Buying a California

Buying a California

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Discussion

JW82

135 posts

107 months

Monday 13th November 2017
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Not sure about it being a re-branded Maserati, but the Cali I ran for 18 months was really enjoyable to own. I had a Maser GT before it funnily enough and they were very different cars!

Budget permitting, I would try to buy from a main dealer if possible. You mentioned an early car so the 7 year service pack (post 2011) would not automatically kick in. A main dealer could most likely offer you a Ferrari warranty going forward - which is always nice to have. I had a grigio titanio car but the Silverstone one you're after also looks great.

I had only a few minor electrical issues with mine - most of which were sorted by turning the ignition on and off. The roof wouldn't go back up one day when it started raining and my wife's handbag being in the boot - which would not open. HR Owen were really good and helped sort the issue within a day under warranty. Call Paddy there, he's very easy to deal with! Ignore what others might say, it was a really good car and I'm sure you'll enjoy driving it! Also looking for one at this time of year makes sense too, you might be better placed to negotiate and I think the figure someone mentioned above is about spot on for best case discount from a main dealer.




jon66

295 posts

143 months

Monday 13th November 2017
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Good luck with the hunt for the right California, make sure that you look around any buy the spec that you want, rather than just buying on price.

If you buy through the dealer network you should get a couple of years Ferrari Power Warranty with it, even on an older car (I did on my 2009 Cali when I bought 2 years ago) and that should give you peace of mind for the major mechanical items in the drivetrain. Also, if buying through the dealer network, the car should have been thoroughly checked over before being Ferrari Approved status.

If you want to experience the California for real, drop me a PM and you're welcome to come over to me in Hull (or if I'm over your way would be happy to meet up). I guarantee that you won't be disappointed though. Ignore all the critics who try to claim that it's a re-badged Maserati and not a real Ferrari. I admit...it's not from the same stable as the 430/458/488, nor is it one of the big Ferrari V12's. It is however 100% Ferrari and is great fun to drive out and about at every opportunity. OK, it won't break any land speed records but with a 0-62 of 3.9s and a top speed of around 193mph it's hardly a slouch.

Reliability so far seems to be pretty good, only issues I've had were a perforated pipe for the roof hydraulics and a failed parking sensor. Servicing should ideally be done annually ( unless you're doing high mileages) and getting the right stamp in the book each year does help with the eventual re-sale value.

I've been keeping an eye on prices since buying mine and as far as I can tell they seem to have pretty much stabilised with a starting level of around £80k. I have seen a couple cheaper, but thet seem to be questionable history and/or Cat C/D cars, which personally I'd avoid. There's always scope for negociating with dealer prices.

If you want any more info then please drop me a line and I will help where I can.

BarryP

584 posts

143 months

Monday 13th November 2017
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Pro Bono said:
I was looking at one of the supercar experiences which had a Cali, but just as I was about to book they went bust! But this would have been ideal, as it was fairly cheap and I'd at least have got a feel for it. Hiring one for a day is ludicrously expensive, so any suggestions would be welcome - or would you just buy it anyway and hope it lived up to expectations?
I guess you were looking at trying one with The Racing School? I'm an ARDS instructor and work with a couple of Supercar experience day companies. I can recommend Supercar Drive Days which have three Californias, it's getting towards the end of the season but they operate at circuits all round the country, website is supercardrivedays.co.uk

WCZ

10,492 posts

193 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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Yipper said:
First-gen California pricing has tumbled about 10-20% in the past ~6 months and there are a lot on sale, so make sure you bargain very hard on price.

The first-gen California is just a rebadged Maserati, so the Ferrari snobs tend to turn their noses up at them. And they are not very quick, so don't get into a roundabout grand prix with a new Golf R or RS3 or similar if it can be helped.

