I owned one of these from new and in 12 years did 112,000 miles in it. Fantastic car generally if a bit short of brakes on the limit. Only 3 weak points for those who are interested in owning a 550. Number ONE, always clean the drain hoses monthly at each side of the windscreen. If you don't rain will drain down and collect on the 2 ECU's either side and that will cost £7k to replace for the sake of 2 minutes a month. Number TWO, the steering racks have a fault from the factory and the outer bearings and WILL fail 100% so instead of spending £3,500 on a new rack send it to Western Power Steering in Bristol and they will upgrade it so it lasts forever for about £350. Number THREE, the Co2 (Lander) sensors hang down below the rest of the car, get their insulation worn off by friction from bumps and cause the car to go into limp mode. Easy to sort. Other than that, it is the toughest, most reliable car in the world bar none. Been through a flood so deep it conked out a Defender that was following me, to traversing roads in Tuscany so bloody rough they ought to be on a 4x4 course. Just warm it up gently until the oil temp is up, then like any Ferrari, drive it properly and it will never let you down. My personal total Ferrari miles between 3 cars is 260k. Never been left at the side of the road yet by any of them, unlike many other cars I have owned like Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and Land Rover.
Good stuff. thx, BS..you must be near the top of the list for private Ferrari owner mileage. would love to know more of your experiences, opinions, and advice.
Cars such as this are great..... When they're someone else's. Beautiful to look at, ride in, admire & you don't have to maintain it. Chapeau to someone who is prepared to o the hard miles keeping it in good condition.
So true. I had 2 355’s and a petrol guzzling 599. Cool to drive but any unusual noise created disproportionate anxiety that something very expensive was about to occur. In 4 years had one epic 355 drive and 2 epic 599 drives. It’s not far from the truth: the most exhilarating days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it!
@@BrainEquation Have a Mondial QV now. All the performance of a Toyota Carrol, but all the bills of a Ferrari. I wanted a project car, so labor is on me. The parts cost however is very much Ferrari.
By a porsche. Super engaging, if not quite as much of “hey look at me” looks (no bad thing imo) much cheaper to run. Mine had done 228k miles, still on original engine, gearbox etc. cost over 14 years of ownership under £2k per year
My MG TF has cost me a fortune recently; first change oil and oil filer. £35 for the oil from Halfords and a filter I brought (maybe) from Eurocarparts a while ago. Then fitted a new coolant pipe. Old one had been rubbing and made a hole. This came with the four way connecter I got for my previous car, so I just found it in the shed. Then I got a clutch slave cylinder from Rimmerbros. Just under £49. Had two tyres fitted and 4 wheels balanced; £60. Went from 215/40 16 to 225/45 16; £114 for the two. Ordered ones for front, gone from 195/45 to 195/50; £92. Flattened the battery while doing clutch (had radio on) and then jumped it too many times, so new one from Halfords £92. Mid this week wouldn't start. Connects loose and corroded on starter motor. Had to leave it for the weekend, so hired a car for three days £207. Owning a car ain't cheap these days. 🙂😜
Love to see people enjoying and spending on keeping older cars running well so for me this was £12k well spent. Please, please find a garage for it. I live in a country where stuff rusts for fun in 5 mins so I envy those who are casual about leaving such a beautiful car outdoors. Drive it and have fun!
I’ve never spent 12k even buying a car let alone on maintenance and I have bought brand new in the past! I completely understand why you would do this though and if you can then you should. Very interesting to hear about it and the process you go through. Thank you for sharing!
My brother was shopping for a sports car, these kinds of stories scared him and he ended up purchasing a Lotus Evora as, at least with a toyota V6, engine problems weren't going to be crippling financially.....
Ferrari service centres treat you like valued customers unlike Lotus, who want to move you on as quickly as possible in manner that wouldn't be acceptable at your common used car lot from dodgy Dave.
Great to see the old girl getting some tlc. Thanks for bringing us the update. I hope she repays you with a few seasons of trouble free enjoyment , beautiful car well worth the investment from an ownership perspective.
There’s a whiff of fuel in the cockpit and he’s “not especially worried” about that? That would be the first thing I’d fix! Great video about the realities of Ferrari ownership.
I'm not especially worried because we have investigated before and whatever it is is not likely to cause any immediate danger. In any case it's back now being worked on
"The car seemed to like it at Meridan." 10k down. Gutted. Although this video made me laugh out loud at parts - mainly down to your sense of humour. Still at the end of the day you do own a Ferrari 550, you lucky dog!
