456 as a daily driver

The automatic is great for daily driving and suits the personality of the car well. Yes, it is less engaging than the manual on twisty back roads on a Sunday morning, but for the daily commute, I've found it to be great. I especially appreciate the autobox in the stop-and-go of rush hour and when stopping on hills with someone just a few feet from your rear bumper. In sport mode, the transmission is very responsive, kicking down and holding gears as appropriate. Huge amounts of torque mean effortless acceleration.

I strongly recommend the M over the 456; more modern interior, smoother firing order, fixed spoiler, better cooling from larger grill and, as with all Ferraris, later year models have more of the kinks ironed out.

 

If your automatic transmission goes you have yard art. It's about 50K to replace. Do a search. These cars also had window isues. A belt service is 5 to 10K depending on the while we were in there. They are great cars but know what you are getting into. 15K to 20k repair bills are not uncommon. If none of that is a problem go for it.

 

I use my 550 as a dd, so a 456 should be no problem. However, I do have a backup BMW, for when the 550 is out of commission of if it is pouring rain. The main think is having a shady, safe place to park at work (I do). The interiors of these cars fall apart in the sun.
I drove a 456 and a 456 M, both manuals, before I bought the 550. Certainly the argument that the M is likely to be more reliable is valid, because it is a newer design with more kinks worked out. But to me, the driving experience is similar. I would also be wary of an automatic.

 

Belts are in the front of the 456 V-12 engine. No engine out necessary.
Should run about $4000 or less.

Great cars for daily driving.
Issues are:

Windows not closing, sealing..$1000-$2000 labor rate mostly and/or parts.
Dashboard leather shrinking. About $3500-$5000.

Other than that, normal F car maintainance.

 

+1 : The M is the better series for a daily, but if not meeting much stop-go traffic I'd still opt for the stick.

The older GT will most likely set you back the same amount you'll be paying on the difference of a sorted/good M model. guaranteed.

I drive my older GT every work day and sometimes the weekends for longer trips.

 

The auto trans urban legend has been circulating forever. "Yard art?" Give me a break. Show me some stories on F-Chat (I only recall of hearing about one in Malaysia and that one was a bit wobbley) indicating that the autoboxes are vulnerable to catastophic irreparable damage.. The tranny can be repaired depending upon the malaise and used ones are around. Just change the fluids and screens regularly.

The window gap was a problem on ALL 456s. Mine was fixed for well under a grand by Craig Nelson (Monza 456) owner of The Jag Shop in Portland, OR. Call them and get the exact price. BFD. I drive through the carwash now with zero leakage.

The cars are pretty reliable. Yes, they can be expensive. They're Ferraris. I had a large bill for the valve guides and did a major at the same time, but that was at almost 50K miles, cost nowhere near those stratospheric amounts and I now have an essentially fresh engine.

 

Knowing my luck, I'd get to be the first. ;-)

 

I used to own a 97 456 GTA and the car was fantastic. Dont listen to people who go on about the gearbox issue, as its not common, and not catastrophic as made out. They can be repaired, and many part places have 2nd hand units available for considerably less than the price of one new.

When i purchased mine I had a major service carried out and the car drove fine. The only problems i had was after spending the day driving round the Top Gear test track for the day. By the end of it the shocks were leaking, tyres half gone, and brakes were losing the ability to stop the car!

I used to run a website called the456.com but the domain expired and never got round to sorting it out (too busy driving the car!). Im looking to put it back up now, so will let you know once done.

I never used mine as a daily driver mainly because I commute to London by train. But i used it as often as I could. Only limiting factors were the size of the car (big for the UK), and fuel consumption. Im looking to potentially buy a 456M GTA in the next 2 months. I would prefer a manual, but they are rare and expensive.

Good luck with the search!

 

Not as common as some would have you believe! I had a GTA in my shop a while back with a failed valve body due to lack of maintanance which trashed the clutch plates, but it was not nearly $50k to repair it, although catastrophic failures could reach that figure. Worst case cenario, used 'boxes are out there.There are updated parts available and there are good transmission specialists that can deal with issues. The 456 is truly a great car. Good luck with your search...

 

I just read your original post again. Funny enough this is the car i am looking at.
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456 is a great DD, I used mine for 3 yrs until the kids got too big to fit in the back. My wife loved it an drove it regularly too, great GT that is very discreet Mechanicals are very robust and the only issue is marginal cooling system in stop-go traffic which can be addressed with upgrade radiator and fan (covered in a couple of threads). The only failure I had was the suspension controller (similar to 355) and electrical issue due to a poorly installed AM stereo system.

