Ucube

What, so now you feel compelled to divulge your sensitivities to us as if we give a ****? I hope that was cathartic for you.

I hear ya and can, in fact, relate in many ways. I've always had a keen eye and great appreciation for the finer things. That's not to say I equate them with personal success or substance. I simply enjoy the finer things life has to offer. Yet because of my affinity for such things and discerning tastes, those who don't know me often tend to charaterize me as being snobbish or "too-good" for regular things. I have as much fun hanging with family and friends in a Luby's as I do in a 5-star joint. Locales and socio-economic class don't mean anything to me, it's the company that makes all the difference. I have a fairly small inner circle, but friends I make I keep forever. Most acquaintances will likely depict me as uptight, formal, and not someone you can cut-loose with, but they couldn't be more wrong. I learned long ago to do what it is that makes you happy, and never buy your own hype.

Now back to the topic...I love the F-car, but just not sure whether I'd actually want one as a trophy. I don't know, maybe my hang-ups will change if/when I have stupid money.

DanJK

TMI.

67FJ45

Ben,

Buy an F. F is for Fun! Buy it now, take care of it, keep it 20 years, sell it for a handsome sum. Consider the maintenance cost to be commensurate with your driving pleasure.

BUT

Keep the P. P is for Practical. Drive it daily, upgrade to another P car for daily use when you tire of this one.

Ray Allen's a gamer. Celts seem unstoppable now. Unfortunately, he is no longer a Sonic, as I've got a luxo suite at Oracle next Tues to see the Sonics and Warriors. Durant will have to do (still partial to the skinny kid cuz he went to Texas).

Chuck Jones

When I was looking for a TT, I was offered a 99 Modena in the Ferrari yellow. The fellow had just gotten it and was going to go thru it in his shop and flip it, but it needed a little work. He offered it to me for $70K and I was tempted. I took it out and drove it with a friend, and although it was a wonderful and first time experience, I can truthfully say that I wasn't all that smitten. I thought about it overnight, and decided to go for the 02 X50 that I had been negotiating for. I went by the guy's shop several days later and he confessed that he was glad I didnt' buy it...but he had to put about $10K into some issues with the tranny....since I don't have that kind of money to throw at a car I just bought, I was glad I didnt' pull the trigger and must confess, I'm totally happy with the X50....plus it has a hell of a lot more room in it.....AND the fact that upkeep and maintenance is a bitch....

ls911

The super exotics are hard to deny, the F-car is flat out ridiculous.
The thing is, it does come down to having stupid money, being in THAT league.
For me just having the ability to own one is not enough to get one. Reaching financial freedom FIRST is way more important.
I much rather have a bad *** house that is paid for than that F-car, lambo, etc...
Most can never reach that ultimate $ level but have done very well and are willing to sacrafise something.
FREEDOM
I am almost 40, still young but not full of....

Benjamin Choi

ls, agreed my friend

tooloud10

Whoops...you're right--I forgot about Lujack's. How awful are they? They might be my "backup" at some point in the future.

JBRipps

Didn't really read on all the posts, but while I'd love to have basically any F car in my stable, I always argue sour grapes. When that F car aint runnin or is getting the oil changed, I would imagine it would be somewhat pricey to get back on all fours. What does an oil change run on that? Is it an easy DIY gig? I know that replacing our engine is about 10K, I wonder what a new engine is on that beast?

Aside from my sour graping....if I had the don't give a hoot wallet, I think I'd grab that Stradale Challenge....have fun Bennieboy!!!!!


-one sour grape
J

10 GT3

I originally never wanted a 911. It was in fact my search for an older Ferrari that got me to drive a 911 for the first time. I always wanted a 308 GTSi QV or 328 GTS. I kept looking and driving them. They were wonderful cars to look at and hear, just not the best to drive. I looked and drove 7 or 8 of them, including a Norwood Turbo. There were just certain I didn't.

The driving position is simply terrible. You have a flat profile steering wheel, with very reclined seats (even at the lowest recline setting) that are unsupportive and flat. Your legs are skewed way to the right to make room for the wheel arches. The gas pedal is actually in the centerline of the car. Teh shifters come in 2 versions: so loose they wobble a couple of inches in every gate or so tight they are a bicep machine to move. The clutch has no feel and just engages someplace in the travel. They brakes feel unassisted with a heavy pedal. The steering was heavy and choppy at anything below 35 mph. In fact, it felt just like an old fiero (for those who remember them). Above 35 the steering became perfectly smooth. Above 70, the steering lightened up substantually. The engines on the other hand are wonderful, especially the 328. It pulls from 1000 rpms with good torque all the way to 7700 rpms. Other than the engine, I hated the cars when I drove them.