Very pretty cars, though. And great for a sunny day out, or a daily runaround for the milfy wife.
they are deffo quick, later models can do 0-100mph in 7 seconds...
if your judging stuff on a remapped golf r then there are hardly any cars which embarrass it at most speeds

Thankyou4calling

10,595 posts

172 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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Yipper said:
First-gen California pricing has tumbled about 10-20% in the past ~6 months and there are a lot on sale, so make sure you bargain very hard on price.

The first-gen California is just a rebadged Maserati, so the Ferrari snobs tend to turn their noses up at them. And they are not very quick, so don't get into a roundabout grand prix with a new Golf R or RS3 or similar if it can be helped.

Very pretty cars, though. And great for a sunny day out, or a daily runaround for the milfy wife.
May i ask (seriously) which maserati they re badged?

Yipper

5,964 posts

89 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
quotequote all
Thankyou4calling said:
Yipper said:
First-gen California pricing has tumbled about 10-20% in the past ~6 months and there are a lot on sale, so make sure you bargain very hard on price.

The first-gen California is just a rebadged Maserati, so the Ferrari snobs tend to turn their noses up at them. And they are not very quick, so don't get into a roundabout grand prix with a new Golf R or RS3 or similar if it can be helped.

Very pretty cars, though. And great for a sunny day out, or a daily runaround for the milfy wife.
May i ask (seriously) which maserati they re badged?
It was originally designed for Maserati, but Ferrari needed a new convertible at the time, so they nabbed it at the last minute. That's why the Cali is front-engined, not rear. It was supposed to be a Mazza GT Spyder or similar.

mon the fish

1,412 posts

147 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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There's pics online somewhere of the development mule when it was still planned to be a Maserati. Also I've always thought the shape of the grille, and general nose treatment tapering in from the front wheels as more Maserati-like. Doesn't really matter as Ferrari build Maserati's engines anyway.

FWIW the California is a car where the owners experience is massively at odds with what journalists said - pretty much every owner has loved it, and that is more relevant to me than a journo. And these are owners who've had Scuderias, 458s etc so it's not like it's their first Ferrari and they are forgiving the car a lot

Thankyou4calling

10,595 posts

172 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
quotequote all
Yipper said:
It was originally designed for Maserati, but Ferrari needed a new convertible at the time, so they nabbed it at the last minute. That's why the Cali is front-engined, not rear. It was supposed to be a Mazza GT Spyder or similar.
Well i never. Where do you get that info yipper?

mario64

126 posts

171 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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It's been folklore for a while. The story goes that Ferrari originally planned to replace the 4200 with two cars based on the same platform; a larger 4-seat GT, and a smaller Spyder. At some point they realised that the Spyder would be more profitable if it wore a Ferrari badge, so the car was re-re-engineered and positioned as a Ferrari. Maserati only got the GT car.

I can't find any sources that back this up so it might all be bullst. It is a nice story though.

Pro Bono

Original Poster:

586 posts

76 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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Thanks again to everyone who’s contributed, I hadn’t expected such a helpful response. And particularly to jon66 for his very kind offer (though I can’t see how to pm someone on this forum – anyone care to enlighten me?)

But although I really appreciate this offer I’d feel very inhibited driving someone’s own car that they’d been kind enough to hand over the keys to – at least if it’s a commercial deal and something goes wrong the insurance will cough up!

I did have a look at the supercardrivedays website, and thanks for flagging it up. I was going to book, but unfortunately neither the Leeds nor the 3 Sisters tracks are available till next year, though I may consider travelling to one of the others further south. My main concern is the weather at this time of year – there’s a high chance it’ll be wet or that the roads will be slippery, which wouldn’t enable me to get a feel for the full performance.

I’m not sure if it’s OK to discuss individual cars, but I can't see any rule against it, so this is one that ticks most of my boxes – any views?

http://www.saxton4x4.co.uk/used/4x4/ferrari/califo...

I know that many of you won’t like the colour, but as I said, I want it to be low key and I really like it.

I’ve also contacted the people in Maidstone, who were really helpful, but they’re limited as to an inspection unless it’s at their premises, and when I mentioned this to the seller they were, shall we say, not enthusiastic – hardly surprising, I suppose.

