Ferrari Owner Personalities...

I wish I could press like 1000 times...

 

So you get used to paying high repair bills!

 

Ferrari’s are among the easier to work on cars when it comes to exotics in my opinion. I am a rare exotics owner that does almost all the maintenance and any repairs myself. Luckily they have been very few and far between on my Ferrari. Yes they are much more difficult and expensive to work on than say a Ford or GM but relative to even a Porsche they are easier and about the same cost. My philosophy is that Ferrari figures that most owners will not do the maintenance themselves as the typical Ferrari owner (avg income $1mil+) is much wealthier than say a Porsche owner (average income around $500k). Although I don’t have facts to back this up I would bet the average Ferrari owners net worth is probably 10-20x that of an average Porsche owner. So what happens is those who are less wealthy with less income, some Porsche owners, will tend to want to do their own maintenance more than those who are ultra wealthy with extremely high incomes (Ferrari owners). Being that most the money in the car business is made from maintenance Porsche does not want people working on their own cars so they make it more difficult as they know the group they sell to will have significantly more people wanting to do their own maintenance than Ferrari. Given very few Ferrari owners will want to do their own maintenance Ferrari makes their cars much easier to service. Long story short I would rather do maintenance or work on my 458 any day over my cayman race car (which is set up to be “easier to maintain”)or any other porsche I own.

To comment on personalities there are hard to deal with people in all car communities but I will unfortunately admit the Ferrari car community is more “uppity” than my experience with Porsche or BMW clubs. I was nervous about buying my first Ferrari as my income is nowhere near an average Ferrari owner but I will say it was the best money I have ever spent on a car and has been worth every penny! I test drove all kind of exotics from different brands to different model lines like the 488, 430, etc and I just kept coming back to the 458 as pulling at my emotions that most. The 430 was a close second. The McLaren 675 LT was third. The newer cars since say 2018 just don’t do it for me for most exotics and since 2015 I think Ferrari has lost their emotion.

Bottom line buy a earlier Ferrari and never look back!!


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To paraphrase an old saying, "Happy fiancee, happy future life"!

 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after owning my first Ferrari, is that any bills my daily drivers have, they seem dirt cheap

I once busted a fog light in my BMW by driving behind a truck. Went to pick the car up. Before they showed me the invoice, they told me straight out that their ATM system was out, so I couldn’t pay by credit/debit card. Went to the bank and withdrew 600 Euros, as I figured it would be about right. It turns out the invoice was for 180.

The BMW manager looked at me like I was a spoiled brat. That’s the Ferrari effect for you

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I admire enthusiasm personally, so a guy in a clapped out Rabbit can come up to me and I'm happy to share my experience. I know that the type of car and the age of the person mean nothing. Where you are NOW is no indication of where you will be financially and socially TOMORROW.

I'll also admit that once you have a Ferrari, you'll have a different reception from other Ferrari owners. It will be more inclusive. But.. you will still have the guy who views it as a means to show off his wealth (even though he's two mortgage payments late... you know the type). It also gives you more cahoes to retort any obnoxious comments "do you even know how to use the emergency brake? More money than brains idiot..."

 

When I first got my Ferrari I was surprised at how many young guys in a tricked out VW, Toyota, Subaru or like car, beeped, and waved and gave thumbs up when we passed. I would have thought they would be jealous and unfriendly. Nothing could have been further from the truth. I would make it a point to return a pointed finger at their car and then a quick thumbs up.

Clearly they appreciate a nice car and I'm sure aspire to own a Ferrari, Lambo or other exotic some day. Whenever I'm speaking with a young person who is admiring my car, I tell them to study hard, work hard and don't spend your money on crap, and you can own one.

 

This is very true ....


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Joey, I am one of the Ferrari “dinosaurs” having been a charter member of the FCA for over 56 years and owned a Ferrari for 58 years. In my life I have encountered all types of personalities regardless of which club or group they are in, and a lot depends on whatever mood they happen to be in or what experience they may have just had. Not everyone is always bright and cheerful and welcoming. You need to be comfortable in your own skin and do what you really like to do best. You are 27, I was 24 when I bought my Ferrari and it was a total disaster, however putting it back into racing condition was a massive learning experience and frankly was a tremendous boost to my ego. Stop worrying about what others may think or say, if Ferrari ownership and driving experience is what you really want, then go get a car and get started! You already have mechanical skills and the earlier cars are not that difficult to work on, even though it may take some searching to find rare parts. Over the years at many many car shows I have had a very interesting time describing my car and it’s early racing history to a wide variety of folks, from the most knowledgeable to the total beginners.You might watch either of these videos for some perspective on my experience.

