Drive or Ship It?

i'd say about three hundred or so. after that driving begins to be a chore although if you stopped over you could make a trip out of it. time would be the determining factor more so than distance.

 

Personally, a THOROUGH independent inspection is in order, then driving it home is no big deal. Think of it as a little "quality" time.

Antiques, of course, get the trailer.

Uneeded miles? No such thing. ALL miles are required to get from here to there. It's a CAR, meant to be driven, so DRIVE it.

 

I think it also depends on the route; long unavoidable freeway miles is no fun, but if you can take a twistier route then I'd do that. That said, my upper limit would probably be 300-500 miles (I just shipped my car from FL to CA, driving was not an option).

 

For long distance drives, the lack of cruise control definitely comes into play. Keeping your foot at the exact same position to maintain a specific speed for long periods of time (6 hours plus) takes a lot of concentration and a little bit of conditioning. The high concentration required to keep the car in check is no joke as 0-65 mph takes up only about a quarter of the speedometer on a 430. You can effortlessly find yourself at very high speeds where the risk of having the car impounded and yourself arrested is very real.

That being said, it can be a lot of fun but I would suggest being well rested and traveling with a partner who can take over if necessary.

I hope this is helpful.

 

My personal opinion is that after a through inspection, if it is in the USA or Canada, I'd fly to it and drive all the way home. In my case, I would plan a driving vacation around the acquisition.

Now, while I have done 500 mile days in my F355, I seriously prefer 300 mile days. The 500 mile days can only be done on interstates.

 

Notice how he never mentioned the 308 328 and the fabulous 348

JUST SAYIN

 

Some people drive them, some transport them.

I transported my 348 back home after I bought because it is a 2200km trip and there isnt much along the way driving back home in the Outback of Australia.

Cost was AU $600 at the time and it was good piece of mind. I didnt want to hit any kangaroo's, get stone chips or a cracked windscreen in my first few days.

 

Ship the car if it's more than a couple of hundred miles as you'll never get those miles back & total mileage is so important on a Ferrari.

 

Only when it comes to re-sale time!

I have no intention of selling my Ferrari so total miles does not bother me.

 

As far as unneeded miles and stone chips, the only way to avoid those is to never drive it. I'd say if you have the time, drive it home. I think it's important to see the land one lives in. Bring a friend and make a road trip out of it.

 

Don't drive it. It only takes one crack windshield to ruin an otherwise perfect experience. Why risk it on roads you're not familiar with?

 

I found mine 250 miles away. I did a test drive and spoke to the mechanic and after that discussion my thoughts were to drive it home. After we got the paperwork done and I got a friends dealer plates I took a rental car to the town I bought the car in. Did the bank work turned in the rental and got in for my 4+ hour drive through hill , mountians , local roads and major highways. A great way to learn your new car and enjoy it's unique features. All I needed was a cell phone and a gas card. Great fun. Oh , I would say that 4-5 hours would be my limit.

 

Crikey, toughen up already! None of my Ferraris have cruise control nor an automatic setting and I've done +600 mile drives on a single day several times.

I will admit that the 11 1/2 hours drive in torrential rain (all 600 miles!) in my 330GTC was tiring....

Personally I think that driving your car home is a great way to get to know it and bond with it. For instance, I've driven my 365BB from London to Amsterdam and then on a round trip through Belgium and Germany, just after I bought it. Things went wrong but at least I got to know the intricacies. And I also believe that you need several thousand miles to really get to know your car in terms of sporty driving.


Onno

 

you don't want your FIRST driving experience with your new car to be remembered as a chore........if it is a long distance, ship it.

 

Drive it if it is only a few hundred miles away. I picked up my 550 in NC and drove it home to GA. Great way to break in your new purchase!

 

Kinda depends on what time of year, location and how much time you have to drive it. I love to take cross country road trips with a little time built in to stop and see a few attractions along the way. Probably wouldn't do it in the winter but this time of year is perfect.

 

If the car passes an appropriate inspection, I'd say drive it across the county. I have driven across the US twice and would recommend it to anyone. Take your time and enjoy this great country in a Ferrari

 

I'm in the "drive it" camp. Make a trip out of it and enjoy yourself.

 

Seems like it would depend on what you would consider a long drive.

For me, just a couple of hours would be long enough....beyond that ship it.

 

I did Portland Oregon back to Houston, Texas...1977 308GTB..took my sweetheart and had a WONDERFUL time!

Missed a deer at midnight, almost drove off a Yosemite cliff.......a great adventure!

Did Chicago, Ill. back to Houston, Texas with a second one, 1977 308GTB ...all alone. Not as much fun but got to know the car...the Harley Dealer helped me break the headrests loose to adjust them!

That kind of thing.

I did Madison WI back to Houston in a brand new Trans Am, but that was hardly any drama at all....long time at the wheel as I drove straight thru!

 

After a thorough inspection at Scottsdale Ferrari, I drove my 88 Mondial Cab just over 800 miles to get her home, with an overnight stay at a friend's place along the way.

My first day driving my first Ferrari, an hour out of Phoenix on the I-10, a car full of girls from UCLA pull up along side me. They honk, I look over, and I get flashed a lovely pair before they zoom off. I gotta remember to take a road trip the next time spring break rolls around

The best part of the drive was taking her up the CA coastline with the top down. Ocean views for hours. Twisty turns alongside beachfront cliffs and redwood forests. People asking me for photos at rest stops.

If you're not driving the car, you gotta ask yourself why you bought it!

 

I had my 550 delivered the 120 miles from FOA when I bought it. Since then I've had several 800 mile+ days, each of which was pure joy. The 550 is a true GT car and very comfortable for long distances, even on the interstate. I clearly remember 43 years ago this month picking up my new to me XKE in Seattle & driving it home to Michigan. That car is still a blast to drive, but not too good as a GT for an old guy.

Edeo
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I say drive! In 1997 I flew from Atlanta to Philly, bought a 400GT, and drove it back home. In 1999, I drove that 400GT to Greensboro, NC, traded it for a TR and then drove the TR home. In 2002, I drove my 348 Spider from Atlanta to Springfield, Ohio, and then drove my new Boxer home. There's nothing like driving a newly acquired Ferrari IMHO.

 

Drive it, screw the depreciation, screw the stone chips as they can be fixed. I already had two stone chips on my 2010 California. I filled them with the stuff from drcolorchip.com and you can not see them.