1984 400i Sold on Ebay for $14K

I tend not to put much faith in Carfax type reports. I had an erroneous odometer recording made by the local Dodge dealer who was offering free oil changes for new residents. They misread and reported it to Carfax. If I requested do you think they would correct it? HA!
It wasn't an issue in my case but it does happen and too many view these near worthless reports as gospel.
This car looks nice enough, the sale price is very disappointing. I'm tempted to break my own perfectly good car rather than take it in the fanny like that.

 

I would be careful about this one, have it checked first!

 

i'm sure that's excellent advice, albeit a little mysterious/ominous...care to share what you know ?

but would anybody actually by a 25-30 year V-12 Ferrari for $14K thinking it was anything other than a substantial 'project' ?

that would be incomphrehensibly naive.

 

brettski....+1

 

being sold as a "400i Super America" - and in red.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Beautiful-1984-Ferrari-400i-Super-America-only-54-000mls-/170704908029?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27bece2efd

and here is where it came from (which makes this an absolute no no) and before pics:

http://www.europeancollectibles.com/inventory_detail.aspx?@page_inv_id=Fe2131

 

Just click on the "FREE History Report" button below the images in the upper part of the ad.

If you look at the reported odometer readings, there are three very different ones all reported in the same year (1995), in order: 67K, 33K, 51K.

This is interesting to compare with the the mileage claimed in the ad: 54K.

 

When the odometer reading makes makes a $10,000 difference in price, and one can be purchased for $500 on e-bay, I take the reading with a grain of salt.
And now a lot of these cars no longer have to pass exhaust gas testing where the Odometer reading was recorded on a yearly bases it will be even easier for cheats to make extra money off of buyers.

 

This is the problem with a lot of cars that have been cosmetically buffed up for resale but with unknown mechanical and ownership history.

Look at the red photos on the eBay listing and you form a very different opinion of this car (although Ferrari shields on the oil filters should be a warning flag!) from what you saw what the car looked like when it was at European Collectibles in California.

Lots of cars look nice and shiny on the outside but, without a known ownership and service history, are huge unknowns and big risks to buy.

 

... and so I find myself in an episode of Wheeler Dealers ...