The three year anniversary

Indications would seem to be that this relationship is starting to get serious now that it has passed its third year! As the special date rolls around again, of when it all started, it’s time to stop and reflect on the magic (good and bad) that has transpired in 12 months.

To be totally up to date you should read my musing from previous years here:

One Year Anniversary

Two Year Anniversary

They tell me that the third anniversary is supposed to be leather, so let’s crack on with it!

Costs

Every three or so years the belts on the F355 need to be replaced. This means that the engine has to come out. Yes, that’s right the whole engine has to be removed from the car to do this. The reason is that the belts are next to firewall just behind the seats and the only way to service them is to drop the engine out.

Unsurprisingly, the car has been engineered to do this. So at the car’s annual maintenance it was time to drop the engine out and change those belts, amongst other things. You can read and see the full details here:

My car has no engine

I also took the opportunity, whilst the engine was out, to have the shock absorbers re-conditioned as they were starting to leak. I knew this at purchase but had been delaying doing them until now.

My road usage of the F355 increased to almost 9,000 kms travelled in 12 months! That is about a 20% increase over the past year. My odometer is fast approaching 55,000 kms travelled in total. The road usage of the F335 is fast approaching that of my daily drive as I use public transport when I need to these days as much as I can, so the road usage of both cars is pretty much on par.

Obviously the engine out and the reconditioned shocks are a major expense (more than $5,500 alone) but an important part of the car’s maintenance regime. The cost of the engine out should be spread over the three year life of the belts to be fair, however it certainly made a big dent in the budget this year and escalated maintenance costs way above the daily drive.

However, if you remove this once off cost then the maintenance was only a little more expensive than the daily drive.

The other killer expense is always insurance which continues its slow march north like all insurance. Again, that is an expected cost and in line with expectations.

The totals costs for the year where up to over $12,000 which is about a 40% increase over last year but that main reason for that is the engine out service, otherwise they would have been similar to last year.

Travel

The car has now done about 22,000 kilometres since purchase, completing almost 9,000 this year alone which is about a 20% increase over last year. That averages out to about 170 kilometres per week versus 142 last year.

This year’s learning’s

1. As always, a car like this is only as good and enjoyable as the person who maintains it. For that, there no one better than Sal DiMauro from Racing Red. He was good enough to let me hang around and watch while my engine was taken out and maintained. Best of all, he put it all back together and made it better! Without doubt, the best investment I undertake for the car is to take it Sal. I recommended plenty of frustrated Ferrari owners do the same this year to get their problems sorted. Those that followed my advice, like me, are very, very happy.

2. Some things on these cars are not made with great practicality applied. Case in point, the ashtray. I wrote about it here:

Broken Ashtray

and spent the better part of the year buying a new one, breaking that, putting the original back, fixing the old one, breaking it again, pulling out the original, fixing it using metal reinforcing and finally putting it back. Phew.

Why the hell they made it so flimsy I’ll never know but best point is that it is now sorted and better than it was before. There is always a solution, just might take a while to get to it with these cars.

3. When fuel pump clicks out, that’s it, walk away. See below for the story.

Low Points

Only one major one to speak of and regular readers can probably guess where it transpired. Yes, at a petrol station. Here’s that tale.

I’d taken the F355 to the Bathurst 12 hour with a group of supercar friends. Being February the weather was scorching hot, and I mean really hot. Stupidly (as I am known to be regularly) i failed to protect myself against the blazing sun and managed to get badly burnt. Even the top of ears and back of my hands were smarting from sun damage.

Combine that with a lack of sleep due to a rabid snorer in our shared accommodation over the weekend and I was very much below par. On the return trip home (again in the blazing sun and now with massive sunburn to boot make it 200% worse) I pulled in to get fuel.

In my daily drive, you fill the car until the pump clicks. Then you top it up to the nearest full dollar. I agree it is rather OCD but I’ve always done it that way.

