Thoughts on this 2010 California
Discussion
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
I asked about what work they had to do to prepare the car for sale and they sent me the tech report that included invoices for gasket related items. I queried this and was told:
‘There was slight oil leak from the cam cover gasket variable value timing solenoid gasket. We have replaced all the parts to bank 2 and there is no longer any leak‘.
I understand most of those words but I have no idea what they mean in that first sentence. Would this put you off buying the car or is it nothing to worry about?
I asked about what work they had to do to prepare the car for sale and they sent me the tech report that included invoices for gasket related items. I queried this and was told:
‘There was slight oil leak from the cam cover gasket variable value timing solenoid gasket. We have replaced all the parts to bank 2 and there is no longer any leak‘.
I understand most of those words but I have no idea what they mean in that first sentence. Would this put you off buying the car or is it nothing to worry about?
As above, a couple of leaking gaskets is nothing to worry about (so long as they fix it).
Also, that is a huge amount of very nice looking drop-top goodness for what is not a huge amount of money in the grand scheme.....if I didn't have the 458 sitting there doing nothing I might be tempted myself...
Also, that is a huge amount of very nice looking drop-top goodness for what is not a huge amount of money in the grand scheme.....if I didn't have the 458 sitting there doing nothing I might be tempted myself...
JCT Bentley in Newcastle is just about to open a Ferrari franchise from part of the same building, ask them if this will fall into the 'Approved Used' scheme and get the extra warranty.
Leaking gaskets is often just a downside of the low mileage, the other is cracked and aged tyres so don't just check the tread depth, check the age. Nice looking car though
Leaking gaskets is often just a downside of the low mileage, the other is cracked and aged tyres so don't just check the tread depth, check the age. Nice looking car though
The Surveyor said:
JCT Bentley in Newcastle is just about to open a Ferrari franchise from part of the same building, ask them if this will fall into the 'Approved Used' scheme and get the extra warranty.
Leaking gaskets is often just a downside of the low mileage, the other is cracked and aged tyres so don't just check the tread depth, check the age. Nice looking car though
They told me about their upcoming acquisition of the Ferrari franchise but suggested this car was most likely to sell before Ferrari franchise opens and even if it didn’t the price may have to be changed to align with approved used Ferrari pricing. Leaking gaskets is often just a downside of the low mileage, the other is cracked and aged tyres so don't just check the tread depth, check the age. Nice looking car though
Two lightly cracked tyres were also flagged on the tech report but these are not going to be changed as they meet the JCT minimum standards and are not an MOT fail. I’m unsure of the age of them but will ask.
I think I’m going to go for it 
I’m a loooong way from Newcastle though so will be putting a deposit down without driving or viewing it. Are there any PHers close to JCT 600 in Newcastle with some Ferrari experience that fancy taking a look at it for me and giving it a drive? Please pm me if you can help and I’d be happy to pay a fee. I’m not looking for a technical report just a conscientious approach to viewing paint, panels, wheels etc and making sure there’s nothing obviously wrong with how it drives.
I’m a loooong way from Newcastle though so will be putting a deposit down without driving or viewing it. Are there any PHers close to JCT 600 in Newcastle with some Ferrari experience that fancy taking a look at it for me and giving it a drive? Please pm me if you can help and I’d be happy to pay a fee. I’m not looking for a technical report just a conscientious approach to viewing paint, panels, wheels etc and making sure there’s nothing obviously wrong with how it drives.
I'm also in the market for a California, and I'd noticed that one because it's in the colour I want, Grigio Silverstone. Also, the mileage seems about right.
Don't worry, I'm not quite ready to buy yet, so I'll not be bidding against you, but I'd be very interested to hear of your experience.
Have you driven one before? I haven't, and I wanted to try one out before deciding finally to go ahead, but it's very difficult. A typical test drive's pretty much a waste of time, particularly if the salesman's sat next to you. You can hire them, but at about £700 a day it makes for an expensive test drive.
I did think about driving one on one of those `experience days' but they don't seem to operate during the winter, and the earliest I could get one was April.
Incidentally, do you like the coloured calipers? I really don't, and although they aren't too bad in red most grey Californias have yellow ones, which to my mind look really garish and spoil the look of the car, as with this one - https://www.gumtree.com/p/ferrari/2009-ferrari-cal... (nice car, but too high mileage for my peace of mind).
