[lamboshmambo]

Okay, so it's late at night. I can't sleep. Why? I'm anxious. Can't stop thinking. Is this all worth it? So, I will present this query to you all (whoever takes the time to read and respond, that is...) Most of you have at least one Ferrari, whether it's a 308 or a brand new 430, and therefore have experienced some level of prior success---financially, that is. Well, if you care to know, I am 24, never went to college, nor had the money to even think about it, and work constantly. I manage a small company, run an even smaller business of my own, buy and sell anything I can get my hands on, and am now fixing up a foreclosure to flip. All in all, I stay busy about 90-100 hours a week, have some bit of freedom in that no one tells me what to do, but dang, should I have my head checked? I can't even remember the last six years of my life. I am after money harder than anyone I have ever known, and the only real reason I can offer for my irrational state of mind is this: All I want is a nice-sized house and a 360 Modena or even an F355 F1 Spider to just park in the garage and drive every few weeks. I wouldn't even consider spending the $1 mil+ it would take to acquire an Enzo or a McLaren. That seems a little ridiculous to me. Should I be after another model, though, say a 456, or perhaps a 550 Maranello? Is that distantly obtainable $95k pre-owned 355 F1 going to break down on me every 500 miles? I hear about 360's breaking down every now and then. Do the drivers just suck or what? Is it all worth it??? I feel like to me, it doesn't matter whether it is or not, it's the obsession that drives me every day. Were you always passionate about the cars you drove, or did you all just buy them because the money was there? I am very interested to know. If nothing else, you can just point and laugh at the 5-figure guy posting in the big boys' toys room.

 

[Andrew]

Hello and welcome to the site. If you want my opinion I would go with a resonable priced 328. Keep growing your business and later upgrade the 328 to a F355. Then a few years later do the same to a 360 Modena.

My last piece of advise is patients! You are only 24. I am the least patient person in many ways. When I want something done on this site or at work I want it done yesterday. I share the same problem and always remind myself to take a steady pace and not lose sigth of the objective.

 

[Pete04222]

I'd have to agree with Andrew on this one. Patience is what is needed when your in your 20s. You are working towards establishing what your life is going to be like when you are in your 40s. Forget the freakin' sportscars for now. Sounds like you need a good truck and to work on getting your business to a point where you can have some other people help you run it and you can afford to only work 40 hrs a week and spend that saturday afternoon in the driveway with a polish rag and an F355.

If you must have an F-car right now, I'd go with the 328 like Andrew suggested, you'll always get your money back out of it. However, it seems like that kind of money might be better spent on a brand new Dodge Ram 2500 MegaCab right now. If you are flipping foreclosures, and I know some people who have made some serious cash doing that, you are probably lugging a lot of stuff. And a potential buyer will take you a lot more seriously if you have a nice truck than if you have a Ferrari. (That's a hint - hide the Ferrari. You don't want your buyers to know your making any money on the deal.)

It's funny, I just made this post last night that kind of falls in line with what you are feeling:
http://www.ferrariforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5358

Here's another post I made a few months ago that may interest you:
http://www.ferrariforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5012

 

[Pete04222]

Were you always passionate about the cars you drove, or did you all just buy them because the money was there? I am very interested to know. If nothing else, you can just point and laugh at the 5-figure guy posting in the big boys' toys room.

Nobody here is going to point and laugh. We've all been, or are in, your situation.
And to answer this question, yeah, I was alway passionate about cars and drove some nice ones but they were expensive!!!! I was a 5-figure guy at the time too. I stopped worrying about cars and concentrated on reducing my debt. It took a few years of work, but as my debt went down and my pay went up - I looked at my checkbook one day after paying all my bills and had enough to buy a 308 GTS free and clear. I achieved a dream! Sure I'd like to have a 360, but you know what - I don't think I ever will. I think I'll keep the 308 and spend my money on other things. Wanted a Ferrari, got a Ferrari. I'm happy.

