Considering a 1985 Ferrari Mondial.Tell me about them.
Discussion
Running costs really depend on how good you are with a spanner! Repairs are pretty straightforward with the exception of a few jobs, so many are owned by DIY'ers. Low values for quiet some years mean many cars have incomplete histories, so don't expect a full historie'd minter unless you pay more from a specialist or dealer. They can rot to bits, and generally degrade badly (pipes, belts,seals etc) when not in regular use, so don't be put off by mileage, buy on condition. There are several problem areas, corrosion on front wings and windscreen surround is common and difficult and expensive to repair properly, and watch for rot around rear quarter panels, sills and door bottoms. Some trim parts are unavailable so look for good interiors with all the stuff working! A/c is generally accepted as being feeble unless updated with 328 compressor. Have a good dig around underneath at all the fuel lines, check tanks for rot (common) and look for both corrosion on the chassis and poor repair work, particularly around the radiator frame and below the lights. Unless you are confident you will spot any potential disasters get a PPI done. Although in general values are presently low, repair bills may certainly not be if you buy a dog!
Not necessarily. An astons resale value will be hurt massively by lack of good dealer/specialist history, whereas that generation of Ferrari cars are widely accepted to be owned by people who work on the cars themselves, therefore maintenance is generally cheaper. An i6 at the equivavalent price of a decent Mondial is likely to need a fair bit spending on it.
Cerbieherts said:
Not necessarily. An astons resale value will be hurt massively by lack of good dealer/specialist history, whereas that generation of Ferrari cars are widely accepted to be owned by people who work on the cars themselves, therefore maintenance is generally cheaper. An i6 at the equivavalent price of a decent Mondial is likely to need a fair bit spending on it.
You think a £16k i6 DB7 is going to be vastly cheaper than a 30yr old Mondial at £16k ????You are incorrect.
You may also wish to consider whether it is a left or right hand drive car. Then you may want to go and try it out for footwell space and driver comfort. You may not like the reality.
DJRC said:
You think a £16k i6 DB7 is going to be vastly cheaper than a 30yr old Mondial at £16k ????
You are incorrect.
You may also wish to consider whether it is a left or right hand drive car. Then you may want to go and try it out for footwell space and driver comfort. You may not like the reality.
I have worked on both for years. The Aston can have larger bills, just price it up if you get a noisy chain tensioner, a head gasket or a faulty gearbox. That zytec engine management is far without issues and evaporator failures are plenty. None of this is do-able for an average diy'er. Parts are generally dearer, and there isn't anywhere near the aftermarket supply of parts available that Ferrari owners have access too.Then look at average costs for a Mondial. Even a major belt service can be carried out on your driveway with a few simple tools. 16k Might get you a half decent i6 but 12k will get you a half decent Mondial qv. that's a fair difference in both purchase price and running costs.You are incorrect.
You may also wish to consider whether it is a left or right hand drive car. Then you may want to go and try it out for footwell space and driver comfort. You may not like the reality.
Edited by Cerbieherts on Monday 15th October 15:24
Have you owned/run them both?
Just wondered, as that way you would be qualified in your comments. Don't get me wrong, the Aston is a Great car, but they aren't any more reliable than a well sorted QV and you had better have deep pockets if any of the (common) issues I mentioned earlier arise...
Here are a couple of QV's;
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-pa...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
And this was the cheapest aston.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Just wondered, as that way you would be qualified in your comments. Don't get me wrong, the Aston is a Great car, but they aren't any more reliable than a well sorted QV and you had better have deep pockets if any of the (common) issues I mentioned earlier arise...
Here are a couple of QV's;
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-pa...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
And this was the cheapest aston.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Edited by Cerbieherts on Monday 15th October 17:36
You seemed to think I thought either of them were cheap!!!
And yes, hence my reply in the my first Ferrari thread.
You are also talking from a mechanics pov. 90% of punters are not mechanics, they are not home mechanics, they are not DIY mechanics. Even for "enthusiast" cars. That includes me and I even set up my own TVR business after TVR went bust! You mooch around in mid 80s donkey and you *always" drive with one ear monitoring the noises. You never trust the brakes. You never trust the handbrake. You presume some of the electics will stop working at some point. You listen for the fizzing of the body rusting if the cloud even thinks of raining. Your eyes constantly scan the T&Ps more frequently than in a Cessna.
An i6 DB7 in contrast is a different world and frankly you can fall asleep out of boredom as the thing rumbles along.
And yes, hence my reply in the my first Ferrari thread.
You are also talking from a mechanics pov. 90% of punters are not mechanics, they are not home mechanics, they are not DIY mechanics. Even for "enthusiast" cars. That includes me and I even set up my own TVR business after TVR went bust! You mooch around in mid 80s donkey and you *always" drive with one ear monitoring the noises. You never trust the brakes. You never trust the handbrake. You presume some of the electics will stop working at some point. You listen for the fizzing of the body rusting if the cloud even thinks of raining. Your eyes constantly scan the T&Ps more frequently than in a Cessna.
An i6 DB7 in contrast is a different world and frankly you can fall asleep out of boredom as the thing rumbles along.
I think we will have to agree to disagree. I don't know where you got your data relating to owners of older Ferrari cars, but let's just say i know a fair few.Most with 308's, GT4's and Mondials (up to the "T") do their own maintenance. I only really see their cars for odd stuff like electrical gremlins,a/c issues and for clutches. I can't remember a single owner of a DB7 who did his own work.And if you think DB7's don't rust, take a look around the trailing arms and six-shooter mounts of a higher mileage example!If you refer to my first post, you will see that i stated that if he is handy with a spanner, repair costs are low. That was my point. You can in no way compare them to TVR's. My cerbera is a well sorted car, but still unreliable. I would happily jump in a good QV and drive many miles, whereas i'd have a boot full of spare parts with me if i were to do that in the trev..
DJRC said:
And nobody does their own maintenance work out here.
There are various Ferrari forums full of people that do. It's very, very common. Forums full of threads and pictures. Take a look at fchat and clubscuderia. I took my 308 to lemans three years on the trot without incident. I guess you needed to find a better mechanic!
Edited by Cerbieherts on Monday 15th October 19:06
Edited by Cerbieherts on Monday 15th October 19:09
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