Hello Everyone, I am looking at a 2001 360 spider that has just about everything I am looking for with a couple of compromising points. The question is did you keep waiting til you found the perfect match, or was there something worth the trade off instead of waiting longer? First let's start with my wish list in a 360, and then the one I have found now Perfect fit --2002-2004 360 Spider Rosso Corsa, F1 Tan interior Daytona seats with black inserts Factory Shields Challenge grills Starfish wheels And now the one I am looking at: What is worth the trade off? 2001 360 Spider Rosso Corsa, F1 ++Challenge Exhaust -No challenge grills -Stick on Shields - not factory +Daytona seats . No black inserts +-Good history, but started out of state been in CA for a couple of years. Any input hear would be great. This process is agonizing, but anything worth it usually is.
I recently purchased a '05 360 Spider, red/tan. It has almost everything I wanted except for a few items. After we negotiated the deal (because of low maintenance records) I found that there were a few things that I regret accepting. I love the car. It runs great. It looks great. But I'm driving myself and my wife nuts because of the damn stickies and bad speakers!
I'm definitely in the same boat....what have owners accepted vs hindsight wishing they waited for? What do you mean about the "stickies and speakers?" Stick on shields? Factory speakers?
I feel your pain. Bought mine back in May and I haven't turned the radio on once... As for the stickies, I have those too. But this will help: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430/403753-fixed-stickies-weekend-reordered-switches.html
BMW. One speaker is cracked and the stickies that bother me are the vents up close to the windshield. I have factory shields which I'm glad about.
Chad, My strategy was to wait it out until I found one which was perfect. I had items which were non-negotiable, and my list was very similar to yours. I had to have F1, rosso/tan, power Daytonas, OEM shields, known history/records, and all the rest was up to God. I watched and waited for a year. I ended up finding one in Ohio which was very nearly perfect for me (finding one in my home state was rare). I ended up buying one without the challenge grille (rear was the one I wanted - I don't care as much about the fronts). I fitted my own rear challenge grille and have been very happy. In your case, it seems that the only thing missing is the factory shields. It's up to you to determine if that's a MUST HAVE or a true "optional/wish list" item. Good luck! It's an epic car!
This is the right answer. From your list the one that you can't easily change is the shields. Changing seats is even pretty easy by comparison. If you want shields, wait. If it is an optional item get the car. Seriously? These are maintenance items not a compromise on the purchase. If they aren't sticky before the purchase they will eventually get that way (unless they have been redone by Stick No More). All of these cars get them and they are easily fixed. Get them fixed or don't but there is no reason to drive anyone nuts over them.
for most people here that seem to only keep a car for a year or 2 I don't understand "the list" that everyone seems to make, it seems to overcomplicate the purchase to the point where its no fun anymore. My list was 2 items long. 1. 360 2. NOT Red Optional list 1. Would be nice to be a 3 pedal but didn't really care. It took me almost a week to find the right car. And I fully intend to keep my car a very long time. For the OP, Challenge Grill is cheap (compared to other things on the car) and easy to install. Shields are a personal thing, I see nothing wrong with a good quality stick-on. Seats I can't answer I sit on them and can't see them once sitting on them so I just dont want any rips in them. Radio, well I have a Ferrari V8 a foot from my ears, no need for a radio. As far as the interior stickies, those are a pain, I live with mine because I can't afford to send them out to stickynomore.
+1. My list was equally simple. 1) 360 2) 3-Pedal 3) Drives down the road. 4) Silver and Black colors The 4th was waaaay off with my red car, but now I can't imagine any other color. The shields on mine are stick-on Yoshi like shields, I don't even notice over time. You can change things to meet your taste, I.e. recover the seats with the inserts. As for all this other detailed wishlist, I get that it means you want your perfect car and you want that "experience" to be perfect. What I realized was that I could spend eternity waiting for the perfect car, or I could be driving my car. I chose the latter. With a small production car, I contend that being really selective may not be viable. The 3 cars that were imported in exactly what you want may not be for sale in the near future. Price the challenge grill into your offer and install it once you get it. Dye or find a leathersmith who can do the inserts. Side shields... well that's your call. For those who tell you there are a million out there, keep shopping.. etc. etc. There are ten (10) rosso corsa spiders on ebay. Not all have the options that you're looking for. It's knida realtive isn't it.. whether you're used to 512bb numbers or a 335i what constitutes "a ton".
Seriously? These are maintenance items not a compromise on the purchase. If they aren't sticky before the purchase they will eventually get that way (unless they have been redone by Stick No More). All of these cars get them and they are easily fixed. Get them fixed or don't but there is no reason to drive anyone nuts over them.[/QUOTE] I know exactly what you're saying. When I was looking at the car I never turned on the radio. When I drive the car I never turn on the radio - until my wifes with me. I wanted the modular wheels and I got them. I want the rear challenge grill and that will be coming. I guess my problem is that I always 2nd guess myself whenever I purchase something big. That's why I told the OP to stick to his guns unless you're the type of person that doesn't look back.
My list was short too. 1. Not Red 2. Gated Manual 3. Pristine Condition Coupe The car offers so much in any form. I doubt you would loose sleep over the cosmetics once you get it home but that's just me.
