HELP - buying a used Ferrari California

Crema leather shows marks easily and it will probably be less robust than BMW leather

No a normal car wash is not ideal - there are specialists

10 000 miles is better than 100 miles

Talk to a main dealer in the first instance to get a feel for the cars - also their warranty (Ferrari Approved) will be better even if the car is out of original warranty - can't recall if its 3 or 4 years in the UK

A couple of years ago the 7 year servicing plan was introduced

Beyond that just look thro some of the threads here

There were a few extra options from 2010 such as stop/start which may or may not be desirable.....

 

Sorry to learn of the theft of your 6-Series. It must be a major hassle.

Greyboxer has provided excellent suggestions but I just want to also suggest washing the car yourself if possible.

Washing your own car is like doing a physical exam where you can keep an eye out for damage or issues you might need to address immediately to maintain the value of the car, especially if you live and park downtown where spaces are tight and driving experiences are not ideal. I used to live downtown. Detailers are more thorough with detailing but they won't necessarily warn you of small problems as they don't want owners to accuse them of the damage.

And then, sometimes detailers themselves do make mistakes.

 

Being a newer California owner, I went through some of the same issues and questions you have. In my experience, owning a Ferrari is as different from owning another car as owning an older Blackberry is from owning a smartphone; more complex, more personal attention, and much more rewarding.

Re care of the car, I had mine detailed to bring it back to (and beyond) new appearance, and then I care for it myself. I stopped washing my own cars decades ago, but am loathe to think about having someone else drive my Ferrari through a wash, or to let someone else mess with the exterior or interior. I found the autogeek.net forum, which is where detailers chat like we do here. I found a wealth of info about what to do and not to do, and their insight about products and processes (I learned about all the mistakes I made, and why things turned out as crappy as they did...). In short, garage the car, and do the wash yourself. I invested in a blower to air dry the car, also- works great, and I get no swirls or marks from the drying process. I've even started to wash my other cars, so I'm saving some cash beyond that spent to care for my F-Car.

As you will discover, Ferrari doesn't generally "include" anything, but does offer extended warranties for cars less than a decade old. They are expensive, and some feel the cost isn't worth it. I have a 2012, the first year they included 7 years of routine service along with the 3-year warranty. I am not certain yet if I'll get the extended warranty (about $4-5K US) but may do so. The included service is a great benefit, and will save thousands for the next several years.

Re miles, I'd look for low miles, but not no miles. I believe that any car wants and needs to be driven, and it's a sin to let such a great car waste away in the garage. As great as the car looks, the kinesthetic feel of the car in motion is one of the unique experiences of life. There's nothing like the sound of the exhaust, and feeling the blast of acceleration as you bang through the gears (even with DCT). A car with no miles might have issues no one would know until it is driven; for a 2009-2010, I might look at something with at least 2-3K to ensure the car works as intended, and that the fluids, tires and other parts haven't just been left unused. I'm confident others might disagree, so it is just my perspective.

The first few months of driving it are filled with trepidation, though, as you get used to parking further away from your destination to get a spot where others won't "hurt" your car, planning a dinner out based on their valet services, etc. I'm getting beyond those issues now, and enjoy the car more every day. It is the only car I've found that brings its own entertainment- I have yet to set the radio or clock. I just enjoy the ride.

Do lots of research and read this board. Feel free to ask questions; most people here are quite helpful, and almost all of them will give you their candid response without editorial commentary. Read the reviews on the various car sites, also, to see if the car is for you. Consider your envisioned uses & think about how it matches the car's advantages (for instance, in the UK, the convertible might not be as big an issue as it is for me in Southern California, etc.) & if you want to commit to the things incumbent in owning a Ferrari.

Regards, Bob H

 

Excellent post Bob..agree 100%.

 

I had a black Cali with Creme leather. If you are using the car everyday and will be wearing suit trousers and jeans the leather will discolour however with regular cleaning it can be kept clean. If you do not want to clean on a regular basis then get a dark interior.

My 09 plate did have a number of problems that were fixed with later cars. I now have a 12 plate and the car certainly seems more complete. Thereofre I would get as later reg as possible.

You get 4 year Ferrari warranty with a UK car, 3 years plus a bonus year. So again the later the car the better.

I would suggest getting an understanding of the options available for the Cali before you purchase. My 09 plate was pretty well speced, however it did have a number of features I would have liked such as front parking sensors and cruise control. If you go to the Ferrari.com web site you can use the configuration to see all the options available.

I would suggest the you buy from an authorised dealer. in both cases with my cars there were small problems that i got them to sort after i purchased the car you will also have peace of mind that they will help sort any problems. Also, it is worth travelling to get the right car. For both my cars I bargained hard and agreed a price on the phone before travelling to see the cars.

Hope this helps.