Consider it as 3-5 yrs appreciation needed to cover the cost UNLESS we have another 1991 again! If it makes you feel slightly better I spent £34,000 on a major service/fettling on a 78 V8 Vantage in 1990 at Newport Pagnell, for the car market to drop 35% plus in 1991 and I didn't get the money back until 2006 when prices started rising again big style. My mate also had paid nearly twice list for a 1987 Testarossa in 1990 (the market was on fire from 87-90, bit like it was from 2013 to 2017) but in 1991 the crash meant it shelved £60k overnight and he had to take a £100 k poo on it in 1992 - ouch!
Loved the vid. Having run a Ferrari for the last 14 years, it's best to keep on top of everything. I've averaged around £2k a year. Ranging from £600 to the £10k I spent last year. Worth every penny...
At what age (of the car, not you lol) did you buy it? Which model? How many km in that 14 years? Spending just 28k in 14 years seems close to impossible to me.
Like the old saying goes "If you can't afford a new Ferrari, you certainly can't afford an old one." Great video, as always, and feeling slightly guilty for using ad-blocker :) 12G is proper money, no matter who you are.
Yeh but this works because its a business expense and he can claim back the VAT. Plus the car generates income via the channel. Maintenance only makes for more content
Wonderful! Really appreciate your actually driving your Ferrari’s and debriefing us. Really want a 456, however your (and Ratarossa’s) experiences are rather sobering my enthusiasm….
What a beautiful piece of Italian engineering you have James. Sorry to hear she's failing so many bits at the same time, but it's great to see you resolving them, letting her live to see many a-more days! Cheers from Charlotte, NC
Refreshing to have a UA-camr actually enjoying and improving a car rather than having it because it's the latest, greatest thing (on credit) or turning it into something it's not. Nice job JE :)
I had a fuel smell from my 328 recently, turns out the tank had been badly repaired previously, probably with chewing gum! Also ended up with a big bill for major service, belts, A/C compressor refurb etc. At least not quite as expensive as running a V12 but I am still tempted! I do enjoy hearing you real world owner stories on both of your Ferraris, I can relate well!
12k? Yeah but it's a beauty though isn't it. Makes it all worth while when you take it for a spin on some twisties in spring. Cheers for the update and breakdown of costs. This is why I watch you Jay. Straight to the point, bare bones and all.
Thanks Jay for the update. The car looks fantastic. I’m glad you did the extra spends despite the pain. Nothing irritates me more than people scrimping on such beautiful machines.
Great update. I've been watching these videos closely as I have a 575M. Thanks to your earlier discussion on the premium service I approached my Ferrari dealer in Melbourne about doing my car. As a consequence I will be the 1st car in Australia to go through the procedure. We have almost all the parts and will do it in the next few weeks hopefully. I get the car serviced by Zagame and they are excellent. They take great care with my car. The car has also been giving an occasional fuel smell. Not in the cabin, but in the boot. It is however noticeable if the windows are down and I'm driving very slowly. Especially noticeable when going over several speed humps in a row. Hopefully the premium service alleviates this as a lot of fuel lines etc are to be replaced. I'm also needing new tyres and had wanted to put PS4s on but as you pointed out they don't come in the 18 inch size. So it's either upgrade to 19 inch rims or try the Super Sport.. do you have any thoughts so far on those. Currently I've got PZeros on and they have been great. But I've read so much on the PS4s that I wanted to try them. Keep us up to date on the car.
They can do whatever they want with the V8 in the corvette. Put it in the middle. Heck they can end up with it in the boot. It doesn’t matter. It’ll never EVER touch the legacy, the legendary presence OR the stunner factor of Ferrari’s like THIS! keep up the content my brother. We love it.
@@HotTakeHQ they both have worthy legacies. For myself, I could have an entire late- model Corvette in great condition for the price of this service, and I cannot rationally justify ANY car which needs this much costly care. I respect those who do choose the Ferrari though.
