living with a 456
Discussion
after much deliberation in making a purchase, I went totally the other way and bought...
.....a 1967 Hillman Imp!
and with the change bought a 1967 Land Rover Defender, a RHD VW Gurgel X12, finished off my Audi 80 quattro hill climb car and had the patio and garden at home landscaped and rebuilt (starting this weekend) and a set of ramps for my workshop! (I'll need it with all of the above cars!)
The Ferrari itch will remain unscratched for a while longer!
.....a 1967 Hillman Imp!
and with the change bought a 1967 Land Rover Defender, a RHD VW Gurgel X12, finished off my Audi 80 quattro hill climb car and had the patio and garden at home landscaped and rebuilt (starting this weekend) and a set of ramps for my workshop! (I'll need it with all of the above cars!)
The Ferrari itch will remain unscratched for a while longer!
Davo456gt said:
Almost all were/are GTA's ?
manuals come up quite rarely I have always found in the last 6 years.
Opposite in the Swiss market. Most for sale are manuals.manuals come up quite rarely I have always found in the last 6 years.
http://www.autoscout24.ch/Search/List.aspx?lng=de&...
I don't know whether I bought cheap (yet) but I've gone for one of the few 456M GT manuals
Ownership experience is limited - although I have just been handed a bill for 'recommended tasks' from a Ferrari main dealer for £8500! Main issue seems to be rear shocks, which I understand is common on these. Was reading a previous thread about buying a reconditioned set which could appeal. I clearly won't do most of it but it points towards the cost of owning a £170k car (at 2002 prices, so probably £250k now)
I've gone for the 456 for the long haul. As a 550M owner I love the design / layout / gearbox / noise of these cars. I'm also a stickler for manual - its not the third pedal so much as the gated 'clank' that you get every time you change gear. If Ferrari could add that noise to their subsequent flappy paddles then they would be on to a winner...
Ownership experience is limited - although I have just been handed a bill for 'recommended tasks' from a Ferrari main dealer for £8500! Main issue seems to be rear shocks, which I understand is common on these. Was reading a previous thread about buying a reconditioned set which could appeal. I clearly won't do most of it but it points towards the cost of owning a £170k car (at 2002 prices, so probably £250k now)
I've gone for the 456 for the long haul. As a 550M owner I love the design / layout / gearbox / noise of these cars. I'm also a stickler for manual - its not the third pedal so much as the gated 'clank' that you get every time you change gear. If Ferrari could add that noise to their subsequent flappy paddles then they would be on to a winner...
got mine in 2006, a 1995 GT (one of 141 UK RHD GTs). Think they were 61 UK RHD 456M GTs.
been a pleasure to own with relatively minor niggles only required to sort - engine noise is worth the hassle by far.
Handling for a big car is really nice, and the torque is available all the time. Effortless at covering long distances quickly and very comfortably.
And its pretty unlike the 612! I was looking at trading it in for a 612 at The Ferrari Centre in 2012, as the 612 has more interior space - but its just look huge.
later I started looking at a 2006 Vanquish, but there is no rear leg room in them at all, if you're a 6ft2 driver like me and have the seat positioned nice.
Biggest pain is either cam belt changes every 3 years, or paint repairs due to use/corrosion.
re. rear shockers.. I posted this on the 550 dampers thread:
Bilstien UK do a refurb service, and they made the rear self levelling dampers on the 456GT, so could be your source of a fix..
ThyssenKrupp Bilstein Technical Centre UK for Special Projects and Damper Service
UNIT 3, Swannington Road, Broughton Astley, Leicester
Leicestershire LE9 6TU
United Kingdom
Tel.: 0044 01455 288410 for special projects, 0044 01455 283407 service work
Fax.: 0044 01455 283301
E-Mail: richard.anderson(at)kruppbilstein.co.uk
I used Bilstein in 2011 to refurb my 456GT rear shocks, and the cost was relatively cheap about £40 each, and took about 3 weeks.
I think the self levelling design is flawed, as they are known to leak again after a few years. Mine haven't to date.
The whole system is very similar to a BMW 7 series of the similar period, which is also known to have the same issues.
