456 purchase

[bergxu]

Hello from the Colonies, gents. If I may chime in here; I've got two 456Ms, one manual and one automatic. My manual car is a 2002 in a unique color (Verde Zeltweg) and with factory shields and records to day one. My auto is a '99, also in a great color (but perhaps not necessarily unique) -- it's Blu NART. Both have around 40K miles on them and while my '02 is the more mint of the two, I do prefer the way the automatic drives. The gearbox is a GM unit which had some internal modifications by FF Ricardo, and while some stuff is NLA for it, you can overhaul most of it with off the shelf AC Delco parts (a few chaps here have successfully done so). Things like clutches, bands, solenoids, filters, etc..are easy to get and inexpensive. The biggie is the ring & pinion which was made by Arrow Gear here in Illinois, and is no longer available in the event one lets go. I've found there is a lot of unnecessary fear of the auto models based on one or two Internet 'rumors' of $30K replacement cost of an autobox in the event of complete failure which is very rare--maybe one or two I've heard of in 25+ years of dealing with these cars.

Anywhoo, you need to watch for worn valve guides so have a compression and leakdown test done on any potential purchase. Check the motor mounts are the updated type with the "wings" on the sides to prevent the engine sagging too far and causing the oil pressure sender to snap off with disastrous consequences. Cooling hoses perish, especially the long one under the intake, and radiators can fail due to internal corrosion but replacements can be made by specialists for around $1,200 compared to $6K (!!!) for one from Ferrari. Some control units are NLA as well as certain body panels, seat motors/adjusters/cables/micro
switches can be fiddly, windows don't seal great although they're better on the M cars. Watch the rear self leveling shocks for leaks. Bilstein there in the UK can rebuild the shocks for £100/ea or else send them here to the US and a company called Delta Vee will rebuild them with proprietary seals and guarantee them for life, but it's not cheap. I think as long as you replace the two suspension accumulators every time you do the cam belts, you won't suffer any rear shock issues. And the accumulators themselves cross to a BMW part so they're not expensive.

Some parts, such as rear wheel bearings/hubs cross to a Maserati part # so can be had at a substantial discount from the Ferrari price. It pays to check the p/n against a Maserati dealer to see if you get lucky.

I like the aesthetics of the pre-M cars the best, but technologically the M cars are way better. Have a mate with a '97 GTA and he's always having fiddly electrical gremlins and it's a mint example otherwise.

Anyhow, my best advice is to drive both and see which one you like. The gated cars are what everyone is all nostalgic for right now but IMHO the auto cars are the better drive. It's a GT after all, so when I get in it, I want to flick it in D and devour the highway. I'll save rowing the gears for the mid engine cars.

[Mulsanne-Speed]

Thanks bergxu, some really great info there..... It's good to hear from someone who has not only driven both gearbox types, but actually owns both.

I previously owned an F430 Spider with a manual gearbox and while I enjoyed the gated box in that car, I think I am also likely to prefer the relaxed pace of the automatic in the 456M GTA.

I know there's lots of talk about the manual box cars becoming the most collectable, but (and please correct me if I'm wrong) I can't think of another fully automatic Ferrari (non flappy paddle) since the 412 - Certainly nothing from late 90's onwards - So surely that also makes this car a rare bird!

Or am I missing another model?

Edited by Mulsanne-Speed on Tuesday 7th August 23:03

[bergxu]

Indeed you are correct, the 456 was the last Ferrari to be fitted with a true automatic.

I always tell people "what if Ferrari decides to make a current model available in a gated manual? What's that going to do to the so called 'collectability' of the old gated cars?"

The mid engine cars are great in a manual (I also have an '89 348tb and a '95 355GTB manual) but those are sports cars and should be configured that way. Yes, the manual in a GT car makes it more fun but that's not always the point, even in a Ferrari. So many people (at least here in the US) dog the 456 automatic but I never see anyone complaining about the Maserati GranTurismo never being offered with a true manual, it's simply a non-subject, so why all the hate for the 456 auto...always makes me wonder! Of course, most of that nonsense is from folks who've never driven one, so it's taken with a grain of salt I reckon

[Mulsanne-Speed]

I definitely agree with you bergxu

[Behemoth]

bergxu said:

I always tell people "what if Ferrari decides to make a current model available in a gated manual? What's that going to do to the so called 'collectability' of the old gated cars?"

It would make them even more collectable. They could never replicate that tactile mechanical click-clack. It's too retro & technology just wouldn't manage it.

[bergxu]

Behemoth said:

It would make them even more collectable. They could never replicate that tactile mechanical click-clack. It's too retro & technology just wouldn't manage it.

If they did a gated manual again, I'm sure it would either have mechanical linkage or cables like the old cars or else if, by some odd chance, they made it simply an electronic "switch" which is highly unlikely, they'd make it replicate the click-clack of the old gearchange. But my money says it would be a pure mechanical operation, just like the old cars and would sound just like the old cars.