When I would drive them I would also voice my concerns with the dealer and they told me on multiple occassions to look at a 911. I went out and drove an 911 S/C and bought one within a month. What sold me on my first 911 was not looks or prestige, it was a great driving position with no offset pedals and a vertical steering wheel, brakes that were easy to modulate and powerful, a clutch that was easy to feel (initially strange due to the floor pivot) and steering that even at 5 mph you could not tell it was not power assisted. In the end, what mattered most to me was how the car felt behind the wheel and not how it looked on the outside. It is kind of funny that it was actually a Ferrari dealer that got me to drive and hence buy a 911.

Since buying my S/C, I have driven 348s, F355s and a 512 TR. Each has gotten better. Both the V8 cars still have driving position issues. The front wheel well forces your legs to the center. The steering wheel position was finally fixed with the F355. The 348 in some ways went backwards: the engine didn't pull as well down low as the 328 and the rear suspension felt very nervous. The F355 was almost liveable. I decided against a 355 when I chose to go to a 996 Carrera instead because it was a much more liveable car.

One significant surprise to me was the TR. Despite what appears to be a big intrusion of the front wheel arches, was actually none when you got settled in the car. Remember to duck when you get in as the roof is very low. A TR is so wide that after going over the wide doorsills, you find the pedals position perfectly directly in front of you. The steering wheel is vertical like a 911. The shifter and the steering are still heavy, but much smoother than the older V8 Ferraris. The clutch takeup is heavy, but smooth and easy to feel. The brakes are almost soft and feel a lot like a 993. The engine is a marvel with a perfectly smooth idle, a tremendouse flat torque off idle and the ability to rev to 7K. Visibility was also surprisingly very good. It is was not for the cost of maintenance and rapair on a TR (it is the highest of any Ferrari), I would probably own one today. I will probably own one sometime as an extra car.

I have been in a F360, but never driven one. I haven't considered one until recently, as it is now in my price range. From sitting in it, they have finally fixed the driving position. I just don't know if I could go to one knowing it won't even perform as well as a 997 Carrera S. Remember that even an F360CS can't outperform a 996 GT3.

Jake Ok

When I was shopping for my P car, I had the opportunity talk to several high end car salesman and they have all said the same thing about F cars. They are expensive to maintain and the pervious owners never drove their F cars because of that reason.
$16,000 brake service after 15,000km....it now makes sense why the pre owned F cars usally have less than 10,000km. LOL

hamilton

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G requires two trips to get (almost) right. Everything. And I'm not being nit-picky. I'm referring to subtle things like my Targa roof not closing. Or not ordering the part I drove in to have replaced. And many others but I won't hijack the thread. They can kiss my hairy bean-bag.

Ferraris are pretty (to get back on topic).

Benjamin Choi

an evo or sti with simple mods will easily outperform a 997S and the modena.

but we all know why we'd never get the super duper econo box cars because it doesn't look good, doesn't have the history, it doesn't look good, it doesn't sound good, the interior is not so cool, the image.. etc.

same deal for the modena to 997S, 997 GT3 etc.

my approach to loving cars is holistic. the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and for me, for my style, for my tastes, the ferrari modena (its whole) is just that much greater than the 997 GT3 (i pick this car because i think everyone would universally agree it's the best water cooled 911 out there to date) that i wouldn't think twice to pick up the older, less laptime capable car.

i value style, driving fun (power, feel, sound), quality, history in that order, but then again, i want it all. the ferrari's got it all in spades. my little test drive just obliterated any doubt.

and if you're a dude who picks a 996GT3 over a CS because u think it "outperforms" it, we wouldn't be hanging out anyways as buds so F u. j/k

arr0gant

I'll add one more to the list:
style, driving fun, quality, MARQUE, history. In THAT ORDER!!

Ben, you're making way too much sense lately. It's starting to scare me!

Benjamin Choi

nah, it's your lack of reading comprehension or apparent complacency or just simple hate for me so you take up only what you want to take up.

i've been preaching the same ben choi sermon all along, bud

arr0gant

Haha!! Right on! Anyway, no hate for you or ANYONE on here, brutha!!

Always like to hear what you have to say, just don't agree with some of it, or maybe just the way it's delivered. But you're a great part of the Renn-brotherhood, nonetheless!

Cheers