Is It Still Worth Considering a F430 in today's market?

Thank you!

 

If you are worried about repair costs/parts, my 458 has been SIGNIFICANTLY less of a pain than my gated 360.

 

100% buy another Ferrari, do it tomorrow and never look back . Life is too short for regrets and let’s be honest, you know that’s what you really want. If it’s not putting you out on the street, it’s an east decision.

I sold my near perfect Red/Tan 458 in 2020, have felt like an idiot ever since. Thought a Porsche 911 would tide me over. It didn’t. Tried to buy it back a dozen times door for $50k more. Seller said eventually but not now. Just bought a 430 to try something different and will probably buy another 458 and/or F12 as well in the future. Older Ferraris are way cooler than the new ones which in my opinion have lost their way. But that’s for another discussion.



QUOTE="lencap, post: 149207061, member: 2147"]Thanks to all for the comments - much appreciated. The comment about high prices is valid, but I'm a senior citizen and the time left to enjoy a car like this is dwindling. My wife and I both have arthritis, and its become noticeable and challenging when driving "with intent". Also, getting in/out of sports cars is also less fun than in the old days.

To scratch my sports car itch I bought a 2020 Miata RF Touring manual transmission car about two years ago. I enjoyed it very much, especially the "easy on the wallet" aspects of the car, and in reality I'll never approach the performance envelope of any modern Ferrari any longer. The Miata was fun at all speeds, responsive and surprisingly capable. I enjoyed it very much, but we drove it less and less, again related to comfort/aging.

That's my main issue - do I "dip back into the Ferrari well", or remember fondly the times I had with the car, recognizing that "father time" always wins.

After a lifetime of sports cars/performance sedans and the like, it amazes me that my current ride is a Tesla Model Y. I bought it for its utility, and even though I was tempted to get the all out Performance model, I didn't. That decision seems to be something I should remember as I consider returning to Ferrari. The ease of power delivery in an EV is amazing, always present and upkeep is minimal. We have it for 2 months and I've already passed 4500 miles, many of them on a 2000 mile round trip from home to FL. Charging was a non-issue, and the car did all the things I expected when I bought it. I realize "autopilot" isn't a feature that comes to mind on a Ferrari forum, but it is very helpful and does indeed make the ride less stressful.

Thanks for letting me express my "stream of consciousness" as I try to work through these conflicting feelings/decisions. And as has been noted, with Ferrari prices at these levels making a decision does include recalling the unexpected repair bills/upkeep on my 360. I'm glad I owned it, and "Sophia" and I enjoyed many hours of fun together, and my wife drove that car like a demon. I guess I'd suggest if anyone is thinking about Ferrari ownership, do it when you can still enjoy it fully.[/QUOTE]

 

i sold my red tan 2013 458 spider with 9k miles back in 2017 for 250k... and today in 2023 it is worth 250k lol

 

I bought my F430 almost 5 years ago and would buy another one today in a heartbeat. It has been a fantastic ownership experience. Here’s to 5 more!

Also, I truly think F430s are a bargain now. I’m blown away with what people are spending on Porsches, etc. F430s are in the doldrums. I took my buddy (GT3 owner) for a 8500rpm ride in mine recently…he said wow people are sleeping on this experience. And that is exactly what the F430 is, a fantastic experience.

 

sage advice. sincerely. I like the looks of 360 more than the 430. Buy the best car you can afford. Be smart with money spent on maintenance. INDY's are GOOD...Find the right one. Also, don't let her sit. Drive her some....GL with your search

 

I think you are located outside of EU? prior to Corona, you could find F430's starting for like 70K in holland even (where we have alot higher car prices than most eu countries due to our co2 taxes), now, sub 100K in eu its all ****, to me thats a pretty hefty increase in price...

Damn, Blue F430's are just sooo sexy! shame you hardly ever see them!

 

F430 then

 

ha

 

the 430 is like the F150 of Ferrari world.
they are solid cars.
yes they have all the issues mentioned, but most of them have been sorted by this age, so you will not have too much trouble or at least its well trodden ground.

these cars are solid sports cars that are immense value for the money.

 

I am already on my search for my next Ferrari and I thought I was going to progress into a 430. I got a chance to sit in one and I could not believe how similar the interior was to my 360. I also must admit the comfort level of the mid engine V8’s for a long drive is brutal. I have been considering a 599 or Cali/Cali T lately. I have been seeing 07+ low mileage 430’s in the 150k range, which makes me think the market also still might just be high. I think sub 20k mile 360’s should be 105k range and 430’s should be 130k range.

