Question about selling an F355

I've decided that I need to sell my '95 F355 spider, and I'm a bit curious about how some of you guys have gone about selling a car like this (and I'm not talking about the feeling that I will eventually regret selling this car... that's another conversation). I'm primarily concerned with how to deal with people who want to "test drive" the car. I want people to feel confident that this car is in good condition, but I'm also worried about running into the inevitable guy who just wants to drive a Ferrari for free, potentially damaging the car, or even worse, injuring me when they wreck. I'm additionally concerned since this car has a manual transmission, which increases the chances of me putting the keys in the hands of someone who doesn't really know how to drive the car properly. So... what's the protocol here?

 

You should be able to vet the tire kickers vs interested people while in discussing. Serious buyers will ask lots of questions...

You can certain ask "Do you know how to drive a manual?" but be prepared to allow folks to drive the car - make sure your insurance levels are proper.

I would never buy a car if the seller did not allow me to test drive it...

 

If a buyer is flying out to see the car, they're probably pretty serious. If a local prospect, you can try to do what my local Ferrari dealership used to do back in the '90s... tell them that you're only letting people test drive after an offer and/or deposit has been made.

 

Tell them you will take them for a ride in it

 

Yes I have no problem with that, but if I were the buyer I would probably want to drive it before making the purchase. And while I'm concerned about someone damaging the car by crashing it, improperly shifting it, etc., my biggest concern is having some guy wreck it hard with me in the passenger seat. This is why I stopped doing instruction in my track driving days, I've seen what can happen in a worst case scenario...

 

Tirekickers post on line: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/348-355-sponsored-bradan/519610-insanely-cheap-355-spider.html

Serious buyers show up, drive, inspect, and buy.

 

I never test drove any of my cars i bought, and my Ferraris I sold over the past years have never been test driven by the buyers.
My F355 I sold within a day for the right price was just looked at from the outside and I didn't even start the engine.

 

No PPI no Test Drive, seriously if someone is interested they are going to through a PPI. Once that is done, I would have no problem let someone drive my car but cautiously.

 

Sell it back to the previous owner for a bit less than you paid. If I remember correctly its gonna be needing a major real soon based on years. I know he's been looking for a replacement. That'd be an easy deal and you wouldn't have to deal with a bunch of tire kickers and fantasy drivers.
Winner, winner chicken dinner!

 

Haha yes, that's probably what I should have done, but I just completed the full major a few months ago. BTW I just heard from the original owner, so I'm of course I would be willing to sell it back to him... and you're right that he would be one of the only guys I know who I could trust to test drive the car!

 

+1...serious buyers will ask many questions. They will also ask model specific questions on the phone or in person. If the guy just comes and wants to drive it, ask for a deposit.

It will be easier to distinguish than you think.

 

Very cool!

This thread comes to mind every time I sell a car. Its a scary world out there.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/hawaii/504404-guy-wrecked-my-vette-test-drive.html#post144296777

 

So at this point after reading all of the thread I would probably say.......
I will take you for a drive for free, if you want to drive it with me in it I will need a $10,000
Cash deposit in my hand before you even get behind the driver's seat.

 

That seems fair.

 

Great way NOT to sell a car......

If a prospective buyer asks intelligent questions and puts money into this (PPI or plane ride), he deserves the opportunity to drive the car.....you're not talking about an F40 here.

If you're not willing to do that, do yourself a favor and consign it with someone. Some guys are just not mentally ready to sell their own car.

 

I don't plan on EVER selling mine, I sold my first one and had 13 years of sellers remorse
Also the prior owner has first dibs if I ever do, he already drove it.
Agree if they go so far as to fly out and/or arrange a PPI, you know they are like us......very serious about buying and not tire kicking.
But I will remember what you did
Good way NOT to sell a car.

Side note OP said the guy had combat boots on ?
I would also check the guys shoes before I let him get behind the wheel, I don't have a lot of pedal room so small narrow shoes work better than boots.

 

It's pretty easy to vet a prospect. If they're wearing inappropriate shoes, don't give them the keys. If you smell alcohol, don't give them the keys. If they look like they are salivating at the possibility of driving a Ferrari, don't give up the keys. Take the guy for a ride then hand them the keys when you have talked them through how to drive a Ferrari, even if they profess knowledge. They don't know your car.

If they power shift it, turn the car off from the passenger's seat and tell them they are done. If they grind a shift, tell them to pull over and you drive home. Make sure they get out of the car first, unless you have the keys.

 

Try that in a RHD car and you stand a good chance of being arrested for sexual assault!

 

...if you have some people skills.

I always ask for a driver's license and proof of insurance and take a picture or Xerox it. Tire kickers don't want to give up personal information. At the end of the day you have to have some skills to read people and assess your risk appropriately. If you don't have these skills you are better off delegating the job to someone else who does. Every deal is unique. One of my favorite car sales was with one of my Maranellos. The new owner and I had many conversations about it and cars in general and he shipped me out some special wheels wanted on the car. By the time he came from Canada to pick up the car we were like friends. It was good for him too. I worked hard to adequately represent the car and get him to understand what he was getting into and make sure it was mechanically perfect. He drove the Maranello cross country into Canada in the snow! I have never driven LA to San Fran in a Ferrari let alone cross country but the Maranello made it without a hitch. We are friends now and expect a phone call from each other if either is in the neighborhood.

And it is great to be part of the local Ferrari community. Vvassallo called me as my ex-Maranello was driving towards the freeway without me in it to make sure my car wasn't stolen. Hercules...sorry to hear you leave the Ferrari community. We all look out for each other and that alone is worth keeping the car. If that community is not enough to give you pause and rethink your sale know that 355's are on the rise price wise. While there are many of them around right now there are crashes and fires that take them out of circulation. At one time the VW bug was the most popular car on the road. Some were just given away. Now you can't get a decent one of those for under 10K and hot microbus will set you back over 50K. There is nowhere for 355's to go but up.

 

I agree with fbb and Vince. Get their personal info and you drive first, after all it needs to warm up anyway

And as fbb said, look to sell it to someone you have created a relationship with beforehand. if you miss out on a buyer, that's ok because knowing them will benefit you later when you want to buy it back

Of course if they just show up with cash, so be it. But no relationship at all and no cash means no free test drive.

 

I would not allow anyone to test drive any Ferrari I have for sale.

Sorry, but these cars cost a lot of money to repair. If they're serious, they will pay for a ppi and they will buy it if they want it.

 

As a potential buyer, I would never buy a car without driving it first. But I know what I'm talking about and would line up a PPI as soon as I became serious about the car.

I've been shopping F355s for nine years and drove one for the first time this month. That's the first time I have been really serious about one. If you never let someone drive it, they won't know how truly special it is. My Porsche felt like a Lexus after driving the F355. If someone had made me put a deposit down or refused a test drive, I'd have walked away and moved on.

Sellers who refuse to let a serious potential buyer drive their car are going to find themselves stuck with a car they want gone.

 

FWIW, the seller of my car would not allow me to drive it, but he did arrange for the shop owner who did my PPI to take me for a drive. I got a much more "enthusiastic" drive than I would ever consider giving the car. I felt completely, (almost) comfortable driving the car from LA to SF.

 

I would never expect to drive a test drive a Ferrari prior to purchasing it.

 

Nor should anyone else.