ferrari testarossa opinions?

[dougn1]

i want a testarossa

as fellow porsche enthusiasts and DIYers...what do you think of the testarossa? seems to be a good buy at 60k for a good one. there's alot of machine there. seems like it should hold its value

other than having to drop the engine for a belt change, its seems like it shouldn't be hard to deal with.

anyone ever drive one?

[motion]

Doug,

If you can get past the 80s styling, the Testarossa is a helluva good deal for $60k. Low bucks for a 12 cyl Ferrari... it just doesn't get any better. But... and its a big butt... the maintenance costs on that car are absolutely outrageous. If you end up driving it, you better have $10k a year or so set aside. As far as depreciation, I can't see the car dropping much lower in value. You should be able to pick up a sub-10k mile car in the 60-70k price range without too much problem. These cars rarely have miles on them due to the maintenance costs.

Go here to talk to Testarossa owners: www.ferrarichat.com

Let us know if you get one!

[930addict]

One of the owners of a shop I used to go to had a testarosa. We struck up a conversation about it and he told me it was in for its $7k annual service. Yikes!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Are Ferrari owners by nature opposed to DIY, or are the cars just such a pain in the ass to work on that nobody tries? Maybe I just haven't been exposed to enough Ferrari owners, but all I ever seem to hear about is the price of having service done, not the cost of doing it themselves.

[motion]

Some owners of older Ferraris (without sophisticated electronics) do maintain themselves... but by nature, think about it. If you spend $100k-$300k on a car, are you really going to be out there getting greasy working on it? Lol, I don't think so. I think the DIY attitude is simply different when you compare a $15k used Porsche and a Ferrari.

[SandyI]

The TR doesn't hold much respect in the eyes of the Ferrari community. (I won't mention certain Porsches that have similar bias and similar low resale values because of that kind of bias.) Buy it because you love to drive it.

[TRE Cup]

if you are a diy-er you will need a lift in your garage to service the TR. The entire rear end comes out with the motor and trans when you do the big service (about 15-20k) because of access you end up replacing all that you can while its out. Its a wonderful torque monster of a 914-6 on steroids and you can actually see out of it for a mid engine exotic (compared to a countach, miura, boxer, turbo esprit) Very driveable fast TOURER. Would i own one- qualifed yes- providing i did all the stuff myself, it is a cool car. Get a later 512 TR- lots of little detail improvements.
Super low mileage Ferrari:
As with any car that may sit most of the time (less than 3k per year?) ferraris are no exception in that you should use the best quality fluids, gas treatment, and fluid/filter changes twice a year as a precaution. Tires are an issue as well- we have seen like new tires that are 10+ years old on some of these cars and they absolutely should be replaced

[DustinTarditi]

Cool styling... I like them, but I'm not a huge F-car fan.

I would prefer a Countach, personally... a buddy has one and he's a total DIYer - he said that the Lambo community is a little more DIY-centric... they also tinker a bit more with their cars (mods, upgrades, etc.).

[anthony]

I've always loved the Testarossa. Buying one of course would be a completely irrational decision. With the price and the cost of maintenance, you could build on hell of a 911 hot rod. If you've got the cash though why not go for it. Get one, drive it for a few years. It will probably cost you $10-20K to drive it for those years, maybe less.

You should be able to pick up a sub-10k mile car in the 60-70k price range without too much problem. These cars rarely have miles on them due to the maintenance costs.

I thought all these F-cars had no miles on them because every Ferrari owner had two odometers - one for driving and one for resale.

[Sarc]

Testarossas are cool. Every preteen boy's fantasy at one time I imagine.
Love the 512TRs, especially in a different color than Rossa Corsa:



God willing, this will be my first 12 cylinder Ferrari.......

[TRE Cup]

hey! where did you shoot that daytona? that was our car!! (if the interior was red/black with red carpets)

[david c.]

I think I'd rather have a 512BBi for similar money.

[Sarc]

I "right clicked" it from Ferrarichat. Looks like a Texas car with Tan interior.

[yelcab1]

It is hard to get a real good Testarossa in the 60K range. Low miles ones are higher of course. Everything on the Testarossa can be DIY, without a lift. Harder, but doable. I have seen it done.

[dougn1]

it's the maintainance question I'm wondering about. i definately can't afford thousands per year......exactly what would need maintaining other than the belts? i suspect most of the maintainance costs are due to unecessary or fraudulent work.

i wonder how often the valve/cam clearances need adjusted and what kind of a system it is?

[adomakin]

crocket and tubs.

[Dottore]

Someone else said it - but the Testarossa is not held in very high regard in the Ferrari community - and there is a reason for this. It is one of the clumsier Ferraris ever built. Driving it feels like you are driving a submarine. Vision is poor and you feel disconnected from the road. It is certainly not a sports car. More of a cruiser. And that is being charitable. But, yes, it sounds great.

The Ferrari shops in Europe are full of these cars at bargain basement prices.

[tiorio]

Interesting, just saw a 512 TR (in black, the only color to own pretty much any car in) at the smog-shop a couple of weeks ago. As a TR fan years back, it struck me as dated styling but sounded magical. Of course when the very nervous minimum wage smog 'tech' went to back it off the dyno without lowering the dyno wheels and spun the Ferrari wheel into the side of the dyno...well the mechanic who had 'his customers car' in for the smog was saying thousands of dollars. For the wheel. Yikes.

Also a hint on the DIY aspect there. The mechanic was there with his customers car. The customer didn't even drive it to the SMOG SHOP himself!

[crashmy911]

What are the 512 boxers selling for? I have heard they are a beast of a car!

[TRE Cup]

Clumsy to drive? have you ever driven a Daytona? steers like a truck and stops like one too. We can't discuss the oranguatan eyetalian driving position because all those cars were like that. As far as handling- ask amir rosenbaum how his TR drove, he cleaned everyones clocks at the Virginia City Hill Climb for 2-3 years in a row. I know my brother and I were amazed how fast he was leaving our 2.8 MFI Carrera in the dust.
Of course any early Ferrari does not steer or handle or feel the nice way a Porsche does! But oh that engine sound.......