Let me state that I am much less of an expert than most people on this site, but wanted to share some of my experience. Make sure you drive the car as others suggested. I got a spyder with high miles last fall. It had a lot of owners but overall decent car, which needs a major this year and a few other things. I decided not to pursue a really nice car so I would rive it without any "regrets" and just enjoy it. Accordingly I got a really good deal. I also agree with the PPI which you already did (first time I did not). I also had several Porsches including a GT3, GT4, 964, 996 C4 cab etc. They all need a fair amount of servicing and they are all expensive to maintain. Th only car I spent next to nothing was a V12 AM Carbon Edition. Less than $1000 in 3 years - drove it very sparingly as it was a collectors car (the reason I sold it - will regret forever). So, decide what are you willing to pay, what kind of car you want (on the scale of perfectness) and go for it. If this car has a sound remotely close to mine you will buy it after driving. BTW - keep the turbo if you can - vastly different car and tremendously enjoyable in its own right (and will increase in value). Good luck!
Well, after a lot of deliberation I decided to buy it! I'm going to have some service done at the shop it's at now and then have it shipped to Denver. Hoping it's a good solid car!
Got the Ferrari fever huh, can't think of anything else, think of it as you fall asleep, wake and think of it, can't work, spend all day googling Ferrari etc? Had my 348 for 2 years and I STILL do that. Well congrats, best of luck and welcome!
Thanks! I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions when the car gets here. Do these cars need to be parked on a battery tender like my Porsche? If so, what's the best way to connect? I know the battery isn't very accessible in this car.
Ohh you bet, 355 guys can say how they do it but I assume they run tender leads to terminals, dangle it out where it is accessible and plug in the tender to the plug. My tender came with that hard wore plug attachment but since mine is in the engine bay I just use the giant weed clamps ha ha.
mine has the leads connected and I just plug it in / disconnect as needed. It is the most convenient solution
Great forum, tons of help, I ran the search for you to illustrate. Dangle the leads out the access panel in the boot basically. https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/posts/142759411/
My suggestion, as your very next step, is to buy the Owner's Manual. Next step after that is to read it.
Nice! When I was looking, it was obvious most cars out there will need a little work up front. Spend a little money, get it sorted, drive and enjoy it
So far so good. I'm having F1 in Florida service the car so it's ready when it gets to Denver - making the ventilation manual so it just blows out at your face, oil change, repairing the caliper, brake flush, mini-cats for the race cats to fix the CEL etc. Hoping to have the car here in Denver in just a few weeks and I can't wait!
sweet it's a fun car just be prepared for all the dudes oggoling and talking to you about it any time you get gas. Total man magnet!
Congrats indeed! Hope to see you around Denver! If you haven't already checked out Dave @ Scuderia Rampante, get there. It's just down the street from me and they're sorting my 456
Thanks! I have spoken with Dave several times. I'm having some work done in Florida and then the car will be on its way to Denver! I'd love to get in with more of the Denver Ferrari owners groups.
Congrats, you're going to have a blast flying through the foothills. I miss that kind of driving now that I live in Florida. The battery tender will depend on how much you drive it, if I can remember I'll plug mine in. In my opinion, I like to think the alternator will last longer if I don't make it work as hard. But I've never had a dead battery even leaving it for a couple weeks. The battery is located in front of the passenger side wheel. Mine has the leads going from the battery to underneath the bonnet. So to plug it in, I have to pop the front hood, and the plug is right there by the headlight. you can pretty much find any information you need to know from the manual and this forum. Couple quick things to get you started, the nose is long and low, so angle yourselves of any inclines. Don't top off the gas, the sender could get stuck and show full indefinitely. The fuel door is on the driver side, and the solenoid gets stuck frequently. I always try to pop it before I get to the gas station so I don't look like an idiot trying to get it to open lol. The immobilizer automatically activates within about a minute of shutting off the car. So to restart, you always have to hit the unlock button again. Otherwise it will crank but not start. Oil level is supposed to be checked right after shutdown, but I found the best way is to check it once warm, while idling. Use gloves since the oil tank can be like 200°. Everything on this car can be DIY. you can spend a fortune going to shops and paying for diagnostic fees, or you can just buy a code reader and figure it out yourself using this form. Righty-tight Lefty Lucy. Lastly, any car like this will bring out the idiots and people. I remember driving it back after I bought it, a Prius cut in front of me and hit his windshield washers.
