Looking to send the 400 off to a good home :)

Kraig
I owned a '67 Fulvia Zagato and a '74 Rally when I lived in Belgium. I hope you did a good inspection. The weak point is where the rear of the front sub-frame mounts to the body, just below and a bit in front of the door hinge point. Be sure it is solid around the big rubber bush!

My Zagato was slightly modified with flares and wider wheels. Paint was silver with black racing stripes. It turned heads, mainly women's.

My Rally got modified one night by me when I rolled her over. I converted it to a rally car and was very successful and won a Flemish championship with it.

Good luck with them. Any question PM me; I have a shop manual for the '74.
Ken

 

I guess we have to wait for 1-1/2 hours for the flurry of bids to come in. You're in good company with the Ferraris that are ending during this period.

 

so??? what happened?

 

Checked the link to e-bay and saw the final bid of $18,600.99 Would $18,601 have done it?

 

I do not get it, parts cars go for 13K ( hail damaged Texas car) and engines go for 8 to 10K so how come a car that just completed a 5,000 mile trip looks good and is well sorted bidding stalls out a little above parts car Price?

 

Doesn't make sense, I know.

Red 400's seem to have a tougher time if it in the resale market. Who would have thought a RED Ferrari would take a hit?

A 5,000 mile trouble free trip tells you everything you need to know about this car doesn't it?

 

@ $18,600., reserve wasn't met yet. , he probably set it above $20k. I recently watched a '94 512 TR (Black/Tan) w/9600mi. go to the winning bidder @$91K & change with a Buy it Now of $99,500. & reserve was met @ $90k more then 20 min. before auction end. Kraig had his listed in this sites ads for $24,900.

 

Ebay is a terrible place to sell anything of real value. It is a dumping ground. I know because I buy there all the time and resell at higher prices in better-controlled venues, venues in which buyer perception is different. Ferrari 400s' No. 1 problem is buyer perception, wherever they are sold. Hence, selling them on Ebay is the absolute worst thing you can do for yourself and for the model in general. I'm sure you have a very nice car and I'm sorry you're having problems getting rid of it, but I must add that all this public wringing of hands makes matters worse yet, for you and anyone else wanting to sell one. Make sure you don't share the doubts of potential buyers. Be patient. Set a high price on your car and sell the damn thing. It's a 12 cylinder Ferrari with a bulletproof motor and a history of responsible maintenance, for God's sake.

 

Don't let that 'reserve' amt. get out!
High mileage maybe?
Does onyone know if 'Buy it Now' option incl. has any effect (and amt. set)? I remember Dave mentioning that if too low of $$ shown, people wonder.
Also remember some mentioning how last year or so, lots of 400s were out there for sale, then in the recent past it seemed like there weren't any. Just before your auction, 2-3 400s came on the auction block. One of them ('84'-26,500mi.) listed $25,000. start bid (@ that $$, reserve not met!), maybe watch these (bid history) to the end & with their track record, yours might look more appealing depending if they're sold (& price). I'm not certain of the mind genre in the auction world. Maybe some others will chime in here with hints or suggestions.

 

The mind 'genre' in the auction world is the herd mentality. Think of potential buyers as a herd of wildebeasts (thatmay be mispelled) that spooks and rushes madly away at the slightest hint of anything suspicious, such as low starting prices, a hint of uncertainty in the seller's description, relistings on Ebay (you get one shot on Ebay, after that, you are dead meat there and just about everywhere else.). If I were selling my car, which I'm not, I'd use one of the established auto auction houses where it would be surrounded by good examples of other marques. I'd get myself an elegantly written, confident catalog description of my car that really shows why these are special: great motors, limited production, straightforward mechanicals, a 'bygone' era of Ferrari-ness. I'd set a strong but not otherworldly reserve and try to make somebody feel lucky to buy my Ferrari. That's it.

 

Kraig,

Your 400i is begining to be almost irresistable, if you were in Michigan, I don't think, I could hold out and live without it.

I hope you find a good home for it soon, as I don't think I can hold out too much longer.

I'll send you a PM. If I have the nerve!

Ciao...Paolo

 

+1!

 

The gentlemen (and or women) seem to know quite a bit about the 400i and 412 in this thread. Would anyone mind telling me if it would be a good daily driver. I live about 15 miles from work and would have a car seat in the back. I don't mind turning wrenches once in a while, but not every weekend. Thoughts fellas???

 

The engine will not even be warmed upin 15 miles. If you had a 50 mile commute, and a knowledgeable Ferrari mechanic then I would say yes.


Regards,

Art S.

 

Thanks for the honesty Art...assuming a Mondial would be the same?

 

+1
You'll think the oil temp gauge is broken all the time because the needle will always sit on the peg to the left.

 

arts, i purchased a 400i from ocean city md in march. good car. i drive 4 miles round trip to work. use car twice a week, so far so good. tune up was 5000, by the way.

 

Lets see. I have a 38 mile commute and Dave Helms shop is across the parking lot. If I only had $20k burning a hole in my pocket!

 

I feel that is a slight exaggeration. On my car, the needle moves off the stop on the temperature gauge after about 5 miles in warm weather. I'd say you'd be fine on your commute, bjhunt1975.

Aidan

 

I'd say slight....just keep the revs down and shift slow & easy till .....how does one keep the needle on the peg in the heat of Houston?