About to buy this 575

maybe if you had it flown first class to brian out in cali to do the work.

 

Have you had a PPI? That will be the best indicator of what work it may need outside of a major service.

 

That's about what most dealers will charge you, according to two former owners.
Get a PPI. It takes one day and costs 1k or so. Could save you an easy $25k with this car.
I'm looking at a 575 as well, and will NOT make that mistake again (see: 355 Headers)

 

I bought mine sight unseen with no PPI. Looks like a nice car. There is no 10,000 mile service on a 575M. 5000, 15,000, 30,000 etc and the rest is by time (ie annual, every two years, every three years, and every five years). Time usually trumps mileage on most maintenance for US 575Ms. Plan on $1500-2000 to bring all those fluids, filters, aux belts, A/C service, etc up to date. A cam belt change, if one was not done in the 2007/8 timeframe (5 years) will be the biggest service cost. From $1500 for a lock and swap to $3500 (guess) for degreeing the cams.

If you can get the maintenance records, we would be glad to tell you what you need according to the service schedule and tech bulletins. PM me if you like.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Not an avocate of PPI's?

 

The only time I would not do a PPI on a used Ferrari is if the car was relatively new and had complete service docs with the last service being within the last 3 months.

I realize that is not fullproof, but it significantly increases the chances it is a good car.

 

Drew- An advocate of buying a car from a reputable dealer and fixing what needs to be fixed. This car has ~9000 miles and fixing whatever has been ignored is not difficult or high risk. Probably needs new TPMS sensors, too. $324 from TireRack. Just need to make sure it comes with the red fob and the PIN to go with the black fob shown, or the dealer agrees to provide a new set of fobs (old PIN included) or a new Alarm ECU and three fobs (old PIN not included). Otherwise, that can be a pain in the neck. Boardwalk provided me with three new fobs after I took delivery of my car. Reliable dealers do that sort of thing.


Taz
Terry Phillips

 

I think buying anything, be it a used Honda from dealer, a used lawnmower, boat or a Ferrari sight unseen without having it either looked at by someone you trust, checking it out yourself, or having a professional inspect it on your behalf is one of the stupidest most irresponsible things a purchaser can do. Let the whining begin when you get it home to find something that you claim to be wrong or misrepresented and see how much sympathy you receive.

And, lets face it, we all know south Florida is well known for all its small reputable exotic dealers willing to stand behind their cars if faulty. (if the phone is still connected next week) Hey, at least it is indoor showroom kept (according to the ad) which is better than most those joints on RT. 1.

Hey, I got a slightly used bridge I can sell you cheap, wanna see some great pictures?

By the way, that center radiator vent expansion hose is not located in the original position, I wonder what has led to that being moved around?

 

just factor in the cost of the service when you make the deal.

 

Wayne- Well, we all have an opinion. Guess I am not quite as paranoid as the rest of you. It is a used car. No more, no less. Plan on fixing stuff and no whining to whoever sold it to you. If you want a new car, shell out $300K+. This is not a 20-30 year old 8 cylinder Ferrari, and the risk is way less.

You need to ask some pointed questions and look at the Carfax and any maintenence records, even if incomplete. Does it for me and several folks I have helped with their 575M purchases. We are all happy.

Where is the bridge?

Incidentally, you think maybe the different placement of that hose might be attrituted to the fact the entire water pump assembly was changed to the 456/456M pump as a running change later in production? The line in the car in question runs pretty much the same course as shown in the WSM of a very early 575M, and I know you have the WSM.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

It will be a bridge to hell when you get a sight unseen car home to find out it was previously crashed and painted up at a shop that does not report to car fax and that center hose was just replaced after the car overheated and was driven till it did some serious damage, but not fixed properly. And of course you know the dealers will honestly and openly answer all your "Pointed questions" seeing is they probably picked it up at auction last week and know so much about it. yea, i am a pessimist and doubter, but it has gotten me through life fairly unscathed in the business and legal world.

 

I have bought two Ferraris, a Lamborghini Murcielago and a Prevost converted motor coach without a PPI. If you know what to look for, what to ask and what the
past history on a car is, a PPI becomes unnecessary. All of these vehicles have served me well without any problems whatsoever - some without any maintenance except for time and mileage related items for over 3 years.

If you think its irresponsible so be it - waste your money on a PPI. Myself, I have saved quite a bit of money not being quite so paranoid as yourself....

Mark

 

Mark, you did not understand my post, a PPI is just one of the three suggestions I listed. I did not have a PPI on my car, I flew to it and spent a full day inspecting it myself and driving it. What I was questioning is the OP's decision to purchase unseen and without any inspection of any sort. Even asking a fellow Fchatter in Florida to swing by and check the paint would be better than sending a check and crossing your fingers. If you have the cash and the balls to make a purchase of anything without looking at it, then more power to you.

