Hi, my name is...

Especially for the 412, you will (most probably) end up paying a great deal more than the current bid of $18,988 to run it. Those cars in particular are known to be maintenance intensive, in part due to the 12-cylinder engine.

You're probably paying a premium buying it from a dealer (not the end of the world).

You should not really even consider buying the first one of these you look at seriously. It would be better to have looked at a number (as hard as that can be to do), so you can compare and really begin to understand the subtle differences in condition. Then, you may be better of purchasing private-party.

Be sure you really like this color. Many "pricers" would consider Blue a slightly "off-color" car (though it is beautiful on most F-cars, in my opinion), which could affect resale value. I see 412s in many, many different colors than the classic red and black; it's probably a fact that they have a more varied color "Span" than say 308s and 328s. Don't settle on color if that's important to you.

This is a five-speed. That's very cool, although most of these cars came with automatic transmissions. Don't know if that means anything to you.

Finally, it's being sold in New Hampshire. Is that where it spent its life? (Was it driven in snow etc.)? This is a 1988 car so it should have the rust protection applied to cars of that era.

Just some things to think about.

--Mike

 

Sorry Dale, I'm not going to do it. Buy it. 412's are the best of the line by a substantial margin. 412's are very rare, 5 speeds are more rare still. Blue/tan is a great combo. All that put together makes a car you could spend years trying to find the equivalent of. If it is in good shape and can be had for a decent price, buy it.

 

Buy It!!!!
Erik

 

Always loved those 2+2 Ferrari's and this one has the perfect color to match!

 

Ill try to talk you out of it using only my own opinions with no harm meant towards 412 owners. A Ferrari Caddy......have you lost your mind? Ferraris are not supposed to be boats. If you are looking to get a real Ferrari on a budget then get a 308 QV or a 328. If money is an issue, then get ready to pay big money for that big V12. The worst thing about that V12 car is that its sloow! Are you the kind of guy that wants to buy a Ferrari that dosent look like one, dosent go like one, but does cost like one? Are you going to buy the Porsche 914/924 of the Ferrari world? Further evidence....I have gone to two Ferrari driver events at Moroso Motorsports Park in the last couple of months and I have yet to see a 412 there. Not on the track, not in the parking lott. I saw every othe ferrari owner there but there wasnt a 412 in sight. The only guy I know who had one was Sammy Davis Jr. and he was high when he got it. Are you on drugs? -Anyone who reads this should understand that its all in good fun and not intended to hurt feelings.

 

Perhaps this will help you make up your mind. It's a 365 4 cam V-12 5 speed with the side intakes like the car you want to buy.
No 914/924 ever sounded like this....
good luck
rt
"A Ferrari V-12 - the greatest ever man made sound..."
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I think you're nuts

 

all you need to know
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Valve adjustments are a big job but only needed at 15k intervals. Timing chains used to be recommended at 25k but I think that is overdoing it some and it is not like you have to take the motor apart. If you are going to do the accessory belts I reccomend a Saturday and a couple of sixpacks to help you retain your patience the first time you do it. The self leveling Koni rear suspension was prone to leaking. And yes TRX wheels / tires. Overheating? Nah, you can sit in an August traffic jam in Houston with the A/C going and Roger Daltry singin on the radio. Other than that pretty tough car, very nice to drive. Surprisingly fast and nimble for it's size, big trunk, room for 4 and good A/C. 15 years behind your 550 in technology but you will be able to tell they were built by the same folks.

 

What other choices do you have if you are convinced the 412 not the one?
I like the 412. If the price is right, it's great styling for a four seaters.

 

resistance is futile. buy it !

 

As long as it has a manual transmission, YOU NEED ONE!

(No damned help at all, huh?)

Birdman

 

My care package showed up yesterday with this month's Forza. Good article comparing the 328/Mondial 3.2. You know what, some people just don't get the fact that some of us want something besides a 3x8/355/360/430...

If the car checks out, do it.

At the end of the day, who cares about the opinion of the vast unwashed. You're not running for president, you're buying a f_cking car.

 

What he said

 

I want to chime in here. Get it! I think they are neat cars, especially with a 5-speed.

