the illogical notion of buying low mileage cars

I completely agree. And add to that, I could teach my 14 year old how to disconnect the ODO sender
on my 328. Makes me wonder why SO BLOODY MANY 3x8 cars have "37k, 39k, 42k" miles on them.
I have a very sincere feeling that MANY - a majority - of these cars have an entirely dishonest mileage.
And to those who cry CARFAX and State Mileage Registrations - there is NOTHING stopping a buyer of
a 44,000 mile car only allowing the ODO to be connected a few weeks a year - the CARFAX and state
records will then record a sale at 46,549 miles when in reality the car was driven 25,000 miles during
that time.

Just ranting. I am really sceptical of all the 'low mile' cars out there. Sure some i'm sure are legit,
but I'm willing to bet that an awfully large number have 'on again, off again' ODO sender units just
to keep the mileage down and the value up.


Jedi

 

We got a 9 year old TR with 950 miles. It cost no more than any very clean TR at the time. We paid about 22% of what the original owner did and got a brand new car. We do not fear putting mileage on it. I don't understand why anyone would. Whatever patina it has is ours. It has been as perfect in every way as it would have If we got it new at the dealer. I have never done anything beyond routine scheduled service. I do this for a living. If cars are run and serviced they can easily go for many years with very few miles. Hanger queen stories are very overblown. I know of at least a hundred Ferraris in collections around the country, well maintained and driven very little that are quite capable of being driven cross country tomorrow.

There are many poorly maintained cars out there, some are never driven, some are driven every day. The condition is not dictated by the odometer, it is dictated by the willingness of the owner to take care of it. I used to service a black/black 512M. The original owner sold it at about 12 or 13 years old. I bet I drove it more during servicing than the owner ever did. It sold with about 1500 miles on it. It was perfect because the owner maintained it like a bomber for SAC.

 

How do these ODO sender units work? I'm interested in knowing how they are supposed to prevent fraud (and why they fail).

 

On the flip side, what do you think is a realistic maximum mileage? I know Hondas and Nissans can routinely run for 200k+ miles but I would doubt a Ferrari engine would have the same longevity...

 

They do not prevent fraud, never intended to.

You are just hearing the ranting of people who are mad because someone elses car has less mileage and is worth more than theirs. These threads are the second most popular at Fchat. Right behind the ones about timing belts started by people that dont want to have to actually spend money servicing their car.

 

Ok here's a step by step:

1. Buy a car with 33,000 miles. Record the sale with the state and record the mileage
2. Disconnect the ODO sender for the next five years - drive 40,000 miles
3. Reconnect the ODO sender - drive 5,000 miles over coming months
4. List the car for sale with 38,000 miles

When ACTUALLY, you DROVE 73,000 miles plus 5,000 miles = 78,000 miles total

CARFAX and your state will just show 38,000. As long as it's MORE, no one would
question it.

And I'm of the opinion this happens a LOT with these cars. NO, NOT ME!!!!!! I revel
in putting miles on my car (69,132 as of today - God only knows if it's not 169K given
that there is NO WAY to know).

The sender is very easy to disconnect - unlike 'modern' cars that have a computer
that tracks mileage and cannot be easily tampered with.

It's a shame, and I truly feel it's FAR more prevalent than most folks know... just my opinion.

[EDIT] DO NOT take this as 'advice' on 'how to do this' - but OMG it's not ROCKET SCIENCE
and I'm completely sure that there are a LOT of early Ferraris and other cars that have had this done.

Jedi

 

A local has a TR with 225,000 miles. Never more than standard routine service. He called a few weeks ago looking for a new clutch, his 3rd.

 

LOVE stories like that!!! [although his ODO will only show 25,000 - hopefully the state records
are accurate]

Jedi

 

That is a shame. And one reason I am highly suspicious of low mileage cars with more than the usual wear and tear.

A recent test drive I took was an Audi R8 with 3k miles. The tires had to be completely replaced before I could see it. And there was much wear and tear on the inside - nothing MAJOR that you could put a finger on (you can tell stuff like seat bolster wear, plastics that yellow, abrasion on soft-touch control surfaces, etc... there wasn't any of that). But I got the feeling right away that that car wasn't quite right. And I have been in a new Audi R8 before so I knew the difference. I had suspicions about that car all over, but never could quite place it. The thing is, theres a lot you can do to cover up minor blemishes in a car but in the end, a 20k car is still going to feel different from a 5k car. And this felt like a 20k car. Needless to say I passed on it.

