Upgrade 911 to 550 as a daily driver??

It's happening again. I'm getting the itch to switch out my daily driver.

I currently have an '02 911 cab, and have been eyeing 550 prices for awhile. A new '05 911 S cab (997) with reasonable options will run about $105 when it comes out later this year. That's my default upgrade.

However, I've noticed multiple '99 550s going for around $110k for 10k+ miles and $120k or so for <10k miles. I have no idea as to the condition of these cars, but their price is knocking on the 911 door. I really don't need to keep a daily driver convertible since I got my 360 Spider. Thus, the 550 is tempting.

I've read every post here with "550, daily, driver" as keywords. Great info. Too bad all the picts prior to Dec are still gone. :-|

I don't have much 550 seat time. Will it *really* be a substitute for my 911 as a daily driver? I use it to commute to work: 22 miles each way, many times in stop/go traffic, many times flat out on the "long way" home. I average only about 5000 miles per year (due to lots of business travel). I require a "high end fun" car for my daily driver. I don't fit into a 355 very well, so that is out as a daily driver. Also, the 550 is more nondescript than the 355 - which I need/like for a commuter car. BMWs and Mercedes don't cut it for me whatsoever. The 550 is way more comfortable for commuting. It looks great in my opinion, and has killer power. I understand the maint costs so that's not an issue. I just need it reliable. I don't care for the 456 looks so that's out.

Am I nuts to want a 550 for a daily driver from my 911? Will the 550 hold up? Are there any hidden reliability flaws with a '99 making it unsuitable? Is the 550 too low for practical commuting? I know it's lower than the 456 and higher than my 360, right?

Any thoughts, suggestions, or pointers to possible cars would be greatly appreciated (I'm already running down FerrariAds and other sources).

Thanks! - Tim

 

The 550 makes a great daily driver. I average 1400 miles / month on mine. The car is quite subtle (especially in an unwashed black), can easily be parked most anywhere, is extremely reliable and stress-free for an F-car, and honestly, has all the makings of what a daily GT should.

You'll be spoiled by the torque, of course, and never look back.

Beyond the obvious stuff (do a search, this has been covered myriad times), the 550 actually poses very few problems, and the driven cars fare better than non-driven ones.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to shoot.

--Dan

 

What are you looking for with respect to a car? I have been keeping my ear to the ground and have been on the prowl for another for 6 months, so there's likely not a car that I haven't heard about.

FML, f-usa, etc. are all good starting places, but depending on what you want they are just that.

--Dan

 

I only live 2 ½ miles from my office. Therefore, I cannot drive it there. It would never warm up. I do put between 8,000 & 10,000 miles on it per year. Much of my mileage is during the day driving around Southern California. The 550 is the finest freeway flyer.

Get one and have fun.

Only drive 12 cylinders

 

I've been researching what options 550s had. I'm most interested in keeping the price point down towards $100-120k. This targets my 911 price range. I don't need another $200k weekend warrior. I figure if I keep the price in line, I'll worry about it only as much as I would a new 911 (e.g., driving, parking, rock chips, etc...). If I were to get one in the $130-140 range, I'd just assume pick up a year old 575M.

My strategy is to look for a late model ('99) bare bones car rather than an earlier model with all the options. 4pipes has a bare bones one that I might look at in the SF bay area. Its 25k miles were a little more than what I was targeting. But, if it's in great shape...

Having said that, I'm not sure what a base model really comes with. The ones I've seen are maxed out. Are there any options that I really should get?

About half my f-car friends have told me to stay away from high mileage ones (>20k) fearing the untold upcoming repair hell. The other half told me to stay away from the low mileage ones (5k) because they've been sitting for long periods, or have had predominantly short drives. Also, all of them say that if the PPI comes out, then who cares?! Ahem.

Is there anything about the '99 year that I need to know? e.g., should I go for a '98 or '00 instead? I haven't heard anything out of the ordinary for the '99s.

