Hello all, Well it all started about 2 weeks ago when we had an '08 Maserati GranTurismo with 6,200 miles delivered to the house. It will be my wife's car to drive. All last week she was out of town so I got to spend some quality time with her car. Needless to say I fell in love with the car. Then I came up with a great plan. I told her we would sell a couple of the toys that don't get used much and get a Ferrari F430! At first that when over like a lead balloon. She said the 430 would be so flashy. As if the GT isn't. So, long story short. After working on her I got the green light. I will be selling the 2010 Camaro SS/RS and the 2007 Porsche Cayman S and looking to purchase an '05-'06 F430 cash. I am having trouble sleeping at night with the anticipation of a Ferrari in the garage. I have already learned a bunch from you guys on this forum. Can you guys give me a heads up on what I need to look out for, or stay away from in my search? I know I want a coupe with the F1. Would like Grey, silver or red. I looked at a car that had the Daytona seats which I also liked. Thank you for your time. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well done on convincing your wife. My wife drove my F430 (in auto) for the first time on the weekend and loved it. Not sure if that was a good move letting her drive it but I know when I next talk about a new FCar I will have her support. In my search (I picked up my 07 F430F1 4 weeks ago) I: 1. Went only to the official dealer and got a car with a dealer 1 year Warranty (like the Power Normal Ferrari warranty) 2. Made sure that the exhaust manifolds have been done or at least checked. Its been a great 4 weeks and the car is just so much better than my previous F360 in terms of "togetherness". Enjoy the journey
Welcome neighbor Glad you have gotten bitten by that bug You will find everything you need and even things you think you won't need in this forum. Good luck with your search, Forza Ferrari
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There are a lot of F430's out there. There hasn't been a lot of change through the years: - CC brakes becoming standard in later years - tire pressure sensors added as standard in late 2007 I'm sure there are other changes, but none that come to mind. Definitely have a PPI done to make sure the car's campaigns are up to date and the car is sound. There have been a lot of problems with exhaust manifolds and exhaust tips. I'm on my third set of tips... The 2007 cars are just about out of warranty... so if a factory warranty is important, keep that in mind and buy newer or find an older one that qualifies for the Ferrari warranty (if this is important to you). I added a 1-year Power warranty to my car which covers the drive train and transmission.. a little piece of mind. It's a good time to buy... good luck. Frank
Thanks to all who who have replied. One more question. Is there a mileage number I should stay away from? I seems most have under 8-10K, but every now and then you see 18-20k.
Some would say avoid a very low mileage car as potential problems may not have announced themselves yet. If it's still under warranty, that doesn't really matter. Love the Maserati. Beautiful car!!
A friend of mine has that Maserati, the S version. Great car and back seats that are actually semi-usable! The exhaust note on the S is ALMOST as good as the 430
Nope. Condition, history, and maintenance are more important. What you need to do is not get in the game of finding "the cheapest" one. Find "the best" one that you like and can afford in your budget. You will pay less for one with more than 10K. But, that doesn't mean it's a bad car. Whatever you do, have it checked out by someone who knows. Dealers can give you a read out of the F1 clutch and it's history. It's stored in a black box on the car they can access. It will give you some clue of it's life before you found it. Also, leave at least a 5 grand mental "repair fund" in your head for unforeseen problems. You'll feel better if you have to use it someday. Find a good mechanic and develop a trust with them. You're about to be partners!
A little update. My wife's GL550 is gone as is my 2010 Camaro. I think we will hold on the the Cayman S for now. The car is just too much fun to drive and it's not bringing all that much money. So, I am ready to pull the trigger on the perfect 430. I think I have it narrowed down to red or black. I am taking a hard look at an '06 and '07. Although I want this car yesterday I plan on fighting for a good deal and standing my ground. I just think that with so many 430's out there right now a good buying opportunity will present itself in due time. I will update when I find my new Fcar!
Good luck with the hunt. Look for one with the challenge grill and challenge wheels so you won't end up like me craving for one now. Should have spent more time searching. Guess I just fell in love when I saw my 430 at the dealer....just gotta have her.
Good idea the Cayman is a great car, put a turbo on it and you wont even need a 430. Just kidding, I have alreay gone through my Ferrari stage, now I'm back to liking cars for what they can do.
