Proper care routine for a Ferrari

Congrats on the new ride.

Go to zainostore.com, there you will find how to properly wash, polish and care for your paint finish. Their leather conditioner is among the best as well.

 

And don't forget the most important part: drive it hard, and often.

 

There's much advice in the detailing section here plus in the 360/430 area - if you wash it use the 2 or 3 bucket method - an expensive detail to start (eg Sportscarprotection in UK) will set your car up for a couple of years less than perfect attention

Where in the UK are you ?

 

Nice to hear that you care. Many don't. If it is treated like any other car it just becomes any other car. I personally don't drive mine in the rain as your paint will never look that great if you do.

 

Drive it, and then wash it. I don't use soap, just regular water, and dry it off after each wash. I had it detailed, and it's stayed looking great since then. I also cover it while in the garage with the indoor cover, keeps the dust off.

Art

 

Congrats on your first F-car and welcome to the forum.

Do you have any pics to share?

Keep her clean and serviced and you will be fine.

 

Best advise is to drive it.....alot! Don't make it a garage queen. These things were meant to roll....
Congrats on the new car!

 

Shortly after I got mine last year, I had a color correction done with a sealant coat. I hate swirls and holograms in the finish, and the result has been fantastic. It should last 2 years or so, and then I may get it done again.

For DIY & insight about care and maintenance, I scan the autogeek.net forum. Their site for detailers is pretty comprehensive (of course, they sell products, also), and they have tutorials & pretty healthy discussions about almost anything you can consider.

I wash the car at least once monthly & use primarily Meguiar's products. I rinse, use a light shampoo, spray rinse, and then I use a Master Blaster 4hp air blower to dry the car. Afterwards, I touch up any small waterspot areas with a spray detailer and microfiber cloth. For the inside, I use a Meguiar's spray leather product (spray it onto an applicator and use that) to keep the interior fresh. I use a top end tire dressing & I'm ready to go.

I'm looking into some of the more specialized detail products, but am pretty happy with the way it looks. I live in a warm climate; if I lived in the cold or inclement areas of the world, I'm sure I'd wash it more often. I use the car for weekends, and will put about 4,000 miles a year on it.

The best purchase was the air blower (some guys use leaf blowers or similar- this thing could blow out all dirt in my garage in about 10 seconds, and gets the car dry as quickly as I can walk around the car without touching it). Autogeek also has numerous product reviews and options to consider for any phase of the cleaning and detail process.

Doing my own cars is new for me after years of having a car wash do the work, but I'm actually enjoying the experience again. As you can see on the detail boards, everyone's got an opinion, and others may have ways they maintain their cars that differ from mine. Experiment a little, listen to a number of opinions, and choose the level of care, the time you want to take, and how much you want to spend from there.

Bob H

 

Sorry, one last thing. I use Swiffer wipes for the dash and instrument panel areas to remove dust. The cloth won't scratch any surfaces, and it gets all the dust up pretty quickly (it actually removes the dust instead of shuffling it around). I then follow that with the leather conditioner 2x yearly to keep up the appearance.

Bob H

 

Suit yourself on having your car detailed and how often. But you should at least clean your car thoroughly once in a while. It's a good chance to "bond" with your Ferrari and discover potential problems even if you don't intend to ever do any repair work yourself.

Maintaining the service schedule is a good idea, but what's equally important is to "be in touch" with your car. For example, if it starts making a funny noise or acting weird in some way, find out why and do it sooner rather than later. Catching a problem immediately can prevent really expensive damage later. You can trouble shoot and fix the problem or take it to your dealer; but in any case be sure not to let a little problem become a big (expensive) one.

Learn how to maintain the fluids and be sure to use the right ones.

I personally don't mind driving in the rain. It's not going to hurt your paint if you remove the accumulated road dirt properly. Using a cover improperly is one sure way to wreck your paint. Most dirt, no matter if your driving in the rain or sunshine, collects on the lower 25% of the bodywork. So, if you later fit your nice Ferrari factory cover, you're abusing your paint, at least on the lower parts of the car, and contaminating your cover at the same time.

My solution is to use a full cover only when the car is dry and perfectly clean. Otherwise, I lightly dust the upper surfaces with one of those fuzzy static wands and protect it with a partial cover made from an old bed sheet cut and sewn back together so that it's as long as the car and hangs down just over the mirrors on the sides. It protects the relatively clean upper parts without touching any of the dirt on the lower parts which inevitably accumulates between washings.

And don't drive it like you stole it, in spite of the advice given on this web site and others. That's just childish. Use the performance potential of your wonderful car when it's safe, even if it's not strictly within the law, but be respectful of your fellow citizens and it doesn't hurt to have a little respect for your car either. For example, when you're out for a spirited drive, ease off a little bit when you get close to home. That will not only give your engine and brakes time to cool down a bit but it will also keep your neighbors happy. Have fun; after all that's what owning a Ferrari is all about. But save the 10/10's driving for track days. It's hard to call your car "pristine" after it's been wrapped around a telephone pole.

 

Why do some people cover their car when in the garage? I dont get this at all. Its rather like having a beautiful wife and getting her to wear a burkha when in the house.

 

I wouldn't go that far!
The car cover in the garage seriously cuts down on the amount of times you have to wash the car.
And sometimes the fun part is in the unwrapping... like when your lady wears an evening dress and lingerie!
It's a special unveiling for a special occasion - going for a ride

 

+1
Wash
Keep up service.

That's all

 

Drive at least once a week. Go easy until the oil is up to operating temperature (this can take a while as it is a dry sump).

Wash it often using the two bucket method, but never wash when you would rather be driving!

Enjoy

 

Every morning one must face toward Marenello, get down on both knees and pray to the great god Enzo Ferrari. After a few moments of silent prayer, carefully place yourself into said Ferrari and proceed with your day thanking the people who make this wonderful cars.

Congrats on your new car!

 

For me it means not having to dust the black car every drive.