I repeated the same process withe the F355 but perhaps due to the heat, I overfilled the tank. That meant when I removed the nozzle from the car I could see fuel rising up and about to spill out. Damm. I therefore rushed to screw the cap on thinking that would contain the overflow.

After paying inside the establishment I returned to find a puddle of fuel underneath the car, below the filler cap. Turns out that there is an overflow tube at the top of the fuel hose, just near the cap. Thus, all the excess I had tried to force into the car by not stopping at the click was now in a puddle underneath the car.

My biggest concern was FIRE! given the heat of the day and my engine nearby. What to do? What to do? Trying to siphon fuel out wasn’t an option so the best plan seemed to be to ‘drive like I stole it’ to burn off the excess.

Of course, the ONE time you want the road to be clear and the lights to be green they are not. I had to wait to pull onto the road. Then I got caught at every set of lights from the service station to home. The stress didn’t help the sunburn either as I fully expected the car to burst into flames.

However, the good thing was that the car actually didn’t burst into flames or leave a fire trail from the service station, so I parked it with a new lesson learnt – when it clicks, walk away!

High Points

1. No matter what dramas transpire, it is still a joy to drive the F355. Each year there seems to be less and less dramas (although that could be me acclimatising I suppose).

2. Getting to do a lap of the Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst while I was at the Bathurst 12 hour with other supercar owners. Here’s the video.

The funny thing was that thanks to following someone who didn’t know the way, I ended up at the end of the pack. This meant the track was pretty empty when I finally entered. We’d been told that our lap was to be a parade lap which meant slow and steady driving. When I emerged onto the track I wasn’t sure whether the marshals were:

A. Waving at me to catch up with everyone else so they could get these cars off the track for the next event.

B. Waving at me to go slower because it was a parade lap or

C. Waving at me because I was driving a Ferrari and they are friendly country folk.

I decided that I’d go with option A unless advised otherwise. That allowed me to travel a ‘tad’ faster than parade speed around the circuit. Simply magic. Achievement unlocked.

3. I’ve been on so many drives and events with the Ferrari Club this year it has been great. Here is a small sample:

but probably the highlight was attending the 488 launch which I posted about here:

The night of the prancing horse

Value

All of this is totally subjective but I think it is still a good indicator. Part of the rationale for purchasing the F355 specifically was the belief that it’s value would increase over time as it became a ‘future classic’. Not the main reason for purchase but certainly a justification for the capital investment. That capital investment requires maintenance (such as the belts being changed) to retain its resale value, like any capital investment.

So the numbers:

The average asking price for a F355 = $ 154,000

That is about a 20% increase since the same time last year. I reckon I could get more for mine if I decided to sell since it has more desirable features (colour, manual gearbox, Australian delivered, new belts, etc). Conservatively, I estimate my car’s value is now 40% above what I purchased it for. Again, I’m biased I agree, but I do try and apply some science to this.

Now if you divide the average price of recent models by the number of cars available for sale you get a rough ‘value index’ for each model as I have detailed previously. The results in order are:

1. F355 = $ 38,5000

2. 458 = $ 19,230.53

3. F430 = $ 13,152.13

4. 360 = $ 9,171.30

Once again the F355 comes out on top by a ratio of 2:1.

Summary

Owning a F355 is special and will always continue to be a ‘different’ experience from a daily drive. However, as our experience together grows we are settling into a relationship that is far more comfortable than it used to be in the early days.

This equates to their being far fewer low points and much greater enjoyment of the F355 and the Ferrari community in general. There is still nothing better than waking early on a Sunday, taking the roof off and going for a blast on an empty road and being back before most people have had their first coffee.

2016 looks like a big year in more ways the one which the potential for a huge bucket list item to get checked off. Mum’s the word until it is all confirmed, but you’ll certainly get the full details if you stay tuned here.

I thank all those who take the time to read my ramblings and I’ll try and be a bit more regular with these posts in the coming year. When you are out driving the F355 as much as I do now you just don’t seem to find the time to sit at a computer and type. However, I do appreciate readers of this blog and followers of my YouTube channel.

Roll on year four.

