Ferrari 550, 1 owner, only 109,000 miles FSH.Well would you?

Ferrari 550, 1 owner, only 109,000 miles FSH.Well would you?

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Discussion

neutral 3

6,356 posts

169 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Great reading, the car at the top of my wish list, one day ! Not yet driven one, what do they drive and handle like ?

007 VXR

64,187 posts

186 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
clap Top Man smile

Mario149

7,750 posts

177 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
neutral 3 said:
Great reading, the car at the top of my wish list, one day ! Not yet driven one, what do they drive and handle like ?
Comfortable, massively potent at all revs, benign handling and surprisingly good on fuel smile Only downer is that I find that when it's wet the rears always want to light up in anything less than 4th when I'm overtaking on a road that is not perfectly smooth hehe

Okay so I'm not the OP but I imagine he'll say something similar smile

Soupie69uk

922 posts

216 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Just read through the whole thread. Not expecting what happened around page 5.

Often people debate the whole high vs low mileage and which is better. Glad you are enjoying the 550 and the fact it is higher mileage adds to your cars charm.

Thanks for sharing and being so honest. Really brave as you normally will get a few negatives who think they could have done thing far better.

The Wookie

13,909 posts

227 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Mario149 said:
neutral 3 said:
Great reading, the car at the top of my wish list, one day ! Not yet driven one, what do they drive and handle like ?
Comfortable, massively potent at all revs, benign handling and surprisingly good on fuel smile Only downer is that I find that when it's wet the rears always want to light up in anything less than 4th when I'm overtaking on a road that is not perfectly smooth hehe

Okay so I'm not the OP but I imagine he'll say something similar smile
I'd agree with all of that except perhaps the part about fuel consumption hehe

They ride very well for the type of car, feel very agile and responsive especially considering the weight, and as said nicely balanced and benign on the limit. I'd also add that the steering is lovely; precise, nicely weighted and with lots of feel. Generally very well sorted.

They've still often got a heavy clutch and a difficult gearshift though, although with the massively wide power band you only really use them when you're giving it the beans!

BigTom85

1,927 posts

170 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
quotequote all
Just read this thread start to finish on my lunch break. Superb reading, and a wonderful set of updates.

Thank you for sharing.

Mario149

7,750 posts

177 months

Friday 7th March 2014
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The Wookie said:
I'd agree with all of that except perhaps the part about fuel consumption hehe
Haha! I average 16-17mpg out of mine (which always includes minimum 15 mins at the beginning and end of every journey in traffic getting in/out of London) which isn't exactly frugal but a hell of a lot better than the combined 12.4mpg you're supposed to get on paper smile Also discovered that if you sit on ~120mph on the autobahn you also get 18mpg+. But all that said, the longer I own a Ferrari the worse the consumption seems to get (happened with my 355 where the mpg steadily dropped as I got more confident) so I'll have to report back at the 2 year ownership point in Nov with updated figures silly

The Wookie said:
They've still often got a heavy clutch
I was pleasantly surprised on my car, clutch is very light compared to what I was expecting. As you imply, I think there must be quite a bit of variability between cars. Conversely, on my 993 the clutch is staggeringly heavy, much heavier than the 550. Other 993s are much lighter....it doesn't bother me per se, but I will have it investigated at the next service.

The Wookie

13,909 posts

227 months

Friday 7th March 2014
quotequote all
16mpg sounds about right, I suppose it is surprisingly good compared to 12!! hehe

My old man actually has a Maranello and a Barchetta. The Maranello's clutch is like an ancient bloody Land Rover, but agreed the Barchetta isn't actually that bad. It's not exactly feather light but it doesn't feel like your leg is going to drop off after 10 minutes of low speed driving like the tin top.

It did actually have a new clutch at one point (I can't remember why as it's not done many miles) but it didn't seem to change anything!

PHAB

73 posts

139 months

Thursday 20th March 2014
quotequote all
Mario149 said:
Comfortable, massively potent at all revs, benign handling and surprisingly good on fuel smile Only downer is that I find that when it's wet the rears always want to light up in anything less than 4th when I'm overtaking on a road that is not perfectly smooth hehe

Okay so I'm not the OP but I imagine he'll say something similar smile
Pretty much spot on.

Some more pictures from the work at Rardley for all of you technically minded people and engine buffs!


- armoured hoses upgrade. No chance of one letting go now! Also note new waterpump.


- Rardley took this picture and the next one because they were very pleasantly surprised about the condition of the intake manifold and the absence of any significant carbon/crud build up. They have seen engines with less than half the mileage looking a lot worse apparently.



More to come!

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Thursday 20th March 2014
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cloud9

MogulBoy

2,925 posts

222 months

Thursday 27th March 2014
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Could I ask a 550 owner help me work out how big they are from a garaging perspective?

I see that the width is reported to be 1930mm. Is that from wingmirror tip to wingmirror tip?

For those that park in a garage, how much space between the closed door and the garage wall would you need to get in and out with resorting to a manouevers that might be found in the Karma Sutra?



