so there is an answer.

 

Absolutely! I will PM you the lead techs info so you can reach out. I think that bcb70 has spoken to him as well.

 

Hey Steve. I had a 355 that was serviced at JN Exotics. Aron is the chief Ferrari, Lamborghini mechanic there and he's absolutely great. He's also a real car buff so it's fun just talking story about cars with him.
Hope to see you when you get here!

 

Aloha Steve!
Just as Ron & Kevin stated already, Aron is an awesome tech who also loves the hobby.
Look forward to meeting you when you come over.

 

I would also carefully consider having the baby here if you think that you guys might live out your days here. Your child might qualify for special programs and incentives later in life if native born. I may be wrong about the financials but there seems to be a split line in social circles between those who were born here vs those who were not and if there is Hawaiian blood involved I think it makes even more sense. Good luck!

 

Life is kinda boring here as there isn't much to do when you want to get away. We really don't have places to go for a nice challenging drive.

It sounds like you will be living in Nuuanu. It is very lush there, but that is because it rains a lot. Perhaps your in-laws will let you build an addition to the garage?

 

Aloha Steve,
Congrats on coming back to the island.
I think Larry and JN are the only Ferrari mechanics on Oahu. I've spent a lot of time talking to Larry but never really asked about a engine out service. Your right about the shop, not a lot of room but Larry is very knowledgable. I'll ask him when I see him next.
I recently moved to Oahu from San Diego and had my engine out service done before shipping the car over. I wanted the peace of mind that the major maintenance was done before getting here.
As far as storage, I haven't been able to find any. I found a condo to rent that has sufficient parking, not perfect but good.
I'm always around if you need help with anything. Look forward to meeting you.

Brian

 

There is another mechanic that works on Ferraris. His name is Creighton Wong and he owns European Auto Specialists, behind Porsche of Hawaii. I was at a dinner with some friends and one of the guys bought a 360 in Texas and had Creighton do a timing belt, water pump and a couple other things. He was happy with the work.

I personally have not used Creighton, but have had a couple 930s he worked on. One was a disaster of an engine rebuild, the other is my current 77 930. The current car is fine as it was cared for by the previous owner. The rebuild car was severely neglected by the PO and required lots of sorting. There was an oil leak 2k into the rebuild that required an engine drop. I had my mechanic do the work and we went with a fresh rebuild to address some issues.

 

Just to throw a curve ball into your plans....

Where were you planning on sending your kids to school? The public elementary schools in town aren't exactly the greatest and the better k-12 private schools cost $15-20K per year. Yeah, that how much they charge starting from kindergarten.

I suggest you check with the Oahu school system on where your kids will be attending public school.

 

In another life, I used to be a DOE administrator. In Nuuanu, the elementary schools would be Maemae, Nuuanu or Pauoa, and they are fine. Pauoa might be a little rough and tumble as you may get the Papakolea kids. The middle schools in that complex are not the greatest and I would start searching for private schools at that point.

 

Did your wife go to a school that starts with a P? If she graduated between 81-86, I may know her.

 

Ahhh, she went to the other school. lol

You are right, I had many friends return to start a family at that age. Others stayed on the mainland, and wished to return home, but leaving their jobs on the mainland would have meant a large pay cut.

 

My wife (born and raised Hawaii) went to another school there - starts with a k. Good luck Steve! Sorry to see you go . . . . will miss seeing you at E@RTC.

 

Are any of you asthmatic? The air in Nuuanu is usually good, but when we get voggy weather, it is all over the island. I just load up on antihistamines.

 

Is there a code or special rule that you can't spell out the complete names of private schools?

 

No. It is just that many people don't like the school I went to because they consider it to be a school for rich white kids, which it hasn't been in many, many years. Ironically, our most famous graduate is Barack Obama.

 

Exciting stuff Steve! Without island based contacts you may find it tough to hit the ground running with regard to business; at least the way you are describing it. My advice would be to seek out groups and organizations now that you can join and get the introductions going. It seems like the fast track to success is to take the slow road down volunteer boards or groups/projects, then once you get a social/professional net in place you will be able to stand on your own. If you are of generous means already joining the right clubs might be a good option. There is golf of course but I would suggest Canoe Paddling (If you are in town, Outrigger Canoe Club, Windward Side try Lanikai or Kailua Clubs) This is still not a fast, hit the ground running option but if you are going to live in Hawaii, you will want to live a long life and to do that you will need to exercise. You can make a lot of friends in these pursuits too and that is where your future business opportunities will be.


EDIT...IMHO of course