I am selling my 97 355 Spider. I have it at the dealer for checkout prior to listing it. The last major was 7 years ago. The car has had 400 miles put on it in those 7 years. Currently about 13K total miles. The cost of the major at the dealer is 12,500. That plus new tires, etc, etc is going to push me close to 16-17K. Since Im selling it should I go through with the major or is that just pissing money away I'm not getting back in the sale???
To help decide .. tell us about the rest of car .. condition of interior paint color .. clutch etc The reason for these questions .. depending on some answers you may get diminishing returns Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
Car has been kept indoors since 2002 when i bought it. Car is in great condition. Top works fine. Clutch works fine. There is a couple of really small paint chips that can be fixed overall the paint is good. It's red with beige interior. 6 Speed.
In some ways, after spending 16-17K extra on your car, the question might be - would your car actually make you more than 16-17k extra after the sale? Fresh major, new tires might help you find a buyer quicker. Do keep in mind that there are guys out there looking for a car that is cheaper up front (especially one that is nice like yours) and one they can attend to when they want to spend the money on a major. For example, there might be a case where someone would prefer to buy your car cheaper and then take it to a good independent and get it all done for much less. Just thoughts. I wish you best of luck with the sale.
Good points. I was astonished at the cost of a major now. 7 years ago it was only 5500 from same dealer
I found it really interesting when Merlin Auto from GA offered a service deal of 50% off MSRP off a major. I wondered how they would make money. Now, I know. If a major at a dealer is 12,500 bare bones, then yep $6200 is about the real world going rate.
You absolutely do not have to spend that kind of money on a major. Shop around. That’s ridiculous. Give Dan at Bradan, the sponsor of this forum a call. They do a lot of majors for guys in the NYC area and I’m sure he can give you a price range for shopping purposes. He may be out of your geographical range.
Last few spiders I saw sell were in mid 60's to mid 70's. I don't think you will get that money back. Probably better off listing it for 75 as an example, waht ever number it is, and offering a 5K rebate for service in the add. Market it that way maybe. Other opinions may vary. Indie shops are 4K- 7K depending what you get done and what they find. Good luck!
I would start at a dealer / Indy car sales to get a wholesale price .. then factor the major .. all it ten k and maybe do a few small things at that time as well .. I don't know any great place in virigina .. but am sure many on here can help Once you calculate that .. look at the going prices on guru etc factoring a 10 to 20 discount on cars that would be similar to yours and see if it makes sense either to sell to private person as is at 10 to 15 over the wholesale price above or make pristine and sell (net) of 10 to 15 percent less than a comparable car in guru , autotrader , old Ferrari chat ads The concern is not to reach the price ceiling no matter how good the car is That all being said .. a pristine no story car with major and no accidents, stickys etc will fetch the most critical buyers who are willing to spend a little more not to so anything but drive This is consistent with the housing market Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
I get it. It wasn't what i was expecting to hear, that's for sure. I kinda like the idea of maybe offering 5K toward a major in the listing. Not exactly sure how to accomplish that or if I just end up discounting the price by 5K. I don't have any local shops that i know i would trust to replace the timing belt is the issue with trying to do the local thing.
I would be willing to give up 5k on my sales price target towards a major if it needs one. The idea of having a fresh major done and the car priced right has its advantages. There are first time fcar buyers out there (I was one) , and buying a car that is ready to go has its attraction to some. A basic major, without additional things like headers, clutches, etc. is approx 40 hours labor plus parts. Ricambi skit is about 1500 I think. There are plenty of indi shops you can call in your area. Don’t get soaked by the dealer for that kind of money. FYI. I bought your car with 18k miles and a fresh major 5 years ago.
dont do it. come to the right price as is and let the new buyer do the major where they like. you will save yourself from a bunch of headaches. after a ppi and a major done by shop of new owners choice you shld never get a phone call "hey what about this..."
I'll tell you where. 40 hours multiplied by $245 per hour. That is the going rate at a Ferrari dealer. While I do think $12K is high, the Ferrari parts are getting expensive as hell too.
$245 per hour? I did not know this was the rate. Sounds crazy but I’ll believe it. Ricambi has the 355 service kit for $1700 and that includes Hill tensioners. How much do the same parts cost Ferrari dealer internally?
This a tough call. From a pure sales side, you are splitting the market. Getting a "major" done can cover a pretty wide gamut. Mine included a rebuilt power steering pump, rebuilt water pump, rebuilt hydraulic tappets, new tensioners and tensioner bearing, all new belts, new hoses, new plug wires, plugs, painted valve covers, and other stuff. I doubt an owner anxious to sell the car will do much past the belts and the really really obvious anomolies. So then what? One group will want the major done so they can feel good about it (whatever "it" is). Can you recover the price of that major in the sell price even if it is basic as basic comes? One group (like many here) will not want the major done. Instead historical records, compression tests, recalls and other history is fine. There will be a discounted sales price of course but then the car is sold "as-is" and you are on your way. Personally, unless the car is 100% pristine and you are expecting the top 2% of the market, I would list it without a major first. Explain the history, circumstances and the fact that it is being offered so the new owner can craft the engine out service to their standards, not yours. If you do list it with an engine out service I would document the hell out of it. Pictures, removed parts reserved, new part receipts, etc. Bradan becomes a VERY good option if you go that route, Post some pics of the car....I am curious.
At that price for a major; you should look at shopping it to the UK for its service and then ship it back!!! You’re cars are a bit cheaper but wow do you get ripped off big time on your services costs. Main dealers here will offer discounted rates for older cars. Ranges, but I know you can get between £80-£100 an hour depending on how much work and how good a customer you are. A reputable independent will be around £2000 for a major with belts.
The car is in good shape. I don't know where it falls on the "concours to beater" list other than probably not near the bottom. I think this may be the best way to go: "Personally, unless the car is 100% pristine and you are expecting the top 2% of the market, I would list it without a major first. Explain the history, circumstances and the fact that it is being offered so the new owner can craft the engine out service to their standards, not yours." A couple of pictures: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Totally agree with this / if it’s a new F buyer then then the major will begin a relationship on service for that owner and perhaps make them a better owner in the long run...I know i want to know exactly what’s going on during such a service.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What are you hoping to get for the car if you don't do any work? I suspect that you would get about 50-60% back at best on what you spend. In my opinion, list all of the cars virtues and be honest about the service and price accordingly. Looks beautiful. Same color combo as my '98 but she has 30,XXX on the clock now. Once you bring it to the shop, there are going to be add ons that you don't know about and the the service could end up at $15K+. Knock $8-$10K of a fair price for a fully serviced car of the same vintage, miles and condition (I don't think $5K off will get it done) and be done with it. There is a market out there for buyers who are not afraid to have their own service done or are willing to"Stooge" it themselves. The net end price to you is the same or better without the hassle of the service.
