Prospective Buyer, a few questions

Hi and welcome!

My 2 cents:

I wouldn't put too much value on having the window sticker. Surely, its nice to have, but that is it. As to the list of options you can ask a local dealer if they can run the VIN or even call FNA and see if they can give you the info.

I think you should have the car looked at by a dealer or specialist who can advise you. You can ask them to perform a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) You should check Carfax, but it is not the last word.

You are correct- these cars are mileage sensitive. Its how to say how much value to place on lower miles, part of this will come down to your use. Will you put a few or many miles on the car. Supposing you will only put 500 miles a year on a car, then it makes sense to get a lower mileage example. But, if you are going to put 8,000+ miles a year, then it might make more sense to look for cars with some mileage already.

 

TLDR; Unless you are on a budget, I wouldn't worry about miles, can be far harder to find a car with the spec you want. I'd buy the spec, not the miles.

On the mileage part, I'd ignore it unless your budget is tight. I thought I wanted a higher mileage (10k+) car, but the reality is, these are custom ordered cars. I wanted a specific color with a specific interior and specific options. I browsed listings every single day for two months before one with 95% of what I wanted came up. The problem was this was a 1,700 mile car, with a bit of a premium on those miles. In the end, I paid the premium, perhaps jumping the gun. However, it has been another four months and absolutely no cars anywhere near my spec have come up for sale. As a result, I'm happy with my decision, even if I paid a premium for low miles. (I doubled the number of miles put on the car in its first five years in under three months).

 

Get the best you can afford and the one you fall in love with !

Best is later year, and not too many miles (under 15 or 20K), ask for one year free guarantee on all things and do have a PPI before you sign.

Bring someone with you who has owned a similar Ferrari … just to be impartial … ask your partner for advise (f.i. on colours etc) …

Let us know, good hunting William !

 

I believe the 458 is a very well built car the transmission and brakes are made to last the lifetime of the car (assuming no heavy track usage). I wouldn't be afraid of one with high miles if its the options you want. Make sure the person doing the PPI goes over it with a paint meter.

 

FFan5 hit the nail on the head. When looking for a car, find the one with the options you want. When I bought my 430, I found a car that had everything I wanted and lower miles. Paid a little more but got what I wanted. When I bought my 458, I did the same. Found the car I wanted (which also had lower miles) and paid a little more for it but it was well worth it. As others have said, get a good PPI. Most of all, be patient. The car you want will show up, but when it does, be ready to move on it (provided it checks out). Good luck.

 

The dealer should look into the MODIS system (At the factory, via Internet) and tell you exact date of build.