What actual harm does it hurt to let a Ferrari sit?

The issues are seals drying out, fuel going stale, flat spots on tires. I would recommend having the car started, warmed up, and run at least a mile or two every month.

 

The Ferrari is no different than any other car when you let it sit around for a long time. A dead battery, tire and rubber solidification, and all belts and rubber will start to accumulate and contract. And then when you drive it actually hurts the car even more. Then there is fluids which if they don't circulate over time accumulate the engine bay and a lot of other compartments and cause all kinds of issues. I believe you have a F1 the hydraulic pump also doesn't benefit from sitting around for a long period of time. There's all kinds of other little issues too that I can't even think of right now or I'm not aware of. But experts have always told me that a Ferrari needs to be driven regularly and that it's not good at all to sit around let alone for months at a time.
I jut bought another 360 with 9500 miles on it. It's a year 2000. That means the car averaged less than 800 miles per year. Not good. On the ppi the car needed a thousand things. Cost me $15000 to get everything done. Sure, The seller had to sell it for dirt cheap and now I have like a new car but it shows how many issues can accumulate when a car like that sits around.

 

An option would be to find someone you really *really* trust and let them take the car out for a quick easy spin at least once a month to keep things lubed and to prevent flat spots on your tires.

Not sure if you can for a car like a Ferrari, but when a friend of mine was overseas he added a good friend to his insurance policy for just that reason.

 

I agree with netman but would add that you should use a fuel stabilizer like Stabil which helps keep the hydrocarbons in the gasoline from polymerizing thereby forming gums and varnishes. The issue with seals drying out stems from the fact that they are contacted with oil during operation which helps keep them moist. For a periodic drive, I might suggest a longer ride (say 20 minutes) because it seems to take that long for my 360's oil temperature to get up to operating temperature. Getting the engine hot helps to prevent water condensation on the interior as it drives the water out. In general, plastics and elastromers can develop "memory" if left still for a long time. Think of an object that rests on something plastic for a period of time and leaves a "dent". For belts and other plastic or elastomeric components in the car, this is happening when it is idle for long periods of time.

 

What would happen if you sat on the couch everyday, all day for 10 years then one day you decide you to run sprints vs. .....

 

lol!

 

Nice.

 

And there is the issue of some of the valve springs sitting fully compressed for long periods.

 

Brake fluid can turn to goo too. Big mess.

I leave for half the year as well and have one shipped to my other place and have a friend drive the other one every three weeks and keep it on a tender at all times

The WORST thing you can do for ur car is let it set. You're far better off abusing it at the track for a day than to let it sit for a month.

 

Brake fluid should be changed annually even if you drive it. At least this has been my expereince.

 

Mustache and Aloha shirt preferred.

 

ask him...
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You won't have any problems. keep the battery on a maintainer, change fluids and don't worry about it.

 

Yeah right. Trust a dealer... that'll work well.

If it sits, in climate controlled garage or not.. Flushing all the fluids once a year even twice a year before storage still won't prevent issues as it sits. I predict "annoying F1 lights, CEL's, etc. etc.

 

Because you don't take your car to 8500 rpm after letting it sit that long. The stresses that you're putting on your honda motor, rubber, etc. aren't nearly what the F car is meant to handle. Let your Honda sit for ever and then take it to the track and see how many rubber bits fly apart.

It's all about stress on drying, cracking, aging rubber bits.

 

Great analogy!

 

You are right. You don't take it to 8500 rpm. You take it to 9000 rpm and you could do so 10 years before the 458.

Honda S2000 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

while your back in the states you'll be busy catching up on things and friends going out , plus alot of bad wheater days during the 2 months you'll probably drive the car 5 to 6 times!

Paying thousands on insurance each year, registration and worse of all problems arrising from the car sitting around!

Even the problem it could be stolen while your not in.

If you love Ferrari so much when your back home rent one. No insurance costs, No maintainance, no tyre issues, registration ect ect ect

Get the latest model for hire and if it breaks down they give you a replacement. One day a F12, another day a 458 spider....have fun and not waste thousands sitting around!

 

I bought an F355 that sat in the same spot for 15 years. It had 124 miles on it when I bought it in 2010. Prior to buying it, the Ferrari dealer did an engine out service and sorted out some hydraulic bits (brakes and top) which had failed from sitting. I've now put 6k miles on it without needing to take it to a shop. (I do my own oil changes and brake fluid etc). I even put 1,700 miles on the original tires before giving up on the flat-spots working their way out.

The car has been good to me, but it's a "driven" car now, covering 2k miles a year.

 

Ok so let ur s2000 sit for ever and then take it to the track and let me know what happens