Best regards,

Robert

 

Robb,
That’s a beautiful car and shop! Can the Mohawks lift arms clear a Ferrari without the car needing to be jacked up? I’ve been looking to buy a 10K Mohawk and am curious if a sports car can be put in the air without too much trouble on one. Thanks!

 

My lift is a Challenger

I think it’s great to work with. Mine is off center so you can still open the doors when a car is set.

I have additional hockey puck type pads on the metal hands at the end. This requires my cars to go up on stepped wood blocks about 1.5 “ to fit the arms under the very low cars.

It’s probably best a two person operation to get it perfect the first time.

I know some others prefer the in-ground lifts to eliminate this clearance issue.

Robb

 

Thank you Robb! I always thought Challenger lifts were blue, my bad. The A-symmetrical lifts are very nice, I’ll have to find a shop that has one to poke around and compare. Being able to open the doors farther would be nice. I’m not fancy enough for an in ground lift!

 

I over reached on my first Ferrari. 1997 355 Spider $109k back in 2004 when I bought it. Forget what the monthly payment was but it wasnt 'comfortable' for me at the time. But you know what...It was worth all the fun i had.

 

This guy was a jerk. The cost of maintenance - of anything - is a valid, rational question. And for someone trying to make a sensible decision, a sensible decision to ask.

And the fact he's an engineer? Great. That means he designs things. Doesn't mean he possesses any skill to work on things.

 

There are many Ferraris I could buy. But the initial purchase is just the cost of entry. Only an idiot - or someone with really, really deep pockets and no budgetary cares - writes that entry check without consideration. And to demean someone for asking the question - yeah, they're a fracking jerk.

 

You will have no problems working on your Ferrari when you acquire it.

Some parts are FAR more expensive from Ferrari. Most parts are not proprietary though. If you can pull the part and get a part number off of it, you can source it far cheaper somewhere else.

On the downside, the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4s K1 (Ferrari OEM) that I just ordered were $1280 for a set and only lasted 8k miles. I might get another 1k if I run them to the cords.

 

Joey,
I'm also from the North East (Long Island). We have a great club here and pretty much all the guys are really awesome! We all became close friends (about 25 of us). I have owned a Ferrari since 2012 (a 360, then a 458 in 2018), and like you, I had all the similar fears (maintenance, reliability, image, owners snobbiness, etc). All I'm going to say is that I have been pleasantly surprised in ALL aspects. Great car, great people. And the general public LOVES Ferraris. In all those years, I think I only received 1 or 2 negative comments, and I actually found the comments funny. And I only met one or two owners that were douches. The only regret I have is that I waited too long to buy one. I was 43 years old when I bought the first one. I think it's fantastic that you are looking to buy one at your age. I'm sure that you worked very hard, and made the necessary sacrifices, so you deserve it. Enjoy the purchase, and I hope to see you at some of the events (If you are close enough).

 

Thank you for your service Admiral Goodwrench and the great videos. I’ve seen you car before , been a couple of years. From what I remember you sold it, right ? If so, it must of been a difficult decision. Where are you living now and where is this beautiful vehicle.


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Most owners I've met that are not on this site were elitist pricks. When I had my first "fancy" car I let everyone and their mother sit in it, take pictures at gas stations with it. Who f'ing cares its just a car. But I can say the Local dealer (Ferrari of Washington in Sterling, VA), treated me FAR BETTER than any other dealer I've been to except for maybe McLaren in Philly (they gave me all kinds of swag for my friends and family) when I sold them my car. Lamborghini next door to FOW laughed when I asked them to open the door to an USED Aventador I was interested in and asked why I didn't want to buy new. They then told me to visit their website for their inventory while I was the sole customer in the dealership. Drove my rental the short hop to FOW and was treated with the utmost respect.

 

Funny you say that. I am just now finishing up the book Skunk Works - A Personal Memoir by Ben Rich.

An excellent book, if you haven't read it, in your field I'm sure you would enjoy it.