Generally speaking what would be the best year model to buy?
From what everyone is saying, it seems the latest model you can afford up to the 512tr's which go up alot in price from there. I just bought a 90 5 lug car. Has all the factory upgrades by then and it's alot easier to find aftermarket wheels. I would say a 88.5 would be a good choice too. Just make sure the major engine out service has been done in the last year or so. They time out by time as well as mileage. Every 5 yrs and 30k miles is the general rule of thumb. The guys on this forum have been very helpful with me. Helped me make the right decision. Thanks guys!
Generally speaking what would be the best year model to buy? Not to be sarcastic, but the best model year is the one that you want the most. Personally, I fell in love with the first Testarossa that I ever saw, an 86. - single lug, flying mirror, and that is what I bought. Were it not for that particular twist of fate, I would buy the latest TR that I could afford. The 5 lug wheel is light years more practical to work with, not to mention the natural tech & mechanical upgrades of the later years.
I must be in the dark, what up grades???? The tr was down graded from it's original spec. NO tr made for the USA or Canada would break the 180 mph mark. If performance is the prime concern then the first tr in euro trim is the best (period). higher compression better intake cams no electronic control of the fuel meters (less complicated) non cat, straight through exhaust long collector exhaust manifolds 13.6 quater mile 181 mph top speed 4 seconds quicker around fiorano than a BBi. normal seat belts 300lbs lighter than a Canadian spec to boot. tubular hand welded control arms (fronts same as f40), not stamped steel single knock off wheels, not the cheap five lugs. You be the jugde, performance or prancing around in front of night clubs. The Italians must make fun of our silly saftey laws.
LOL! - Your first sentence made sense and went straight downhill from there. Lets try to stay within the pool of TRs that this guy is actually going to BUY from, not some gray market nightmare that he probably can't get if he wanted to. - Even if he knew what he was getting into. Nobody can deny that the later TRs and the 512 were not vastly improved over say, my 86. In this country, in this real world, okay?
"Best" is clearly subjective as mentioned in above posts. However, it would be hard to argue that the 512M isn't the "best" as it was the final version of the Testarossas and had the lastest improvements on the model line. But is it the "best to buy"? Well, there are clearly cost considerations involved here. The cost delta between an 86 single bolt, single high mirror TR and the 512M is significant.
Rock Here some of the "Upgrades" I dug up...can't remember where I found it. Year by year updates: 1987 SN 67487 double mirror added and improved center dash 1987 seat belt mouse started and SN 68751 oil pump chain done by factory. SN 69651 airpump update SN 71449 alternator belt and Pulley upgrade done 1988 SN 75998 5 lug wheels started
An the styling job done on the 512M is a matter of opinon. I think that's why I like the 512TR - it's got the lion's share of the upgrades but it still looks clean. Oh, and I couldn't afford an M if I did like it, so there you go.
The only upgrade is the chain for the oil pump. The Air pump doesn't exist on a non cat car. THE TESTAROSSA WAS ENGINEERED FOR THE EURO MARKET AND THEN BASTARDIZED FOR NORTH AMERICA. It all comes down to preference. PERFOMANCE OR SHOW. Bye the way I know the difference between the cars, I work on them for a living. I'll opt for light weight and performance every time. cheers and good luck with the search
They are all good cars. They improved the TR from the testarossa and then a few improvements on the M. It depends on how much money you're willing to spend. Good luck.
I still don't have a clue what you are talking about. Every single new car sold in the US has such emissions and safety controls, and has for decades, so WTH are you talking about? Import one of those non equipped autos of any flavor and pay mega bucks to conform, and I do mean mega bucks. The entire point of this thread, which you seem to have missed entirely, is which Testa is the best for him to consider buying, not some theoretical discussion on the merits of non smog equipped cars, and the EU counterparts to US safety standards. If Enzo didn't want to sell here then he certainly didn't have to, now did he? And if you are going to be opting for light weight and performance, then what are you doing on this TR forum anyway? The 3.8 supercharged fiero that I built will blow any TR right off the road, along with any Viper, for that matter, if you are looking at linear acceleration.
