What to expect from a 40+ year old car that has only done 1,200 miles in the last eight years? | FerrariChat

What to expect from a 40+ year old car that has only done 1,200 miles in the last eight years?

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by bigodino, Sep 12, 2024.

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  1. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    Apr 29, 2004
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    Peter den Biggelaar
    I've seen a car for sale ('83 Porsche 928S) that has only clocked about 1,200 miles in the last eight years. It's one of the reasons why I won't purchase the car, but it made me wonder what to expect to get a car like this driveable again (safely). It does have a current "MOT" so at least the brakes and so on will be fine. But what about bushings, hoses etc? Any other parts one should check before buying a car that has barely moved for a long period of time?
     
  2. ttforcefed

    ttforcefed F1 World Champ
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    Aug 22, 2002
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    literally all the rubber and plastic pieces, all of the, will need to be replaced.
     
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  3. Timmo

    Timmo Formula Junior

    Aug 26, 2017
    681
    Continental Europe
    Hardware items such as hoses would be the least of your concern as 928s which have not been driven regularly are known for sometimes providing their owners with tens of hours of immense fun with a multimeter trying to corner electrical goblins. This is not saying that this particular example will be problematic but it would require an in-depth look to make sure they are not too many annoying things on it that do not work.
     
  4. wmuno

    wmuno Formula Junior
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    As mentioned above, rubber doesn’t do well over time. It is prone to dry rot. This includes the rubber flexible brake lines. Even if the outside looks good, the inside diameter might be blocked.
     
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  5. raemin

    raemin Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2007
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    It took me 10 years to fix mine, so 1200km in the last 11years. Car is in perfect shape...

    Assuming that a car that has seen little use over a long period is a turd seems quite extreme to me.
     
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  6. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    Rubber such as hoses, seals, etc. You can expect delayed oil leaks. Tires age out if they haven't been replaced. Depending on the climate, you could have corrosion in electrical connectors. Also beware rotating parts such as water pumps and such.
     
  7. raemin

    raemin Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2007
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    Rubber will dry like in any other car actually... So the question is not how many miles but how much maintenance.

    There is a Daytona spider at my mechanics warehouse. It sat for a 18 months. Engine was crancked up every weeks, I don't know how many times it was serviced, but zero miles. Would you deduct value from that car?

    Replacing rubber, tires and oil is not such a big deal.
     
  8. ago car nut

    ago car nut F1 Veteran
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    Automobiles do not do well if not driven occasionally. Rubber bushings, shocks, other things like to be exercised.
     
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  9. RedNeck

    RedNeck F1 World Champ
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    Has anyone questioned how the car was stored? There is quite the difference between being in a climate controlled garage, a barn, or sitting outside in the elements.
     
  10. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    The car has had three periods of about nine years each in which there was no known maintenance (no stamps in the service booklet and no invoices for those three periods). I'm not so much concerned about the lack of mileage in those periods as I am concerned about the probable lack of maintenance. But anyway, if the seller would have accounted for this in his asking price it wouldn't be a big deal. But he didn't, so I moved on. But it did make me curious.
     
  11. ago car nut

    ago car nut F1 Veteran
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    Early Ferrari speedos are easy to swap out!
     

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