some 612 questions

so I have been reading up on the 612, as my interest would be for an early 612 with a stick, and I have some questions for the gurus out there:

- It looks as if 05-07 were the only years a 3 pedal manual was offered. Is demand for them especially weak, or is it just more of a niche find? I have combed the classifieds and seen only two for sale. Are they in demand or difficult to move?

- It seems as though the 612 was offered in a variety of colors vs the typical red Ferrari's. Are there color combos that have proven to sell well vs others? Are there any that seem especially hard to move? I feel like they are all unique in their own way, but if I choose to sell it in the next few years, I'd hate to have an especially tough one to sell.

- What are the major service milestones, and things to look for when buying one? Given my budget, I am likely more on the 2005 end than the 2007 end. Should one have more comfort buying from a Ferrari dealer vs a smaller boutique shop or private seller? What type of premium should one expect to pay a dealer? To that end, what does Ferrari CPO get you? I see 10 years (is that factory parts availability) and 1 year (is that maint/warranty) mentioned. What specifically is covered?

- How important is it to have full maint history, books, window sticker, etc? Do most die hard Ferrari buyers insist on them?

- I plan on driving it about ~5k miles a year. What should I budget for annual maint/upkeep?

- Any other tips / recommendations for me?

Thanks!...Eric

 

My recommendation for you is not to buy a 612. Buy a 599 instead.

 

Please ignore the above quoted advice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 612 is combines everyday practicality with the classic V12 Ferrari experience. Having the rear seats is a definate plus if you plan to share that experience with more than one person. A 612 in a darker colour such as Nero looks very sophisticated and elegant.

I would say service history is important as is a PPI and buying from a dealer may give that little bit extra assurance.

 

Eric- When the Sessanta and OTO came out in 07/08, they used the transaxle case from the 599 and also the nearly indestructible 599 twin plate clutch. Because of the very light demand for the three pedal 612s and 599s, Ferrari elected not to go to the time and expense of developing a three pedal version.

Color is really a personal choice and the 612 looks great in both light colors like white, silvers, grays, and dark colors like blue and black. Any of those colors should not be an impediment to resale.

Servicing for a 612 is about the same as for a 575M, which has the same engine and drivetrain. Annual oil and brake fluid changes plus environmental filter, biannual power steering fluid, refrigerant, and transaxle fluid, three years for aux belt changes, and five years for cambelt changes. Expect somewher between $1000 and $2000 per year, and add about $2500-3500 for the cambelt changes.

The more stuff that comes with the car, the easier it is to sell.

 

Taz - thanks, that's a great help. Anything in particular you would suggest in regards to the search? Can you speak to the question of finding manual tranny vehicles and the demand (or lack thereof) for them?

 

My recommendation for you is that you refrain from posting for a while. Not sure that what I have seen from you is adding to the community.

 

My advise is, try to enjoy the process of searching for the right car by not stressing over every possible issue of ownership. Be prepared to travel to view and inspect cars. Find a competitent shop to inspect the car. If properly inspected, I wouldn't worry about maintenance insurance. Buy the color you like assuming it passes inspection. Manual cars are rare, so anyone looking for a manual down the road will need to be flexible with color selection. 612s are durable cars, if you find one well maintained, you shouldn't have problems. Records are nice and help to make you "feel" better about the purchase, but they aren't a deal breaker if the car passes inspection. Do a search on a proper PPI. Find a good shop and be prepared to look at many cars. Post info here when you are looking at a car, people will respond.

 

Eric- I would want a 612 with the all the manuals and tools. A missing owners manual is not a big deal ($91 from Ricambi), but things like the warranty and maintenance books would be very difficult to replace. Same for the tool kit and bag with covers. If you go to ferraridatabase.com, you can download a 612 owners manual and familiarize yourself with the car. Here are the documents and tools that should come with the car.
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I just own a mondial, so I'm at the low end of the Ferrari spectrum. You clearly have an enthusiasm for the brand, but I don't think you see how your often negative posts are taken.

I will give my opinion on new cars, but I certainly won't give advice, as I do not have the expertise to do so.

