Ferrari Maranello

[tabs]

The consensus is it will be an expensive ride that will drain the checkbook faster than it can gulp down the gasoline. If you can stomach having to refill the checkbook everytime you drive it..have at it....like boats one would think that the two happiest days in your life is the day you buy a Ferrari and the day you sell the Ferrari.

So it would be a hellaious ride that puts a smile on your face, everytime you open the checkbook it will make you frown..as you thnk where did all that money disappear to...

[EarlyPorsche]

My question is: how important are all those services and couldn't a handy person do them himself? No not the repairs requiring a Ferrari computer but what about all the other ones? So what if it leaks a little or has a small quirk here and there...do you HAVE TO send it off to the dealer for the repair?

[ErVikingo]

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

My question is: how important are all those services and couldn't a handy person do them himself? No not the repairs requiring a Ferrari computer but what about all the other ones? So what if it leaks a little or has a small quirk here and there...do you HAVE TO send it off to the dealer for the repair?

I guess most you could except for the major adjustments. The big problem is diagnosing issues. Perhaps FCHat has a lot of knowledgeable guys like PParts to help.

I had that kind of relationship with a Turbo Esprit. Very cool looking, tons of fun (if you could put up with the creaks) but required internet access to keep it on the road. At least there was a good parts cross reference and since Lotus used an ordinary parts bin for that one, I could get parts at Autozone (ie window regulators from a Chevy Cavalier, tail lights from a Toyota...).

The 575 is definitely one of the best looking cars ever made until a friend refers to it as the Italian Corvette......

If you can afford it, buy it, enjoy it and sell it.

Normally you see that all those cool barn finds "not started in 40 years" are always exotics. Wonder why? (could not keep it on the road nor could you re-sell it).

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by EarlyPorsche

My question is: how important are all those services and couldn't a handy person do them himself? No not the repairs requiring a Ferrari computer but what about all the other ones? So what if it leaks a little or has a small quirk here and there...do you HAVE TO send it off to the dealer for the repair?

I've always wondered that myself. Seems that the more expensive the car, the more prone the owner is to simply writing checks. I always wonder how expensive an Italian car would be to own if you did all of your own maintenance and repairs. It may be a Ferrari, but at the core it's just a car.

[EarlyPorsche]

In that article posted on page 2 the author mentions $10 a mile. If you take out customization, wiper blades, oil changes, belts, repainting, and other non-vitals and/or things you can do yourself the vehicle sounds perfectly reliable. There is a level of knowhow necessary to own any rare mechanical item. I wouldn't necessarily doubt that a Ferrari might need struts in 15K but I am sure that the definition of "need" leaves a good bit of interpretation.