Thinking about buying my first Ferrari

355 and 456 are completely different cars. Do your homework before you buy.

 

anyone got videos of a 355 with tubi? insterested in hearin DA SOUND!!!!

 

http://www.scuderiasystems.com/M-Media.htm
(from another thread )

 

If you have that much to spend you have lots to choose from (more than me w/ a 60K limit). Do your research I select the model you like best for looks. Performance will be there, duh. Then find the color combo you want. Everything else is minor details.
Took me 6 months to find my perfect Ferrari. Worth the wait.

 

If you want a 355 spyder in good condition expect to pay at your limit or more.

 

Hey Tool , that 456 is an auto; you want that?

do you know that to replace that slushbox if it blows is $50,000? Thats right, $50 big ones, or so they say.

Get a nice 355. You'll be happy.

 

I've bought a 456 GT in the last month in the UK.
It seems the things to look for in addition to a good history are ,is the clutch ok they don't last long,when was the last cam belt service done,how's the gap at the top of the windows(none of them fit well),the rear shocks also leak and new ones only cure it for a short while so it's best to just top up the fluid unless it gets really bad.

 

Don't be scared. Just do your homework and get a car with all the paperwork proving all the services performed , books and tools. Try to be the second owner as well not third or forth, say away from east coast cars, (salt corrosion) I just bought a 348 and might I say, It is the best sports car I have ever driven. It looks so much better than a 355 and definately better than a 456. Also you could buy a cream puff, 10,000 mile showroom condition spider or TS for $60,000 . You then have plenty of dough left for service. Also, if you do buy a low milage car you can sell it around the 30,000 mile mark and driven for not muchcosts to you. Only my option of course. No V12 troubles and if maintained properly $2,000 -$3,000 a year. If driven frequently.


Just my 2 cents,
Mike

 

Don't let maintenance costs scare you. As a middle-class guy, I had few qualms about buying a 328; yes, I know there will be some significant repair bills, mainly due to the age of the car. (I already had one for $1950 to replace a torn rear CV boot and re-bush the rear suspension.) But on the whole the car has been quite reliable, and I think I can spread out the maintenance that still needs to be done so that it won't break my bank.

Make sure you get any car you plan to buy throughly inspected before you hand over any money, and make sure the last major service was done in the recent past.

And insurance is not bad if the car is not your "daily driver". You can get a "collector's car" policy with mileage and other limitations for a lot less than regular insurance on your regular car! Look at other threads on FerrariChat.

And, if you can fit in it, I think a 328 makes an ideal first Ferrari; it's not too old, not too new, reasonably priced and reasonably reliable. And just about everyone loves the styling!

 

If you go into the Ferrari market without having done your research, you:

will not have any idea which model, vintage, style suits you (eg, in your price range, you could buy vintage, modern, 8 cyl., 12 cyl, hardroof or open car);

have no clue about the comparative merits of each model within your price range;

have no sense of what to look for, and be careful of, with each model under scrutiny;

have no knowledge how to assess the seller, or the car's history;

and will be lucky, if, unguided, you wind up having a good experience, since you will be putting your trust into the hands of unknown others- and if they are dealers, they have the potential to **** you, since you are not a known customer, or even a knowledgeable one.

I would spend some time: reading- there are a number of books about the marque, not all of which are devoted to stratospherically priced vintage cars;
joining the local chapter of the Ferrari club near you- go to some events, see what the cars actually look like, how they compare, side by side, and ask for some rides.

While it is a good idea to establish a relationship with your local ferrari dealer, that is not the only way to buy a ferrari, or to get it serviced. It also won't hurt if you do your own legwork, rather than relying on what a salesperson wants to sell you.
This forum is a spectacular resource, one of the best there is. But, folks here will express their own prejudices and experiences in Ferrari ownership, not a bad thing, but, for example, you may decide that you really like that 12 cyl. feeling of turbine like power. The apparently higher costs of maintenance may not be a real reason to shy away from the 12's; if, on the other hand, you want something "tossable," you'll be hardpressed to find a 12 that is light and lithe.
So, by all means absorb what you can from others, including owners here, about the relative merits of their favorite cars, but it's no substitute for getting your own sense of the cars before you buy. It will make life alot cheaper in the long run (ie, you won't be getting out of one, into the next one, unless you like constantly changing cars) and the learning process is actually at least half the fun. Good luck.

 

What ever you get be sure it has 12 cylinders, whether in front of you are behind you. While the V8 cars are great, if it will be your only Ferrari, you owe it to youself to get a 12. At your price limit that gives you many options from some vintage front engine V12s of the 60s and 70s to classic mid-engined flat12s from the 70s,80s and early 90s to modern front engined V12s from the late 90s.