Well.....(Hufff)....after reading this thread, I'm sure MAURICE70'S head is spinning after trying to sift through all these postings. There have been many facts brought to light, along with some less-than-flattering comments about North American cars. As a TR owner I would like to post my opinion. My first TR was an 87 with single lug wheels and motorized seat belts, but with dual mirrors. My current TR is an 89 which is basically the same as the 90 and 91 model years. I also do all my own services and repairs including the engine-out jobs. The original question posed for us fchatter's is: "Generally speaking what would be the best model year to buy?" For North American cars...and that's what we should be concentrating on....there were only a few changes made to the Testarossa during it's life time. Early TRs had the single driver's side high mounted mirror, single bolt-on wheels, and manual seat belts. The single bolt-on wheels could be sized in "metric" (bad) or the more common 16 inch size (good). The seat belts were manual which are favorable to the later motorized belts. The assymetry of the single door mirror is either loved or hated, depends on your personal opinion. They do seem to have an almost "cult" following. The only weak link is the master link in the oil pump drive chain. In 1987 the Testarossa got the motorized seat belts which are very problematic. The lower dash also received a "package tray" that improved the looks, but took away some leg/knee room, and some of the gages were moved around from the upright center console portion of the dash. The area under the tilt-steering column was cleaned up, when the flexible leather piece was deleted (tacky looking), it is not needed with the new dash's lower package tray layout. Gone was the driver's single mirror and in it's place were the 2 lower mounted mirrors on both doors. I "think" in late 87 the oil pump drive chain was also improved. In mid-1988 the Testarossa was upgraded with 5-lug wheels (still 16 inch), and slightly different suspension geometry. The big advantage of the 5-lug wheels is that you can easily find aftermarket wheels to upgrade from the original 16 inch wheels and tires. Other than this there really weren't any significant changes to the U.S. Testarossas for remainder of it's production. The Euro TRs have been mentioned, yes they do perform slightly better than the U.S. versions. And they aren't any more difficult to service than any other TR. But they are quite rare....if you do find one it's worth considering - DEFINATELY. This brings me to some comments made by our fellow fchat member ROCK. I do have some questions and comments I would respecfully make: 1. I was not aware of the tubular a-arms on the Euor cars, that is a good bit of information - Thank You. 2. I thought that both Euro and U.S. intake/exhaust cams are the same profiles, and ONLY the exhaust cam timing events are different to cope with U.S. emissions and catalytic convertors? 3. The U.S. cars are heavier than Euro cars due to the crash/impact regulations resulting in extra bracing and framework? 4. In regard to performance, I do believe a U.S. version TR can exceed 180mph....hitting maybe 181 or 182....as evidenced by some timed road course events like the Silver State Classic, etc....? Some TRs in that event have topped 190mph. I guess it really boils down to personal preference, what do you want or expect from the car. A Euro car would be nice and if you happen to find one consider it seriously. But also note how it was "federalized" for the U.S. market. Did they stick on tacky side marker running lights to the nose and rear? How did they add the cat convertors? I've seen some pretty bad work on Euro cars. If it were me and I was looking for my FIRST Testarossa, I would simply get a 1988.5 model year or later car. The only real drawback is the motorized seat belts. But the free factory recall upgrade seems to fix the problems. Mine have not experienced a single incident yet. I do think the stock factory single-lugs do look much better than the later 5-lug ones. But the single lugs also require more maintenance and care. As for me I love them both! In any form, the Testarossa is a very good car. With proper care and regular maintenance the car will not let you down. Keep in mind they are NOT drag racing cars, burn outs and clutch-drops are a big no-no. You must also learn how to launch from a stop and shift properly if your to get the most life out of the clutch - no slipping or slow engagements. Match the revs for the gear your going into...and you will be rewarded with very smooth upshifts. These are great cars and do NOT deserve many of the negative comments some people make about them. Also...the market is starting to go up on these cars, there is no better time to buy then now. Just do your home work, get all the facts and history you can, if your not up to it - have a trusted Ferrari mechanic look the car over, and if you find the "right one" then by all means BUY IT !!!!!!! If after all these postings, you still have questions, please post them. Don't be scared off....your in charge here!
