Shockingly unknowledgeable guy buys F-car

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On this I was on the best side of the fence. I am not rich, it took me a while to save enough for buying my 328.
After one year of researches I finally found what is now my joy and pride. The then owner agreed to accept a reduction in price and we had a deal. The day I went to pick up the car, after having completed all practices (sorry for my english...) he told me that he had refused to sell the car for more money to people who were simply "not right" for the car.
I was very glad for that, and now I try to live up to the previous owner's expectations.
I do not envy someone who can enter a dealership and buy a car like a 355 without being really in love with it, I am not hungry. Just sad. Because he will never be able to experience the true joy the car can give him.

Ciao

Eugenio

 

Yes, but he may get this "true joy" from a beautiful woman, yacht, music etc.
Congrats on you car, but I don't love any of mine. I indulge in what I term practical performance.
Sorry for the sacrilege. I buy cars because I like them, not because of their history or perceived value.
For example, I don't like the 360 or the 575. In black with factory 19's the 575 looks beautiful, better than the 550, but I don't like the paddle shift and it doesn't handle as well as the 550, to my mind.
I love the look of the 355, but the car just feels, too, well, fragile. It doesn't feel like something I could reliably use as a daily driver and it isn't that quick. I would never buy a 308/328.
Before the flames start, let me be clear that I am not passing judgement on these cars, just posting my personal opinion.

You guys from the US should be thankful of the economic climate you live in and the access it gives you to performance cars.
I know us Aussies aren't the worst off, but for the cost of my 550 here, you could buy my 550, E55 as well as a 360 and still have change for a GT3 in the US. Or another way, I could afford an Enzo and a 550 and my E55 over there and I'm the sort of guy that would be doing 10K plus miles a year in the Enzo driving it the way it was designed.
You guys want to cry about some guy being able to afford a 355 without being a true connoisseur. Sheesh.
I am a performance nut, but with a limited budget. I have a modded current model E55 a 550 Ferrari and a BMW convertible. I bought a Gallardo, but found the 550 has much better feel and practicality with equal real world performance.
Should I be shunned, because although I am passionate about cars, to me they are just toys?
I would never buy a car as an investment. If I can't use it regularly it's no use to me. However if you put a few extra zeroes in my net worth that attitude might change

I do love my Ducati though.

 

I agree with Doody and other moderates here, let's not be overly religious. These are cars after all, and the 355 is a pretty one at that, so is it a crime to assume that you can buy one without a pedigree of 30 years of uncompromising passion and a MS in Mechanical Engineering ?

My opinion is that our cars will be better engineered and built the day that the average Joe Blow (with the dough) can make a good purchase without being "shockingly knowledgeable" about the tricks and taps of buying a 2nd hand Ferrari.

Tolerance, guys ...

 

Wax: LOL that's brilliant man!

I think the whole thing is being overanalyzed now. Looking beyond the fact that this person was looking to buy a Ferrari, it's this guy's overall attitude in the face of a $100k (or whatever) purchase that seems kind of ridiculous. You're going to spend that much money, and your biggest concern in the stereo system? Yes, in the end it's just a posession, a 'thing', but lots of people on this board would beg to differ with that notion. I myself being one of them. When someone doesn't see the car for what it's truly worth, it's certainly not a crime, but it also feels like kind of a waste. Like another poster pointed out in another thread, it's like having a divine wife and never appreciating how special she truly is.

To most of us here, it's the equivalent of a guy looking to buy the Mona Lisa solely because the painting's 30x21 inch dimensions will fit nicely over his fireplace. Sure, in the end it is just a 'thing', but have you ever seen the Mona Lisa?

 

You're right, the matter may not be worth all these discussions, but aren't tolerance and respect important ? This guy is not a probably not a jerk, just maybe a bit candid ?
A 355 and Mona Lisa ... let's try to keep things in perspective.

I love the sound of my 355, but asking about the stereo is a very legitimate question. I love to listen to some music at times while cruising; and the OEM unit & speakers are such crap that worrying about them makes ... plenty of sense.

 

Hey, I'd take the 355 anyday!
(P.S. But I'm kind of crazy in this regard)

 

I think some of you are just being a bit too hard on the guy.

- Maybe he works too hard to spend all his time researching F car materials.
- Maybe he is too busy providing care to another family member to spend hours on F chat.
- Maybe he wants to take a trip 'cross country and thought a decent stereo would be nice. Maybe his wife/partner asked him to inquire.

