My 1st Ferrari! I am still in shock........but this will be my journey :)

Been waiting for this moment for 17 years...and I finally did it. I keep thinking to myself, did I really do it?

Walking down memory lane...

I just graduated high school - early - in 2005. That summer I was so proud that I got into every college that I applied for. Not only that, the scholarships I received were more than enough to pay for any of them after spending my last 2 summers doing countless community services and applying for scholarships. I knew my parents couldn't afford to put me through college. They worked hard but as immigrants, life was tough. The goal was to go to college for as little to no debt as possible and I accomplished that and felt unstoppable thus I did what any college-bound kid would do...DREAM on...

I looked up what my degree would pay and with that salary, can I buy the best car out there that is both sporty AND luxurious? Obviously, my search narrowed down to a Ferrari. The best and newest back then that caught my eye instantly was the F430. I immediately found the best photo of it and printed it in my room. I even changed out the cartridge to make sure the picture would come out perfectly.

Once the picture dried up I put it in the clear sleeve of the folder that ended up being the folder I used for college for the next 4 years. This was supposed to motivate me but boy was I wrong...

College is the 2nd biggest reality check in life. My major was not nearly what I expected it to be so as time had gone by, my dream started to fade. By the time I finished college my "Ferrari" folder was tucked away in my room as if it would be embarrassing to even look.

About 5 years passed by since college graduation, and with so many changes I was able to rebound from the first big reality check I once again pursued my dream of owning a Ferrari. With a new startup, the first couple of years were rather slow and rough but I knew it would work. Through perseverance, I turned it around rather quickly, and then the biggest reality check came around, in order to own one I need to own a home in a nice and safe neighborhood so there goes the major seed money for anything BEYOND my initial dream car.

Sometimes I felt it was meant to be because a 488 Spider would be amazing to have for my first F car but it isn't true to the car that I fell in love with when I first discovered "Ferrari". That is when I switched gears looking at F430s. As much as I wanted to wait for a perfect 2005 year - the year I first discovered it - it is safe to say that the 2005 model year wouldn't be a "perfect" one due to its many issues and mileage by this time. And I didn't want to get myself into my first F-car with any issues as it would be a major deterrent for future purchases.

My search ended up between 2008 & 2009, and it had to be a Spider and an all tan interior. About 6 months passed by I finally found her

View attachment 3458816

View attachment 3458817

 

Thanks everyone.

The color is Rosso Monza. Can't believe it is a $26,000 color option from the factory.

Once the BBS wheels are installed, the next step is to find a great body/paint shop for some paint correction and major detail to look like THIS one when it was brand new.

Image Unavailable, Please Login
(Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59051853@N08/25350307375)

The cool thing about Rosso Monza is it is a darker shade of the Rosso Fuoco but still has the gold dust mix in the red. Under the strong sun you can see the hidden sparkles.

I come to love and appreciate the color the more I look at it

 

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support of my choice. Really warms up my heart knowing my color combo is on the right path.

Curious to know what I REALLY fell in love with while searching? I knew I could wait around for 10 years and something like this wouldn't come around or it could probably cost as much as 488 Spider. It would be totally worth it in my opinion though...take a look

Image Unavailable, Please Login

Image Unavailable, Please Login

Image Unavailable, Please Login

Image Unavailable, Please Login

Back to reality again: At first, when I saw the $26K color option I was so mind blown by how that could be and immediately researched. I saw some other specialty Rosso colors for as much as $35K if I remembered correctly. That is literally someone's car right there just for the paint

That actually got me really nervous because I would imagine my paint repair/correction work would be more costly than most but I guess I would have to just experience it to know. Fingers crossed

As for the aluminum parts, I don't really mind it that much since - similar to the white F430 above - it looks more relaxed and well-balanced with the rest of the interior.

I only want parts that are standard plastic or black to be ungraded to Carbon Fiber and not have everything in CF so each section has its own character.