 

Id always take a 599 over a Cali, Cali never striked me as a Ferrari, put an Aston or a Maserati badge on it and every1 will believe it. 599 is pure Ferrari design wise, and b4 i bought my own F430, it was the F-car I made the most miles in as 2 friend had them. Great, great cars!

 

Would you take a 599 over a 430?

 

Lencap ... My 2 cents are as follows.
Your choice is completely dependant on what YOU want out of the car ... do you want a thrilling engaging driving experience, or do you want to cruise the countryside in comfort & peace for hours . There is middle ground, and thats exactly what the F430 is .... middle ground.

Let me put this into context for you, my buddy who owns a 430 drove 4 hours to come to my place and test out my modified 360 (basically a gated 360CS) because even though he loved his 430 it just did not scratch that itch he desired, but he wasnt too certain what that scratch was, (all he knew is that he wanted 'more').... until he drove mine.

Within 5 minutes of driving mine his response was "holy sh%&!, that's it !!" .... a on the edge of your seat, intense, connected, manual/mechanical driving experience. A car that you are going to take out once a week to satisfy that fully connected adrenaline rush. I've owned, and driven numerous cars and NONE have come close to my 360, except my buddy's manual 2010 GT3 RS. Other choices would be 2005 Ford GT, modified gated 430

Now, if you to cruise for hours and not get drained, there are LOTS of cars, like the California that can do that. I personally have a 2009 SL65 hard top roadster, and I can drive that thing alllllll day and absolutely love it. Will I replace it with a California, or an SLS ... absolutely.

So there you have it ... insane ---- middle ground ---- cruiser, your choice

Cheers
Steve

 

I’m a huge fan of Steve’s car. I think you need to post a pic. I always love seeing your 360.

 

Yes and no. it depends on what your going to use it for, and how deep your pockets are. the V12 in general is more expensive to maintain than the V8 models are ofcorse, so that I take into consideration, also I'm more of the short blasts with as much theatre as possible, for me now the F430 has that more being the mid engined supercar, over the very good GT car that the 599 is. For me the perfect garage would be a 599 next to the F430, the 599 to use for GT-ing or even as a daily driver (like 1 of those friends did and still does occasionally) and looong roadtrips to different countries etc, the F430 for short blasts.

And im not saying the F430 cant do long trips, I bought my car 4 hours away from home, and drove it back home (with the carbon buckets), it was fine for me, where I know other people that say they cant take those buckets for more than 2 hours.... and yes i will drive it to the nurburgring and back also from where i live (around schiphol airport, so thats again 4 hours single way)

Also for me, I've dreamt of owning a mid engine Ferrari from when I was a kid and not necessarily a GT, so for me, my first Ferrari had to be a F430

 

BIG thank you ....

Fully tuned by 360Trev, titanium exhaust, CS intakes/430 MAF's +++


Image Unavailable, Please Login IMG_9262 by Steve Heck, on Flickr

 

What a great car, does everything well……even comfortable to drive and inexpensive to service.

 

Yes, F430 is at bottom and ready to appreciate.
Had you noticed the 328 prices are higher than some F430 price?
Now is the great time to pick a smart F430

 

I think They will come down 20% more by 2nd qtr 24. Then time to buy

 

While I think the economy may be horrible in Q2 ‘24, I don’t see 430 values dropping by 20%, as owners would simply not put their cars on the market. I’d never take that type of hit on mine. Looking at what 360’s and 328’s are commanding, I’d say jump in now if you want a 430.

 

I just bought mine. I paid the highest price in the USA for only a 3,000 mile mint car. It’s not going down. Don’t wait. People keep racking miles on these older cars. Buy a good one while you still can.

 

If it was my $$ I wouldnt bet on these cars coming down ... As mentioned Ferrari owners can typically 'shelf' their cars and wait until prices rise again.

 

If there is one thing i'm really not expecting, its the values of F430's and 360's dropping, prices of models like the 488, F8 etc, yes those will drop as they dont have that raw feeling as these cars do with their turbo engines, DCT's etc, they are too refined to be a mid engined Ferrari...

 

Sorry guys… way too many cars on the market. F430’s at dealerships right now over 70 just on car gurus… about double what there was 6 months ago. Forget new cars coming to market, the ones already for sale are plentiful.

Too many 458, 488 and f8 as well … save my post and look at q1 in March.

Top low mileage F430 spiders will be at $145k max. Right now lowest price clean title F1 $114k. Highest price $199k.

A good low mileage (10-15k) F430 spider will be at $120k or so by March