Dino rip off, need advice

The missing peg?

 

In the US the truth is a defense as long as it cannot be proven that the truth was used with intent to harm. Most plaintiffs who believe they’ve been libeled or slandered are reluctant to sue because they know that the discovery process will unmask information that they would just as soon not be a matter of record.

 

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Sorry if I missed this, but have you had the engine checked out? Compression check?
Have you had the car on a lift? How does it look under there? Rust? Leaks?

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So. It is what it is. Have a 2010 Cali for a daily driver. Have had a local learher shop replace the drivers seat and looks new. Every year i go through the car from bumper to bumper with my local independent mechanic. Usually about $1000 all in including fluids, etc. This year we changed out all the seals, belts, spark plugs, sticky buttons, etc for $9k. It is basically mechanically a new machine.

On my Tesla i changed windshield wipers for $30. Thats it.

I bought the Ferrari because its fun and i love the old beast. My Portofino is in a different domain and i expect more from the state of the art technology. In 2 years, only annual maintenance at the dealer. No issues.

So it just depends how you look at it. Life is short. Learn from every lesson and do not repeat mistakes or let the frustration eat your belly.

As much as i love my Ferraris. At the end its a car and later someone else will care for it. Like good art, we never really own it, we are just the caretakers for the present.

Do what you need to do, but at least take a little time to figure out where this ranks on first world problems fo you personally.

Peace

 

Steve..what everyone really needs are pics! more Dino porn ....

 

Obviously this is hindsight but there are many reputable independent inspection services that can be hired to go and thoroughly inspect a car on your behalf, most of these items would've been uncovered very easily and could've been negotiated for. That being said, you didn't do that this time and you bought a 50yr old car based on a description from a seller that has most likely spent very little, if any, time with the car.

Have you brought this up with the seller? Have they offered any type of resolution? The items described are mostly minor and could certainly be addressed over time and at nominal cost. What is the resolution that you would like to see? Do you no longer want the car? Did you buy it to drive it or to speculate with it as an investment?

 

When you buy a car on line without seeing it in person, it is similar to marring a girl form Russia as described by her mother.

 

Miss Onatopp /

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EVERY Ferrari I have ever bought has had a laundry list like this to address, often in addition to standard deferred maintenance. If it had an obviously crappy repaint and was full of bondo, or the wrong engine, or bubblegum and duct tape holding it together for the purpose of defrauding I would say go after the seller with all you got but this just sounds like a case of Caveat Emptor

 

Your only mistake is "Reputable Dealer." LOL They are in business to make money not to babysit customers

 

A late model Ferraris will always be a bit of a project, I find it rewarding. However, I’ve been stuck with issues in the past as well. Each state should have a licensing board that dealers are responsible to. If your having an issue with a dealer and they’re not being responsive, contact your states licensing board for dealers and file a complaint. That will be the quickest and fastest way to resolve your issue. No dealer wants an issue with the licensing board, or they could lose their license. They helped me negotiate a $10,000 refund on a purchase. You should be able to return the vehicle or possibly negotiate a better price. Good Luck!

 

No recourse in Florida when you buy a used car unless it comes with a specific written warranty. If sold as is, where is, even if the description you were given wasn't 100% accurate, you're going to have an extremely hard time pressing your case. Doesn't matter $50 car of $500,000 car, used is used here.

How do I know this to be true? I've bought several used cars in Florida and some came with a warranty, some did not. Dealer was careful to explain that as soon as I started and drove the car, post contract, any issue that arose was mine to deal with, not his.

Knowing what the playing field looks like makes a world of difference. There's a reason Florida is one of the hubs for getting rid of crap cars that most dealers won't touch. I've never seen so many 125-150,000 mile used cars as I've seen down here.

So, given that you own the car, fix it, don't fix it, keep it, sell it. Those are the options. Sell at $380-400K, take the $50K hit, or fix it for $60K, drive it, pray the market continues to rise on these, and sell it forward in a few years.

D

 

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Especially not having a previous relationship/history with said "Reputable Dealer". The dealer didn't treat him like one of his best customers because he wasn't one. More reason to be cautious.
It's all 'water under the bridge' because he waited 3, 4 or 5? months (ref Post #14) to realize and address the situation.

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The best way to make a comfortable purchase decision on these cars is to see it in person and/or have a qualified PPI done. You'll know what you're getting into, good, bad, and ugly. The car doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to be comfortable with what you're getting into. Buying sight unseen is a huge risk in my opinion, due to age of the cars and some of the eccentric decisions Ferrari made in the old days. I love these cars, but let's face it, Ferrari did some dumb/goofy things in engineering/design/manufacturing, and decades later that stuff can become problematic.

I don't think these problems you listed are major showstoppers, but you'd feel better about the situation if you knew what you were getting into. Practical expectations are a lot easier to live with than remorse.

 

Also, this thread is worthless without pictures (TTIWWOP) -- just had to get that in.

 

@DinoSteve This might make you feel a little better. I, too, purchased a Dino sight unseen during the pandemic, had the opposite experience from a Florida dealer, and pretty much ended up with the same car as you.

The dealer was Motorcar Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, and they treated me right, not only walking me through the entire car but the whole buying process. They took the time and truthfully answered every question I had. They helped me get a PPI, pointed out issues big and small (some I would not have even known were issues), and fixed everything I asked them to fix, for no additional charge I might add, before shipping the car to me on the west coast. In short I could not have asked for more honesty or better customer care.

