How many miles can you put on a Ferrari per year? | FerrariChat

How many miles can you put on a Ferrari per year?

Discussion in 'North & South Carolina' started by ray@saf, Sep 8, 2007.

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  1. ray@saf

    ray@saf Rookie

    Sep 8, 2007
    2
    Hi -

    I'm interested in buying a Ferrari.
    Could I drive it everyday as if it was a normal car?
    I've been getting mixed results from the dealerships and individual owners.

    Thanks!

    Ray
     
  2. BrianC

    BrianC Formula Junior

    Apr 6, 2004
    908
    North Augusta, SC
    Full Name:
    Brian C
    Oh God, no! You can't drive these things.
    Go with a Porsche.
     
  3. rfking

    rfking Formula Junior

    Nov 16, 2003
    785
    Italy
    And if you drive them in the rain they rust before dark and fall apart during the night!
     
  4. mambodave

    mambodave Formula Junior

    Jun 3, 2005
    531
    Charlotte NC
    Full Name:
    Dave
    sure you can. cost is $5 a mile plus lots of speeding tickets
     
  5. HUTCH91TR

    HUTCH91TR F1 Rookie

    Nov 7, 2003
    2,894
    Charlotte, NC
    Full Name:
    Hutch

    $5 per mile is about right (12 cylinder Ferraris are a little bit more $$$... but who's counting?? :rolleyes: )

    And the tickets only come if you get caught :D
     
  6. mcf1race

    mcf1race Rookie

    May 21, 2007
    35
    Irvine
    Full Name:
    mark
    Man ENJOY your car! I know alot of people whos cars are garage queens which thats is there procative, but if you want to drive it, then just drive it! do you have a daily driver you can switch it up with?
     
  7. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Sep 15, 2004
    5,464
    VIR Raceway
    Full Name:
    Peter Krause
    I've put nearly 14K miles on an 18 year-old Mondial t in the past fifteen months. It's my only car (I have a Suburban that is used for towing the race cars). My repair expense has been a radiator fan switch, an air conditioner receiver/drier (to get the a/c going again the week I bought it) and two oil and filter changes with Castrol TWS 10W-60 Synthetic and the factory filter. Oh yes, I had to buy a set of tires. 18-20 mpg on the highway, 13-15 in town. Smiles per mile? Priceless!

    What was the question again? <grin>

    -Peter
    www.peterkrause.net
     
  8. ferraripete

    ferraripete F1 World Champ

    i agree w/ brian!
     
  9. Bob Zambelli

    Bob Zambelli F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,492
    Manning, SC
    Full Name:
    Robert G. Zambelli
    There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with using a Ferrari as an everyday driver - they were designed to be driven - PERIOD.

    When I serviced them for a living, the owners with the fewest problems were the the ones that drove them regularly.

    When I lived in Rochester and had my small repair business, my everyday driver was my 330 GTC* and for a short time, a Daytona and a 250 PF Coupe. My girlfriend's driver was a 308 GT/4 and then a Mondial QV.

    Other than the salty winter months, we drove our cars to work most every day - rain or shine. Also, to the supermarket, various parties and picnics and driving the cat (Enzo) to the vet)

    We also took them on vacations and to track events - two or three days of hard driving on the track and then drive them to work Monday morning.

    Bob Z.

    * I still have the 330 and it now has around 160,000 miles on it. I still use it a lot but not as much as before - the reason being is that I'm not that comfortable driving in S/E PA.
     
  10. Europeanroadandracing

    Europeanroadandracing South Carolina
    Professional Ferrari Technician

    Dec 19, 2003
    2,228
    Isle of Palms, SC
    Full Name:
    Karl Troy
    A car is like a human body. If you aren't active, things start falling apart, especially when you do get active. I have always enjoyed owning cars with higher miles provided they had good service history. That way you also don't get sucked into the low mileage dilemma that keeps you from enjoying it because of resale values taking a dive. My first Diablo I owned i put 16k on it in one year(plus i ran it on a dirttrack)
    My TR saw 20k in the first year I owned it. @ different parties have owned the car since then and I still keep it going for him.
    If you are buying the car to drive then do so without concern. They can handle it.