@@jamesengland7461 haha as soon as I posted my last comment I was debating my own argument. I had a bunch of old vettes pop into my mind and I was lusting. The sticky buttons and dash’s of these era ferraris are not lust-worthy that’s for sure. Thanks for the little chat. I been in the hospital and slowly recording. UA-cam and these content creators really really have provided me with escape. What vette would you have if money were no object? Likewise, what Ferrari would you buy, again, if money were no object. All fees, repairs and maintenance included (I’ll cover the costs in this pretend moment 😉)
@@HotTakeHQ get well soon! My favorite Corvette is the C6 for its curvy, yet clean and taut styling, and the 250 GTO as far as Ferrari goes. I know; I'm all over the place, but I'm also not picky. Just don't want a Mondial or C3 [my mom had a C3 and they're notorious for horrid quality; her front control arm literally tore in half while she was driving through our neighborhood at low speed].
I thought I spent a lot this year maintaining my car at 6k, showed this to the misses in an attempt to show sports cars are expensive and that I'm not deliberately wasting money. She's still not impressed but I don't care! It's an obsession keeping these beautiful machines 👌🥰
Its not good mate , i used to be a big shot as they say , i lived in LA in 2013 to 2015 and had a nice fast car and a porn star girlfriend but i gave it all up and joined UNICEF , i visited Ethiopia and volunteered to help do my best to feed starving babies and children who are literally resorting to eating grains of rice to survive , anyway i can tell you a fact that will shock you , imagine if you gave that £6 grand to a charity like UNICEF do you realise how much food and clean water could be provided for £6 grand ? over 1 Ton of High Vitamin content food and fresh clean water can be provided for that £6 grand , im a man on a mission nowadays as i wasted over £40 grand in the past living the high life and the rest of my money i gave away , anyway just thought id put it out there as people nowadays in the UK and USA are too me me me , they don't think about others.
@Luke D Yeah it is weird but had to be said , as too many people in western countries are not spreading the wealth around as my friend Harald Baldr would say lol , its ok to have an Ego and get the fast car phase done when your in your early 20s but as we get older we should be more compassionate and help people in the 3rd world
@@EvoraGT430 No anyone can have a car and tune it to be good and take pride in it , my point is wealthy people who own like 20 or 30 very expensive cars , Harry Metcalfe or Jezza being prime examples , should sell some of their collection at charity auction to help the 3rd world or trust me my friend we will end up having to bring these people to Britain to help them like we have 17000 Afghanis
This makes me feel much better about just spending £600 on my 03 Mk6 fiesta project car!!! Good to see a UA-cam creator paying with his own money. Great video love the Ferrari content👍👍
One of the prettiest and most understated Ferraris every made. Personally if I was in the position to own and run such a car I wouldn’t mind paying the big bills because they’re only going to go up in value being a manual v12 Ferrari. Love it!
Don't get too down James, since 2015 I have spent £5500 on repairs to my 55 plate BMW E87 120d hatchback 142000 mile - turbo, four fuel injectors. Koni FSD dampers, top-mounts, bump-stops, rear strut upper mount bushes and lower mounts, lower wishbones, tension struts, Eibach Pros, brake shoes, alternator, battery, radiator, steering rack, glow plugs and glow plug controller, engine and EGR thermostat. I got an ECU remap & EGR coded out, it's kicking out 300lb-ft and 190BHP. I service annually and the AT every 5 years or 50000 miles. I also have a 2009 Boxster that I also look after:) We are car guys...
This is why, although I adore the Ferrari 550 and hold a well-paying job, I could never enjoy a car of this level. It is just one step above of what I would or could spend on a car. For those both willing and fortunate enough to do so, I wish you all the joy in the world with a machine as beautiful as this.
@Underbird Well said! I looked at myself in the mirror, analyzed my social status & bank balance, and decided I won't ever buy a Porsche/Maserati/Aston Martin/Ferrari or a Rolex/Patek Philippe/Audemars Piguet. I'll stick to my Jaguar XF & BMW 6 Series & Mazda MX-5 and Omega Seamaster & Tag Heuer Carrera. These combos are more in synch with my social status and financial position than a Ferrari and Audemars Piguet / Porsche and Rolex pair 😊.
Absolutely money well spent. Better to get all those things done that let it deteriorate and the problems build up. Keeping on top of the jobs will make it a far more enjoyable ownership experience.
As usual, great insight into the runnin of your car. To be honest, I would rather have a classic than a new Ferrari, and this is a true classic in that it bridges the gap on the V12 line.