And even given all of that, when I finally got the car, the piece holding in the seat belt release button shattered into pieces upon first use, sending plastic and springs flying everywhere in the cabin. The window latch also fell off on its own, taking with it some of the glass. The inside light didn't work. The turn signals operated intermittently. The assembly for the three hood levers came loose in an irreparable manner (short of replacement). The window channel felt and scraper moldings were also frayed and threadbare. You can see why I say it sounds like we got the same car.

And...I love my Dino. None of the the things I mentioned bothered me because, like a lot of other people have brought up, it's pretty much exactly what I figured I was signing up for when I decided to get a 50-year-old, unrestored vehicle. The issues have actually given me the excuse to get my hands dirty and feel more ownership of it. Now, if I decide to take it to a cars and coffee, I have something to talk about!

I hope something I've said can help you put your buying experience behind you so you can start enjoying your Dino. The only mistake I will say you made is that you didn't get the GT because it has better lines.

In all seriousness DM me if you decide to take on some of these repairs. I can probably tell you way more things *not* to do, but I've learned a few tricks already, like how to remove the window to access the channel felt. And how not to drop washers and other bits down the hole that's exposed when you replace the 3-lever panel--they sell anodized aluminum ones that don't and crack/disintegrate like the original one.

 

Ok, enough beating up on Steve for the woulda shoulda coulda stuff.

Lets help him with his problems.

Parts, interior bits, etc. All can be had, new or used. Check the sticky post on this section with sources (It needs to be updated, but many of the links are still good.)

targa top - glossy or matte finish? Weird that I don't have a specific memory of this from all the Dinos I've stared at over the years. I'm sure we can help out on that one, right?

White paint on the wipers. Could be wax from a sloppy detail job.

Heater- probably a stuck valve and/or the cable has come off. If the heater box is shot, you'd probably be leaking water all over the place. But the valve is a known sticking point. I may have a replacement here in my leftovers.

A/C. Even if it DOES work, it's not gonna keep the car real cool. But also a known issue that most folks here have probably repaired. There's a gasket that goes bad as well, I had a few dozen made years ago and distributed to users here. Might still have a couple, I'll take a look. Recharge it and it'l ljust leak it all out until you address the leaks.

The cooling fan is a lucas part which you can source from mossmotors.com for way less than from a Ferrari parts guy. Can be removed without tearing the whole front of the car apart, but expect to skin all ten knuckles if you do it that way. Can also get it rebuilt by a competent electric motor shop.

window latch. Get rear view mirror glue, glue it back in place and then NEVER LATCH IT. EVER.

Want everything to work better? Get a mechanic to swap out your alternator for something more modern from an Alfa. Get more amps.

Ok, that's my contribution.

D

 

I agree, you should have had an independent PPI done, no viewed the car in person before purchasing it, that said, you could have a $200 k plus restoration done on it and have it concourse ready like the black Dino Coupe recently sold on BAT by Drivers Source here in Houston, it is truly a spectacular car and it brought about $680k.

 

In 1976 I lived in England and bought a new Jaguar XJS 12 cylinder with the Borg-Warner gearbox. (Later models had the more robust GM gearbox) At the same time, a nearby company owner (auto electrics) bought a brand new Dino 246. I never had any problems with the Jag. Every time I stopped in his shop for a chat, there was something wrong with his Dino. C'est la vie.

 

I had three Cali's , two bought new and no problems at all, and a 2010 one temporary because my new ordered Portofino was delayed. The 2010 one had
almost no problems, I would not spend $9k on it to fix that. I think the Cali (without turbo) is a very reliable car and also a lot of fun to drive, it has the same engine as the 458, but wit lees horse power, but normally you feel hardly the diffeence. And it is the best cabrio I drove ever, because no annoying wind in the passenger compartiment (even better then the Portofino) . The Cali T however is very boring to drive.

 

You have to drive ‘em for the problems to show up. That’s what scares me away from the jewelry cars.

Pay 4 or 6…you still gonna be payin’ to drive.

 

Hi @DinoSteve

A lot of your stuff sounds cosmetic, and those are the easiest to restore:

1) Seats need to be completely repaired - get them all replaced - ez.
7) White paint and discoloration on windshield wiper arms - get this repainted
14) Chrome on right reflector - easy to re-chrome
17) White on windshield wiper arm - repaint the arm
19) Speakers made holes in both interior side panels - fill in the holes
20) Stitching and scratches on steering wheel - get it leathered and polished
22) Paint job Bubbling off on engine cover and collected in many crevices - get your covers re-powedered

Other stuff is 'plug and play' replace:

5) Fuel line that was dangerously leaking - replace fuel line
18) Fan in right front is noisy needs replacing - okay, replace it
10) Inside light on driver side - get a new bulb
12) Rug in trunk - get a new rug
13) Broken snap in trunk - snaps are very cheap to replace
15) Liner on windshield - get a new linder
16) Assembly of the 3 levers are hanging off - glue em back
9) Window latch is off - adjust it.
11) Vent cover left - get a new vent cover
21) Material in window runners is frayed and ripped - get new ones.
23) Also, is the targa top on a Dino supposed to be gloss black or flat black. - replace it.

These are easy fixes:
3)Tach bounces all over - Palo Alto Speedometer or tach sensor
4) The horn didn’t work - probably not getting electricity - maybe frayed wire/bad fuse.
6) Windshield wipers didn’t work - probably need to fix the motor


These two in my humble opinion are probably the hardest things, but not rocket science on these cars.
8) The A/C didn’t work - maybe as simple as recharge

2) The heater didn’t work - usually just a fan replacement.