I'd also been wondering about the best way to get it checked over mechanically. It seems there are quite few decent Ferrari specialists about who'll do a fairly comprehensive inspection for around £300 - £500, but I'd like to know what you end up doing.
Are you planning to buy a warranty? if so, I'd be interested to hear which one you go for and how much it cost.
I know that there's an awful lot of snobbery about Californias, but I think they're great cars, and I also like the look of them, though they definitely don't suit bright colours. And in a world where convertibles are gradually disappearing they're becoming even more desirable.
I really hope you'll come back and share your experience of buying and owning it - and good luck!
Don't worry, I'm not quite ready to buy yet, so I'll not be bidding against you, but I'd be very interested to hear of your experience.
Have you driven one before? I haven't, and I wanted to try one out before deciding finally to go ahead, but it's very difficult. A typical test drive's pretty much a waste of time, particularly if the salesman's sat next to you. You can hire them, but at about £700 a day it makes for an expensive test drive.
I did think about driving one on one of those `experience days' but they don't seem to operate during the winter, and the earliest I could get one was April.
Incidentally, do you like the coloured calipers? I really don't, and although they aren't too bad in red most grey Californias have yellow ones, which to my mind look really garish and spoil the look of the car, as with this one - https://www.gumtree.com/p/ferrari/2009-ferrari-cal... (nice car, but too high mileage for my peace of mind).
I'd also been wondering about the best way to get it checked over mechanically. It seems there are quite few decent Ferrari specialists about who'll do a fairly comprehensive inspection for around £300 - £500, but I'd like to know what you end up doing.
Are you planning to buy a warranty? if so, I'd be interested to hear which one you go for and how much it cost.
I know that there's an awful lot of snobbery about Californias, but I think they're great cars, and I also like the look of them, though they definitely don't suit bright colours. And in a world where convertibles are gradually disappearing they're becoming even more desirable.
I really hope you'll come back and share your experience of buying and owning it - and good luck!
Pro Bono said:
Have you driven one before? I haven't, and I wanted to try one out before deciding finally to go ahead, but it's very difficult. A typical test drive's pretty much a waste of time, particularly if the salesman's sat next to you. You can hire them, but at about £700 a day it makes for an expensive test drive.
I know the question wasn't for me, but thought I'd throw in my 2p anyway. A few years ago (when they were current models) Ferrari invited me to a test drive day and I drove the Cali and 458 back to back. On the roads we were driving on (some fairly narrow, undulating scottish country roads) I came away with perhaps a slightly better opinion of the Cali than the 458.The Cali was a fair bit "smoother" experience, as in the body absorbed more of the uneven nature of the roads and the more leisurely gearbox was a far more relaxed and enjoyable drive. The 458 is very pointed, direct and has a "big go-kart" feel to it which doesn't work everywhere and the gearbox can be quite aggressive at times. Combined with the width difference I did think that on a sunny day with the top down and when you didn't want to be fully "on it" the California was a very very nice place to be. I think if you're going out for sunday lunches with the Mrs it might be a very good option.
Put it this way - if you're in it for the journey, then the California is superb. If you're in it for the drive then the 458 wins.
Ultimately I went for the 458 as I love the looks, sound and do like the more aggressive drive (and I can't fking stand cars with 'pretend' rear seats that are no use ever!) but I do hold a very high opinion of the California.
I had a yellow (black roof) 2010 model a few years back & absolutely loved it!
Great all rounder & superb for euro trips, drove to Madrid in comfort, dropped the roof on arrival & toured Spain for 4 days.
Never put a foot wrong & I think they sound great too (valves open!)
Go for it, you wont regret it.
Great all rounder & superb for euro trips, drove to Madrid in comfort, dropped the roof on arrival & toured Spain for 4 days.
Never put a foot wrong & I think they sound great too (valves open!)
Go for it, you wont regret it.
I think the California will be the car to have in years to come for driving pleasure, particular the later models.
Lets face it, roof down motoring is about the sound and the California has that lovely V8 NA engine and at 60k these are bargains, and I feel the car in the OP is great value as for me the carbon LED steering wheel is a must on all Ferrari's.
Lets face it, roof down motoring is about the sound and the California has that lovely V8 NA engine and at 60k these are bargains, and I feel the car in the OP is great value as for me the carbon LED steering wheel is a must on all Ferrari's.