    Karl

    www.europeanroadandracing.com
     
  11. rfking

    rfking Formula Junior

    Nov 16, 2003
    785
    Italy
    Same here - 10,000+ on my 3.2 Mondial Cab in the last 15 months. By far the most expensive thing has been keeeping the A/C running in top form. Otherwise - tires and oil changes
     
  12. BrianC

    BrianC Formula Junior

    Apr 6, 2004
    908
    North Augusta, SC
    Full Name:
    Brian C
    I think everyone is nuts! These things are meant to be polished and admired in a climate controlled garage. They should only be taken out on a beautifully sunny day with backup in case it leaves you on the side of the road.
     
  13. mambodave

    mambodave Formula Junior

    Jun 3, 2005
    531
    Charlotte NC
    Full Name:
    Dave
    yeah i agree... One day I got caught in the rain in my 308 and it started to melt.
     
  14. Europeanroadandracing

    Europeanroadandracing South Carolina
    Professional Ferrari Technician

    Dec 19, 2003
    2,228
    Isle of Palms, SC
    Full Name:
    Karl Troy
    Your 308 must be sweet.

    Karl
     
  15. Bob Zambelli

    Bob Zambelli F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,492
    Manning, SC
    Full Name:
    Robert G. Zambelli
    How many miles??????????????????

    As many as you want!!! These cars are so nice to drive that you may want to use them every day.

    If its a 308 or 328, you can't go wrong using it.
    A vintage V-12 is a fine everyday driver.

    If you buy a Ferrari and turn it into a "garage queen", you're really just saving it for the next owner.

    Don't let old wives tales of frequent high cost maintenance scare you.
    You would be pleasantly surprised at how much you can do yourself.

    The usual items - oil & filter change, spark plugs, brakes, clutch adjustment, other fluid changes, belts ALL can be done by anyone with a good basic automotive knowledge.

    Rumors of ridiculously frequent fluids and parts changes are just that - RIDICULOUS.

    A Ferrari, or any car for that matter, is done an injustice if locked away in a garage to "protect my investment" or some similar nonsense.

    Drive and enjoy - you won't regret it!!!

    Bob Z.
     
  16. marcmc8867

    marcmc8867 Formula Junior

    Jul 27, 2004
    997
    NC
    Full Name:
    Marc M.
    I have an '01 360 Spider F1 and have put right at 9k miles on it in 9 months of ownership. Nothing to be nervous about as long as you tend to the maintenance!
     
  17. rbf41000

    rbf41000 Formula Junior

    Nov 21, 2005
    676
    Charlotte NC
    Full Name:
    Russell
    David
    That was just the 28 layers of zymol melting off.


    Russell
     
  18. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,352
    Indian Wells, California
    Full Name:
    Jon
    Nice! Stick a challenge grille on it and instant 360. :)
     
  19. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,352
    Indian Wells, California
    Full Name:
    Jon
    Welcome to FChat. All sarcasm aside, my 328 has been a reliable car. However, when it does go in for service it's not always a one-day deal like mass-produced cars. Sometimes this is because parts have to be special ordered from out of town or (rarely) out of the country. Sometimes it's because my Ferrari tech has a steady of queue of cars in his shop. Either way, I bought the car knowing that an older Ferrari will have some downtime. (I guess I wouldn't count on any 21-year old car as my main ride, come to think of it...)

    The answer to your question depends on which Ferrari model you buy. The 550/575/599/612 are more modern, 'normal' cars with creature comforts, effective a/c, decent boot space, etc. The mid-engined sports cars -- Boxer, 308/328, Testarossa, 348/355, 360/430 -- are loud and fun, don't carry much stuff, have less ground clearance and in the case of the older models need to be warmed up properly before a drive. They also tend to attract a lot of attention, which can be fun or inconvenient depending on the setting. With proper maintenance, and if you don't care about depreciation, I think any of them could be a daily driver, but you have to be OK with the usual dings and scrapes of normal car life.

    I keep mine for weekend drives and shows. A lot of the driving I do during the week is 2-3 mile errand running, going to the gym, parking at the airport, etc. -- generally hard on a car. I prefer to waste my daily drivers on this and then get rid of those. They're easy to replace, because I always want something newer anyway. The Ferrari is probably a keeper. Older is better in Ferraris, IMO, and anything much older than a 308 is out of my 'car cash' budget right now.

    However I know a guy here in San Diego who uses a Lotus Elise as his daily. So, anything's possible.
     

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