Ferrari F355 fuel consumption

One of things you never know with any car is how far you can get on a single tank of gas. The Ferrari F355 has a low fuel light like most cars but as yet I have not tempted that barrier, however I do want to understand what sort of range I can get on average.
Now I do notice that after the fuel level drops to half full it falls away much quicker from here than it does getting there. Thus, it seems to go from half full to empty quicker than full to half empty.
The Ferrari F355 tank is 82 litres in capacity with reserve point of about 20 litres. This doesn’t mean the tank is 102 litres, it instead means when you drop below the 20 litre mark the fuel warning light should come on.
I recently filled up the tank pretty much with 44.4 litres after having done about 380 kilometres since the last fill up. According to my maths, that should allow a total range of about 702 kilometres on a complete tank.
Now to be on the safe side if you instead take out the reserve fuel amount of 20 litres and redo the same calculation you end up with about 531 kilometres in range.
So, I would therefore expect the warning light to come on after about 530 kilometres and the tank to be dry around 700 kilometres. To get a safe range for the car (and allow some margin for error) I’d probably average these two numbers and get a range of about 615 kilometres.
Now of course that range is going to vary depending on how you drive. If you drive like a lunatic racing the car everywhere it will be much shorter. Also, if you spend more time in traffic and stopping and starting rather than on freeways or open road then your consumption will be greater. However, I think the above number represents a good rule of thumb for most driving.
I’ll continue to monitor my consumption and report back if the above figure changes much.

The one year anniversary

So it has now been a full 12 months since I picked up the Ferrari F355 GTS and I thought it might be good to reflect back on this chocolate anniversary.

Costs

Maintaining a Ferrari is not cheap, however when I did the sums it is interesting what you find. If you take out things that I added to or improved on the car such as the re-doing the dash, purchasing a spare and jack as well as exclude the one off major cost of four new tyres then outlays are comparable to my normal road car.

What I would consider ‘standard’ costs for the F355 came to about $10,000. These costs included, rego, insurance, parts, servicing, fuel and tolls. The biggest difference between the cars was the comprehensive insurance which was about 2.5 times my road car, however given the value of F355 this is not unexpected.

So ‘once off’ costs for the F355 came in at about $6,000 which included things such as the four new tyres, re-doing the dash, spare and jack etc.

Other ‘non standard’ costs included things like a garaging fee, etc.

So total of all costs (standard, once off, non standard) for the F355 came to just over $17,000. However, if you consider just the ‘standard’ costs then it is pretty similar to my normal road car. But don’t fooled, if you purchase a car like this you need to beware that maintenance costs are also significant but not exorbitant (at least note yet, phew!).

Travel

I have driven the Ferrari F355 about 5,000 kilometres since purchase that’s almost an average of 100 kilometres per week. By comparison, my normal road car has done about 12,000 kilometres, which is an average of 230 kilometres per week.

Lessons

Here are some lessons I have learnt about cars like the Ferrari F355 when compared to normal road cars.

1. You need a GOOD mechanic. I really can’t praise Sal DiMauro from Racing Red enough. He has come out to me when required, he has gone above and beyond (e.g. fixing my exhaust bypass valve), been available on the phone and via email when I’ve panicked about the car and most importantly made the car better than it was the day that I picked it up. The engine has never run more sweetly than it does now. So if you need Ferrari mechanic, Sal’s the man.

2. Even though you pay more money for a Ferrari F355 that doesn’t make it a ‘new’ car. Mine came without warranty on sale (because it was over the luxury limit), you are relying on how the previous owner has treated and maintained it and most things in are at least 15 years old!

3. The sports suspension of these types of cars really makes you understand how CRAP the roads are here! Driving this car REALLY puts you in touch with the road surface, so prepared for all the rattles, bumps and clunks.

4. These cars are LOW. If I’m not paying attention I get a very quick reminder of how low these cars are with a whack and scrape from the nose of the car as I go over a gutter, up a drive, down a drive, into a driveway, etc too quickly. The other area that you notice the lowness is getting in and out of the car. It takes a bit of practice to exit and enter elegantly. That lowness however does have a benefit when you are flying through corners by making the car so much more stable and flat.