Pro Bono said:
I'm also in the market for a California, and I'd noticed that one because it's in the colour I want, Grigio Silverstone. Also, the mileage seems about right.
Don't worry, I'm not quite ready to buy yet, so I'll not be bidding against you, but I'd be very interested to hear of your experience.
Have you driven one before? I haven't, and I wanted to try one out before deciding finally to go ahead, but it's very difficult. A typical test drive's pretty much a waste of time, particularly if the salesman's sat next to you. You can hire them, but at about £700 a day it makes for an expensive test drive.
I did think about driving one on one of those `experience days' but they don't seem to operate during the winter, and the earliest I could get one was April.
Incidentally, do you like the coloured calipers? I really don't, and although they aren't too bad in red most grey Californias have yellow ones, which to my mind look really garish and spoil the look of the car, as with this one - https://www.gumtree.com/p/ferrari/2009-ferrari-cal... (nice car, but too high mileage for my peace of mind).
I'd also been wondering about the best way to get it checked over mechanically. It seems there are quite few decent Ferrari specialists about who'll do a fairly comprehensive inspection for around £300 - £500, but I'd like to know what you end up doing.
Are you planning to buy a warranty? if so, I'd be interested to hear which one you go for and how much it cost.
I know that there's an awful lot of snobbery about Californias, but I think they're great cars, and I also like the look of them, though they definitely don't suit bright colours. And in a world where convertibles are gradually disappearing they're becoming even more desirable.
I really hope you'll come back and share your experience of buying and owning it - and good luck!
Hi - to answer your questions:Don't worry, I'm not quite ready to buy yet, so I'll not be bidding against you, but I'd be very interested to hear of your experience.
Have you driven one before? I haven't, and I wanted to try one out before deciding finally to go ahead, but it's very difficult. A typical test drive's pretty much a waste of time, particularly if the salesman's sat next to you. You can hire them, but at about £700 a day it makes for an expensive test drive.
I did think about driving one on one of those `experience days' but they don't seem to operate during the winter, and the earliest I could get one was April.
Incidentally, do you like the coloured calipers? I really don't, and although they aren't too bad in red most grey Californias have yellow ones, which to my mind look really garish and spoil the look of the car, as with this one - https://www.gumtree.com/p/ferrari/2009-ferrari-cal... (nice car, but too high mileage for my peace of mind).
I'd also been wondering about the best way to get it checked over mechanically. It seems there are quite few decent Ferrari specialists about who'll do a fairly comprehensive inspection for around £300 - £500, but I'd like to know what you end up doing.
Are you planning to buy a warranty? if so, I'd be interested to hear which one you go for and how much it cost.
I know that there's an awful lot of snobbery about Californias, but I think they're great cars, and I also like the look of them, though they definitely don't suit bright colours. And in a world where convertibles are gradually disappearing they're becoming even more desirable.
I really hope you'll come back and share your experience of buying and owning it - and good luck!
Driven one before? Yes, a test drive on a different car to the one I’m looking to buy though - same model year. It seems to me that what I want from a test drive might be different to you though. I’m not capable of driving a car to anywhere near it’s full potential. For me, a test drive just needs to put a smile on my face and demonstrate the car’s not obviously broken. I also don’t tend to keep my car for long so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t get on with it. I’d be much more particular if I planned on keeping it for many years.
Do I like the coloured calipers? Yes I do! I actually prefer yellow.
Mechanical check & warranty? The dealer I’m buying from seems to be well regarded so I’m not getting any further mechanical checks done. I would if buying privately though, and in that situation I would want Ferrari to do it and arrange a warranty through them too. The one I’m hoping to buy has an, at best, mediocre warranty but I’ve heard the Ferrari warranty isn’t all belts and braces either.
Good luck with your search.
Also - a big thank you to the people that got in touch with me re offering to go to JCT 600 to view the car for me. A local Ferrari owner to JCT 600 went there today and gave it the thumbs up so all is looking good. Getting pretty excited here
Lots of car for the money for sure.
Grigio Silverstone is a great colour and suits the shape. This one does have less common colours elsewhere - most Cali’s have light interiors, and not to everyone’s tastes to have black on a convertible, which may be part of the lower price. Also less common to have the red rev counter and callipers, but overall effect looks good to me.
