Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Good Afternoon

[jimshadow (jimshadow]

Tad,

The first question to answer is.....are you mechanically inclined or would you 
have to have a shop change belts and do fluids?   You can dramatically decrease 
the cost of ownership if you DIY. 
From there, you can/should expect to budget X amount depending on the model.  
The concensus seems to be $2500-$3500/yr for the 308 and more like $5500 for a 
348 if you are having a shop do the work.  
In my first year (almost) of Ferrari ownership I've spent next to nothing 
mechanically on my car.  It has been rock solid!  I am however planning a full 
engine out service 1 year from now where I will spend several $K even doing it 
myself.  
As far as 'entry level' the 328 is a real value even with the prices creeping 
up.  Refined, easy to work on, most parts still available.  The look of the car 
is timeless as is the 308.  That being said, there is a guy an hour north of me 
who has a Testarossa and he does Al his work including an engine out major.  He 
did his homework, got a good car at a great price and now has a gorgeous ride!
I would say that 'entry level has as much to do with your abilities as 
anything... Its one thing to be able to afford a $50K TR, but if you're paying 
a shop to do a major....ouch!
        
You will always be welcome at Ferrari events, that is one thing that I found 
great as I was dreaming of ownership.  This is a great group of owners both FCA 
and FOC.  We all love talking about our cars!  

Good luck.
Jim
'74 308GT4 
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

-----Original Message-----
From: "Tad Breeden" <tadbreeden [at] mindspring.com>

Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:42:36 
To:JIM <jimshadow [at] verizon.net>
Cc:The FerrariList <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Subject: [Ferrari] Good Afternoon



After joining your Ferrari list a few months ago and being a lifelong fan of 
these beautiful automobiles I was hoping to get some really good first-hand 
knowledge and information from anyone and everyone who cares to respond.  I am 
hoping to one day own and care for one of these pieces of art, honestly it will 
probably be  a few years down the road but I'm optimistic that it won't be too 
long. 
This would definitely NOT be a daily driver, I have a '99 MB S420 for that  but 
I would hope to drive the car weekly. I grew up with Magnum's 308GTSi and later 
the Testarossa which I still love! There's one in my neighborhood but I haven't 
been able to get the guy to slow down long enough to chat with him about his 
car! He's always having too much fun in it I guess?
I have many questions, but one of my first would be is there such a thing as a 
"starter" Ferarri for a beginner someone who is not a millionaire and not a 
mechanic. I have seen alot of 308s out there but many seem to had some hard 
years and been neglected. I have looked at a '91 348ts which was very nice and 
a 360 Modena which was outta my price range but I still have a"thing" for that 
12 cylinder Testarossa! Am I crazy? Yes, I probably am! Not sure how much of 
the maintenance I could do myself, costs, ride, etc. on any of these cars much 
less a Testarossa or Modena 360? Should I just start with the best 308 I can 
afford and look to buy up from there after enjoying that and learning about 
Ferarris or should I go with the dream and find that special Testarossa? Any 
ideas that people may have? I would love to hear them! 
Also, do you think that I'd be welcome at some of my local Ferarri club events 
so that I could learn about these cars even though I don't own one?  Have a 
great day and enjoy those beautiful automobiles, oh and keep writing in to the 
message board so I can live vicariously through all of you!  Thanks alot.       
   


































Tad Breeden
tadbreeden [at] mindspring.com
EarthLink Revolves Around You.
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