 

Part of it may be the exact opposite. If you're going to drive your car, but want to minimize the loss of value, wouldn't you rather buy a low-miler?

Imagine it: you have the choice between a 3k mile 360 or a 30k mile 360. If you're going to drive it 30k miles over the next three years and then sell it, you're faced with selling a 33k mile 360 or a 60k mile 360. The latter is going to be hard to sell.

That's why I'd look to buy a low mile Ferrari or anything for that matter. I'm a high-mileage driver and low mileage cars tend to hide my high-mileage driving habits.

 

There you go, applying logic. When will you ever learn?

 

I hear there's an outfit that can help you with that pesky high mileage odometer....

 

Exactly.

End of story, on both counts.

 

Just like a lot of other buyer's I'd prefer to get a deal on a low mileage car. That way I can put mileage on it, not worry and have fun getting everything working in harmony while driving. You might as well enjoy an F-car and drive it because you're going to lose money anyway. If you expect to minimize the hit, buying a low miler at a great price means more "reasonable" miles for you.

 

I had a choice between an 02 with tan interior and 18K km and an 02 with black interior and 27K km. Same price. I think the decision was made on the basis of the red contrast stitching and leather shelf. Call me shallow.

Car ran fine and had a new clutch, boom! end of story.

 

...I went for the 27K car...

 

I had a Mondial Cab with around 60k miles-- but the odometer had been replaced at 50k miles by a previous owner-- and documented, so I was fine with it. I think it showed around 10k miles when I sold it-- as a 60k mile car.

After I sold the car, it was sold three times at Barrett-Jackson as a "low mile" car. How anyone with eyes thought it was a low mile car is beyond me, but whatever...

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. I don't see any low mileage owners complaining about other owners who put on too much mileage. It is every bit an individual's right to own a garage queen as it is for someone else to use their Ferrari as a daily driver. If a someone bought a Ferrari to park in his garage and never drive it, that's his business, just like it is the business of someone doing the opposite.

 

I don't think these conversations happen on Toyota Prius boards. You buy a car, you drive it, it depreciates. That applies to Ferrari, Ford and Toyota. Some people dont drive them much and from time to time somebody scores. Sometimes people do cheat on mileage and that happens on Ferrari Ford and Toyota too. I have been in the car business a long time and it happens to ordinary cars more because buyers do not scruitnize them anywhere near the degree Ferrari buyers scruitnize their purchases. We all grew up with the stories of the little old lady who only drove it to church on Sunday. It really does happen and it happens with these cars more often because so many belong to people with lots of cars and little time to use them. Our household has seven cars and 2 people to use them. Not at all uncommon but the people with cars that do get to drive them more and rack up a lot of miles somehow see that as unfair.

Sheesh, get lives.

 

didn't they make a movie about this?

Bueller...bueller?

 

+1

 

Some of you know that I just bought my first F-car. I picked it up two weeks ago (Whoo hoo!!!).

In my search I didnt limit myself to a car with low mileage because I WANTED to know that it had been driven. I WANTED to know that someone else had wrung out some of the minor bugs that are going to happen with any car. I felt that I could get even get a better deal on a higher mileage car. I planned to drive it anyway. I feel that the miles are honest miles so no problems for me there.

So, I bought my car with right at 64,000 miles and love it.


PDG

 

I bought and maintain a low mileage car. It's my choice. Don't assume I bought my car for all of your reasons. I bought it for mine. Don't assume I didn't know timing belts need changing regardless of mileage. Don't assume low mileage cars just sit and are not driven.

Instead of asking eachother about the illogic of buying a low mileage Ferrari, think about the "logic" of buying a Ferrari in the first place.

Ask Newman why he wanted to spend years working on a car that he didn't drive until it was complete. Ask a cabinet maker why he would rather build a cabinet instead of putting cups in one. Ask someone why they would rather read the book than see the movie. Some people maintain their cars in areas where the weather gets rough on a car 6 months out of the year, etc.

Cheers to all car lovers for all their reasons!

 

When I sold my 512TR, I think it had 30ish k miles (I cannot remember exactly now). The car was really, really nice. I had more than one person tell me they would not buy the car at any price because of the miles - they simply would not buy such a high mileage car. One guy referred to it as a "bottom feeder", not fit for anyone but a guy without enough money to buy a proper car.

Gershwin bought it. He later told me it was a bit nicer than some lower mileage cars. I am glad it went to someone who will appreciate it and keep it in the condition it deserves. And DRIVE it.