Grigio Silverstone is a great colour and suits the shape. This one does have less common colours elsewhere - most Cali’s have light interiors, and not to everyone’s tastes to have black on a convertible, which may be part of the lower price. Also less common to have the red rev counter and callipers, but overall effect looks good to me.
I was reading an article about California's clutch / gearbox the other day on Ferrari Chat.
Not sure how many people here have had problems, but it seems like an expensive problem when or if it goes wrong:
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/the-45-0...
Not sure how many people here have had problems, but it seems like an expensive problem when or if it goes wrong:
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/the-45-0...
Boarder1 said:
I was reading an article about California's clutch / gearbox the other day on Ferrari Chat.
Not sure how many people here have had problems, but it seems like an expensive problem when or if it goes wrong:
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/the-45-0...
In my experience, every Ferrari owner has had people tell them horror stories. I put this down to a combination of bad news travelling faster than good, and people enjoying a feeling of one-upmanship over people who own Ferrari’s.Not sure how many people here have had problems, but it seems like an expensive problem when or if it goes wrong:
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/the-45-0...
Reading that thread it sounds like (a) the issue has been on 2013+ cars, and (b) it is not that common, eg one chap was on his third, does 5k miles a year, and hasn’t had an issue.
That said, any Ferrari can in theory chuck out a 5-figure bill if it decides to. So it is wise to either take out a warrantee or keep a little fund aside just in case. Well worth the risk to enjoy the kind of driving experience that the naysayers are missing out on.
Deposit paid and so the wait to collect begins Fingers crossed for good weather on the c250 mile drive home.
I’ve found the owners manual online and have a question about the battery conditioner. It says to connect it to the socket in the ‘luggage compartment’ then ‘run the connection cable underneath the luggage compartment lid in the outer/rear corner‘. There’s no photos so just wondering how exactly the cable exits the car? Does the boot have to remain open? How long is the cable? I’ve not used battery conditioners on previous cars as I would usually use the car at least every couple of weeks but have read it’s better to use as a default on a Cali.
Not strictly related to the Cali, but how do you all feel about valet parking? Not the type you might get at an airport, more specifically about what you might expect at a smart hotel in some locations. I’m mostly going to be using this car for trips to France and will stay at a couple of places with valet parking. Whatever car I’m driving, I’m very particular about where I park. I’ll freely admit that I’m a bit too precious about my ‘stuff’ and like to look even things even if it impedes on my enjoyment of them but I can’t help it. I’m definitely not the type of guy that can throw my keys to the valet, stroll down to the beach and not give it a second thought. I’d be making up an excuse as to why I had to pop back to the hotel and retrieve something from the car just to check all was okay and that my car wasn’t damaged or parked under a dripping pipe.
I know that there will be far more expensive metal being parked than a 10 year old California and they park & retrieve cars all day and night but I just can’t get away from the feeling they won’t look after it like I would. Not looking for a solution to overcome this feeling of unease, just wondering how others view it?
Fingers crossed for good weather on the c250 mile drive home. I’ve found the owners manual online and have a question about the battery conditioner. It says to connect it to the socket in the ‘luggage compartment’ then ‘run the connection cable underneath the luggage compartment lid in the outer/rear corner‘. There’s no photos so just wondering how exactly the cable exits the car? Does the boot have to remain open? How long is the cable? I’ve not used battery conditioners on previous cars as I would usually use the car at least every couple of weeks but have read it’s better to use as a default on a Cali.
Not strictly related to the Cali, but how do you all feel about valet parking? Not the type you might get at an airport, more specifically about what you might expect at a smart hotel in some locations. I’m mostly going to be using this car for trips to France and will stay at a couple of places with valet parking. Whatever car I’m driving, I’m very particular about where I park. I’ll freely admit that I’m a bit too precious about my ‘stuff’ and like to look even things even if it impedes on my enjoyment of them but I can’t help it. I’m definitely not the type of guy that can throw my keys to the valet, stroll down to the beach and not give it a second thought. I’d be making up an excuse as to why I had to pop back to the hotel and retrieve something from the car just to check all was okay and that my car wasn’t damaged or parked under a dripping pipe.
I know that there will be far more expensive metal being parked than a 10 year old California and they park & retrieve cars all day and night but I just can’t get away from the feeling they won’t look after it like I would. Not looking for a solution to overcome this feeling of unease, just wondering how others view it?
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