Edited by MogulBoy on Thursday 27th March 10:44

PHAB

73 posts

139 months

Sunday 27th July 2014
quotequote all
....sorry for the silence....

I have just returned from the c.2000 mile pan european road trip in the car. The full report will follow but suffice it to say the car was absolutely phenomenal, never let me down and apart from having an equal appetite for rear tyres as it does for unleaded, never ever failed to put a huge smile on my face.

There is a lot to report but whilst Im putting it together here are a few pictures from various places and a map of the trip...









...watch this space!

harry kular

2,770 posts

225 months

Sunday 27th July 2014
quotequote all
Looks fantastic- I'm keenly awaiting the full report.

Now that you've had your fun, can you sell it to me please? smile

BigTom85

1,927 posts

170 months

Sunday 27th July 2014
quotequote all
Just the tool for the job. Looking forward to the report!

exceed

454 posts

175 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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I was going mad, looking at all the links in the OP and not finding any car for the price or spec.

Was hilariously confused until I realised the dates...

Bungleaio

6,324 posts

201 months

Monday 28th July 2014
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Sounds like a great weekend, did you manage it in 33hours like google suggests hehe

Davey S2

13,075 posts

253 months

Monday 28th July 2014
quotequote all
Great trip. Exactly what this car was built for.

PHAB

73 posts

139 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
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This report is designed to give the reader a clear picture of the driving experience when embarking on a proper road-trip through a stunning part of Europe in a 110,000 mile 550, which has been fastidiously maintained but which could be liable to succumb to problems simply due to the fact that very few 550s have racked up such a high mileage due to owners’ desperation to keep the mileage low.

Basically it begins to answer the question whether the purchase of such a high mileage car is a feasible proposition or a quick route to financial ruin.

The journey started at crack of dawn on 10th July 2014 in the company of a Maserati QP Sport as ‘support car’ in case anything untoward occurred. Weather in the UK was warm and fine and the drive to the Tunnel was fast, noisy over the rubbish road surface of the M20 but enjoyable nevertheless.

Once in France the transition to super smooth tarmac is an impossible environment to endure without sending the needle into the really big numbers on the speedo, always knowing that Les bloody minded Flics are ready to pounce on any UK prey they can find.

No problems thus far apart from a wind noise coming from the drivers side A pillar, which began to become irksome as the hours went by. I was wondering whether the wing mirrors cause this but I am now convinced that is a throw back to a problem I noticed when I first purchased the car. The excellent re-spray had necessitated the removal of the windscreen and it appeared that no sealant had been inserted in the windscreen surround and there was a small gap between paintwork and plastic surround trim. Upon returning the car to the coachbuilders they overcame this problem by inserting a bead of Dum Dum putty into gap. This ‘non hardening’ putty is great as a mobile sealant behind trim but not great when the car is subject to high ambient temperatures and rain. As the weather deteriorated to pouring rain the Dum Dum began to run/move and smeared a small trace all around the windscreen trim thus removing itself from the actual gap…making the wind noise a lot worse. In fact, over 100mph it was like having a window cracked open.

I will be consulting Rardleys about this but would be interested to know from readers if the trim should sit flush and flat against the glass, in which case I fear that I need to have the screen removed and re-plumbed in.
That aside, I racked up a few hours of blissful motorway driving and then headed East at Dijon to enter Switzerland North of Lausanne for an easy run to Vevey as the first night stop. The road from Dijon to the Swiss border is an N road full of long sweeping sections and then small villages. It is in the N road open sections that the 550 really comes into its own – and where the Maserati has no chance of keeping pace – the gear-change and smooth delivery of endless acceleration in any gear encourages effortless overtaking and massive bursts down perfect roads. Even when it started to rain again the stability of the 550 is remarkable. The delivery of power to the tyres needs to be handled more carefully but there were few, if any, ‘hairy’ moments, suggesting that the car is not simply a dry weather toy but a true GT which can be driven for hours through any weather without experiencing alarming moments. The ASR definitely stayed on for the wet driving on the N Roads….1st, 2nd and 3rd gears are able to spin the wheels quite comfortably.

The rain brought further irksome problems, which are mentioned for completeness but hardly warrant complaint when compared with the stunning driving experience. The roof line and window profile and aerodynamics all appear to encourage rain to be channelled around the leading edge of the side window. After a while (20 minutes) in heavy rain the trim/felt seal becomes saturated and a drip develops on the inside of the car. This (together with the wind-noise from the windscreen) became annoying, requiring strips of material to be wedged between the glass and the frame to prevent ingress of water.

The side window fit is a common problem in the 550 since the glass begins to lean backwards after time. I will be having this looked at since it is very distracting to be bailing water out when trying to show a clean pair of exhaust pipes to all the VW GTIs and similar who insist upon racing as soon as they are overtaken!

