How about pictures of famous people in Dino's (dead or alive) Or have we had that one?
Only that arrogant *ss would sit on the hood of a Ferrari, never liked the man? or his music now this............
i read this yesterday, and did not post, but the more i thought about it, the more i agree with your excellent post. the expense and value of the car does have a large effect on how it is used by 99% of owners. it is reckless to be rough with an exotic, but there is a time and place when they can be savored and enjoyed for what they were made for. shame how so many cars are being driven less and less, and that the younger generations don't value the same cars we do. few of the younger guys care anything about older Ferrari's or muscle cars. they will vote with their wallets when they are older, and we will see what cars are still valuable icons, and those that are not.
My thoughts on the "younger guys" who "thecarreaper" mentions below. I have a friend who is a well known restorer of vintage Ferraris and other classics in the PacificNW. I gave his son a ride in my Dino and he thought it was cool. I asked him what Ferraris interest him and while he clearly appreciated the older cars his dad has owned and/or worked on, he said he would like a 360 Modena some day and would "mod" it with different wheels. While n=1 research is always dangerous, here are my conclusions from his comments and other GenY kids I've talked to about Ferraris: 1) The new desire to "mod" cars is nothing new. While my generation (I'm 41) was not that into modding (we had posters of 288 GTOs and Countachs on our dorm room walls) but the practice of modding has come and gone a number of times in preceding generations of car enthusiasts. 2) We imprint on the cars which are visible and current to our generation around the time we are ready to drive. I think I got hooked on the Dino when I was about 14. Today's generation will be imprinting on 430s, 599s and the like and there are a lot more of them on the road to imprint on! 3) The appeal of earlier Ferrari models will no doubt be fuelled if/when they get to buy the Ferrari they imprint on. Some kid who buys a 430 Scuderia 15 years from now may find himself lusting after a 512TR ones he starts going to Ferrari events and sees them. After showing my Dino at FCA events, my interest in 250 and 275 series Ferraris grew. Knowledge is a dangerous thing! The big question for me is how serviceable will a 15 year old 430 Scuderia be when a Gen Y is old enough to afford one? There will probably be more cars to choose from but were they built for a long life and will people want to restore them? I've got a 2.5 year old and an 8 month old. The 2.5 year old thinks my Dino is the bomb but I'm not sure what he will think of it when he's 14. ...Keith
Search for Dino Saga 060326 - (http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99252&highlight=dino+saga+plugs) After checking out John's comparo (complete with pictures), I switched to BPR7EIX @ .025" gap. I haven't put a lot of miles on since the change, but have done a fair amount of idling and low RPM work while dialing in the carbs after rebuilding them. No fouling and easy starting. I'm running the stock Dinoplex/points/coil/new Cavis wires. Coop
johnvwatts, I see that you are already in touch with John C. via his recent thread, "Idle Speeds?" Plugs are discussed there. Coop
Yeah, in hindsight the Dino to 360 transition... not sure about that "upgrade". Of course I didn't buy a Daytona when they were $200K, so what do I know...
