Ferrari 400i & Mondial questions | FerrariChat

Ferrari 400i & Mondial questions

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by phantom850, Oct 10, 2004.

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  1. phantom850

    phantom850 Rookie

    Oct 10, 2004
    1
    St. Augustine, FL
    Full Name:
    Bren
    Hello all. I am new to the board. I am looking to pick up a 400i or a Mondial(need the 2+2 with my toddler). I have searched the archives for maintainence issues on these cars, but i dont see consistent answers.
    What are the main issues with these cars? I know the 400i is chain driven, so i thought the costs to drive would be much less. i realize the parts are very expensive, but that is to be expected.
    Which of the two models is more reliable? I am looking to drive it alot, like 15k a year. i also have a bmw 850ci, and i do alot of my own work on the cars.
    any posts or leads on for sale cars would be greatly appreciated.
    cheers-
    phantom
     
  2. 400SPYDER

    400SPYDER F1 Rookie

    Jul 7, 2004
    3,473
    Kent, England
    Full Name:
    kevan
    As a fairly newbie here myself - my first advice is fill in your profile a bit more! Other Fchatters tend to like to know a little bit more about who the're talking to.

    Secondly as you might guess, from my user name, I started off thinking about a 400i as well, albeit a convertible - click on 400SPYDER and follow my early posts is probably easiest.

    Car turned out not to be a good 'un, after I had a good Ferrari independent do a PPI so I walked away. My requirements for the family were the same as yours, but I also wanted a convertible/cabriolet - so the next obvious choice was a Mondial which I have now bought, within the last two months.

    I suggest you just limit search to 400i or Mondial and see what comes up. The advanced search lets you look in this section of the forum only, which is why you've made a good start. You can also search for specific posts rather than through whole threads.

    See how you get on - if you need any more info. post back and I'll see what I can do.

    Good luck.

    Cheers Kevan
    :) See you down the road - with huge grins on our faces :)
     
  3. snj5

    snj5 F1 World Champ

    Feb 22, 2003
    10,213
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Russ Turner
    There are some great threads on 'daily drivers' as well as Mondial, 400 nad even look at 330 GT 2+2 if you like classics that cover family usage. Personally, I bought my Mondial 3.2 for a 3yoand drove her around Europe and the US in the back seat. Certainly smaller than a 400, and a little less costly to run and maintain.
    best, and welcome
    rt
     
  4. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2003
    13,477
    Never home
    Full Name:
    Dr. Dumb Ass
    I basically own one of each (the 365 started the 400 series). The moon dog is a more basic car and is cheaper to run. Basically more of a go cart compared to the bigger GT experience of the 365. The V12 is a totally different experience and is fantastic on the highway. In the curves, you will chicken out before the car does, they just feel big and heavy (but solid).

    The 400's are great cars, but there are alot of unloved dogs on the market. The Mondials always seem to be slightly better maintained. In either case, buy the best one you can find, because they do get expensive to put right.

    Drive both and see what you like best. If I thought they were the same, I would have one of each.
     
  5. boxerboy2

    boxerboy2 Rookie

    Feb 8, 2004
    31
    Buy a nice 3.2 or T Mondial. My 3.2 could be driven coast to coast today and I would not even think twice about whether or not the car would make it.
     
  6. Smiles

    Smiles F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 20, 2003
    16,601
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Full Name:
    Matt F
    I've posted it here before, and I'll probably post it again.

    Consider a 330 2+2. In my opinion, they look much better than 400-style bodies. They make very similar sounds, but are much more simple (and therefore cheaper) to work on, because they have single camhafts per cylinder banks, and regular downdraught carbs. You'll give up an independent rear suspension, but I'm not sure you'll miss it very much. Did I mention 300bhp?
     

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