You get that sinking feeling when you are about to drive your Ferrari

I know this isn't for everyone, there's a lot of owners who just want to say they own one!
So, I bet the majority of the owners get that sinking feeling when they are going to drive their car.
Why is that you say? Because their cars have left them stranded somewhere.
Leaks, CEL's you name it. The dreaded tow trucks! I feel for the 296 owners.
And even though you have paid huge sums of money for these magnificent machines, you are weary of venturing too far away from your garage.
We'll let me give you my take on this.
I have owned these machines since 1986, my first one was a 1984 308 GTB QV bought it with 10K miles on it drove the paint off it. Yes, I had it repainted. Sold it in 1997 to Ted Rutland with 108K miles on it. Drove it to my Air National Guard Unit on a regular basis in all types of weather. Never failed to start, my only issues were the A/C it was marginal at best, I lived in New Orleans at the time. Oh, yea never replaced the clutch on the car and it's still running around in the Atlanta area.
In 1997 I bought a 1993 512 TR with 10K on it from FAF, the biggest write up was DEAD BATTERY! I did all my own services on the car, replaced the steering rack at 90K and all the associated bushings and shocks and front and rear discs. At 90k or so I noticed I could no longer adjust the exhaust valves; they were eating into the head. I was fortunate enough since I knew Ted well to get an engine with only 16K on it and did a swap. I replaced the lower fog lamps because I pitted them with road debris put new ones on before the sale.
Even though I didn't need a clutch I replaced it along with the flywheel. Got tired of owning 2 12-cylinder cars, the 512 TR is in Europe sold it too a good friend and yes, he is still my friend! Drove the 512 TR for 24 years from Key West to the Montreal GP, never left me anywhere, always started, Marginal A/C if you live down south. Sold it for what I paid for very close to what I paid for it. Attached is a picture of the Odometer from the 512 TR when I shipped it off. I was lucky also my vehicle had the improved transaxle carrier; it was a late model 1993. I now own a 2003 575 F-1 (would not own a manual if you gave it to me, it like flying a F-4 vs an F-15) and yes, I have flow both! Bought the 575 with 46k on in in 2019 it now has 74K plus on it and clutch wear is minimal with over 65% left last check. Attached is the photo from the 575 odometer. And yes, the F-1 gear box increases clutch life no matter what you hear.
So, what is the bottom line her gents, you paid good money for these cars, you insured them to the highest amount, washed them and waxed them to death.
When you let machinery sit, it doesn't work well. With well over 200K of driven Ferrari miles I can attest that if you drive the cars they will not fail. Period!
Goal to put 100k on the 575 with no major faults.
It's a F-15, if you buy a 575 put the supersprint exhaust system on it and get the heat out of the engine compartment it moves the Cats underneath the car and the car pass emissions!
It's all there on the FChat thread 575 on the move.
That's it I am done here. See you on the road, at least I will be anyway.
Gotta go drive!

Clyde Romero






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We drive speciality cars. They break and they aren't meant to be reliable.

Want reliability? paint your nails and Get a honda or toyota.

 

None of my Ferrari have left me stranded, yet.
It doesn't even cross my mind.
Only thing I am thinking about is what is the longest route from point A to B is !

 

What is the model your Ferrari that gave you that feeling? Modern Ferrari is very reliable. I have 15k miles in Lusso, 15 miles in FF, another 15 in 458. Never stranded for once.

 

Just drive the damn things. They are man made objects. They will fail. They will get fixed..you will be upset, you will be angry..you will be happy the majority of the time. Pick your battles.

 

Want competence? Buy a Porsche. Want drama? Buy a Ferrari.

 

Love it Clyde! Trying to put as many (S)miles on my 456 as I can. It’s a lofty goal to shoot for!

I do still love my 3 pedal cars.

 

none of mine have left me

 

I get it, I had a 512TR remember but the F-1 gearbox is so easy in manual mode !

 

no what you really mean is if you want trailing throttle oversteer !

 

you buy them to drive them!