The M is a better car with updated dash and interior, different firing order (smoother running..claimed), window issue fixed (not really). Also, if I recall properly the newer Ms do not run the same valve guides which have been known to fail. Some will prefer the styling of the original 456 nose, either way I would toss the 17" wheels that are too small and date the car. Novitec NF 2 are a great upgrade. The GTA is pretty common in the US and usually a cheaper (10-20K depending on mileage), the 6 SP is more fun to drive though with the torque of the V12, you only need 3 gears...

 

+456M GTA. I drove mine for about 18 months as a DD, until I bought my 575M. The car wasn't all that happy in during the Las Vegas summers temp wise. It was a great way to pop my cherry on a V-12 Ferrari as a DD. The Capristo exhaust wouldn't let me sneak up on anybody.

The car got a lot of thumbs up, and was very understated compared to my 355 F1 GTS.

 

Although when you start shopping, for a car and have a very specific idea in mind, it pays to be a bit flexible in your thinking; a good car may come along with a combination you hadn't anticipated. I never thought I'd want a Grigio Ingrid car with a "three-toned interior"--this one had Couio dash, wheel and console inserts, Sabbia seats, headliner and parcel shelf and match-to-sample burnt sienna carpet (Scaglietti customizing program)--, but I saw it and loved it. Now, after living with it for 5 years, other more common combinations seem unimaginative.
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Wow that really is an unusual combination! Very special!

 

Thank you. "Unusual" and "special" can each mean a lot of different things!

 

http://formula-1-sport-cars.ebizautos.com/detail-2001-ferrari-456-gta-used-8347567.html

 

F1imports in Naples FL rebuilds 456 window regulators. Just google them.

 

Cars can change hands for a lot of reasons; not necessarily because it has mechanical problems. Many guys buy cars for the prestige/fantasy/imagined excitement factors and are disappointed or fickle and move on to something else. I've let lots of well-sorted cars go just because I got bored with them.

BTW, yesterday I drove the 456M 250 miles, from Portland to Olympia and back, visiting my daughter. Worked perfectly and the oil and water temp gauges spent the entire trip in between the 10 and 11 o'clock positions, even though the ambient temperature was low 80's (I was moving at a fair clip, however).

 

I recently purchased a 97 - 456GTA Rosso Monza with Tan interior and I too recommend the car. It is a blast to drive around on a beautiful day. Always all smiles after every drive. I plan on driving this car 2-3 times a week. I find the 456 is one of the cheapest (not that the 456 is cheap in anyway) way to get into a V12. It was the easiest purchase decision for me with pricing at almost fully depreciated. I recommend having the car sorted out before taking delivery. It's easier that way.

Cheers!

 

So you've fallen in love with a 456? Go get one and use it as DD.
For all the horror stories, most of us just drive, and drive, and drive them without nothing more than usual stuff.

I bought a M almost 2 years ago and have driven 26000 km since. Apart from a very uncommon issue (see my post about torsional damper) the rest has been gas in the tank and air in the tires.

Last week I went to Silverstone for the Guinness World Record. A number of other 456 to be seen and lots, but really lots of F cars. A thousand of them to be precise. But what an experience! It was really the place to be. Lining up for the parade immersed in a sea of Ferraris was just out of this world. Look, a Ferrari! No, a 1000 Ferraris!

Cars will go wrong from time to time, get over that. Ferraris are not better or worse than others (I'd bet they're on the plus side if anything). The issue is that most are garage queens and when not driven, bugs and gremlins get in.

Everyone will tell you; the more you drive, the better it gets.

Look for a specimen with regular usage, not too low mileage and clean records. Start easy and drive it as if it was new. Get to know and feel it. This is a unique car. Best looks ever. Engine so strong you can keep it in 3rd gear around town and use 4th on the highway from very slow to speeding ticket. So powerful it can be embarrassing. I just can't get enough of driving it.

I went for a 3 pedal because I wanted the pleasure of the real thing. I was also looking at the investment value as I believe autos will depreciate more.

Take a look at and test drive a couple before jumping. You'll get to know where to look for signs of wear or lack of care. Windows are known issue but most can be solved by careful alignment. The rear glass guide is not strong enough and when the door is open and window up you can check if there is radial play or slack. The whole mechanism is subpar for this type and price of car, and was greatly improved in the 612.

Good luck.