5. These cars are noisy. Everyone who has come along for a ride has noted at how ‘noisy’ the car is. That is no surprise given that that the cam belts and the rest of the engine is just behind your seat. It is also designed that way so that you can enjoy the sound of the engines as you accelerate. Again, not a problem, just different.

6. They are simple. By this I mean, mine came with no spare, no jack, no glove box, not much storage space, etc. Even when I look at photos when the dash was disassembled, there is not a huge amount of ‘bits’ in comparison to cars of today. It is even simple enough that I could workout and repair the initial issue I had with ECU.

Low points

1. Having the ‘1-4 Slow Down’ light come on while driving the car home after picking it up.

2. Battling to resolve the ‘1-4 Slow Down’ light over many weeks.

3. Buying new floor mats from the US and finding that they didn’t quite fit.

4. Having the car chipped and dented (by me).

High points

1. Every day I get to see the car. Whether under a cover or from behind the wheel, I thank my lucky stars every time.

2. Travelling to the Hunter up the Putty road with the Ferrari Club of Australia (and to think I wasn’t going to go!).

3. Driving with the top down and no lights on the dash.

4. The Ferrari track day (even though I only watched).

Looking back and laughing

1. Having a panic attack and not realizing that the immobilizer was on.

2. Trying to fill the car with fuel from the right hand side.

3. Trying to get the petrol cap off.

Future

What will the next year bring? Hopefully, less repairs and more driving. The next task is to get the dent fixed I made and get the car detailed in late September. There is another track coming up in October which I ‘think’ I’ll sign up for. I’d like to take the car over the Bell’s Line of Road as well as down the south coast before the year is out. Come December it will be time for the annual service and rego.

Summary

Owning a Ferrari F355 has challenged me. It has taken me to places where I may not have always been comfortable, however I and the car have survived and grown closer, strange as that sounds. I have enjoyed learning about the car, how it is put together, how it responds and what makes it so unique. I have enjoyed the looks I get from people when the car is out and about as well as being part of the Ferrari Owner’s Club.

In short, I am glad I took the plunge and got the car because it has really made the last year most enjoyable (even the challenging parts looking back now). There will no doubt be challenges in the future and certainly more enjoyment which I am looking forward to.

Finally, I thank anyone who has taken the time to read and follow my musing about ownership. I hope you have enjoyed the ride and hope you stay on board for at least another year here on the blog.

My favourite video of the past year from teh car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bgFZwG34x0

I’m an idiot

Went out for a drive again today and attached the Go Pro camera on the front drivers guard just in front of the driver’s door panel. After a good long run I stop for fuel (what is it with me and petrol stations? Why does everything bad seem to happen when I refuel?). I open the door to get out. When I do, I open it wider than normal to make it easier to egress (and because I have the space so why not right?). Problem is I neglected the fact that the knob of the Go Pro camera mount overhangs the door panel.

That meant knob from the camera mount was pushed nicely into the door panel thanks to my efforts leaving a noticeable dent as a reminder. Geeze, I’m an idiot! Why did I have to open the door so wide? Why didn’t I put the camera on the passengers side? Why didn’t a ensure there was no overhang from the camera? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

The most annoying thing about this is that it was my fault and it could have been avoided if I had just stopped to think. Damm. I appreciate that it could have been worse and it could of happened in some other way but I can tell you I feel really foolish. Damm.

Hopefully the dent can be removed by the detailer that I am yet to visit. This incident will speed that visit up now. Again, very, very annoying, but I was planning on going to the detailer at some stage anyway. I also knew that sooner or later I’d get a ding like this that needed fixing, so now we have arrived at that point. Now it is time to accept that and move on. Just so annoyed with myself. Damm.