They also said there was no room to move on price, which I was rather surprised by. I suspect they will if a firm offer’s made, but I really do want to try and drive one first. I’d be interested to hear any comments from those in the know about the price. Bearing in mind the fairly low mileage it doesn’t seem OTT to me, but what do I know!

But there is a 6 month warranty, and there’s also an RAC warranty available at £1,250 a year, which doesn’t seem unreasonable (though I’ve not looked into it, so it may be full of loopholes).

Incidentally, I mentioned at the outset that every car I’ve seen has been a dealer sale. Is this just because people who own these can’t be bothered with the hassle of a private sale and would prefer to pay a dealer to sell for them even if it does net them a few thousand quid less?

I’ve now found a firm that will hire for £500 a day plus £1 a mile over the first 100, and I’m probably going to go with them.

It seems a hell of a lot to pay for an elongated test drive, but this is a big lump of money to spend and although I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy driving it I want to be 100% sure. I fully take on board the comments that when I sell I’m going to lose quite a lot. I can live with that if I’ve had a great time with it, but it would be painful if I was selling just because it wasn’t what I’d hoped for.

Anyway, thanks for all the help so far, and I’ll keep you posted of any major developments.

jon66

295 posts

143 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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Looking at the car in the link, that doesn't look too unrealistic. It's got the option 20" wheels (which I personally think suit the Cali better) and has a few nice touches which finish the car off well.
If you can get the chassis number I can see what info Ferrari have on the car as that can always be useful.
I don't see any reference to service history in the ad !
Not sure about the PM side of things, but if you look at the website link in my profile I'm sure you can work out how to contact me wink

Roof down

301 posts

125 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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That looks a smashing car, I will go for red/ cream if I do get one, but I could most happily live with that one.
Some lovely replies, pistonheads at its best, Whatever you do keep us all informed, good luck.

Yipper

5,964 posts

89 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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Thankyou4calling said:
Yipper said:
It was originally designed for Maserati, but Ferrari needed a new convertible at the time, so they nabbed it at the last minute. That's why the Cali is front-engined, not rear. It was supposed to be a Mazza GT Spyder or similar.
Well i never. Where do you get that info yipper?
It's been widely discussed for years by Ferrari and Maserati as the "unloved child". Neither side really wanted it in the end. When you speak with the folks at the Ferrari factory, you sense they're not a huge fan of the Cali (front-engined snobbery). Here's the Ferrari boss slagging it, just a few months ago.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-gen...

F355GTS

3,721 posts

254 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
quotequote all
Pro Bono said:
Thanks again to everyone who’s contributed, I hadn’t expected such a helpful response. And particularly to jon66 for his very kind offer (though I can’t see how to pm someone on this forum – anyone care to enlighten me?)

But although I really appreciate this offer I’d feel very inhibited driving someone’s own car that they’d been kind enough to hand over the keys to – at least if it’s a commercial deal and something goes wrong the insurance will cough up!

I did have a look at the supercardrivedays website, and thanks for flagging it up. I was going to book, but unfortunately neither the Leeds nor the 3 Sisters tracks are available till next year, though I may consider travelling to one of the others further south. My main concern is the weather at this time of year – there’s a high chance it’ll be wet or that the roads will be slippery, which wouldn’t enable me to get a feel for the full performance.

I’m not sure if it’s OK to discuss individual cars, but I can't see any rule against it, so this is one that ticks most of my boxes – any views?

http://www.saxton4x4.co.uk/used/4x4/ferrari/califo...

I know that many of you won’t like the colour, but as I said, I want it to be low key and I really like it.

I’ve also contacted the people in Maidstone, who were really helpful, but they’re limited as to an inspection unless it’s at their premises, and when I mentioned this to the seller they were, shall we say, not enthusiastic – hardly surprising, I suppose.