Another thought if they don't refurb any more is, this guy for refurb:
Ian Gardiner, I G Racing, near Silverstone – Tel . 07967 300537
rebuilt/resprayed my front Koni's for my Diablo SV - took a while due to a fire in the Koni factory mind you!
He said he could have suggested more modern replacements as well - depends whether you want to stay original or improve ?
been a pleasure to own with relatively minor niggles only required to sort - engine noise is worth the hassle by far.
Handling for a big car is really nice, and the torque is available all the time. Effortless at covering long distances quickly and very comfortably.
And its pretty unlike the 612! I was looking at trading it in for a 612 at The Ferrari Centre in 2012, as the 612 has more interior space - but its just look huge.
later I started looking at a 2006 Vanquish, but there is no rear leg room in them at all, if you're a 6ft2 driver like me and have the seat positioned nice.
Biggest pain is either cam belt changes every 3 years, or paint repairs due to use/corrosion.
re. rear shockers.. I posted this on the 550 dampers thread:
Bilstien UK do a refurb service, and they made the rear self levelling dampers on the 456GT, so could be your source of a fix..
ThyssenKrupp Bilstein Technical Centre UK for Special Projects and Damper Service
UNIT 3, Swannington Road, Broughton Astley, Leicester
Leicestershire LE9 6TU
United Kingdom
Tel.: 0044 01455 288410 for special projects, 0044 01455 283407 service work
Fax.: 0044 01455 283301
E-Mail: richard.anderson(at)kruppbilstein.co.uk
I used Bilstein in 2011 to refurb my 456GT rear shocks, and the cost was relatively cheap about £40 each, and took about 3 weeks.
I think the self levelling design is flawed, as they are known to leak again after a few years. Mine haven't to date.
The whole system is very similar to a BMW 7 series of the similar period, which is also known to have the same issues.
Another thought if they don't refurb any more is, this guy for refurb:
Ian Gardiner, I G Racing, near Silverstone – Tel . 07967 300537
rebuilt/resprayed my front Koni's for my Diablo SV - took a while due to a fire in the Koni factory mind you!
He said he could have suggested more modern replacements as well - depends whether you want to stay original or improve ?
No point getting new rear shocks, just get them rebuilt. The seal at the top of the body where the shaft goes in leaks, its a design flaw, Bilstein or SMG can replace them. They are pretty easy to get off the car and they will need re-doing every 2 to 5 years. My nearside one is starting to weap again, so will get that done this year. Think of the rear shocks as a service item, just like oil filters and cambelts!!!!! I don't think that you can fit alternatives as the levelling system uses the steering fluid at pressure in the rear shocks to get the adjustment, basically the seals aren't upto the job.
auyt said:
I stumbled on this thread and wondered who had bought 456s when they were seriously cheep?
Not me - I looked at them, really really loved them, but baulked at the potential ruination of a V12 Ferrari and went for a Gransport.Similar price at the time, similar type of car, limited in number, cheaper to run, and sure to go up in value.
Bugger.
I'm now waiting for the price of Z4Mcoupes to drop as well.
The V12 is not that highly stressed, making only 440bhp, against the 550M's 485bhp.
Its on the edge of modern technology, but I've never needed an SD2 or even tried the OBD socket, so it can be maintained by an old school mechanic.
yes, there is 12 of most things, and 2 engine management systems - but that sometimes makes things easier to find - such as a failing exhaust over temperature unit (about £180 only from a Dealer - though a 355 guy is working on a replacement)
make sure its got a good service history, and regular cam belt changes and this should set you up well.
biggest issue on mine, was a significant drop in power one day - couldn't feel a misfire, but power just wasn't there. Changed all 12 plugs, fixed.
btw, I've done close to 26k miles now - 50k barrier getting very close now.
Its on the edge of modern technology, but I've never needed an SD2 or even tried the OBD socket, so it can be maintained by an old school mechanic.
yes, there is 12 of most things, and 2 engine management systems - but that sometimes makes things easier to find - such as a failing exhaust over temperature unit (about £180 only from a Dealer - though a 355 guy is working on a replacement)
make sure its got a good service history, and regular cam belt changes and this should set you up well.
biggest issue on mine, was a significant drop in power one day - couldn't feel a misfire, but power just wasn't there. Changed all 12 plugs, fixed.
btw, I've done close to 26k miles now - 50k barrier getting very close now.
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