Seller Integrity and PPI

Peter has a good reputation. Let me know when you can make it to Huntsville one weekend and I'll show you what it takes to sort one out.

 

I should have the 308 back together from the 30k service by the end of the month. The Mondial is sorted. Spend some time with both before you go formally on the hunt.

We can also take the 365 out, but that is like going straight to heroin from beer...

 

What does this mean--your "trowl" reference?

I've always thought the more explanation the better when asking someone from another state to pay $30K for something they've never seen. I've sold 6-9 cars online and I always write everything I can possibly think of about the history, services, condition, etc. for the entire car. I try to include as many photos as I possibly can as well. I can't imagine someone reading it from across the country and just wishing I'd put a crappy picture and no description instead.

 

I believe that you could buy a 3x8 car without a PPI if the place selling the car has a good reputation. Sometimes the history of the dealer is as important than the history of the car.

Jim

 

Shoot me a PM late in the month, we'll schedule something when I get back from safari in South Africa.

 

I bought my 308 from Forza in December '07. Allround, the experience was really good and I'm very happy with the car. Peter Sweeney is a straightforward, patient, and honest guy, more than willing to assist a purchaser down to the smallest details. I'll definitely check in with him if/when I start to look for Ferrari #3.

Advice: Never buy a used Ferrari from anyone without getting a PPI done first, but be advised that even the best shops can and will miss problems. I've been through the looking/PPI/purchase process twice now, and both times issues, fortunately minor, that the PPI should have caught cropped up after I'd purchased the car.

 

I have done business with Peter also, purchasing a 328 last March, and found him to be both professional and honest. His attention to detail and follow up was exceptional. However, I still had a PPI conducted by Bill Pollard at Sport Auto, who is located in close proximity to Peter’s facility, just for a level of comfort for a first time purchase. Both individuals are well respected. I would recommend having the PPI done for ease of mind. Best of luck with your purchase.

 

I purchased my 328 from a reputable dealer without a PPI because I knew if the car wasn't as presented I could call them out on a message board. It's not a slam dunk solution but the bottom line is good dealers have a reputation to keep.

Another bottom line, don't believe everything a dealer says. There is pretty much no such thing as a perfect Ferrari, every one has something that needs, or will need attention.

Buy a car with a good history of service records and you should be OK. The higher the mileage, the bigger the stack of service records.

Lastly, don't be a afraid of buying outside of your region. Heck, there may be a 308 for sale by a FerrariChat member which could be a good way to go IMO. I don't know your price range but there is a nice 308 QV for sale by a FChat member that would be worth a look.

Here it is:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=7124

-F

 

Bill Pollard of Sport Auto is right by Forza Motorsports and he is one of the best Fcar mechanics in the business so you may as well spend the extra bit of $$ for a p.p.i. Peter Sweeney has a great reputation and I'm sure he wouldn't purposely try to screw anyone but no one is perfect and it doesn't hurt to due the extra diligence.

 

Bill did the PPI on the 308 that I bought from Forza in December '07.

In October of the same year, when I was serious about a 330 2+2 that Peter had, Bill did a PPI and advised me not to buy it.

Peter and Bill aren't a car sales team. If Bill finds a red flag with one of Peter's cars, he'll let you know.

 

To PPI or Not that is the question!

Having bought my first car with out one... I can recommend to have a PPI consisting of:

Compression test, & leakdown.
check of hoses and fuel tanks
check cooling - bring up to temp and look for overheating signs.
maybe check fuses & fuel pump fuse make sure its been fixed / not melting.
Check clutch life
brake fluid is clean etc...

Now All that being said, you are GOING to find issues... even though these cars are cheaper to buy, they are not cheap to run... they are now 25 + year old cars so stuff will wear out.

Your going to need at some point:

belt change
bakes flush & fill
cv boots
A/C repair
windows slow repair
door alignment
Radiator recore & water pump ... flush, fill & air bled from system
replace hoses
new sparkplug wires & coil wires
and a general walk around to tighten things up.

If its a Classiche car, chances are that it's ok, but you still want to know what has been done / needs doing.

All that =$$$ question is if that is all you need you'll be doing good. when you have to replace bent valves, or 2nd gear or worn syncros etc.... that becomes big $$$$$$

So to me, would want to know the main items at the very top. all the other stuff you can expect to have at some point if you keep the car long enough.

Compression test - all with in 10+12% is good. otherwise all the rest is false security. first its an older car, 2nd its a Ferrari...

 

+1. Always get a second opinion and a Bill Pollard PPI would be the right move in this instance.

 

Seller:Integrity

Kind of an Oxymoron, no?

 

Having purchased a 328 from him almost two yrs ago, I can say that Peter is a great guy to deal with. He has a small outfit with about 6-8 cars at any one point. He also list cars that are stored elsewhere. Having looked at his listings for a while now, I can say that his prices are fair, but sometimes arbitrary. I not sure if you can trust any dealer to know the entire ins and outs on a car that he only had for a few months. So I would recommend a PPI on his cars as well.

Ace

 

I met Peter Sweeney many years ago at Forza is really very friendly, honest, and easy to work with. Most of the cars that he sells are in need of a little something, but overall, they are very solid cars. Bill Pollard's shop, Sport Auto is quite literally 1/8 of a mile from Forza. I'm also aware that Sweeney has his cars maintained/serviced by another local Ferrari shop, partially because it keeps Sport Auto very independent in the process.

I had been shopping for a few years before I bought my 308... Which I just had delivered last week. I had a PPI done at a Ferrari dealer, and they still missed a few things. In my mind, that is the cost of doing business... I'm in the process of rejetting my carbs today. Then I'll need to tackle the fuel hoses, possibly replace a clutch, and figure out what is leaking. Aside from that, it's a spectacular car.

Oh, and I'm local to Forza, Sport Auto, and Auto Tourismo Sport in western Connecticut. I'd be willing to check on a car for you if you'd like.

-Toby