Good point. But like most of us who didn't buy new, you got the important parts and fixed the rest to your liking. I bet you are glad to be driving your car and not reading yet another pricing thread or for sale add. Like Curt so eloquently pointed out, I find a lot of people on here who spend YEARS "looking" for the "right" car. They are also the ones saying that there is a HUGE supply and the buiyer commands the market. Yet somehow they never find a car. Anything strike you as odd about that? Truth be told, they are not buyers regardless of what they say. I wanted a red/tan car, shields, and red calipers. Optional was challenge grill, decent exhaust, Daytona seats, and a nice clear bra. I would take either transmission. I got lucky right off and got most of what I wanted (no Daytona seats). BUT many would have passed on my car because it was a euro, hadn't had the variator changed, had a few rock chips, and had a little rash in front of the front wheel where it had bumped a curb. Overall my car has been flawless. Got some stickies and them fixed, doing it a piece at a time as they become a problem. Changed the variators at the last belt change. Some touchup on the rash spots, will fix perfectly when the nose is ready for a respray (OH NO, paint work). Soon after I got the car I realized I was glad to have manual seats, they weigh a LOT less. If I change I will go to some sport seats of some kind. Funny how what we think we want changes over time. Changed the wheels, will probably change them again one of these days but not urgent. Find a car, get it, and drive it. Have fun.
I would have preferred manual seats myself. I bump the controls when i am keeping it clean or doing something to the interior and then I have to find the correct position again when I go for a drive. Actually I am still looking for the most comfortable position 1200 miles later!
Good decision. Once I determined that I could afford a Ferrari I compared how much I had to spend against the going prices. After researching the models in my price range, the 360 turned out to be the best choice, all things considered. My shopping list was: Red preferred, but black and yellow OK; nothing blue. Manual only. Appropriate price considering age, mileage, condition, and history with a preference for a reasonably nice car as opposed to an expensive perfect car or a cheap car needing a lot of work. That's it. I bought the first one I examined which met my wish list. I have no regrets especially since my wife often says, "Buying that Ferrari is one of the best decisions you've ever made".
My list : Blue or black 3 pedal spider the rest was gravy on mine.....still want nicer floor mats, hats, sweaters, coats, wallets, etc...they will come when I find the one's I want...take your time and look at all the cars you can...in real estate sales, we would never let a buyer drive by or just see a pic of the house....it would never sell or be bought until somebody came and looked, touched, and experienced....do the same with a car and you will buy one.....
I HATE stick on shields. I would never accept a car with them as "having shields". With that said, does anyone know how much OEM fenders and OEM shields cost parts wise?for a 70-90K car... would 3 grand in parts and paint labor really be a deal breaker to get your OEM shields? I imagine parts at about 2 grand and paint and labor another grand?
Try a search for this topic (if you haven't already). FWIW, I agree with your position on stick-on shields, though "hate" is maybe too strong of a word for me. I seem to recall most people thought it was not worth the trouble (cost prohibitive), especially when you can probably wait a little while and end up with a car that has shields from the factory, if you really really really want that feature. Remember, unless you're buying the car as your casket, going through the whole cosmetic process of adding fenders and shields after-market might turn some people off to your car - they may consider it to be body work. Plus, a quick call to a Ferrari dealer with the VIN will usually allow them to pull up the build sheet, which would clearly indicate whether or not your car was produced originally with the shields. As far as features go, factory shields were a big deal for me. Factory power Daytona's were a big deal to me. Rosso/Tan F1 were big deals to me. Everything else was negotiable - so I held out and searched and searched until I found an example within my set budget. I bought it within 1 week of it being posted for sale because I had enough knowledge to understand it was the right car at the right time. Haven't looked back.
I hear you Tim, I would like to know what the cost would be for your OEM shield scenario. I didn't really think about swapping out the fenders....Might be a good idea! But I see IDRIVEM5 makes a good point to: Remember, unless you're buying the car as your casket, going through the whole cosmetic process of adding fenders and shields after-market might turn some people off to your car - they may consider it to be body work. Plus, a quick call to a Ferrari dealer with the VIN will usually allow them to pull up the build sheet, which would clearly indicate whether or not your car was produced originally with the shields. I do like the fact that this car already has the Challenge Exhaust. This process is a crazy one ....but fun!
If nobody has explained it yet, you'll want to know that cars equipped with shields from the factory used different fenders than those without the option. The Scuderia Shields are installed in an "indented" area of the fender, which matches the shape of the shield. It's an easy way to tell with the naked eye in person if the car has this option or not. Obviously, if the car didn't have those from the factory, then the shields would be installed on a regular fender, sans indent. If you already knew that, accept my apologies... Hang in there, the search is part of the fun - that's what people told me. It went from being fun to frustrating and everything in between. I bought in April '13, and I see that some of the cars I considered are still listed on Autotrader. Whatever that means! Miss Right will find her way to you if you're patient. That's my story.
I don't know why or how long cars that sold on Autotrader are still listed. I bought in July and it's still listed there. I wonder how many more are listed and I would like to know how close to the asking price they went for.
there was a shop that would "indent" your fenders and put in factory shields in Los Angeles and I am sure elsewhere. $2.5 to $3k was the number usually thrown around for the job. Although I read here on F-Chat where someone had it done for $1,500 I think that did not include the cost of the shields, search around here and you will find the threads. I am thrilled and super happy with my Yoshi shields that were on the car when I bought it.
