How do people react to your ferrari II

Hi Ross,

Fancy making that a convoy some time? Sounds like a laugh!

Meet me in the UK section of f-chat or PM me when you are next planning a central London cruise.

Cheers,


Marc.

 

wow, even his stories sound like BS

 

Pull to McDonalds Drivethrough..............


- Guy: "HOLD CRAP!!! Is this a......................."

- Me: "Yes, it is"

 

haha, good one.

 

Let’s just say I’ve caused my share of accidents!

Once, coming to a light a few kids were all staring at the car, red light came I stopped they didn’t!

I have remote start on the car also and its fun when going for coffee to see people walk by, stop and stare then the car starts!

 

Not a Ferrari Owner yet but, when I look at my car I just think, damn I am lucky and it is that simple. Sometimes I just can not believe it to tell you the truth.

 

It actually happened a few times.

 

This past Saturday I became the proud owner of a 1985 308 GTS QV (Red/Tan). Drove it home from New Jersey to Virginia with my seven year old son riding shotgun and my wife following behind.

I had at least 5 people pull alongside and wave and give me the thumbs up, including a guy on a sport bike and another guy driving a Porsche Boxter. I did have one idiot in a Ford Lightning try to get me to race him...

I also own a 1971 DeTomaso Pantera which all my neighbors saw get loaded up on a trailer Friday night. (It went to my wife's uncle for some repairs)

Sunday morning I back the Ferrari out of the garage and am cleaning it... I had TWO neighbors come over and say "Wow you got it back that fast?" I was like.. "Um.. this is a different car. This is a Ferrari.. The Pantera is still being fixed.." hehe some people.

People are funny... I am used to it with the Pantera. I have had people pull up next to me on the highway and take pictures. Even had a guy hang out a passenger window of a car doing 70MPH and try and strike up a conversation with me...

I have not yet been flashed like you Lambo guys.. but I did have a girl at a stoplight tell me it was "Phat". I think that is good... but I'm not sure. I'm 33 and when I was a teenager stuff that was cool was "Bad"...

Scott

 

Driving through downtown Charleston, I was stopped at a connecting street waiting for a light change. Lots of tourists/shoppers on the sidewalk next to several first-floor boutiques in the Charleston Hotel. I'm minding my own business when some of the women in the crowd yell to get my attention. In the window of one of the shops were several girls working as 'living mannaquins' for a high-end women's store - all actively waving at me and giving the thumbs up. Too bad all of them were teenagers....sigh.....

Where I live (lower/middle class neighborhoods) I'm pretty much ignored. When I drive around the higher-up neighborhoods, people seem to recognize the car. The 21-and-over crowd knows what it is (or has an idea), anyone under 18 has no clue.

 

My ex-girlfriend never really liked the Esprit...until one day we were driving along and a pair of young boys (5 or 6ish) in the back seat of their father's car turned and gave us a thumbs up along with some big smiles. She turns and said, you know, I think I've just changed my mind about this thing.

I've almost got school buses to tilt to one side from occupants coming to my side of the window to look at the car. ;-)

The bad: Once had a guy come over to give an estimate on replacing a garage door spring that had snapped. When he saw the toys in the garage the estimate went from $150 to $700!

 

That is what worries me. I got a hair cut today and the woman who cuts my hair started asking me about what I drive. She's cut my hair for several years so we know each other somewhat well. I replied with the truth: " 1997 Toyota 4x4 with 100k miles on it. And I have something a little nicer for fun." She really wanted to know what the nicer car was but I was really reluctant to tell her. I have been paying $20 for hair cuts for two years and I don't want that to change. Finally, I relented and told her. She was pretty surprised that someon would drive something so non-descript every day but have a 355 in the garage. Anyways, I was worried when I got the bill but I didn't need to: $17.

 

About four years ago when I'd only had my black 348tb for about two weeks, I was driving in 20mph traffic near where I live in London and saw a police car in my mirrors about 300m behind do the full flashing headlights, blue lights and sirens thing and come shooting towards me at about sixty. All the cars pulled over to the left to let them by, including me, and imagine my surprise when they pull up right behind me. I thought, "what have I done? I'd better play it cool". A young policeman walks up to the passenger window and says, "We... ...er, wanted... to look at your car." Excellent comedy. I spent the next ten minutes talking to them all about it, but when they ask how fast I'd had it, I just said I'd only just got it, so not been on any motorways yet....

Two years ago in my silver 355 going to the F festival at Spa (awesome, a 2-day track session where all classes of Fcar get to use the F1 circuit and Ferrari bring 15 former F1 cars along from the last 3 decades, including some with Schumi's name painted on). Crossing on the Eurotunnel with a friend of mine, Dave, who has his racing licence and is a very handy "wheel-man" but not that familiar with Fcars, and the entire population of the carriage (including a coachload of 50-somethings) spend the 40 minute crossing gathered around my 355, asking about the harnesses, racing brakes, etc. and where we are going. Dave says, "Wow, I never knew Ferraris cause this much attention". This was repeated at numerous gas-stations across France and Belgium. He and I still laugh about that....

The black 456 I have now is much more 'stealth' and most people don't notice what it is until after I've driven by and they can hear it, or it's close up as in slow traffic. It is great to see the penny drop (usually young lads notice the badges on the front & rear or the shields on the sides) and see peoples' reactions - usually positive, waving, thumbs up, etc. I always wave back cheerily because, let's face it, we don't want anyone thinking that Fcar owners are unfriendly or snobbish in any way (which in my few years experience they are certainly not).