I’ve had plenty of dings and dents over the years with the cars I’ve had and each and every one has been psychologically painful. However, I have learned over time that these things happen to cars, no matter how careful you are. They just happen, period. I think that once you accept that then things aren’t as stressful. I can remember fretting for weeks over the initial ding my first car received. Now hopefully being a little more experienced I can let these things go sooner.

I know there is nothing I can do now to change what’s happened but I have learnt an important lesson about attaching the Go Pro to the car. Things could be far worse and I’m sure then dent will eventually be successfully removed but at the moment, damm, I’m annoyed with myself. Hopefully this public catharsis has sped up that process.

Aside from that I did manage to create another video of the trip which you can find here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6rez2-Sye8

Any donations for the dent removal (or idiot) fund most graciously accepted.

Grazed knuckles

Let me set the scene for todays petrol station performance.
Headed out for a freeway blast with the tank just about a quarter full. Would be nice to take the opportunity to fill the car up I figured. Pulled into the usual location (where I had my last bowser performance) only to discover that there was no high octane (unleaded 98), available. Damm. Decided to simply continue on and fill up at a different location on the way back.
Car performed flawlessly down the freeway and back along the old freeway.
Here’s a thought. Why not fill up at a location away from the main road, things should be quieter, no? So before returning to the freeway for the last part of the return trip I pulled over into a petrol station on the old freeway which didn’t seem too busy.
I found a bowser on the right hand side so I wouldn’t have to go through the stretching exercise I did last time. I popped the fuel cap and turned the car off to fill up.
Hmmm…that’s not good I thought as I tried to remove the fuel cap. I couldn’t budge it. What the hell?

The fuel cap is actually metallic and has rather a long thread on in when compared to other cars. I heaved and hoed but still the cap wouldn’t come loose. As you can see from the above image the cap has a number of indentations around it that ‘should’ make it easy to twist. Problem is, the cap is stainless steel which is rather slippery.
So I tried using a cloth to improve grip, no go. I tried two hands, no go. It wouldn’t budge. The other problem was the cap is recessed into the body and has the release mechanism on one side of this recess and the hings for the cover on the other. This meant that my big fat hand with short stocky fingers was not REALLY the best tool for the job (let along the rest of what the hand was attached to it would seem!).
After some more heaving and hoeing, I began to think that maybe it would be better if the car cooled down. Perhaps there was some sort of vacuum happening that was holding the cap tight? Maybe I’d have to just continue back and try and remove the cap in the privacy of my own garage rather than putting on another show of Ferrari owner’s incompetence in public.
More heaving and hoeing, which also lead to plenty of grazed knuckles and cut fingers as my hand kept slipping around the cap and of course running into the other sharp objects in the vicinity.
Ok, maybe it’s not me. Maybe my hands are too greasy? I therefore waited until someone nearby was heading back to the shop and asked whether they could assist. They heaved and hoed as well but to no avail. I thanked them and felt relieved that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t seem to have any strength this morning.
The best chance I was going to have to budge the cap was to use two hands. I took hold, braced myself against the car and the ground and twisted with all my might. I must have looked a right ninny, BUT the cap started to move. One more intense twist and the cap came free. Phew.
As I filled up I pondered why this had happened. I’m sure I didn’t screw the cap on THAT tight last time I filled up. I’m also pretty sure that the recent service on the car wouldn’t have caused this. Hmm..interesting. All I can put it down to is me tightening the cap too much and with the car being hotter than previous fill ups (being at the end rather than the beginning of the run).
With the car refuelled I screwed the cap back on lightly and just finger tightened it. Doing it that way kinda makes sense as the whole recess area for the fuel really isn’t designed for putting your whole hand in there. Seems to be a message in that eh?
Off to the register I went, with my performance complete, to make payment and accept my silent ridicule. Luckily, most people have more important things to worry about at this time of the year but I at least hope I could give someone a chuckle.
On the return leg it was time to dwell on the more positive aspect of the incident (what there was of it). At least it happened in a location off the main road and not at one of the normal ‘mega’ service stations that I was planning to refuel at. You gotta look at these things as a glass half full don’t you? Otherwise you’d never go for a drive again!