550 Ownership - The First 10 Years
Discussion
Let me take you back in time. It’s December 2005, I’ve not long turned forty, and I’ve just bought my first Ferrari! Only it’s one of those front engine V12 jobbies. The ones that depreciate like a stone everyone tells me.
You might very well call me foolish, as I’d broken every rule in the book. For starters I’d won it on eBay. The vendor appeared to be Arthur Daley’s younger brother. I haven’t test driven it before parting with my cash. And to top it off I’ve just run out of fuel on the way to the station! Well it was 'cheap'! This wasn’t panning out the way I’d imagined it would. Oh, and I still haven’t got around to telling the missus…
So what on earth was I thinking? Well for numbers one through to ten, it was my dream car. A one owner 550 Maranello in Rosso Corsa with Crema Leather with all the history. Since a boy, I had my heart set on the fastest car in the world, which happened to be the Ferrari Daytona at the time. As I couldn’t possibly afford one of those, its spiritual successor seemed the right way to go. This was going to be worth the inevitable matrimonial hassle, I hoped…
Temporary fuel crisis over, and I’m on my way home. This is great! First gear, wow! Into second, strewth! On into thi… Oh hang on, that’s not right? No syncro.
F*ck.
Well, the events that followed were unpleasant and best glossed over, but I was still the owner my first Ferrari. So homeward we pressed. It was the worst journey of my life. I’d just bought a pig in a poke. The gearbox was shagged. Everyone seemed to be looking, pointing and laughing as though the whole world was in on some ghastly joke being played out on me. I had a knot in my stomach. I’d read all the chat about gearboxes being £10k. And it was raining.
Well, that was all ten years ago, and I’ve still got her! (And the wife). Probably always will. And apart from those first 3 hours, I haven’t regretted a moment of Ferrari ownership. Goodwood Breakfasts, FoS, Revival. Pistonhead Sunday Services. Various race meetings and shows. Trips up to the Lakes. 7 trips down to Le Mans. Even a Photoshoot at Millbrook for the cover of EVO with Harry Metcalfe. Next year will be probably be a trip down to Maranello and a tour around northern Italy.
The gearbox turned out to be a misaligned selector fork that had worn away. Obviously the cambelts needed changing, and the tyres were a cause for concern. I also swapped the back boxes to Larini’s. Total expenditure £4000. Not bad, considering. Still made her the cheapest on the market, although the missues was having no truck with that one!
And since then? Well I’ve done 14000 miles, and she's been great. Other than replacing the belts twice more, routine servicing and Mot’s, I've not had to spend any more on her. I’ve just replaced the rear tyres again this year. Fronts still look like there’s around 4-5000 miles left in them. I’ve never had to touch the brakes. And apart from that? Nada. Nowt. Nothing. Averaged out over 10 years, it’s all worked out at under a grand a year. And I like a bargain... It's even returned 17mpg over that time.
So here's to the next 10 years.
Happy Christmas!
You might very well call me foolish, as I’d broken every rule in the book. For starters I’d won it on eBay. The vendor appeared to be Arthur Daley’s younger brother. I haven’t test driven it before parting with my cash. And to top it off I’ve just run out of fuel on the way to the station! Well it was 'cheap'! This wasn’t panning out the way I’d imagined it would. Oh, and I still haven’t got around to telling the missus…
So what on earth was I thinking? Well for numbers one through to ten, it was my dream car. A one owner 550 Maranello in Rosso Corsa with Crema Leather with all the history. Since a boy, I had my heart set on the fastest car in the world, which happened to be the Ferrari Daytona at the time. As I couldn’t possibly afford one of those, its spiritual successor seemed the right way to go. This was going to be worth the inevitable matrimonial hassle, I hoped…
Temporary fuel crisis over, and I’m on my way home. This is great! First gear, wow! Into second, strewth! On into thi… Oh hang on, that’s not right? No syncro.
F*ck.
Well, the events that followed were unpleasant and best glossed over, but I was still the owner my first Ferrari. So homeward we pressed. It was the worst journey of my life. I’d just bought a pig in a poke. The gearbox was shagged. Everyone seemed to be looking, pointing and laughing as though the whole world was in on some ghastly joke being played out on me. I had a knot in my stomach. I’d read all the chat about gearboxes being £10k. And it was raining.
Well, that was all ten years ago, and I’ve still got her! (And the wife). Probably always will. And apart from those first 3 hours, I haven’t regretted a moment of Ferrari ownership. Goodwood Breakfasts, FoS, Revival. Pistonhead Sunday Services. Various race meetings and shows. Trips up to the Lakes. 7 trips down to Le Mans. Even a Photoshoot at Millbrook for the cover of EVO with Harry Metcalfe. Next year will be probably be a trip down to Maranello and a tour around northern Italy.
The gearbox turned out to be a misaligned selector fork that had worn away. Obviously the cambelts needed changing, and the tyres were a cause for concern. I also swapped the back boxes to Larini’s. Total expenditure £4000. Not bad, considering. Still made her the cheapest on the market, although the missues was having no truck with that one!
And since then? Well I’ve done 14000 miles, and she's been great. Other than replacing the belts twice more, routine servicing and Mot’s, I've not had to spend any more on her. I’ve just replaced the rear tyres again this year. Fronts still look like there’s around 4-5000 miles left in them. I’ve never had to touch the brakes. And apart from that? Nada. Nowt. Nothing. Averaged out over 10 years, it’s all worked out at under a grand a year. And I like a bargain... It's even returned 17mpg over that time.
So here's to the next 10 years.
Happy Christmas!
Edited by 550M on Thursday 24th December 15:07
Bought my first Ferrari 1 year ago this week, a stunning 550 in yellow with black leather. Just love it.
Been a Porsche fanatic for years, but fancied trying something different.
Went to Germany this summer did 3000miles, visited the Porsche Museum, Mercedes Museum the
Old timers Grand Prix and did the Route 500, car was just fabulous.
Seems to shrink around you. What a great thing to travel in with loads of luggage space.
What a fab car.
Great write up 550M.
Been a Porsche fanatic for years, but fancied trying something different.
Went to Germany this summer did 3000miles, visited the Porsche Museum, Mercedes Museum the
Old timers Grand Prix and did the Route 500, car was just fabulous.
Seems to shrink around you. What a great thing to travel in with loads of luggage space.
What a fab car.
Great write up 550M.
Edited by Als911 on Thursday 24th December 20:59
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