The best Testarossa?.......................The one that grabs you by your balls and says, Take me home!".............Look and listen and do your research and one day that certain TR will catch your eye and right foot......and you will never look back.......Enjoy the journey!!
Kerry...I wish I had talked to you before I posted all that hot air...you have summed it up accordingly. Kerry is absolutely correct in his assessement. Be damned the specs and numbers.....just go with your passion and get what appeals to you. You will know when the right one comes along, and you won't be disappointed. As usual, the resourceful Mr. Wittig is my anchor to reality..... (Thanks Kerry...I knew something was missing from this thread)
If I am your anchor to reality............................Jeff, You need counseling, intense therapy...LOL.......Thanks for the props though....Your Anchor? Kerry Below is my new New York State Drivers Lisence ID photo.............and I am your anchor? By the way you should see the looks I get when driving the TR at speed with this "new" metro-sexual facade!!! Image Unavailable, Please Login
yeah your probably right, I could use some counseling...if I may ask....who do you use? ( just kidding of course)
For counseling............Mostly my right hand, but then I get adventurous and use my left...........I just got over a really bad injury caused by going south-paw......but I am a risk taker you know! This is a terrible thing to hijack another mans thread>>>>>>Sorry I will go back to my right, no left, no I mean right....................
I like the single high mounted driver's side mirror and the single hub wheels of the early cars. Those seem to be items that you would find on an F1 race car rather than a street car. I also prefer the non-motorized seat belts and the added knee room that the earlier cars provide. The later cars have handling upgrades that the earlier cars don't have but there is something gratifying about driving an early Testarossa and experiencing it the way it was originally designed. It took me a while to get good at driving my car but I loved the way it looked right from the get go and still do. I installed a Capristo exhaust and painted my lower rockers and front spoiler red to match the body color which updated the looks considerably in my opinion. The only negative on the car would be the cost of an engine out service and timing belt change every few years but it's just part of the ownership experience of such an awsome looking, sounding, and performing car. Tires and wheel options are limited but still available for these cars. The biggest plus for the early cars is that they cost less than the later cars.
I would have to agree....and i will also agree with "Rock" the earlier model is a better car IMO. THe fly mirrior looks better to me, i love the single chrome bolt over the CHEAPER 5 lug nut (this is fact BTW, every see the price on the single bolt "OUCH")....and finally, the "MOUSE" belt would drive me crazy. I dont think that chain driven but is any longer an issue, the cars have been around long enough that im pretty sure they have all been upgraded ( i know mine has). The rest i would say the cars similar. As for the Euro/US thing, once again personal taste...but if i had to get an F40...it would be Euro no doubt.....and lets not forget the boxer...all Euro...so I can see Rocks point on this. I guess the real answer is "buy" the best you can afford, and the one you love the most. Have fun shopping !! and welcome aboard !!
I think you should let your budget be your guide. If you have the money, the 512TR is the best built and performing, save for the F512M, which is rare here and truly $$$. I shopped for a '90-'91 TR when I was looking (until I came to my senses and got a smaller, sportier Ferrari ). I believe that the most recent iteration of a model is likely the best due to subtle changes and upgrades that occur along the assembly line that never hit the official records. This is just a personal belief. If you want the best deal on a TR, clearly the older cars are that, assuming you do your research and PPI carefully. Go to any FCA event and you will see the best of the best in all of these models. Buy from a club member or an F-Chatter and you will likely be getting a decent car.