 

[lamboshmambo]

Wow, thanks for that, guys. It's nice to know that though we are different ages and incomes, we seem to be on the same page. As for the pick-up, hmmm I just don't know. I love my Expedition, but that's just one more of my assets that I bought for the sole purpose of reselling. I've owned and driven several cars, but the only ones that seem to leave an impression on me are the ones NOT driven by the late-20's yuppies that just bought their 328i or C230 so they could be like everyone else around here that works in IT or has rich parents. I've driven Vettes and taken a 911 around the block, but nothing can touch just sitting behind a Prancing Horse badge with me. Anyway, thanks for the advice. I'll be checking the posts here every now and then...

 

[Marc]

Yours is a feeling that quite a few Ferrari owners share, and timing is the key.

Like so many others, I wanted a Ferrari in my 20's, but it just was not possible. So, it took me a until I turned 40 until I could make it happen, and I bought a 4th hand 348. The 348 is less troublesome than many older models, and not much more expensive than a 328, and it is way less expensive than the the younger models.

I am employed and live on a salary, I have no house, but rent an appartment, and I don't have a family, which helped me save a lot of money (though that was not the intention).

However, I took care of all the basic life sustaining things before buying the Ferrari, so that I can enjoy it the most.
- the daily driver is fully paid off and not in need of replacement
- everything I own is paid for
- retirement savings etc. are on a reasonable level (not plush, but ok).

Before I could afford to have a Ferrari I drove and enjoyed cheaper Sports cars (VW Scirocco GTi was the first), and they all let me make the necessary experiences on a lower cost basis.

By the time I got the Ferrari, I knew what to do, and I was able to judge my driving ability realistically. so that I can drive fast without kiling myself, or even worse, damage the car.

 

[stile - alpine]

damaging the car is worse than killing yourself???

man, you must really love that car!! :lol: :lol:

 

[cantwait]

Okay, so it's late at night. I can't sleep. Why? I'm anxious. Can't stop thinking. Is this all worth it? So, I will present this query to you all (whoever takes the time to read and respond, that is...) Most of you have at least one Ferrari, whether it's a 308 or a brand new 430, and therefore have experienced some level of prior success---financially, that is. Well, if you care to know, I am 24, never went to college, nor had the money to even think about it, and work constantly. I manage a small company, run an even smaller business of my own, buy and sell anything I can get my hands on, and am now fixing up a foreclosure to flip. All in all, I stay busy about 90-100 hours a week, have some bit of freedom in that no one tells me what to do, but dang, should I have my head checked? I can't even remember the last six years of my life. I am after money harder than anyone I have ever known, and the only real reason I can offer for my irrational state of mind is this: All I want is a nice-sized house and a 360 Modena or even an F355 F1 Spider to just park in the garage and drive every few weeks. I wouldn't even consider spending the $1 mil+ it would take to acquire an Enzo or a McLaren. That seems a little ridiculous to me. Should I be after another model, though, say a 456, or perhaps a 550 Maranello? Is that distantly obtainable $95k pre-owned 355 F1 going to break down on me every 500 miles? I hear about 360's breaking down every now and then. Do the drivers just suck or what? Is it all worth it??? I feel like to me, it doesn't matter whether it is or not, it's the obsession that drives me every day. Were you always passionate about the cars you drove, or did you all just buy them because the money was there? I am very interested to know. If nothing else, you can just point and laugh at the 5-figure guy posting in the big boys' toys room.

Wow man, you sound like me from start to finish. I am 22 years old and have been working my butt off since I can remember. I was never one for saving and still am not but I definately know how to make money. I am looking at buying a 360 in about 2 months just to try it out and to try out Ferrari's in general. I have been going back and forth between a 360 Modena and a Lamborghini Gallardo... the 360 for it's looks and of course the Ferrari heritage, but the Gallardo because of it's AWD which would make me feel safer in my first "sub 4.5 second (0-60)" car. Chances are, I'll go with the 360 since it's been my dream forever and definately one of my goals, so much so that I too have lost sleep over it. If I like it as much as I think I will then I plan on trading it in next year for a F430 when the prices go back down to the actual book price. I started college, dropped out to do my own thing, love to work for myself and deserve everything I have. I grew up lower-class and wouldn't want to have had it any other way. Good luck on getting your F430 and I'm glad there's others out there like me.