Maintenance

A lot of it is just the owners' obsessive behavior with trying to make sure everything is sorted, in order to avoid an expensive breakdown repair. Since the engines are an interference design, failure to replace timing belts on schedule "could" result in a timing belt failure, and you could then add a zero onto the end of what a simple timing belt job "would" have cost.

So FUD driven maintenance is a large part of the cost, plus Italian made parts, particularly soft parts like hoses, etc. aren't the best quality and tend to not last as long as others, which is why people like Dave Helms (Scuderia Rampante Innovations) and Paul Hill (Hill Engineering Ltd) are in business - to provide higher quality parts than Ferrari provide.

It's been said by many ex-owners of Ferraris "I could afford to buy it; I just couldn't afford to own it."

 

5 years for a Ferrari V8 is a perfectly acceptable interval.

Throw in the available bits from SR, Ricambi, and Hill?

Get the Ferrari. There will always be Corvettes if you want one.

 

Welcome to Ferrari-dom

 

Sooner or later, for sure, you will spend an easy $10k on maintenance and repair bills. Even the newest Mondial is at least 20 years old. Something will break.

 

Plan to have at least $5K for fixes on a well maintained car. I just recently purchased a 1995 456 GT. Still spent $8K to address the engine mounts, fuel filter gaskets and an annual service and then some..

Car had been PPI'ed and had a small leak at the the cam cover. Luckily Ferrari AutoGallery honored their warranty ( 2 year/ previous owner) and re-did the cam seals which were also leaking. While there, with the intake manifold off I had them replace all the hoses, thermostat and cooling manifold gasket. Just prior to leaving the shop the ECU of the thermo couple for the driver side failed. I replaced the passenger one myself. Parts are expensive as is good quality service.

So.. a fairly well maintained car with the last belt service just 18 months ago still needed work. Remember they are old cars where particularly rubber parts seem to fail. Whether secondary to age, ethanol or the heat in the engine compartment. If not maintained one should expect much greater expenses getting the car sorted out. This car looked perfect and PPI'ed fairly well yet still required $8K in work ( oil leak , cam covers and cam seal's were on Ferrari on NA). Thanks AutoGallery! Wish I was a DIYer, but I am not. Search this data base as it has a great deal of information about all models. Learn about their weak points and make certain they have been addressed. The more thorough the service history the less likely you will experience surprises. A ferrari for 15K could easily exceed it's purchase price in repairs.

But most importantly... I now have a well sorted out car which throws the biggest smile on my face when out for a spirited drive. Oh, yes ...do drive it !

Good luck

AK

 

Hey, Mondial or Corvette you can't go wrong. Nice choice to have. The 'vette is a great car. The Mondial vintage Ferrari..... Regarding maintenance, I think you had better budget for having to put money back into her. If it is an interference engine, as stated here, then you can't risk it....That said, when my major was done, the belt was still perfect and the engine within tolerances. But, the point isn't to wait until there is a problem.

If you really want the Ferrari then remember, you only live once...That's not a saying, it's a reality....

Though, from my perspective the Mondial is a totally different car than a vette. The performance and handling of the vette wont be matched by the Mondial. The Mondial is more old world / old school....

Good luck with your decision....

 

I don't think there are any issues with the top you wouldn't expect with any car of this era. A buddy had one and I drove it....

Just decide if you're a rag top guy or not. If you are then it's worth dealing with the little issues.

 

As was stated, quite the choice. Both good cars. With the Vette you can turn the key and go anywhere you want, and if you need parts you can get them anywhere. With the Mondial you'll have ups and downs, like any older car, but the excitement of those up times far exceed anythnig the Vette will give you.

I did have a Vetter, now have a Testarossa. Vette got boring.