After 42,000 miles on my 2021 Chevrolet SS (Holden Commodore) I thank Chevy every day that to date the only maintenance cost has been regular synthetic oil changes and filter. I did have the oil in the rear differential changed too at 40,000 miles - not on the maintenance schedule, but good to do early. Coming after owning four Audi's in a row (200 Q, A8, A8, S8) the absence of mindbending bills has been a revelation.
My absolute favourite modern Ferrari. The design is beautiful and it sounds gorgeous. Unfortunately noisy Ferrari's will be a rare thing in a few years and your vacuum cleaner will have more noise than a supercar.
Oh boy. That's quite the story James, I have to say, were that my money, I'd be buying a Mk1 Honda NSX. Supercar performance for M3 money, and it's got that 90's style that never gets old. Still, well done keeping your 550 in excellent shape, I totally get the burning desire to keep it original and well looked after.
I owned a 550 for about 4 years and spent $30,000 US Dollars to keep it rolling. The Major was $11,000 US, and Steering rack went out and that was $4500 for the kit and $3,000 in Labour, all done by Official Ferrari Dealership. ECU were $1,200 each and motor mounts $1,000 each side, plus brakes , A/C problems. But all was forgiven when you cranked the car. The turn of the key and it was worth it. But in 2016 when they shot up, I realized it would not keep going up and the cost of repairs were not going down. I traded it for a 2012 Ferrari 458, which is about $1,000 US per year. All I do is have them change the oil. My car needed the hood resprayed, and front had rock chips. The color was one of only 3 in America called Rosso Barchetta.A deep wine , burgundy color. The Headlights were getting where the inside was a problem. No way to clean them, and Ferrari will only sell you the whole headlights for $5,000, and the dash was pulling away that is a $5,000 fix. Plus the cost of paint on the hood, do you keep it all factory paint or spray it. I had 49,000 miles on the car. Lots of times the door locks did not want to work, the car would not take gas from a pump after a hard drive on the Tail of the Dragon. It would have to cool down for 2 hours before you could get gas to go into the tank, the dealership never figured that one out. So the engine is super strong and very little goes wrong with the "engine" it is just everything else adds up to expensive. But it is so much smoother than the 458. I miss it. Just wish it was not so $$$$ to keep it going to my specifications. I fixed stuff in advance of a break down. You got a great car. keep on driving.
This shows that a an owner who drives their car will find all the faults. Then, an owner who is prepared to put the money into the car will actually own a better car than a low mileage example. A bill of this size isn’t uncommon for a V12 car but you’ve made the most important psychological leap that most people don’t get - if you really want it, you’ll find a way to raise the money. Well done! A manual V12 Ferrari is a rare beast.
Absolute gem of a car. Glad you're keeping it in mint condition. One of the best looking Ferrari ever made. Although, I do think that the F355 is ultimately the best Ferrari ever. The 550 ranks at #3 for me. Keep up the video content related to your personal fleet of cars mate, I do enjoy them as well as your regular reviews. Heck, even a 15 minute pure driving video on each of your cars would be great. Would love to see more content on the green Porsche Boxster and also the 430 Scud. An update on the Celica would also be great as well. You really have a marvelous collection of cars there mate. I aspire to have a collection such as yours one day. If you ever come to Malaysia, do hit me up. Would love to meet you and show you some great driving roads. Cheers!
Hi, Use 303 on your bottom spoiler trim below the licence plate. It will last around 4-6 weeks and gives a nice black gloss sheen that is an excellent protectant for inside and outside trim.
Scotty "The Sky Is Falling" Kilmer? Eh must mean this car is actually quite good and will hold its value, and he wants it so he'll bad mouth it like he does everything it seems lol plus its a 6 speed manual ferrari that is over 20 some years old, and how much money does a Gm car need in that same amount of time, as I'd say probably the same. and I'd rather have the ferrari, as atleast then the expense makes sense.
@@kavinskysmith4094 Agree that there is no comparing a 1999 GM car to a Ferrari of the same vintage. But the GM car would cost a tiny fraction of the amount to repair than a Ferrari.
@@norwegianblue2017 500 dollars for a 10 dollar bit of brake line begs to differ lol which I had to pay once lol but I'm just saying you gotta make allowances, and you still get your money out of it when you sell it, plus his fuel pumps maybe going out along with the seal based on what I've seen David Long of the Omega Auto Clinic do on Hoovies Garage 456 GT as that might have caused the fuse box thing by giving it too much voltage, plus the main thing that screws these cars up is sitting of all things, once their sorted and kept running they keep going its one of those weird Conundrums a well used ferrari that's been sorted and kept up is better than buying one with low miles that THEN needs to be gone through plus the V12's of this era had all the same problems other V12's had with literally two of everything, so you got double the problems regardless if its a BMW 850I, or a Ferrari 550 Coupe like this. and those are even worse, so its all realtive and how much do you love the car, after all how many old people kept cars up that arent worth anything that then suddenly jump in value when their time comes?