Didn't the last 412s have ABS? Does this one?

 

There is an interesting article in one of the recent British car mags... I think it was Classic Motorsports, or one of the really glossy ones...
Guy bought a 400i (not quite a 412), and states he has been trying to get rid of it since the day he bought it.
In the end, get what you want (if you can!), who cares what others think!

Its like women.... some like 'em big, some like 'em small, curves, colors, never "driven", etc...

 

Last year I purchased a 1986 5spd black/blue 412 ( only manual 412 sold new in Australia). I wanted a Ferrari that I could use for family outings, and the 412 fits the bill perfectly. I considered the 365 but was put off by the carbies and the general age of the cars, the 400 come with carbs or injection but there were no manual ones around, in the end the 412 has the best interior, ABS and I do prefer the look of the 412 to the 400, although there is little difference.
I considered a 456 but it has less interior space in the rear seats and a smaller boot that the 412. Ditto the 612 ( and out of range price wise anyway for me )
It's a lot of car for the money, nicely put together and hideously expensive to fix if anything major goes wrong, although that applies to any V12 Ferrari, it's just easier to justify on a Daytona rather than a 412. There are a lot of parts on these cars like 2 injection units, 2 air con units, 2 alternators, 4 shocks at the rear, self levelling setup, power steering, 2 x marelli ignition units, power seats, mirrors, windows, self closing trunk, 2 large fuse boxes & relay panels.
The rust proofing is very good, all 412's were built after Ferrari started using zinc coates steel and all the body cavities are sprayes with black goo to stop rust.

Exhaust systems are expensive and prone to rust, the suspension bushes wear our due to the weight of the car, the self levelling rear can be a real pain to fix but the special rear shocks are again available through Ferrari UK.
Front indicators are NLA ( i'm looking for a non cracked right hand side one at present ),

They are good to drive, with plenty of power from the 5 Litre V12, which has good low down torque and really comes to life after 4000 rpm. The car is really happy crusing at 80 to 120 mph, driving with slow traffic is a nuisance due to the heavy clutch & notchy gearbox.

If you simply want a car there are better & cheaper ways to do the job, but if you want a 4 seater Ferrari its among the best.

Michael

 

Dale,

I know a guy in KC who owns a 5-Speed 412.

Send me a PM if you'd like his phone number and you could call and talk to him about it.

 

Hi Doc

I'm also looking for a 412 on the other side of the pond. The car on ebay would have been incredibley cheap at $19000. There are two top quality manuals for sale over here at the moment for about $38,000.

I've now tested both a manual and an auto car though not for great distances. I'm not sure what to say to you really. If you haven't driven a 412 I will say though that they do not feel like they look. That is they don't feel like a big luxurious tight superfast machine. They feel very old fashioned to drive more early 70's than late eighties. The manual is very agricultural and stiff. You really need to be on its case and pushing to get something out of it. The auto on the other hand just feels strangled. The three speed box makes the engine feel rough and unwieldy. It seems that none of the electrics ever work. Every car I've spoken about or tested has been having issues. On the last car which was an FOC concours winner none of the cabin electrics like the seats and windows were working. The bodywork rusts very badly so you've got to be sure on that point. And yes, the service/maintainence history are horrific. At UK prices you've got to budget £3-5,000 per annum on bills assuming nothing goes wrong.

One very interesting point about this particular F-Car is that nobody seems to want them. Nearly all the 4 series cars that I've been following for the last three months have either failed to sell or are still on the market. I don't know why but I think that most people will do a quick comparison with a Jaguar XJS which is not a bad looking car and realise that the Jag does the job better for about a third of the money.

I started to look for a 412 because I thought that they were one of the most beautiful looking 2+2's ever made. That is still without question in my mind. Put one next to an XJS and it's like putting Kate Moss next to Diana Dors! Someone was having a very good day when they drew that car.

I said in an earlier thread that I had no problem with all the gripes about the 412 as long as it went half as well as it looked. Well the bad news is that it dosen't! Do I still want one? Yes, but I just realise I was being greedy. If it goes a quarter as well I'm happy.