Afer practicing guitar 50 hours a week for 10 years, I used to have smilar opinions about music; 'I knew what was good and what was not and that was it... listen to me now, hear me later bla bla bla.....'. To make a long story short, it doesn't matter what the hell I or anyone else thinks. IF YOU LIKE IT AND IT MAKES YOU SMILE - THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!

 

as I see it the most important difference between the body of a Testarossa or many other desirable cars & say Michelangelo's David is that many copies of the car were built & thats the Only difference bcus as an art form the body of a TR is a sublime work of art, no less meritous than David.

 

Happens all the time, especially in my part of the world. Ferrari has become a symbol like a gold Rolex, Aremani suits etc. These buyers buy Ferrari s to tell their friends and neighbours that they are rich. They know nothing about the car. Most of the time their chauffers take them to the workshop and take them home again. A Ferrari is a trophy, a success symbol.

 

why can't you buy a ferrari just because you like it? why do you have to be an 'expert' or be knowledge about the car? someone's not a poser just because he doesn't know the difference between a 348 and 355.

he will learn. that's what the ferrari experience is all about.

 

I'm just glad mustgofaster fell for the car OUTSIDE the gentlemen's club, instead of for someone INSIDE! LOL!

Whew, I can afford Fcar maintenance, but those ladies!

He made the right decision.

On the thread topic: Happens everyday! But they'll be smarter tomorrow, and even smarter next month. I'm not sure the knowledge of the marque effects your driving enjoyment at all, it just helps you keep your temper when it breaks down!!

 

In 16 years so far of having sold high end cars with 6 figure price tags, all I can say it that this guy is no different from any other consumer. I also am a consumer.

He has a reason he wants a Ferrari......and so be it......so just be glad he wants a "Ferrari"........because the next guy who is in the market for a used 6 figure priced sports car may not want a "Ferrari".......then what will you do ? Post a thread about lousy resale, dropping prices and how good Lambo's "really" are......oh wait......we already have those threads.

I suppose none of those here who denegrated this guy would have refused to sell "their" car to him if that was the case ?

His concerns were valid.......as was his desire. You should be so lucky.

As I have said to more than one person.........."it's a 20 year old, 12 cylinder, Italian car"......"but isn't it fast, beautiful, and that sound...ohhh...that sound !!"........

 

This is the best answer I ever heard and also the bloody right answer!

 

I doubt the salesman was "irratated". Here he had a customer ready to buy, with cash burning a hole in his pocket. Unlike me and my like coming by to take a look, ask questions, wonder why everything's priced high at Canadian dealerships, and then go see about buying somewhere else.

I suspect there's not that many cars moved in a month at FoO (guessing), probably made the sales guys lunch money for the week.

I'd bet a good portion of the jr. stock broker's buy their first 911/360/Lambo same way. Ferrari can't afford to just sell cars to enthusiasts only - most of us don't have enough $.

Hey CaliforniaSpyderPlease - great name, but how 'bout a profile?

 

I agree with everyone who says it's his money and he can do whatever. It's not a big deal for everyone else like it is for car guys. A sale's a sale.

 

Waht about the time when Puff Daddy said he bought a Modena just because it was the only car in the world (?) with it's engine in the back?

 

.......or Tommy Hilfiger who picked up his Enzo and he just couldn't drive it? and I remember some sassy femalish guy in this site who was gonna buy a Diablo but when he was told Diablos don't have power steering he panicked and escaped.

 

uuuuuh, harsh!!

I guess we are a minority to consider cars more than just vehicles. No problem to me. The guy can buy the 355, and if he counseled right by the guys at the dealership, he will treat it right ... nothing wrong with that.

 

to be completely honest, that guy could have been me like 3 mos before I bought my 355. And then I brought my dad to WWofCars when I was going to pick up my car after getting it serviced and he was asking the salesguy questions I would never repeat on this chat room about the 550.

 

No. it is not only a car.

And don't drive it in the rain.

 

CaliforniaSpyderplease, maybe you should have said hello to the guy. Let him know about the Ferrari community. Maybe he would be more likely to become "educated". Let him know Ferrarichat is here. Let him know the passion these cars bring out in some. The guy may just not have any idea that we are all out here. The worst that could happen is that he could be a jerk to you. Then you would know that you were right in your initial reaction.

Just my .02

 

Whata Maroon

 

A car, Any car, is a piece of equipment worth taking care of. My daily is a '98
Tracker (go ahead and laugh). I read the book, and know that little devil inside and out. I also own an '01 360. I read the book three times. I also talked to the previous owner. I also asked Algar an awful lot of questions where the book was not clear. I'm learning this car as fast and as much as I can. Spending money is ok. Throwing it away is not terribly smart. However, in the interest of tolerance, it is his money, sadly.