Your fuse board reminded me of 1989 when took the fuse board out of my fiat strata 130tc and fixed the broken tracks with speaker cable and a cheap soldering iron.Before that it was possessed,typical Italian quality of the time.
Great update. Wonderful that you are maintaining the car so well despite the costs and I'm sure you'll enjoy the vehicle for many years to come as a result. As I'm getting older, I may want to go into warm and dry storage with a trickle charge this winter myself. It's where to hook up the trickle charger on my person that I need to consider carefully.
It’s these kind of bills which would put me off owning my dream car, a Ferrari 355. Coming back to the great saying if you can’t afford to buy it twice, you can’t afford to run it. Appreciate the honesty and great video. I think I’ll be sticking to shit boxes for a while!
That’s a very good saying. People fail to realise that luxury cars may depreciate, but their maintenance does not. A £200k car, now £100k, will still have the same repair costs as a £200k car.
@@zgpm7031 Probably more to be fair since more parts are likely to break, and some parts may be hard to find in stock, meaning you have to pay extra/search for NOS stuff.
It’s a money pit like all ferrari cars over 7 years old.I know as I’ve been there with a Dino and a 355. I admire your loyalty but I would fix the fuel leak ASAP Ferraris do have a habit of catching fire and that would be a shame. Good luck! You may need it
Lovely car James, congratulations for sticking with it and doing at all properly. Well worth it 👌 £10k is 2 years McLaren warranty. Meridian could have replaced the fixings on the cam cover though 😒
In a funny kind of way I find it somewhat comforting to know that Italian cars and electrics are still as good a mix as oil and water, although I'm sure that James doesn't feel that impressed.
Yeah, surely one can get some nice quality stainless or whatever screws in suitable size at a reasonable prize? Does it really have to be oem, I doubt Ferrari used space grade screws?
Great investment in a super car 👏 ….maybe correct & ceramic coat the paint (if not done) did it on my 430 a game changer for lots of reasons however not all ceramic coatings are the same choose wisely
For me, it was either getting a tried Ferrari 550 or a well-sorted Nissan R33 GT-R. Although I went with the later, I still say this Ferrari is the most beautiful one from the 90s.
I agree with you about the Bridgestone tyres, they go hard and crack prematurely, only good when they are brand new, Michelin’s are the best tyres no argument
“The tires should last 4 to 5 years”. What sort of mileage do you think you’ll be putting on it during that time? Harry Metcalfe had one and he said that these things eat tires for breakfast due to the suspension geometry/wheel camber and also the fact of the engine being so torquey. Anyway, your Ferrari looks amazing 👍
I will continue to enjoy Ferrari ownership vicariously via channels like this for free! £12k service/fixes. Now the smell of petrol and potential fire. Meanwhile, all the 'fun' Derbyshire roads near us are 50mph limit, a speed we can achieve with our Land Rover/caravan combination.
Very interesting and informative video Jay. I love Ferrari's but could never own one (or any supercar for that matter) as I would be driving around in perpetual fear of what part was going to fail next and cost me several months wages to fix.
The petrol smell might be due to the rubber seals degrading around the fuel pumps due to Ethanol damage. If it is, it's a good time to have the Bosch fuel pumps overhauled and modified at the same time, so perishable components can be replaced with non-perishable parts. Degraded seal rubber turns into tar and blocks the pump filters.
Another really interesting video. A world I know nothing about (supercars). The bill for me personally is truly shocking, but then again what do I know about these type of cars. Might be the norm. Anyway as long as jayemm can afford it and enjoys the car then its money well spent for him.
I don't know how much you care about using official parts, but those spark plug covers could be nicely reproduced in 3D printed carbon fibre (don't worry, it's just a high quality matte black). Happy to produce the model if I could have one (or both) to measure up.
you sure you could keep it solid at the engine temperature? PLA melts at 40c, ABS like 60? you'ed need an industrial printer and specialist filament to make it temperature resistant enough
@@mgutkowski should be alright then, ABS softness shouldn't be too bad at 60, but if it's such a high grade printer then maybe nylon carbon or nylon glass would be better suited, since the only barrier to printing it is the printer, and yours is probably a pretty good one.
