Is my maintenance budget ok (612)? Reliability.

Retiring next year, have owned multiple Maseratis over the years (BMW 750s too), still have a recent Maserati in my garage, the time has come to enjoy life in different ways, which includes buying a few classic cars that I love. One of them is the Citroen SM, the other one possibly a Ferrari 612 or Ferrari California.

2 very different Ferraris but I love each one for different reasons, the final purchase decision to be made based on what my budget can reasonably afford to keep (reliability, maintenance costs, …). I would keep the car for at least 15 years.

I’m a GT guy and I love a Ferrari with 4 seats. Actually the FF is my ultimate dream car but prices after Covid have shot up a lot, now out of my range. The 612 is gorgeous in my opinion, very elegant, luxurious, 4 seats, V12 masterpiece, …

My purchase budget would be up to about $130,000 (I can get a nice 2006 612 at that price for example) and the maintenance budget would be $60,000 for the next 15 years + inflation (money immediately set aside in an investment account when purchasing the car). I would expect to drive 5,000 miles a year over 15 years.

Based on your experiences,

* what is the average annual maintenance cost for a 612?

* what are the issues (mechanical, …) that are likely to surface in the years after buying a 612? And how much money to fix them (current cost)?

Thank you in advance for your answers, as they will help me decide if I can reasonably get a 612.

 

Thank you for your answer. I looked at various threads but most of them are old and 612s are now older (potential additional issues).

You mentioned $5,000 a year on average, therefore for example $50,000 for 10 years, or $75,000 over 15 years. This would still be doable.

 

Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about how to service and fix a car, therefore I always need someone to take care of that.

 

So far it seems that it would be easier to own a Cali30 than a 612. Not making a decision yet, not giving up on the 612 (V12, 4 real seats, so elegant), waiting to read more comments from the Forum + going to get in touch with independent Ferrari experts in South Florida to see what they have to say.

 

You are right, it should be significantly less expensive to use an independent compared to an official dealer. Going to check who are the reputable independents in my region (South Florida). If anyone on the Forum has a name or names to mention in South Florida, please let me know.

 

I see in another thread (hose) that you own a 612. How long have you had it? How many miles does she have, how many miles do you drive a year? Would you recommend buying such model, what’s your average cost per year (repairs included)? Thanks.

 

Thank you for the link, that’s great.

Do you think my budget (to be set aside when purchasing) of $50,000 or $60,000 (+ interests over the years) to maintain/fix it over 10 to 15 years would be enough to reasonably own one?

 

Yes I would not take a warranty for a 2006 612 as it seems (Fchat) that the annual cost multiplied by the number of years is often more than the real amount for repairs (and that’s when the warranty really covers the parts that need fixing).

I live in the United States, no huge taxes on gas here. You are right, driving it often is the best way to maintain it.

I’m enjoying reading your comments about driving 10,000 miles a year (not scary). I guess I would drive 5,000 to 7,000 miles a year. Which means I would sort of daily drive it: that’s the scary part I was focused on when thinking about a 2006 V12 model, would it be reliable driving it almost every day for local trips? Or a few times a year doing a 400-mile round-trip.

I truly love a Ferrari V12 with 4 seats. My ultimate car would have been the FF but prices are out of my range (170,000 instead of my 130,000 budget, but may be prices will go down if there is a mild recession and get closer to my budget).

I sometimes read that the 612 is not pretty, I totally disagree, I find it gorgeous and elegant.

PS: I will be in the middle of France next month, rural areas (and other parts of Europe).

 

Thank you all for your posts and comments, I appreciate it!

Update: I’m now leaning heavily toward the purchase of a Cali30 (younger, easier maintenance, …) or a FF.

Why the FF, which was previously not on my list? Because I’m in love with a V12 Ferrari with 4 real seats (my ultimate dream). But most importantly because prices for 2012-2013 models are starting to go down a bit and may continue going a bit lower in the coming months (economy, …). The FF is younger than the 612, is gorgeous and elegant (like the 612, in a different way), is easier to maintain (including clutch/gearbox, …), has a 4-wheel drive system, is described by owners as true daily-driver, etc…

My purchase budget is $130,000 but if a good FF (PPI, records) comes around $150,000 I could buy it (my wife says that $20,000 would not change anything in our lives and she is very supportive ).

At last, knowing that a good 612 is around $130,000 for 2006 models (F dealers), $150,000 for an FF would make a lot of sense (not a big difference in price but a big difference in what one gets).