So, swept into Switzerland with an average fuel consumption of 17 mpg, 650 miles under the belt, a squirt to a very high top speed thus far yikes , mechanicals working perfectly and only cosmetic problems as mentioned as well as a pretty uncomfortable lumbar setting on the front seat which refused to be adjusted however the adjusting wheel was turned. I knew about this before I set off and a small cushion at the base of the seat sorted it entirely. Still smiling stupidly !
Stage One complete – onward journey will be chronicled shortly.

Before the off! Amazing how much kit will fit in a 550...I will include details in a later report.


Edited by PHAB on Tuesday 29th July 09:54

k-ink

9,070 posts

178 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
quotequote all
What a great read. This thread continues to deliver. Great photos and scenery too!

Ignore this if there is an obvious reason why it is daft. Why not just run a bead of transparent silicone around the edge of the screen and fit the trim back on top. Perhaps ditch the felt while you are at it (which I cannot see the point of - this just seems to add a small delay to the inevitable leak).

Soov535

35,829 posts

270 months

Tuesday 29th July 2014
quotequote all
PHAB said:
This report is designed to give the reader a clear picture of the driving experience when embarking on a proper road-trip through a stunning part of Europe in a 110,000 mile 550, which has been fastidiously maintained but which could be liable to succumb to problems simply due to the fact that very few 550s have racked up such a high mileage due to owners’ desperation to keep the mileage low.

Basically it begins to answer the question whether the purchase of such a high mileage car is a feasible proposition or a quick route to financial ruin.

The journey started at crack of dawn on 10th July 2014 in the company of a Maserati QP Sport as ‘support car’ in case anything untoward occurred. Weather in the UK was warm and fine and the drive to the Tunnel was fast, noisy over the rubbish road surface of the M20 but enjoyable nevertheless.

Once in France the transition to super smooth tarmac is an impossible environment to endure without sending the needle into the really big numbers on the speedo, always knowing that Les bloody minded Flics are ready to pounce on any UK prey they can find.

No problems thus far apart from a wind noise coming from the drivers side A pillar, which began to become irksome as the hours went by. I was wondering whether the wing mirrors cause this but I am now convinced that is a throw back to a problem I noticed when I first purchased the car. The excellent re-spray had necessitated the removal of the windscreen and it appeared that no sealant had been inserted in the windscreen surround and there was a small gap between paintwork and plastic surround trim. Upon returning the car to the coachbuilders they overcame this problem by inserting a bead of Dum Dum putty into gap. This ‘non hardening’ putty is great as a mobile sealant behind trim but not great when the car is subject to high ambient temperatures and rain. As the weather deteriorated to pouring rain the Dum Dum began to run/move and smeared a small trace all around the windscreen trim thus removing itself from the actual gap…making the wind noise a lot worse. In fact, over 100mph it was like having a window cracked open.

I will be consulting Rardleys about this but would be interested to know from readers if the trim should sit flush and flat against the glass, in which case I fear that I need to have the screen removed and re-plumbed in.
That aside, I racked up a few hours of blissful motorway driving and then headed East at Dijon to enter Switzerland North of Lausanne for an easy run to Vevey as the first night stop. The road from Dijon to the Swiss border is an N road full of long sweeping sections and then small villages. It is in the N road open sections that the 550 really comes into its own – and where the Maserati has no chance of keeping pace – the gear-change and smooth delivery of endless acceleration in any gear encourages effortless overtaking and massive bursts down perfect roads. Even when it started to rain again the stability of the 550 is remarkable. The delivery of power to the tyres needs to be handled more carefully but there were few, if any, ‘hairy’ moments, suggesting that the car is not simply a dry weather toy but a true GT which can be driven for hours through any weather without experiencing alarming moments. The ASR definitely stayed on for the wet driving on the N Roads….1st, 2nd and 3rd gears are able to spin the wheels quite comfortably.

The rain brought further irksome problems, which are mentioned for completeness but hardly warrant complaint when compared with the stunning driving experience. The roof line and window profile and aerodynamics all appear to encourage rain to be channelled around the leading edge of the side window. After a while (20 minutes) in heavy rain the trim/felt seal becomes saturated and a drip develops on the inside of the car. This (together with the wind-noise from the windscreen) became annoying, requiring strips of material to be wedged between the glass and the frame to prevent ingress of water.

The side window fit is a common problem in the 550 since the glass begins to lean backwards after time. I will be having this looked at since it is very distracting to be bailing water out when trying to show a clean pair of exhaust pipes to all the VW GTIs and similar who insist upon racing as soon as they are overtaken!

So, swept into Switzerland with an average fuel consumption of 17 mpg, 650 miles under the belt, a squirt to a very high top speed thus far yikes , mechanicals working perfectly and only cosmetic problems as mentioned as well as a pretty uncomfortable lumbar setting on the front seat which refused to be adjusted however the adjusting wheel was turned. I knew about this before I set off and a small cushion at the base of the seat sorted it entirely. Still smiling stupidly !
Stage One complete – onward journey will be chronicled shortly.

Before the off! Amazing how much kit will fit in a 550...I will include details in a later report.


Edited by PHAB on Tuesday 29th July 09:54
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