Hello, new member looking at a 550

Hello I am new to the forum. I am looking at purchasing a 550/575. I have had many foriegn cars but always German. I am mechanical but do not intend to do any work myself. Currently I am considering a local 550 99 euro car. The current owner is a friend of a friend car has 19K miles. Has had belts and exhaust at 15K. Car just had an alternator failure privateer is doing repair. I intend to have ferrari of central florida check it out. Any thing I should look out for? The car is stock with the unfortunate exceptiion of the stereo. The stereo is not poorly done or excessive I would just prefer factory.
Thanks in advance
Steve

 

steve - welcome to the insanity ;-) .

i wouldn't lament the lack of a stock stereo - they sucked poopoo in my opinion (my 550 had the becker - utter crap).

search through this forum - there are a few lists of "gotchas". make sure it's had all the recalls (that car might be subject to the magnesium wheel recall) and get a list of all the TSBs and have FoCF review status.

once you get past recalls and TSBs the list isn't that long. spinning shock actuators should be looked at - they'll cause wires to break.

PPI is essential - sounds like you're already on top of that!

g/l,
doody.

 

Do not expect German reliability with Ferraris...though the 550 is a great car. I have had no mechanical problems with mine. If inspected and if passed, enjoy it. It is great on long trips, very comfortable, stable, exciting and fast.

 

Thanks
Steve

 

furthermore, as for the stock stereo, I agree that they are not intuitive. It is amazing that such an expensive car can have such a crummy stereo...you have to have the owner's manual open and someone reasding it to you to learn how to use it. So, you are better off, probably not having the stock stereo.

 

German reliability is just as much a legend as Ferrari unreliability. What I mean is that both have moved towards each other in a big way. BMWs and Mercs have dropped in reliability and are, according to European customer reports, significantly less reliable than Hondas and Toyotas. Ferrari have made big improvements at the same time.

As for the model: 550's are very reliable, I've heard of very few monday morning examples, and mine is great! No issues so far in the first 10k kms I've driven it.

Have to agree with Doody - the Becker was OK when the car was made but that's almost 10 years ago. If you really want one for authenticity you can get one on e-bay fairly easily, if you don't mind the lack of the Ferrari logo. I've just replaced my Becker with a more modern SatNav/MP3 combo - big improvement!

19K miles is a decent mileage - not too little, not too much. This bodes well for the car if properly cared for; it's not been left standing for too long. But check the history - it may have done 18k miles by 2000 and then stood still which would be worrying. Check the history carefully and if possible have a PPI done.

Enjoy your shopping; it's a phenomenal automobile, the 550!


Onno

 

I would make sure that the OBDII system was properly installed in the conversion process and still functioning, especially if you are in an area where emission testing is an issue. If it is lacking it will also effect resale value. This became an issue with a Euro car that was for sale in Austin. It took a long time to sell and was eventually sold to an out of state dealer. The conversion documents said it was done, but it did not exist on this car. It had either never been installed or had been removed. The moral is, just because the conversion documents say it is in compliance doesn't mean it really is. Good luck.

 

Steve -
Take Doody's advice and do a search on 550's, issues, PPI's, etc. There have been MANY threads devoted to the subject. You will learn a LOT.
Lots of repeat info, but you can sort through it all and come up with a list of about <20> potential issues to be aware of. Do this before the PPI, and give the list to the tech. Doody, Dr. Who, and others have even made excel tables of the points.

Good luck, and remember, the hunt is part of the experience.

 

That is great!
Thanks
steve

 

Thanks loyd. no emssions here in Fl where I am at. I will see how detailed I can get. Is this OBDII like an ECM protocal or another acronym?
Thanks in advance
Steve

 

Steve, OBD-II is an acronym for On Board Diagnositic system. OBD-II, was introduced in the mid-'90s and it provides engine control and also monitors parts of the chassis, body and accessory devices, as well as the diagnostic control network of the car.
The following link gives a good summary of OBDII - http://www.obdii.com/background.html

 

I had my inpsection today aside from the obvious. The dealer found a few things I missed.
I had originally thought the sticky stuff on the dash and vents was from a detailer. It turns out some pieces are deteriorating. Are there any aftermarket parts/processes for these pieces?
Thanks
Steve

 

I am reall happy with it, so far. The stereo being aftermarket worked out well it seems the original owner and installer was Mark Levinson. Thanks for your help everyone. I got 2 additional sets of rims and tires with the car a set of Ferrari 3 piece knock offs and a set of Giovani's (sp?). If anyone is interested let me know.
Thanks again
Steve

 

Congratulations Steve!
Let me be the first to say: post some pix of your new car!
Enjoy it in good health (and keep an eye on the rv mirror; you will be traveling lots faster now, and the smokeys will have their eyes out for you).

Tritone
01 TdF/Cuoio

 

Congrats! You're in for quite a ride.

Pics!


Onno

 

Thanks guys will get pics ASAP!
Steve

 

I will try and get some better ones
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Steve,

Congrats!...

If you don't mind my asking, could you provide some details on your new ride. What year? Any specific options (Tubi, etc) added? What did you end up paying for it?

The reason I ask is that I am also looking hard at a TdF blue 550 in the Southeast with similar mileage and I want to make sure the numbers we are talking are in line with where the market is.

Thanks and enjoy.

ketel

 

Congrats. Enjoy your car. Several other Central FL users here...

 

Beautiful car! I don't think the 550 has aged at all. If I didn't know a thing about Ferrari and someone told me that it was a 2008, I'd believe them.

 

they have a nice car at Foreign Cars Italia..........

 

1999 euro spec car. Came with Tubi exhaust. 2 additional sets of wheels. Aftermarket stereo that is well done (Mark Levinson was orginal owner). car cover radar just under $80K
paint is very good interior is needing about $1K had cracked front rotors.
Hope this helps
Steve