Ross and Marc, maybe we should arrange a date and time to gather a good bunch of London-based Fcars and do a few laps of the circuit around Buck House (Grosvenor Gdns, Birdcage Walk, Hyde Park corner and round again). That would confuse the heck out of the tourists!

Thanks everyone, for some great stories here....

 

All I have to say is that although I do not own a ferrari, I have been a lurker here since way before the days of the old Fchat and even though this is my first time looking at the site in probably 2 months, its great to see a thread like this. This is leagues above the old threads of ranting and bickering between 2 or more equally ignorant people.

Kudos for the person who started this thread, and kudos for everyone who has participated in it.

 

One time I was at a stop sign in New Hope PA, an older guy yelled at his wife: "Look it's Jacky Chan!", then the wife started taking photos.

 

LOL!!!!

 

I've had this happen once too. When I first got my car I had a temp (paper) license plate on the back window. It was the third night I had the car and I took it out for a ride one night. As I stopped at a light I was behind a State Trooper. By the next light he had gone to my left, slowed so that he was behind me (you know you're about to get pulled over when a police car goes from in front of you to behind you within one block and you're the only two cars on the road). So I hop on the highway and as soon as we clear the ramp the lights go on. "Good evening sir, Trooper XXXXX, I really just wanted to look at the car, the official reason is that I didn't see a license plate back there." "Yes sir, the plates..." "So is this the V8?" We ended up chatting for a few minutes about the car when it suddenly started to sprinkle. "Oh, you better get her home and into the garage before it gets worse." "Yes, sir!"

Much better than getting pulled over for doing 70.9 in a 55 zone in another state and getting a lecture and ticket about how dangerous going 70 MPH is on the interstate (in northwestern PA!!!!). Oh well, you do have to pay to play folks!

 

I dont own a ferrari but my favorite story was 2 years ago i was in the car with my brother, and we are both ferrari fanatics, at the time i was living in the suburbs of NYC, that day i went with him to his friends apartment in the city, it was there where the Gumball Rally was just beginning, we start screaming and yelling and our smiles are a mile wide. we called up his friend and told him to get down here so he did and he started flipping out as well, this is where it gets good. After watching for about half an hour to an hour we decide we have to start heading home before the female parental started worrying. it was on the way home where we pulled up next to the F50 and 550 Barchetta, my two favorite Ferraris, we gave the guys in the cars the old thumbs up and we started to talk while waiting for the light, i dont even rember what i said because i was just so excited. Then the light turned green and they were both out like a light. Definately one of my favorite experinces. I cant wait to get my Ferrari in like 7 years when i graduate college, until then i can settle for drooling over them.

 

Ok, that explains it. I thought you had somehow managed to fit a new engine in the F355. Thanks for the info!

 

great stories everybody

 

well its not a ferrari but...

i had someone drive past me, with the passenger screaming out the window "did your mommmy and daddy buy you that car" ( happened yesterday)

 

A few days ago a guy screamed "F_ck You!" as loud as he could at me from his jacked-up pickup truck. Nice!

 

Actually the 2.7 was changed to a 5.2 to incorporate the engine immobilzer for the alarm system into the fuel system. The 2.7 motronic equipted cars did not have factory alarms. There is not more horsepower because of the different systems, the reason for the 1995 2.7 motronics HP increase is from the individual air intakes which allows a little more airflow. The intakes also had to be changed to fit the 5.2 system.

 

Actually the 2.7 was changed to a 5.2 to incorporate the engine immobilzer for the alarm system into the fuel system. The 2.7 motronic equipted cars did not have factory alarms. There is not more horsepower because of the different systems, the reason for the 1995 2.7 motronics HP increase is from the individual air intakes which allows a little more airflow. The intakes also had to be changed to fit the 5.2 system.

 

Not my F-car (the old Lambo usually gets head turning, eventually people tring to read the logo -Urracos aren't really common-) ... but this weekend was in Monaco ... a Latvian red 612 showed up. Riot. People all over the car, trying to get a picture of them in front of the car. Lotsa fun. Got a couple clean shots, and got pulled towards a yellow 360CS that surprisingly drew a lot less attention.
Just goes to say that any new red Ferrari will draw crowds.

The black Enzo parked almost caused accidents. People stopping, cars slwoing down to a stop. In Monaco. Pretty funny.

Will post a new thread in showroom later will all the pics.

 

My favorite comments are the ones I overhear when I am either in close proximity towards the car or walking towards it. No one ever suspects that I am the owner...not many women driving Ferrari's.

The most recent one was when I was about 4 cars away walking towards the car and a couple with two young children were walking by. The husband commented what a nice car it was and the wife quickly scowled and snapped " it's probably owned by some middle-aged fat balding guy going through a midlife crisis." I hit the alarm buttom, the lights flashed and she grabbed her husband's arm and tried to quickly drag him away in embarrassment.

Although I think my favorite was when two guys standing by the car quickly looked around to make sure the "owner" wasn't around, glanced at me and then obviously assuming it wasn't me said "its a substitute for a small penis" and laughed. I walked up, laughed, and said "actually, there's no penis at all", got in the car and waved bye frantically as I buzzed out of the parking lot.