Middle East TR for sale in the US.

NEVER buy an exotic from the mid-east.

NEVER!

 

First, check the VIN. Carefully. When TR's were new, stolen ones could be registered in the Gulf using their original serial numbers as nobody checked. Check for modified VIN plates as well. Second, are there any service records? Even service by the dealer here in Dubai is fraught with risk as they have a reputation for terrible work and ridiculous price gauging; many owners just didn't service them, or used local, untrained mechanics to do the work at cheapest cost. Check for crash damage, and underside damage (speed bumps are legion here). When the car was brought in, did they replace every single rubber part, fuel line, etc? The climate here is terrible for such things. Also note that in the 80s there was no real 'Gulf spec' Ferrari, they were typically just Euro-spec cars which were imported to the Gulf.

I have a 91 Swiss-spec TR I bought in Dubai and have spent over a decade slowly addressing all the accrued damage and deferred maintenance incurred by previous owners. I was ok with that because the car was really, really cheap (I bought it in 2009 at the peak of the GFC from a guy who literally had to catch a flight), I enjoy projects and have understood from the start that even if I were to make the car perfect (a money losing proposition compared to buying a perfect car) the market would always discount my car significantly due to its time spent in the Gulf. In other words, if it is not stolen and the VIN has not been tampered (i.e. to clone a car which has not been stolen) and it is seriously discounted compared to decent EU/ US cars, it could become, at best, a good driver. In your market, I would just look for a no-stories car; the difference in price would almost certainly be worth it when you sell, especially if you have to fix it.

 

why not?
if you can do all the work by yourself and the price would be ok to buy then all is ok

 

After spending years in saudi, i saw many high dollar cars totally thrashed and then discarded like you or i would toss off a thread bare sock.

Then, some expat buys it for next to nothing and sends it back home. Once realizing the true restoration cost, the car gets flipped.... if it is lucky, it’ll get some lipstick.

 

Plenty of nice US cars available.