Other things I'm targeting (if possible):
* single owner cars. Seems like if they kept it for that long, they'd take care of it? Also, the dealers all seem to bump up the price by $20k.
* full maint records, no accidents, no stories, etc... The Usual.
* Colors? Titanium, silver, and red in that order. Of course, I've been known to fall in love with almost any color on a f-car, so it really depends on the specific car itself.
* one with the closest major already completed.

I'm probably missing some key points in my thinking, but this is what I've got so far.

Tim

 

There really weren't a whole slew of options you could've had for the 550. Modular wheels (aesthetics are subjective), rear package shelf, colored calipers, and CF trim are the biggest things that come to mind.

'00s had certain upgrades like the steering rack, '99s had certain updates like motor-mounts, thermcoupler ECUs, etc. Most all earlier cars have received the updates as necessary.

My own personal opinion is go for a driven car - 550s seem to run better with more mileage. Either way, they should run strong, although I'm of the opinion that buying a car, it makes sense to do the major unless it was done in the past year. That way you know everything's all fresh and ready to go.

There are a lot of titanium / bordeaux cars available, few other color combos (ti/blue comes to mind). LOTS of silver cars for sale, and naturally red too - so you should be in luck either way.

--Dan

 

hey Tim, in your profile, it says your spider is '05. are you sure that's correct? i thought the ferrari model year is the year that it is built in, which would be '04, no?

just curious.

 

It's an '05 (Oct build, Nov shipment, Dec delivery). Just like my Modena was an '04, but delivered in Dec '03. I like 'em young. ;-}

 

correct me if im wrong here, but doesnt that mean it's an 04?

 

A 550 is a usable daily driver (more so than a 355 or 360 IMO), I actually take mine to work once a week in avg when weather allows. Just ensure that:
- you can cope with the turning radius (much wider than a 996/997 or 360)
- you have enough parking width (wider than a 997 with longer doors)
Ground clearance is actually quite good, better than a 355 and probably on a par with a 360. The car won't heat up in trafic, is perfectly happy puddling around at idle in stop and go trafic, and the clutch actuation force is firm but not horrible.
You have a real boot (unfortunately not remote control actuated, you have to use the silly dash switch), good comfort, good visibility front and rear.
Gas mileage will of course be lower than your 996, but is quite moderate given engine displacement and output.
Gearbox a bit grumpy when cold, but with a 22mi commute, it's not a concern. Engine oil does not take long to heat up to 90degC, the box takes bit longer to get real smooth.
No real reliabity gripes, just follow regular maintenance, have your hoses checked as part of it.

What you get in exchange is a ton more grunt than a 996 or 997s, and a sense of occasion which can hardly be compared with a Carrera.
For options/US market probing, Dan is the man.

 

Not to confuse the issue...

What about an Aston Martin AMV8 when they hit? One year out I guess?

 

A TT will smoke a 550 in turns, due to the PSM and 4wd, but the 550 will smoke the TT in terms of driver experience, prestige, sound, etc., etc., etc.

 

Ah, good points. The 550 is 5 inches longer and 5 inches wider than my 911. However, the 550 is only about 1/2" wider than my 360 Spider so I know what that feels like.

I think I'm mostly worried now about the front end clearance and the true stop/go traffic aspects. If the clearance isn't better than the 360, this may be a non-starter for me. For example, my 360 can only enter into one of my three garage bays due to clearance. A car is not much good to me if I can't even get it in the garage. Gosh I'm hoping I don't have to look at the 456...

Thanks for the great info! - Tim

 

Tim,
I looked, rode, & drove some 550 in the past, and thought it is a cool daily drivable car, too. It's a bigger car than 911, and 911 require smaller space frame for turn & park. For newer Ferrari, 550/575 is still on my list (among others)
Price for '98 & '99 could be lower than you anticipated because the 30K service could be due. The best offer I had for Silver/red '98 model was $120's w/ PowerPlus warranty & 30K service.
911 is more tighter inside & drives nimble compared w/ 550, I felt. After all, 550 is a stylish Touring car.

