It's Hard to find a Good Vintage Ferrari

Just hang in there and don't settle, it will all be worth it soon.

 

If you think that is bad, look what the Dino guys are pitching at on eBay
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=137692671

 

Getting a good Vintage Ferrari is like preparing a good meal, its 90% shopping, the most critical decisions are the nos. M

 

Time from decision to go for a 330 2+2 or 250 GTE to actual purchase of a 330 2+2: one year.

I diligently "chased" probably twenty cars in that period, was very serious about two or three before the actual purchase.

Got lucky on my 308, but luck happens when you know what you're looking for: I'd done my homework and had 5 1/2 years Ferrari experience behind me, so when it came up on the dealer's website, I jumped and am very happy with it.

 

Be patient. This kind of thing takes time. It is not unusual to spend a year and drive a bunch of cars until you find the right one. The worst thing you can do is get impatient and buy something just to get it over with. You'll hate yourself in the morning if you do that.

Alberto

 

What is your budget and what model are you looking for? Have you thought about holding off and going to Monterey in August to some of the shows? That way you can look at many different cars and talk with the owners. Maybe even find a good car for sale. Don't rush and end up with a roach of a car. Learn as much as you can about each model and what it costs to do repairs.

 

Enzo was proud too when he sold the junk in the first place

Seriously, I hope you are not expecting old Ferraris to be well made cars, they were made no better than a period equivalent FIAT or Alfa Romeo other than extra cylinders and trim. It is difficult now I imagine when looking at an original car versus an over restored one ... the restored one many times better than when it left Ferrari.

Good luck.
Pete

 

Maybe there should be a redesignation of the Ferrari "vintage" label. However there are some very nice pre 1963 cars available. Albeit a little on the more expensive side. Why dont you look in this area. All the best.

 

Excellent advice.
While there, ask other owners if they know of one for sale; many of these guys are in tune with that model's community and might be some of the first that are aware of cars for sale and familiar with their condition.

 

Define "good." No, seriously. If you are trying to buy a #2 car for a #3 price, you're gonna have a tough row to hoe. Almost all the #2 or better cars are now in the hands of end users who don't intend on selling, except for maybe a #1 price.

So you have a choice, you can (1) pay up (and maybe over market) for a good car, or (2) buy down and make your local restoration shop a happy camper.

Dale

 

It is hard to find a good vintage Ferrari.

Don't flinch and buy a bad car; you will regret that at your leisure.

 

Again, define "good." If the budget is $125k, this would probably get a #2 2+2 car in today's market (I think) or maybe a #2 Dino. But I doubt that you could even find a beater GTC/Daytona for that price.

However, if you have the skills to do your own work, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a project. Despite everything that Sheehan says, the big V12 cars are not that hard to work on, particularly when compared to a modern car. As long as the frame and body work are straight, you should turn out okay. The problem, of course, is parts. But, at the end of the day, they are just cars.

The other thing that I would suggest keeping in mind is the motivation for a vintage car. If you enjoy driving, it is hard to beat a Maranello for, say, $90k. But as you probably know, owning a vintage car means "X" amount of fiddling and diddling. After all, you are talking about 40 year old cars.

Dale

 

there is an 83,000 mile C4 for sale at Fanntasy Junction, just reduced from 124,900 to 120,000. Extensive service records and one owner. Pictures and information http://www.fantasyjunction.com/used-cars.php?id=cf28f974aa3fec26bc3a9f5630adcbf2

Good luck.

 

Most of the good cars in your range are sold to friends word of mouth. Cars with know issues ect are sold via auction. Get to know some folks and go to informal and club events. Learn the secret handshake and you will find a car.

 

I would think you can find a decent C4 in your price range. I was thinking of diving into the vintage Ferrari market at the end of last year. I decided to wait until the Cavallino week had passed so I could see all the various cars and talk to some owners about their experiences. In the end I found that my heart was not willing to go "All in" for a vintage Ferrari and am happy with this decision now. I really like the lines and relative simplicity of the vintage cars, but for now it is simply not worth the price of admission to get a car that I would enjoy.
Good luck in your search. There is a basic Series I 330 (#5263) available asking $58,500 at www.motorcargallery.com . Buy it and pay $15k for a new color and some bodywork and you could be ahead price wise.
BT

 

I was expecting what you've described when my 1964 330 2+2 Series I arrived here in March 2003: a rather shoddily made car around this awesome V12 engine. At that time, I'd had literally no hands-on experience with Ferrari cars. Had seen plenty over the years, but nary a drive or ride.

s/n 5409 was bought sight unseen, through a lead provided by another member here/on Tom Yang's board, numerous emailed pics and conversations with the owner, history info from the 330 Registry, and a PPI by a very reputable CA shop.

Big surprise when it got to Dallas. The thing was built like a tank...heavy duty top-to-bottom, and materials and finish quality standards that are long-ago history. I know, I took it apart and put it back together twice.

Other 1960's and early 1970's era vintage Ferraris that I've since seen in person, at shows and in various stages of disassembly at Norwood Performance, confirm that my particular 330 wasn't a fluke of the production line!

The realities, discussed many times but bearing repeating:

-Apparently body and chassis rustproofing wasn't a standard with Ferrari in those days, and over 35 to 45 years many cars have suffered rust damage ranging from the minor to the very extensive.

My 330 had been garaged in CA through the first three owners, and showed showed little outward sign of rust save some minor surface corrosion, which I attributed to the ambient salty air of the Bay area. However, it had been resprayed twice, and I suspect there were a couple of body panels that would have needed $$$ attention once it was down to the metal for the planned total repaint.

-Up until twenty to twenty-five years ago V12 2+2 production Ferraris, as well as two-seater V12 production models, were the orphan children...used-up and outdated old sports and GT cars which had been supplanted in the popular imagination by the 308/328, TR, F40, 288 GTO, etc.

On top of rust, these cars often went through numerous owners and had/have very large backlogs of "deferred maintenance" issues, shoddy repairs, and many missing parts...especially tool/jack kits as well as service records and manuals. In addition, many cars simply sat (sit) unused for many years in the garage of an elderly or indifferent owner, and got (get) hauled out upon the owner's death, or the living owner realizes that he can get 10x to 25x the $3K to $5K paid for the car in the early 70's (10x--$32K--in the case with my 330, but that was five years ago).

 

If you think so lowly of series 1, you can forget the later ones as well. Best wishes, Kare

 

Wayne,

You may want to remind some of the posters in this thread with your experiences with your car: seach; aquisition; early ownership experiences; and your overall impression of your ownership experience - I think it would make a very good reality check regarding peoples expectations.

Regards,

Art S.

PS. what it your avitar?