Cody -

I know that Matt already answered this fairly well, but thought I'd
pipe in myself. Sorry for the delayed response. I've just picked up the
group again after the summer.

Matt is correct. If you buy a Ferrari for investment purposes, you are
wasting your money. You'll be spending a couple of grand a year (avg)
on maintenance, not to mention the $800 or so you'll spend on insurance
(assuming your record is clean), plus a couple of hundred in
taxes/registration a year. Unless this is your everyday car, which it
isn't for most owners, that's alot of extra money you are out of pocket
each year. It is doubtful that the price of the car will appreciate
more than these costs, let alone more than any inflation. If you want
to make an investment, put your money into a mutual/stock fund, or CDs
or such.

Now, if you want to make in investment in your life and your fun, a
Ferrari is a great thing. But take your time deciding what car you
exactly want, and take your time researching it and buying the exact
car you want. It took me over 8 months from the time I decided I wanted
my 308 until I actually bought it. And this was almost a more enjoyable
time than actually owning in. It's kind of like having a
girlfriend/wife. Sometimes the alure of the chase is great and once you
catch it, there is a bit of a honeymoon and then a bit of a letdown
when the daily grind takes over. At least there was for me. But you do
come back to it and fall back in love with it, but on a deeper level
(e.g. taking care of it, detailing, etc). Maybe that's just my
experience.

Don't know what car you are looking for, but this group can point you
in the right direction, as they already have. They were a great help to
me when I was looking. Do a Google search on alt.autos.ferrari. I don't
know if Phil (phil308gts) is still posting, but he was of great
assistance when I was looking.

Given your price range, I think you'll probably be looking at one of
the 8 cylinder models. An excellent book that covers all of the 8s
(although it has a bit of a European slant I felt in its
pictures/coverage) is "Original Ferrari V8" by Kieth Bluemel.  Spend
some time researching the cars and the particular model. When I first
started, I only knew I wanted a red/tan 308. But after alot of
research, I decided I wanted a QV, preferably a single/two owner car
with all records, no history of problems, etc. You pay more for that
upfront, but generally get a better car. If you want something that
will hold its value better, then you want to make sure you are buying
the right car.

Another must, is to have a Ferrari mechanic (not necessarily one from
Ferrari, but one who knows his stuff) do an eval on the car. I thought
I knew enough, and actually did a 3 hour lookover when I bought mine,
but ended up finding that there were some leaks that I hadn't
discovered, etc. Ended up costing me a fair amount of extra $$ during
the major service.

Make sure to be patient. As I said, I looked for 8 months before
finding the car I wanted. The car you want is out there, you just have
to find it. You should not settle for a car that doesn't meet your
desires/dreams. I flew (from SF Bay Area) to Dallas and Atlanta looking
at cars, I called several dealerships and had them put me on their
radar screen, telling them exactly what I wanted. It actually paid off,
as FoAtlanta ended up getting in a car meeting my specs and that is
what I ended up buying. Patience, patience, patience.

Once you get your car, enjoy it. Drive it often, keep it maintained and
have fun. Remember that "Ferrari's are meant to be Driven", not to sit
in a garage.

Tifosi on -
mark