More and more FC input today is about valuation and increased auction results and less about technical stuff and driving related issues....a bit unfortunate if you ask me, but historical wise that might solve it self over time when / if the down slope starts. Regards Peter
Guilty as charged; I am a lurker, who rarely posts. Somehow, I felt compelled to respond to this post. I hope those of you who are kind enough to post won’t stop. All the lurkers, like me, read and enjoy. I share the following in response to some of the posts: 1. Time/Knowledge – With young kids, etc., my “car” time is a bit limited. In addition, I don’t have the technical expertise and most of my work is completed by a mechanic. However, the posts help me to be a better customer. I spend my “car” time driving, not tinkering but value the time I spend reading. 2. Love Your Posts – I read your posts, with great interest. I follow restorations – bless you OMGJON. I learn many things – thank you Matthias and others who provide incredible data. I enjoy sightings and love seeing other cars – especially those who drive them! One of my favorite recent posts was “I Drove My Dino Today – Did You?” 3. Value – Many Dinos are languishing in collections because they were purchased as part of a tax free exchange after somebody sold a $3m (or more) F car and needs to purchase cars to avoid taxes. These guys are not driving, repairing or enjoying their cars in the way that many of you do. It’s also hard to argue that at $500k+, driving habits have changed. In recent months, I was offered 3X my purchase price for my car. In fairness, I discussed selling it with my wife. When I brought up the subject, she looked at me like I had three heads; she’s the greatest. In fact, she commented that she thought I would one day leave it to our sons. 4. Driving – While the collector market has changed the Dino world and many Dinos don’t get out of the garage, mine does. I drive it often. I park it in parking lots (OK, in the back, away from other cars), while I’m at dinner. I take my sons to their ball games, music lessons, etc. in the Dino. I am confident that this helps their appreciation grow and that they will always remember taking “fun” cars to their various functions. It’s a kind of bonding. 5. Younger Generation – I have two sons, 8 & 13. They’ve learned (and continue to learn) to appreciate vintage cars. I’m lucky and have a few “fun” cars in the garage. The Dino is the favorite, by far. When deciding which car to take, they always choose the Dino. They see the Dino as being much cooler than modern sports cars. I believe the hobby is alive and well with the younger generation. 6. Limited Choices – My kids would love an obnoxiously colored Lambo or F car in the garage. But if you purchase a modern care, you’re buying an automatic (call it what you want). My most modern car is a 550 Maranello, the last F car to be manufactured exclusively with a manual transmission. I can’t imagine getting the same visceral experience from an F1 or E gear car. I love driving and have no interest in a two pedal car. 7. Posting – While most of you are very kind, there seems to be little tolerance for those new to the forum or not in the know. Sure, there are old threads on various subjects and some things have been discussed beyond the realm of necessary, but nobody will post if they are made to feel badly for doing so. 8. dtortoise3 – I’d love to have your kit, jack, etc. Please let me know if you want it to have a good home. I don't show my car, but would love to have the whole package. So there you have it, my $0.02. Bottom line, please keep posting.
It's all about the money now, right? These cars are $400K investments, no longer are they $40K fun cars, and that changes the complexion of the conversation. It seems to me that when cars start to hit these kinds of numbers, the ownership mentality goes from, "Gee, these are great driver cars" to "Gee, will these prices hold out, are we in a bubble, how much is insurance, wow tires are expensive." It becomes about the dollars, and not the cars, and that's too bad. It's also one of the reasons I sold mine the last time the numbers bumped up. I had a willing buyer who would love the car, and I had a car that was worth too much in my world to drive the way I wanted to. Perhaps this will happen again. Guys with big bucks will buy them and start driving them again. But I doubt it. D
ha, look who started the thread 6 years ago. I think the trend was starting well before 6 years ago, but there are owners with a passion of 10 out of 10 who live, breathe, and post about their model. Then there are collectors with a passion 6 of 10 who post occasionally about a show and often about the values. They don't post as much about just the Dino as previous owner, but if you add up their posts about Dino, 430 Scud they bought, 911 S, thinking about vintage 12, their 35 footer, their European vacation, and their investment posts it adds up to about same as that one passionate old Dino owner.
I have nothing constructive to contribute. I'm only a shadetree mechanic. I'm not very interested in the nuances of the variations of the tags that hung from the radio knobs when first bought or the orientation of the screwheads on the radiator clamps. I have nothing to contribute to the value threads. My car is a nice driver, not a concours winner (although I just got second in class at Hilton Head Concours with Steve Barney judging). I have a lot of fun driving it every week but that doesn't make a good thread.
Hey less of the old, I may be struggling to get in the damn car now but I still enjoy the driving experience. Unfortunately crawling under the car to do general repairs is getting to be a chore. Brain and body not quite in tune anymore