 

no advice, but haha i can't believe some people consider 550's daily drivers!
that's incredible

 

At standard ride height front clearance is a non issue on the 550.

 

I use mine as a daily driver - as a bike carrier - hell, even to go to the lumber mill. The car is extremely suitable for daily driving purposes.


**Tim: the car has CONSIDERABLY better clearance than any 360 I've driven. Doesn't mean you can go skippnig over speedbumps at 35mph, but it's a lot easier to manage. You can always put plate-guards in.

Also - the car runs very cool even in traffic. The only traffic related issue is that it's manual and has a decently heavey clutch - so you may get a bit tired from that. But it's certainly manageable.

Visibility, as you realize, is also materially better than a 360 - so that will help in daily purposes.

--Dan

 

Okay, I went and did it! I bailed on my 911 and bought 4pipes's 550 as my daily driver. See:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=134735760#post134735760

Thank you to all who answered all of my dumb questions as I pondered the answer of what to do. This is a great example of how this board and its members are awesome!

Thanks again!

Tim

 

Tim, great work. I think you will be quite happy. I enjoyed every drive in my 550 and if the usual driving in my area had allowed a bit more open road and less twisties, I would still have the beast. They are great cars and I, for one, am glad they are getting their due respect. It seems like not too long ago, they were not as well regarded and considered only a gentlemans(old mans) car. Now more people have actual seat time and can testify to the true spirit of this fine 12cyl cruiser. Enjoy.

 

Being that I live in wide-open and empty Wyoming, I'm biased against using my 550 in a daily, urban situation. I have been caught in Denver during rush hour a couple of times and did the stop-and-go thing for miles. The car didn't overheat. Watching all the time for street intersections that have deep depressions for water runoff is a hassle. But you get to know the limits of the 550's nose.
For a daily driver, I'd suggest my Pontiac Montana van! Automatic transmission and plenty of room to haul Ferrari paintings to dealers and collectors (I delivered two canvases to Ferrari Denver last week).
Ciao! (old Italian for "I am your slave")

 

Congrats Tim--It looks beautiful!

I am trying to find a 550 to make a daily driver, but have not been able to find one yet. My local dealer is supposedly trying to find one from among their customer base, but since they don't seem to respond to my emails, I can only surmise that nothing is available yet.

In my case, I kept a 911 and a luxury sedan and switched off depending on what I felt like driving on a given day. Then, in an attempt to keep just one car as a daily driver, I bought an MB E55AMG. Now that I have convinced myself that I prefer having a choice everyday, I'm looking to dump the E55 and get a Maranello to go with my suv.

The only hitch at this point seems to be that no 550s seem to be available with the model year, color combo, price, etc. that I have in mind. Anyway, enough whining for now.

Enjoy your new vehicle. I'd love to get updates on your impressions of the 550 as a daily driver.

 

Tsang: many manufacturers have a cut off date Ferrari is Usually late Nov. So you could have an 05 model made in Nov or Dec of 04.

 

I looked long and hard for this one. I must have looked at 10-12 cars after screening 20+. cars.com had the most in one place. Most dealers wanted a premium (of course). When they found out I knew something about the car and of the necessary updates (from members on f-chat), they bailed on trying to sell me a car. Most of the times I found out why: there was always something they were hiding about the car. e.g., all updates were not yet done, it needed its belt service, was on its 4th owner, etc. I guess they were interested more in customers who didn't know or care what they were getting. :-|

I just commuted to work for the first time today in the 550. I made the right choice! I'll give my 550 daily driver impressions later as I get more data.

Tim

P.S. As in your case, my backup is an SUV.

 

I like you car Tim.
I have the same car (a 2000) with shields. Your interior almost looked crema, or is it tan?
Enjoy
Gary

 

Congrats

the car is gorgeous