Buying advice for a 550

[vario-rob]

Do you need an excuse to buy your first Ferrari? If you do here are mine, I’m nearer to 40 than 30 so if I don’t do it now I never will. We’ve got our first sprog on the way so if I don’t do it now I never will.

I’ve enjoyed 3 ½ years of happy 993 ownership but am now placing her in the hands of a capable SOR dealer and once she’s gone I am very much thinking along the lines of a used 550. I’m really only looking to spend up to £65k which seems to get you something reasonable from a proper dealer with a full warranty. The car will be very much one for the weekend and would cover no more than 4000 miles per year with 1000 of this going to Le Mans next year. You’re thoughts on the following would be most welcome

• Am I better buying from a franchised dealer than a decent independent?

• Are the official warranties worth the paper they are written on?

• Provided it has had its major service done just before I buy it, year on year what would you expect to spend running it over a three year period?

• What to look out for?

• Who to avoid?

• Any other thoughts that might help me from having my leg lifted?

I appreciate that EVO are running a 550 and this may well have e been covered well already on the forum but this is a big leap for a simple old country boy like me so an element of hand holding from the learned collective would be most welcome.

The default purchase if a 550 frightens me off is a Maserati Gransport which I know is a brilliantly capable steer, but for the same sort of wedge……………

PS Does the world really need another PH-er with a chipped 996 Turbo ;)

Many thanks

[Jonny5]

i've got a simple piece of advice, buy Cem's - it's in the ads section