 

Just to add an approved car from a main dealer will have a minimum 2 Year warranty irrespective of age. I've owned a very early '09 car and currently have a mid 2010, no problems with either

 

I have a 2010 Nero/Cuoio Cali. I drive with the top down about 90% of the time and I find that the rear seats collect dust and need to be wiped down 1-2 a month. Not difficult to do but a darker color would certainly show less dirt. The tradeoff is a dark interior would be much hotter with top down. The options I appreciate the most are scuderia shields, painted calipers, 20" diamond finished rims, front (and rear) parking sensors, fully electric Daytona seats. The options I miss are Homelink and Ipod adaptor. Not sure why Homelink isn't standard when it has been on all my other cars but I've learned to use my garage door clicker. Love the Ipod adaptor on my BMW which allows me to scroll playlists using iDrive but have taken advantage of downloading music to the California's hard drive.

I bought my car from a friend with 1 year left on the OEM 3 year warranty. Servicing has been excellent, I had an issue with the undercarriage harness making a clicking sound on hard cornering, both were replaced under warranty. Other than that minor nuisance, the Cali has been problem free and I have enjoyed driving her about 3-4 times a week for the past 1.5 years. I elected to take advantage of the Fidelity package which cost $10500 and includes 2 years of Power Cube Warranty (the most comprehensive extended warranty through FNA) and 2 years of annual servicing. This was relatively new last November when my Cali turned 3, I paid around $150 to have the car inspected and qualified for the extended warranty, in turn when the 3 year servicing took place a couple months later, it was much cheaper because a lot of the inspection was done to qualify for the Power Cube.

 

Do you have a part number? Is this something that requires dealer installation?

 

No part number. The cost of the ipod lead is £204.00inc vat from my dealer. It does need dealer instal.

 

I always negotiate the price. I got a few thousand off my first Cali and I got 16K off the original asking price when I purchased my new Cali and both were from authorised dealers.

Remember if you don't ask, then you won't get.

If you have no car to part exchange even better. Put in a cheeky offer. The worst that can happen is that they will so no.

 

Xin, I would take it to a public self-wash centre instead. I'm attaching a Google shot of one (Morrions gas station) in Queensbury, NW of downtown, near Kingsbury. Not sure if this is a good or safe area but you would be able to check it out, being a local.

So if I were doing it for my car in London, I would just make a small outing of it every week, take my chammy, sponges, waxes, cleaners...etc. in a small bucket, put them in a large clear plastic garbage bag. After the cleanup, I'd drive to a nice but casual restaurant on the outskirts (selecting an interesting route), wash my hands in the loo and then have a nice lunch. Whip over to a nearby park, have a stroll, relax and then drive home before traffic starts up again.

This is sort of what I used to do with my Beemer when I lived in the US.
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It's much better to find cars with the OEM factory-installed units. You should just stick to cars that were made with them - the backup camera is also a must-have.

I was once interested to buy a F430 Spider but soon discovered most of the ones on the resale market had no parking sensors. When I inquired about installation with a backup camera, the reply was not encouraging... $2,500 to $3,000 for F+R sensors with a backup camera. The F430 did not have navigation so they would have had to install a screen as well and find somewhere to place it in the car. This was from a non-Ferrari dealer.

I think most buyers new to expensive sports cars don't realize what a nightmare they are to park in public areas, let alone at home so they don't necessarily ask for sensors and cameras. The older F430, F360 coupes are also often tracked and not really daily drivers due to their "sound effects" so buyers don't worry about parking in a high class shopping centre where you can still damage the paint with a slight touch to the backwall or car in front.

As Ferrari migrates their marketing to the mainstream DD market, they have to make these practical items more standard.

The other potential downside is that the garage has to make holes in the bumpers to attach the sensors and camera and this creates a corrosion issue and affects your warranty. On a Ferrari, unless the dealer provides written commitment to honour the factory warranty afterwards, simply don't do it.

 

Er, I think that should have been MORRISONS, not Morrions and the jet wash appears to be around the corner from the gas station, probably not part of the gas station.

These places are usually fully-automated, 24/7 self-service and some provide rinsing with distilled water (extra cost) so you don't get water spots. After rinsing thoroughly you just drive the car at a good pace and it dries without spots.

Of course, you also have a lot of photo-radars in the UK so you'd probably have to find a highway.

 

Rear parking sensor are standard on all Cali's as they are used when the roof is lowered to ensure that the roof will not hit anything.

You do not want to go down the aftermarket install.

 

It is also worth asking for the Modis sheet for any car you are interested in purchasing from a main dealer.

The Modis sheet lists all the options for the car, the start and finish of the warranty (also note at the bottom of the Modis sheet is the additional 1 year power cube warranty for UK cars) as well as other details.

The warranty starts from the delivery date at the dealership. I have come across cars that are ex demo and have sat in the dealership for 6 months before being registered, so you could get an 11 plate that should have 3 years warranty but may only have 2.5 years.

Some dealers do not show all the options fitted in their AutoTrader adverts.

It is also worth contacting dealers directly by phone as they may have cars in stock that are not shown on AutoTrader or the like.

 

A very interesting observation! I need to check that when I get my car.