 

Well said piece Clyde. The bottom line is a ferrari is just metal, plastic, rubber and leather just like how any other car first started its life.

It's special, yes. But still only a machine. I intend to drive mine as much as I can.

 

Until you see someone sitting in the hood taking a selfie. Ask me how I know. Lol

 

I get many feelings before driving my Ferrari. An impending feeling of doom is not one of them. It’s been a great car to own!

 

All Ferraris 458 onwards will let you down or stranded, PTU FF, Sensor gearbox issues with all models,
These are $40 to $50.000 dealer fix issues.

 

The only time I get a sinking feeling before driving my car is when I know I got up too late and am going to hit slow traffic in the twisties.

 

true statement

 

yea we caught some kids in a garage years ago doing the same thing
After I got a hold of them I don't think they will repeat the same thing ever!

 

Nice but you have very low milage compared to me
keep up the good work
you buy them
to drive them!

 

I've had 11 of them. 4 V-12's and the rest V-8's. The only time I had some anxiety in driving a long distance was with my 1990 348TS. It was not a very reliable car. The rest of them, including my current car, a 1971 365 GTC/4, have been quite reliable. Just got to set them up properly. Many years ago, I had a 1977 308 GTB. Drove it all the time..... never a problem. Sold it in early 90's with 60K miles on it. Only modern car I've had was a 1999 Modena gated 6 speed. Reliable as a Honda. Had it 7 years and never did anything to it but routine service.

 

The only sinking feeling I get when I drive my Ferrari, is that some prick is going to **** up and crash into my car. My Ferrari has never left me stranded anywhere in my 25 years of owner ship and 85,000 miles that I have put on it.

G

 

Great post!!

I totally agree, the best thing you can do to keep your Ferrari in top shape is to

DRIVE THEM.

 

Yes, my Ferraris have stranded me now and again, though not often. Burst coolant hose on the 328, F1 failure on the 430…

But those were few and far between, and easily fixed. You have AAA to get you home, right?

And, the number of times that happened are still nowhere near the number of times my RX-7 betrayed me. And nothing at all like the constant, ever different but equally debilitating failures of my MGB. Someone once said ‘there is nothing like a British sports car to teach a young man the therapeutic value of walking.’

 

Yes Drive them, I've owned them since 1993. first one was a 1986 328 GTS. I put 20,000 miles on it, drove the balls off it, drove it NY to Fl twice WITHOUT the radio on!!! No major issues never got stuck. Burnt the distributors on the way down the second time only because once I hit FL I did 150+ all the way from Jax to palm beach non stop! And the car didn't break down, It just didn't start the next morning. I love I95 in that area, flat like a counter top for 200+ miles. Some other simple BS repairs with the 328, ie some relay board issues, water pump but nothing traumatic. Wear and tear items I would say like running any other vehicle, and I never got stuck.

Fast forward to August 2022. I bought a 2008 F430 spider F1. I had to wait a while to find the right one, I wanted the options "speced" out exact as if I ordered it from the dealer, and with 10k miles or less. A year and change later I found one with 3800 miles on it... I jumped on it. It was 14 years old and because it sat around for a number of years, like Zanny1 said, it needed a set up. Sitting around is not good for any machine. It gave me a few problems in the beginning, E-diff warnings, slow down light, and some other annoying nonsense. So, I went thru the whole car myself. I fixed what I was capable of and what I couldn't fix I sent out to a pro. The car is set up now and I've been driving it constantly, with no "stranded anxiety". If I don't drive, I start it every week or so, get a bit of temperature in it and exercise everything, windows, heat, AC, top, etc. An Italian master mechanic (from the other side) Uri from L.I. Ferrari explained that to me when I bought the 328 in the 90's.

But I digress, bottom line, DRIVE THEM and keep them like a well oiled machine.

 

Wha? Sinking feeling? No. I've owned my 360 for 14 years and it's as reliable as my Boxster. FYI that F1 reliability isn't shared amongst the F1 owners I know.. I wouldn't trust a read from the clutch sensor in the car BTW unless I backed that up with a measurement with a micrometer..