Testarossa Buyers Checklist

you may specify more what TR you mean? there are testarossa, 512 TR and 512 M.

problems: most electrical problems comes from the fusebox, then the "normal electrical gremlins", differential, CIS when long time not used

when you still know some big issues then write here and start the list you wish to read. I´m sure others here will help. I also not have seen until now such a list. only may read all the posts ( very time consuming ) and make notes

 

I don’t think having a list of potential problems will help all that much. They are old cars at this point and will need extra care mainly dependent on how they were treated. The condition of the car is certainly the single most important factor. You may have some idea of what some of the common problems but they may or may not impact you for some time. I’ve had my car since 2018 and have had zero problems outside of routine maintenance. So if I would have listened to all of the problems it would not have left me any any more prepared for the purchase. Depending upon my resolve to get one it may of just led to believe they are way to problematic and that is far from being the case. But I know at some point some of these weak points may cause a problem. I’m not real worried at this point. I have a really really good mechanic. Decide on a year and then pick the best cared for car out of the bunch and you most likely won’t have many problems. That’s my opinion. They are great cars considering how old they are. If you have specific questions about a car this group can provide excellent guidance on what to look out for.

 

I own one, was factory trained on them and wok on them for a living. The biggest issue by a huge degree is poor quality service. In an attempt to save money. So many have been taken to shops that have no business working on a Ferrari and that includes some of the dealers. That poor quality work involves the entire car. Cars that have a life of quality work are getting scarce.

 

Sadly, as far as my experience, this ^^ applies to just about any and all older vintage cars, not just Ferraris and as time goes by, worse it's getting.

 

Worse still it is not just vintage cars. Its just as cars get older there is more and more evidence of it.

I am just starting a major on a TR for a recent owner. I just emailed him a 3 page list of items badly or poorly done at prior services that I need to fix.

Some are totally butchered electrical fixes that I cannot possibly estimate.

 

Sorry to hear/read, but somehow comforting(?) to know I'm not alone with these kinds of challenges.

 

People just need to know this is now the norm. It is just not unusual where during the repairs we often end up with double the bill we expected going in.
I try to tell people this is what is expected when you do not buy the best car available. And it is not just this bill. It will never be as good a car as could have been bought. It will never pencil out value wise. Take a $80,000 TR put $25,000 into it and you have an $85,000 car.

 

I know.
I'm neck deep in a restoration (for a client) of a (non-Ferrari) car that if/when finished will cost $300K+ (at minimum), while the best example in the world of identical car could likely be bought for less than $100K, which is what already has been spent so far.
And I've done several similar projects in past 30+ years.

 

This was almost the verbatum advice given by mechanic when I first started to shop for a car. Needless to say I was able to find a top level car. I too have learned that you really don’t want to go down the road of getting a cheaper car and then try to bring it up to a 10. That is a recipe for an endless money pit and still you are left with a les

 

I have a greater understanding of it with a complete restoration. When done its to his standard and by his guy. I had a client in California, a collector who had a saying. "I don't mind patina, it just needs to be my patina". If it is rare or limited production it may be impossible to find what he wants so he has you build it for him. It needs to be a labor of love because it is financially dumb but we have all done dumb things for cars.

 

But you know it was (finally) done right

https://ferraris-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/SCM_200807_SS_Pg_1_Im_01.jpg

 

… and after 40+ years of those, I’ll continue doing more for mine, probably until I die or run out of money.

 

This time.

What about the other 29 years of butchered repairs remaining? Short of total restoration there is no undoing that history.

 

Absolutely. And that's if the restoration is done right.

 

MMM I have a friend with a 91 TR he is going to put up forsale. Engine out service just completed and new clutch assembly 2 months ago. Red- tan with 24,000 miles. Books, tools, sold new from Continental Ferrari, Hinsdale, Ill.