How to make money out of a Ferrari
Discussion
Quite simple really. I bought my one and only Ferrari in 1992 (after the classic car price crash) by placing an advert for a 348TS in the Sunday Times. I had four calls and bought one in Bucks with 400 miles from someone who was desperate and had bought new the year before from Maranello as an investment. I paid £51K for a new car really.
Frankly it was the worst car I've ever owned. The AC Delco alternator packed up at 1,500 miles the day before our trip to Le Mans in '92, and then the catalogue of problems just became farcical. No clips on the front oil pipe olives against the bulkhead from new - oil everywhere and a wrecked engine when it blew off. The door strakes in fibreglass split. The targa always leaked (more on that in a minute). The door mirrors were mounted on plastic triangles and bent away from the door rubbers at speed due to wind pressure so they were changed by Ferrari for alloy ones. They fitted a lip spoiler too since the car wandered all over the place at speed. If the battery went flat it was a day's job to get the car right including taking it back to Graypaul to get the aircon working again. I finally found out why the roadholding on the track was so damned dangerous too; either I was going forwards or backwards with nothing in between. I was quietly informed that on the targa model the chassis wasn't rigid enough; that was also why the targa always leaked if you parked it on an angle.
Anyway, back to the title of the post. 7,000 miles in two years and then another trip to France. Not speeding in pouring rain we were negotiating the ring road of Niort by an industrial estate when we hit a 100 metre slick of diesel and the stone wall was stronger than the 348. The S class Merc that spun off behind was also stronger than the rear of the 348 as was the Citroen XM which then ploughed into the door. My insurers paid me (the market recovering) £57K and I still remember the car every day as I get one of my others out...........
So, I got paid £6,000 for driving a Ferrari for two years. About the only good memory of the car really.
Frankly it was the worst car I've ever owned. The AC Delco alternator packed up at 1,500 miles the day before our trip to Le Mans in '92, and then the catalogue of problems just became farcical. No clips on the front oil pipe olives against the bulkhead from new - oil everywhere and a wrecked engine when it blew off. The door strakes in fibreglass split. The targa always leaked (more on that in a minute). The door mirrors were mounted on plastic triangles and bent away from the door rubbers at speed due to wind pressure so they were changed by Ferrari for alloy ones. They fitted a lip spoiler too since the car wandered all over the place at speed. If the battery went flat it was a day's job to get the car right including taking it back to Graypaul to get the aircon working again. I finally found out why the roadholding on the track was so damned dangerous too; either I was going forwards or backwards with nothing in between. I was quietly informed that on the targa model the chassis wasn't rigid enough; that was also why the targa always leaked if you parked it on an angle.
Anyway, back to the title of the post. 7,000 miles in two years and then another trip to France. Not speeding in pouring rain we were negotiating the ring road of Niort by an industrial estate when we hit a 100 metre slick of diesel and the stone wall was stronger than the 348. The S class Merc that spun off behind was also stronger than the rear of the 348 as was the Citroen XM which then ploughed into the door. My insurers paid me (the market recovering) £57K and I still remember the car every day as I get one of my others out...........
So, I got paid £6,000 for driving a Ferrari for two years. About the only good memory of the car really.
Was it made of cardboard?
DIW35 said:
So what you're advocating is that everyone should write off their Fezza if they want to make money on it!?
Yes, but only one you've bought in the trough of an economic slump and don't crash it until things are getting better. Plenty of buying opportunities around in the next few years then 
How many more times is this tedious drivel going to be posted? All about the car bought almost new in 1992 - but then it's an H reg. Somehow it took 2 years of ownership to decide you didn't like it. Bad design made it lethal - although somehow many others have driven and raced them and amazingly lived to tell the tale.
The chassis number was 87835. It was a 1990 car (hence the reg). Oh, and ever wondered if maybe you weren't the first person to have crashed it?
Jonathan
The chassis number was 87835. It was a 1990 car (hence the reg). Oh, and ever wondered if maybe you weren't the first person to have crashed it?
Jonathan
NEM351S said:
Think there are also lots of people on here who really like the 348.
I'm one of them. I've always loved the looks, and the sound... and the handling simply has to be approached as you would that of a racing car from what I've heard... which makes it a proper Ferrari rather than one of these 'soft', 'forgiving', modern ones that a girl could take her driving test in. That said, I'd buy a 328 because I know I could afford to look after it properly.MitchT said:
NEM351S said:
Think there are also lots of people on here who really like the 348.
I'm one of them. I've always loved the looks, and the sound... and the handling simply has to be approached as you would that of a racing car from what I've heard... which makes it a proper Ferrari rather than one of these 'soft', 'forgiving', modern ones that a girl could take her driving test in. That said, I'd buy a 328 because I know I could afford to look after it properly.NEM351S said:
Think there are also lots of people on here who really like the 348.
Burriana is one from memory?
I think they look awesome (have never driven one so can't comment). However, I have a suspiscion that I would love it.
Someone call? Burriana is one from memory?
I think they look awesome (have never driven one so can't comment). However, I have a suspiscion that I would love it.
I liked mine so much that next saturday I go and collect my second one
I think Low Drag must have been having a bad day when he re-posted that. I hope so as I have been busy telling the guys over on F.Chat that he's not so bad and helps out a lot of us Le Mans goers with tips and advice
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