We all will embrace enthusiasm of new, non-owners. But Please understand that such strong opinions from new folks (such as myself) are just annoying to the men and women actually buying the newer and very expensive cars.

Perhaps you could channel your enthusiasm in more positive posts. Non owners (and owners of very inexpensive cars like me) are welcomed with open arms if they are positive and humble versus either negative or trying to be an expert.

Cheers,
Chris

 

Was in FOW yesterday, and they just received a gorgeous '09 Bianco 612. Love it. Sometimes I'm in there, and there's nothing I like as much as my own car. But right now, gawd, They've got a 599 with all the HGTE upgrades I'd love to trade into, love this 612, gorgeous 16M sitting on the floor, a Cali I like, and then the new FF that I keep staring at trying to understand. Another revelation re that car, as big as it looks, it appears you still can't get a bag of clubs in it ??? Would love to test drive one. Anyway, good selection down there now, and I'd like one of each, please.

 

Hmmmm.... I thought at least a golf bag and clubs could fit oh well....

 

Only if one or both of the back seats can fold down leaving a hole. And as big as it looks, it ain't. The seats are still rather narrow. So a full sized cart bag probably wouldn't even fit with one seat down, not without some unwelcome rubbing and bumping. the little cargo space behind the back seats is big enough for about three grocery bags. It has less usable space than a sedan, even though it looks like a wagon. But hey, there's always the front seat. I've taken my clubs in the 430 several times. Anyway, strange as it is, knowing what it is, the FF is growing on me. Maybe when early models are five years old and I can afford one, maybe by then I'd consider choosing one for my single extra garage space.

 

I'm no guru. Taz's advice is on the mark. I had a 2005 612 and loved it. I regret selling it. Most mainstream colors look good. The one I had was Rosso Rubino. It was stunning. There is plenty of room in the trunk for golf clubs. The books and papers are indeed important to review the past history and for resale. If you do not plan on selling it in future, then if you can document provenence, service, and a good ppi, then go for it if the price is right. If the car was serviced by dealers, you may be able to get those records. There was a thread a while back about the inconsistency in dealers providing those records. Certainly, the newer versions were improved, particularly with the F1. There are very few 3 pedal 612s. It will take some time to find one, especially with all the ducks in a row. It will indeed atke some maintenence (belts, clutch, etc.), but such is life! Go get it and keep us in the loop with your progress! Happy New Year!

 

A normal golf bag fits just fine in the 612.

 

Taz-- the luggage is optional. Also, my 612 OTO (which I know has everything, since I picked it up new) did not come with the little flashlight and case. An attached fire extinguisher was also an option.

 

We were talking about the FF. At least I was when I mentioned the golf bag in the first place. Sorry if I caused confusion.

 

Good luck on your search. I think the 612 is marvelous. The search is half the fun.

 

i just adore grigio silverstone on the 612.
an '08 OTO would be a glorious car to have!
good luck.

 

Grigio Silverstone and TdF Blue are my favourites. Both look lovely with tan interior. I have an '08 612 and often muse about trading it in......but just can't bring myself to do it. It's a super daily driver, docile and compliant when you want it to be yet it's firey when asked. It's got around 21k miles on it and still has >70% of clutch left.

I really can't fault the car.

 

There's a very nice, reasonably priced and likely negotiable example of TDF/Tan at Ferrari of Washington.

 

My views now owning my second.

Not really in demand given nature of car.

I think they work better in dark colours (in Europe at least) - they are too large for red. Others may vehemently disagree.

They are great Regretted selling mine which was an earlier car. Bought a OTO recently and all I would say is the later cars are a lot better than the earlier ones. We found the earlier one reliable and excellent to own though.

 

what makes the later cars better ?

Taz mentioned about the 599 transaxle and dual plate clutch being added in 07/08 from the 599.

I see some early cars marked as F1A and later ones as just F1 - is that the differentiation between the early and 07/08 cars ?

What else got improved one the years ?

 

The Sessanta/OTO were upgraded with the 599 Superfast F1 system as well as the 599 clutch and transaxle case. Shift times improved, well covered in a recent thread.

All the early 612s used the F1A system, easily spotted by noting it has a D position on the F1 controls, as did the Superfast. The 575M and 360 did not have this D selection option.