If brakes wobble only after a few seconds of sustained braking and not from cold, it's because the calliper is grabbing unevenly and heating one side of the disc more than the other. I've lost count of the number of cars with supposedly "working" brakes I've made immeasurably better by stripping and rebuilding the callipers with new pots and seals and replacing the flexi-hoses.
Also, the fuel smell issue has been covered by Ratarossa. You should check that out. Something to do with the fuel pumps in the tank at the back of the cabin.
Brilliant stuff J. Interesting to see how much it really costs to own something like that. Great video. How could 34 numpties have disliked that? Ah yes, that's because they're numpties. 👍
I did that the cam shaft seals two years ago on my 550. Between my 328 and the Maranello my Ferrari experiences aren’t anywhere near the money pit drama you’ve had….
Same as any car. Porsche wanted £800 to fix a gearbox cooler seal. I did it for £20. Brake pedal push replacement. Porsche wanted £300, I did it for £12.
Great segment as always, interesting and informative! Curious about the wrinkle finish red paint used on the cam covers, my 550 needs this done and I haven’t been able to find the correct cherry red shade product! More recent models seem to be a more intense brighter red… Cheers.
Well done JAY 12k bill is hell of alot of money, but you have quite alot of fixed. By a ferrari specialist And there's all ways some ferrari enthusiast who wants one. No such thing as a cheap ferrari ever, my mates got a rx7 he's blown 2 engines and then ended up forging it spent crazy money on it. Easy to rack up bills on sports car especially when you start modifying them. Christ some of those crazy max power car bils many moons ago where crazy. Ploughing 12k into a classic ferrari yes I can understand ploughing 40k for a new golf R I can't
I recently watched your video on why Ferraris should be driven, but honestly, this cost, while not astronomically high itself considering this is a luxurious v12 performance car, per mile is very scary and makes it understandable that some owners chose special occasions to do so
Each to their own and this is not a personal criticism, but a 12k bill is utter madness. 10k and not fixed properly, 12k and stinks of gas and your happy!!!
9:15 - The fuse-boards are made of plastic which expands and damages the copper circuitry. Hmm. Time to bring back Bakelite, Tufnol and paxolin, perhaps? 🤭
I owned one of these from new and in 12 years did 112,000 miles in it. Fantastic car generally if a bit short of brakes on the limit. Only 3 weak points for those who are interested in owning a 550. Number ONE, always clean the drain hoses monthly at each side of the windscreen. If you don't rain will drain down and collect on the 2 ECU's either side and that will cost £7k to replace for the sake of 2 minutes a month. Number TWO, the steering racks have a fault from the factory and the outer bearings and WILL fail 100% so instead of spending £3,500 on a new rack send it to Western Power Steering in Bristol and they will upgrade it so it lasts forever for about £350. Number THREE, the Co2 (Lander) sensors hang down below the rest of the car, get their insulation worn off by friction from bumps and cause the car to go into limp mode. Easy to sort. Other than that, it is the toughest, most reliable car in the world bar none. Been through a flood so deep it conked out a Defender that was following me, to traversing roads in Tuscany so bloody rough they ought to be on a 4x4 course. Just warm it up gently until the oil temp is up, then like any Ferrari, drive it properly and it will never let you down. My personal total Ferrari miles between 3 cars is 260k. Never been left at the side of the road yet by any of them, unlike many other cars I have owned like Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and Land Rover.
Good stuff. thx, BS..you must be near the top of the list for private Ferrari owner mileage. would love to know more of your experiences, opinions, and advice.
350 pounds what a bargain
This is the video that I needed to see to cure me of my supercar envy.
Cars such as this are great.....
When they're someone else's. Beautiful to look at, ride in, admire & you don't have to maintain it. Chapeau to someone who is prepared to o the hard miles keeping it in good condition.
My thoughts exactly
So true. I had 2 355’s and a petrol guzzling 599. Cool to drive but any unusual noise created disproportionate anxiety that something very expensive was about to occur. In 4 years had one epic 355 drive and 2 epic 599 drives. It’s not far from the truth: the most exhilarating days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it!