They also said there was no room to move on price, which I was rather surprised by. I suspect they will if a firm offer’s made, but I really do want to try and drive one first. I’d be interested to hear any comments from those in the know about the price. Bearing in mind the fairly low mileage it doesn’t seem OTT to me, but what do I know!

But there is a 6 month warranty, and there’s also an RAC warranty available at £1,250 a year, which doesn’t seem unreasonable (though I’ve not looked into it, so it may be full of loopholes).

Incidentally, I mentioned at the outset that every car I’ve seen has been a dealer sale. Is this just because people who own these can’t be bothered with the hassle of a private sale and would prefer to pay a dealer to sell for them even if it does net them a few thousand quid less?

I’ve now found a firm that will hire for £500 a day plus £1 a mile over the first 100, and I’m probably going to go with them.

It seems a hell of a lot to pay for an elongated test drive, but this is a big lump of money to spend and although I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy driving it I want to be 100% sure. I fully take on board the comments that when I sell I’m going to lose quite a lot. I can live with that if I’ve had a great time with it, but it would be painful if I was selling just because it wasn’t what I’d hoped for.

Anyway, thanks for all the help so far, and I’ll keep you posted of any major developments.
It would be ideal if if you can find a car at a main dealer within your budget that carries the approved status with 2 Year warranty but if it's elsewhere definitely get an inspection and by somebody that has an SD3 to read any errors and give you brake wear readings - a full set of discs/ pads will likely be £12k fitted so you need to ensure there's life in them!

jtremlett

1,369 posts

221 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
quotequote all
Pro Bono said:
...I’m not sure if it’s OK to discuss individual cars, but I can't see any rule against it, so this is one that ticks most of my boxes – any views?

http://www.saxton4x4.co.uk/used/4x4/ferrari/califo...
I have some history on this car. It was supplied new by HR Owen to a London-based first owner and first registered on 14 April 2010. Four owners in total (not unusual). It was last offered for sale by HR Owen in March 2016 at £104,950 (11,900 miles), reduced to £102,950 in May 2016 when it then sold. Then offered for sale by Saxton 4x4 in August this year at £92,000 (now on 16,000 miles), reduced to £90,000 at beginning of October and to the current asking price of £88,000 at the end of October. I would be guessing but very surprised if it didn't have full service history with HR Owen at least upto when they sold it 18 months ago.

Jonathan

Haggleburyfinius

6,593 posts

185 months

Tuesday 14th November 2017
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I looked at a dark grey Cali at Ferrari Birmingham last winter that was up for 89k if I remember correctly.

So I'd just wait for the spec you want to hit the dealer network.

johnnyreggae

2,930 posts

159 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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If you are after the Saxton car the local Ferrari dealer in Colchester will probably inspect and then be able to offer a proper warranty

Chemical Ali

907 posts

216 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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Advice on buying:

Find one you like, test drive and negotiate, just like a normal car.

Don't be intimidated by the badge or cost. If you can afford one you can afford one. Do your homework and know what spec you want.


TISPKJ

3,648 posts

206 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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Pro Bono

I have no knowledge of that particular car at 4x4, however I did look at a 599 they had for sale a couple of years back which had clearly been in an accident and badly repaired, paint looked nice but part of the undertray was missing and the car had overspray everywhere so I walked away.

Maidstone currently have the cheapest Cali on offer so not surprised they won't discount, you also will not find anyone that will give you the bottom line over the phone, you need to go in person to show your not a messer trying to price research cars.

If it were me at the level your looking I would buy one of the numerous cars advertised on here from a main dealer.

willy wombat

906 posts

147 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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If I could add another 10 pence worth, I’ve owned 5 Ferraris and would be petrified of buying one from anyone other than a franchised main dealer or a trusted independent like Roger and Claire at the Ferrari Centre (it will always be KHPC to me). I am not implying that there is anything wrong with the dealership you have mentioned but Ferraris are complex cars and I would always want to buy from somewhere that properly understands them.