Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Spec-ing Our A New Ferrari Order [Ferrari Digest, Vol 26, Issue 37]

[Adam (flatcrank]

On Sep 21, 2008, at 7:10 PM, Steve Jenkins wrote:

> Ok - here's my two cents, Adam:
>
> 1) If you don't care about depreciation, then just get EXACTLY what  
> you
> want, with no regard to what anyone else (especially a future owner)  
> will
> like. A few have already said this, and I agree.

I'm somewhere in the middle on this still.  I'm against the notion of  
"order the car for the second owner" so the car will be to my  
preferences (which are fortunately "less is more" and I want the car  
light in the invoice and the curb weight.)

I hope the next owner and I are already friends perhaps from track  
days or by a degree or two or separation or we become good friends by  
virtue of the car we'll have in common, we'll see each other at the  
track and I get to see my "old" car live a good life after my tenure.   
At least that's the picture I'd paint.  But I'm not going to this much  
trouble and expense to build "yet another Ferrari for resale."

> 2) To minimize deprecation, here's want you want:
>
> -Rosso Corsa (aka "Resale Red")

"DOUG" mentioned "Scuderia" red and I know of a Scuderia in red and I  
know the owner, so I'll have to track that car down.

> - Tan interior (or black, if you must)

Black or perhaps I have options for some other fabrics or Scuderia  
seats.  I quite like various red interiors, but I see those cars  
languishing on the secondary market and I don't need the indulgence.   
Red will most likely end up on the outside of the sheet metal.

> - F1 Transmission

I expect I'll go with the 6-spd -- that's what I've asked to order and  
I'm about to see a friend sell his unique 6-spd Spider with CCBs, so  
his experiences as a seller will guide my decision.

> - Shields

Agreed.  And I quite like the look, just not the price tag.

> - Carbon brakes

Done.  Crazy price, but maybe I can even spec Scuderia brakes.

> - Red brake calipers

Noted.

> - As many carbon fiber trim pieces as they will put on it

Probably just the "driver" pieces, but I am partial to real CF pieces  
(not the stick-on facade stuff.)  What "works" in the cabin?  The  
factory fire-ex?  The yellow tach?  Any other preparations for track  
days?  I presume I cover the nose in a plastic.  Should I "box" the  
factory wheels and get after-market wheels for the abuses of our  
wonderfully maintained streets or the chance encounter with a berm?   
Are there factory suspension options?  After-market suspension -- coil- 
overs?  Sway bars?  I'm not keen on tinkering with the engine or  
flirting with warranty concerns, but maybe I can improve the  
suspension and handling (again, I keep thinking of picking from a  
Scuderia menu, but I have to assume I won't have the option.)

> - Racing seats? Your call. They won't make much difference one way  
> or the
> other.

It's mostly a track car -- lighter seats with the car set up to take a  
bolt-in roll bar and HANS device belts will be important.  As will  
track insurance ...

> - Spider or coupe? Again - your call. They are different cars. Get  
> the one
> you want.

I'm angling for a coupe, but I'm listening to advice that makes sense  
for the Spider.  I'm a competent driver, probably capable of  
extracting more from a car than most amateurs, but I'm not trying to  
delude myself into thinking I'll be taking either coupe or Spider to  
the 99th percentile and wishing for more. : )

> So you may want to go somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
> Regardless of what you do, when it arrives, DRIVE IT and enjoy in good
> health!

To that, I vow a solemn oath. : )

ps.  To everyone reading along and offering advice, I appreciate the  
welcome reception over the last few days and the indulgence in my own  
journey.  I'm no "blogger" but I intend to share my experiences along  
the way.

> SJ
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam [mailto:flatcrank [at] gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 6:24 PM
> To: Steve Jenkins
> Cc: The FerrariList
> Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Spec-ing Our A New Ferrari Order [Ferrari  
> Digest,Vol
> 26, Issue 37]
>
>
>
> On Sep 21, 2008, at 12:59 PM, BRIGANDBAR [at] aol.com wrote:
>
> > Adam:
> >
> > The quick and dirty of it is you are making a significant cash
> > outflow on
> > the car anyway you look at it and I would suggest that you figure
> > out whatever
> > makes you happy and equip it exactly that way. I know there are a
> > lot of
> > experts  who can advise you on which options will reward you with
> > the best payback,
> > but  IMNSHO shopping for a niche car, as Ferraris are and most
> > probably
> > always will  be (at least if the factory can make it work that way,
> > I understand
> > that they  like to produce ~5k cars/yr. but also are concerned about
> > keeping the
> > in-line  time to ~2 yrs. so as to not discourage potential new car
> > buyers and
> > cause them  to divert to something such as a Lamborghini), and as I
> > believe
> > it was Clyde  said, the dealers always love to have the buyer take
> > an in-stock
> > used (e.g.  trade in from another new car buyer) car to drive in the
> > interim
> > until their  newly positioned order is filled).
>
> I guess that's the long and the short of it!  If I run the numbers and
> examine the real cost too closely, well, I'd probably just drive my
> Prius ... but I have a pretty clear picture of the consequences of
> spending $200K on a car and the lease burden or the cost of
> opportunity in having cash parked in a Ferrari are manageable, the one
> thing I'd like to get away from is the depreciation curve.  At least
> to stay higher on the curve.
>
> As noted, Ferraris, especially the 360's and 430's, have become
> somewhat numerous and the upside of recent production has been quality
> and lower operating costs.  From my last three cars, I know my mileage
> habits have changed a lot in the last few years, so I feel I'm finally
> in a position to have a car that I don't expect to rack up the 10K+
> miles per year I was tending to drive as recently as about five years
> ago.
>
> I floated the "let's go to the selection of used cars you have or know
> you can acquire and pick out something" but it just didn't seem to
> matter in the grand scheme.  This particular dealer is much more
> concerned about selling the new cars and the only "sweetener" might be
> a Maserati or the California (both of which I'm prepared to mix into
> the deal, but again, it's only a sweetener, it doesn't help me get any
> closer to car like a Scuderia, where the number of "deserving"
> customers far outnumbers the available production.)  I hope this first
> F430 takes me towards the "next" Scuderia -- that's about all I can
> expect at this point.  No complaints there.
>
> > I would add that given the size of the investment, why not just
> > consider a
> > trip to the factory before the due date for bespoking (bespeaking?)
> > the car and
> > examine things from a close-up perspective? I think that the trip
> > may be the
> > best investment you can make in terms of getting exactly what you
> > want, and
> > seeing what is available. I don't know how the Ferrari dealers feel
> > about
> > this,  but colleague (who married into far more wealth than I shall
> > ever see) is
> > in the  process of ordering a new Phantom and was encouraged to make
> > a trip to
> > Greenwood  before finalizing the bespoke order on that car. This way
> > you can
> > see exactly  how each of the options look and feel, and can get the
> > answer as
> > to whether you  exact requests can be fulfilled or if a compromise
> > that also
> > makes you happy can  be had.
>
> This is a great idea -- visiting the factory ahead of the order.  I
> tried to get into one of the driving schools, but that's strictly for
> owners and I was told the factory visits are also restricted, but with
> an order in the system and my deposit on the books, a factory visit
> might not be out of the question.  Thanks for the idea -- I don't know
> why I didn't think of it, but I'll pursue this with the dealer this
> week and see what's possible.
>
>
> Cheers,
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