 

A 456 is a great car, but don't get the GTA. There are some 6 speeds around. Most 6 speeds are 1995, but I would not get one from the first year of production. The model year 1996 does not exist, and in 1997/98 very few 6 speeds were build. But I found one, and love it.

 

I'll second that, especially in reference to the 60's and 70's 12's. Those are low production vintage and classic, not consumer cars, and probably a better "investment".

 

Absolutely do that first.

I usually tell people to figure a quarter of the purchase price to have a used Italian car "made right". This is because (a) there will be things the previous owner stopped noticing that will drive you nuts, and (b) when your mechanic first opens it up, neither of you are completely sure what you'll find (pre-purchase inspection notwithstanding). (And (c) few owners maintain to "daily driver" reliability. Italian cars can be reliable, but it takes putting the money into the "regular" services, all at once, instead of fixing things one by one by one.)

But find a really good mechanic first. If the shop that maintains your car isn't familiar with that model, ownership will sour in a hurry. There's nothing more frustrating than having a (slightly) broken car that you can't get fixed.

And your local mechanic may know of a good one for sale. (Even better if it's one he's maintained and is already familiar with.)

 

I've gone thru the same process twice , Toolfan.

If I were you I woudnt wait forever to purchase.. life is too short.

If you want your car to be superb, both mechanically and cosmetically, and your limit is $100,000, here is a thought. Most cars require at least 10% of the purchase price to make right no matter how nice it seems. Then have $10,000 socked away for maintanance and the unexpected things. So if I were you, $80,000 is the max I would spend on a VERY GOOD car. If you want a V8, a best-in-the-world 328 is $60-65K and is generally considered the most reliable Ferrari EVER. It is also fully depreciated. If you want a V12, a 456 will be pushing it a little as the maintanance is high, and still depreciating. Consider a vintage V12-history, sound , rarity etc. Leave a bigger % of that $100,000 for maintanance (As I am learning). A real nice 365 GT 2+2, 330 GT2+2, or 250GTE can be had for about $60,000. Also consider the mid engine Berlinetta Boxer.

Dan

 

think of your first ferrari as the girl you want to take home,one that mom would like!with the figure you've mentioned,you have a wide variety to consider...maybe im just an old throwback but to quote enzo...'a ferrari has 12 cyls" and though the 456's can be found with a wide range of prices,to be honest when compared to the number of same era v12 ferrari' cars ive driven,bought&sold the 456 is a real disapointment.if you really want a REAL ferrari experience that wont nickel and dime you away from ever considering a 2nd ferrari...look at 512 tr's or early 550 maranellos,or if you like the v8's early 360 modena coupes.any of those can be had and you still can have $$$ for the first years insurance.

 

I don't think so, except perhaps near the limit. My 328 is the first mid-engined car I've ever driven, and I don't find it feels too much different than my Honda in everyday driving. You sure can hear the engine more, though! (And that's the sweetest "music" of all!)

 

toolfan...buy a nice 308 as your first car. keep it for a year and sell it for close to all the money you paid for it and then drive a 12 cyl car.

you will not seel the ferrari experience short by getting an 8 cyl car but will have it hugely enhanced when you get the 12!!

you are asking some strange questions...they are all over the place really!

please do your self a favor and get a great 308 gts qv. get it w/ a euro spoiler and fully serviced. all the sounds, smells, looks of a ferrari w/ the wind in your hair...all in 35-40k dollars!!

 

thats the truth...its a whole new ballgame with a mid engine car and one can easily get over ones head so remember this....a mid engine car will also spank you like a front motor car will if one fails to respect the powerband and road conditions and comon sense

 

If this is your first f-car, drive on down to FoS and let them help you. I recommend getting one from a dealer. You need a point of contact if stuff goes wrong with the car - which it will at some time. A dealership relationship with a good, local, dealer will go a long way. There are many threads on this site about people buying from remote dealers only to find them needing to use the local dealer to make the car right. - Tim

 

It's not the balance, it's the angular momentum. Think of a figure skater: as she pulls her arms in, she spins faster.

So it is with a mid-mill. The weight is in the middle, so there's less angular momentum. It turns in quicker, but will also give you little warning before spinning. The 550 has good weight distro, but it's front engine/rear transaxle, so it's a bit slower to "light up" in corners.

If you've never driven anything but FWD, start out with a "trainer" italian, then move up to the more difficult models. Ferraris demand attention. I'd been driving Italian cars (Fiat, Alfa) for 25 years before I bought my 328, and it still took me six months to get where I could find the limits without overstepping them. The 328 is controllable in oversteer, as long as you're keeping up with the car. Let it get ahead of you, and you've got trouble.

(<"Swiss Tony" mode>Driving a Ferrari is like making love to a beautiful woman: If you don't pay attention to her, she will hurt you.</mode>)