The 1st one was a black manual 400 with carbs. It was owned by a friendly private banker. The car was located at garage Duss in Buchs (http://www.dusshistoric.ch/) which is very close to the border of Lichtenstein. Since it was parked at a garage we could thoroughly inspect it underneath as well. The car was complete, including paperwork, documentation, maps and toolkits. It looked to be a very good specimen. Of course we had the opportunity to make a test drive which was a nice opportunity to make a spin on the mountain roads and enjoy the scenery. Also Jos was offered to make a test drive. I warned the owner that he drives slightly more agressive than I do. When running downhill Jos was really testing the car and braked late when hitting the corners. The owner on the passenger seats was likely a bit nervouse as he made gestures with his feet to step on the breakes all the time. During the ride and the inspection we had some reservations on the car. I had made up the following observations:
Pro:
-
As far as I could tell the paint is in it’s original condition. I
couldn’t see signs of spraying at least. The headlights clearly shown
influence of sun. The sun must also had an impact on the dashboard since it was
having the leather upholstery redone. Similar as you have done for the rear
part. As such I think the car has undergone a professional polish treatment
(which is obviously ok).
-
New tyres.
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New or recent front wishbones.
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Both toolkits available.
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Map holder with original manual and documents.
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Interior clean and tidy.
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Engine bay clean and tidy.
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Good running engine (I forgot to check the distribution chain
adjustment screw L).
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Steering and brakes felt good.
-
All dashboard dials and electronics functioning – including the
air conditioning.
Con:
-
Rust spots, although not severe they require treatment, especially
both doors.
-
Fully documented maintenance history missing.
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Original gear knob missing.
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One broken/faulty switch on the wooden mid console.
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Missing cover on the flywheel ! (underneath the car). (you might
want to check this with the garage - unsure if this was left unattended by
them?)
-
Poor exhaust system, welded on many places, requires replacement
for a stainless steel version.
-
Rubber bushes for the suspensions close to be worn out and not
fitted properly in the housing.
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Rear shocks might require refurbishment or replacement – Seemed
like there was small leakage.
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Potential problem with the differential.
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Corner handling was poor, very likely caused due the previous 3
points.
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2nd gear slightly problematic – might indicate an issue
with the synchromesh ring.
Neutral:
-
Fog lights. Round Bosch light instead of square Carello light.
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Side Mirrors are not the square model but appear to be original.
right side is not electrical functioning.
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Fitted box in the boot. Unsure about it's functionality.
-
Color combination. Although I personally prefer a different
lighter color since black does not reveal the shape/lines of the car very
well.
A very remarkable observation I made was the stamped marking "automatic" at the steering wheel where the chassis nr is located. The owner was quite surprised to see this as well. Apparently this has been an Original oversight by the Ferrari assembly folks.
Next to the identified shortcomings there was another factor that needed to be taken in account. Import tax and duties. Since it's in a non-EU location it meant I have to pay 20% tax on the purchase price. In combination with the shortcomings and limited negotiation marge I considered this car becoming to expensive. Here are some other pictures of the inspection:
Guess what!? I was informed someone else had also inspected this car and he had the chassis nr verified with Ferrari. It appears this car was originally delivered as an Automatic version! Glad I skipped this car.
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