When I was shopping for a Ferrari, I flew to personally check out or had a friend in the area check out numerous cars. At least half of them were misrepresented, the seller did not know the answers I needed or was just flat out fraud. There is a good term for my suggestions, its called due diligence. Had I purchased any of those cars based solely on the sellers representations, it would have been ugly.

Hell, even dope heads check their heroin before a handing over the cash.

 

Mark- Pretty much my opinion on PPIs.

Hose location is typical of early 575Ms with the unique design waterpump before changing to the 456/M waterpump.

Wayne- More research next time. You had the data. Too much anger. Lighten up (believe I have used that term before). Bridge sounded interesting, end point not desirable.

Happy your business and legal efforts have been successful.

No PPI on your car? Shocking.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Paranoina has nothing to do with it. 'Knowing what to look for or what to ask and what the past history on a car is,' is only the begining as there is no conformation without a physical or PPI. Personally I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't obtain a PPI on a preowned car especially one without a warranty or when the vehicle is located in another city. Doing so, the buyer immediately assumes all the risk in the event of any malfunction. A PPI just makes plain financial sense.

 

Actually it makes NO financial sense if nothing is found. You are out the money. And how can a PPI tell if a crankshaft is worn, or a camshaft is spalling? What you are paying for is a "warm and fuzzy" feeling - nothing more. PPI's almost never turn up an internal engine/transmission issue which is where the real money is. Paintwork? Body damage? Any trained eye can see those for themself without a self appointed "expert" to point them out.

My opinion. Spend your money how you wish.

Mark

 

I bought without a PPI and regretted it primarily because I was not sufficiently knowledgeable at the time of purchase (I won't go into why I did such--uncharacteristic for me--behavior). I got the car so far below market value that I was emotionally prepared to take the risk. I was lucky that, by the time I was through fixing the little surprises, plus doing the 30k, I was still a few thou under the market. But I was VERY lucky.

 

Allan- A whole bunch of us have been lucky.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

here's another option at the very reliable fone...
i was told they have put a stock exhaust on this car btw
mark and dennis will treat you right...

http://www.boch.com/bochhtml/bochluxe/pages/VehicleDetails.aspx?StoreID=9&stocknumber=P73703

 

Bought my 575 without a PPI as well. When I took it to Gary Bobileff for a "post-purchase-inspection" Gary lived up to his excellent reputation by not doing one as he didn't think it was necessary. Had it been a different car/different seller I would not have been comfortable doing it the way I did.

 

I'm not clear on your point there. By your logic, I guess I'm wasting tons of money every year when I pay for homeowners insurance and no one breaks in to my house and/or it doesn't burn down that year. True, I suppose, but I'm still going to renew the policy next year all the same.

PPIs are insurance. Like all insurance, it can also have the effect of peace of mind also, but that's secondary. As has been pointed out on this board many times (often painfully) when these cars break down they can be catastrophically expensive to repair.

Also, there are good PPIs and a lot of mediocre ones. Obviously, if you are paying someone $1k to check paintwork, you probably shouldn't be buying a Ferrari anyway. Save your dry powder for a mechanic that knows a lot about these particular vehicles and knows what to look for. Uncle Luigi's Foreign Car Service on the corner by the taco stand probably won't cut it. I never understood folks who are hoping to save a few hundred by going to a Jiffy Lube-type place to PPI a 6-figure Italian sportscar. Certifiably insane.

A good, thorough PPI can uncover a lot and, if necessary, give the buyer some negotiation room in pricing discussions if things are revealed that need attending to. I suppose there are circumstances when I wouldn't pay for a PPI on a $100k+ Ferrari, but I can't imagine what that would be.

Just my $0.02.

ketel

 

Extremely well said.

A compression test will tell you the general health of the engine and a leak-down test will tell you what's wrong once you've had bad compression results.

I don't know what is meant by the suggestion that a PPI cannot reveal crankcase problems, etc. These tests and other clues will tell the generalhealth of the car. A good Ferrari tech can tell you right awayif the car has been onthe track. For example, look at the windshield. Is it original? Are there chips all over? That means high speed driving. Couple that with problems found in compression results and you've got some conclusions to make. There's no reason why crankshafts should be worn on low-mileage cars like the ones most Ferrari drivers purchase. We don't takethe engines out of the car during PPIs, but we look at the car, the engine, and we drive the cars. Prudent Ferrari buyers know exactly what they're getting precisely because of the PPI. Many (like myself) don't buy a Ferrari without seeing it, inspecting it, and driving it themselves personally.

 

Great Looking car, my fav color combo on the 575. Hope it works out.