@@BrainEquation Have a Mondial QV now. All the performance of a Toyota Carrol, but all the bills of a Ferrari. I wanted a project car, so labor is on me. The parts cost however is very much Ferrari.
By a porsche. Super engaging, if not quite as much of “hey look at me” looks (no bad thing imo) much cheaper to run. Mine had done 228k miles, still on original engine, gearbox etc. cost over 14 years of ownership under £2k per year
Love how Jay talks with his hands about a Ferrari, very Italian.
An Italian whose been invited to 'Just A Minute'. He would win every week!
My MG TF has cost me a fortune recently; first change oil and oil filer. £35 for the oil from Halfords and a filter I brought (maybe) from Eurocarparts a while ago. Then fitted a new coolant pipe. Old one had been rubbing and made a hole. This came with the four way connecter I got for my previous car, so I just found it in the shed. Then I got a clutch slave cylinder from Rimmerbros. Just under £49. Had two tyres fitted and 4 wheels balanced; £60. Went from 215/40 16 to 225/45 16; £114 for the two. Ordered ones for front, gone from 195/45 to 195/50; £92. Flattened the battery while doing clutch (had radio on) and then jumped it too many times, so new one from Halfords £92. Mid this week wouldn't start. Connects loose and corroded on starter motor. Had to leave it for the weekend, so hired a car for three days £207. Owning a car ain't cheap these days. 🙂😜
You should be proud of yourself for keeping such a magnificent piece of automotive history in perfect condition. Respect.
Love to see people enjoying and spending on keeping older cars running well so for me this was £12k well spent. Please, please find a garage for it. I live in a country where stuff rusts for fun in 5 mins so I envy those who are casual about leaving such a beautiful car outdoors. Drive it and have fun!
Did he say he doesn’t garage it?
I’ve never spent 12k even buying a car let alone on maintenance and I have bought brand new in the past! I completely understand why you would do this though and if you can then you should. Very interesting to hear about it and the process you go through. Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure
@@JayEmmOnCars Have you looked into using independent Ferrari garages? Wonder how much that would have saved.
Yes I have, and been burned and not actually saved much money so staying with Meridien
This puts classic Lotus ownership in a rather positive light!
No the Ferrari is still in one piece rather than completely disassembled. Former S1 owner here.
My brother was shopping for a sports car, these kinds of stories scared him and he ended up purchasing a Lotus Evora as, at least with a toyota V6, engine problems weren't going to be crippling financially.....
Ferrari service centres treat you like valued customers unlike Lotus, who want to move you on as quickly as possible in manner that wouldn't be acceptable at your common used car lot from dodgy Dave.
No Esprit for me then 😂
Great to see the old girl getting some tlc. Thanks for bringing us the update. I hope she repays you with a few seasons of trouble free enjoyment , beautiful car well worth the investment from an ownership perspective.
There’s a whiff of fuel in the cockpit and he’s “not especially worried” about that? That would be the first thing I’d fix! Great video about the realities of Ferrari ownership.
yeh had that on my 360... fuel pump cap leak right above the headers. Love Ferraris.. always exciting haha
I'm not especially worried because we have investigated before and whatever it is is not likely to cause any immediate danger. In any case it's back now being worked on
"The car seemed to like it at Meridan." 10k down. Gutted. Although this video made me laugh out loud at parts - mainly down to your sense of humour. Still at the end of the day you do own a Ferrari 550, you lucky dog!
Lucky indeed
@@JayEmmOnCars yeah the hard work definitely had nothing to do with it ;) lucky and talented, JayEmm - we're lucky to have you
@@JayEmmOnCars Glad your doing it - I am enjoying your journey from afar. Bit voyeur, but meant correctly.
@@JayEmmOnCars it's funny, the harder one works, they luckier they become!
Consider it as 3-5 yrs appreciation needed to cover the cost UNLESS we have another 1991 again! If it makes you feel slightly better I spent £34,000 on a major service/fettling on a 78 V8 Vantage in 1990 at Newport Pagnell, for the car market to drop 35% plus in 1991 and I didn't get the money back until 2006 when prices started rising again big style. My mate also had paid nearly twice list for a 1987 Testarossa in 1990 (the market was on fire from 87-90, bit like it was from 2013 to 2017) but in 1991 the crash meant it shelved £60k overnight and he had to take a £100 k poo on it in 1992 - ouch!
Loved the vid. Having run a Ferrari for the last 14 years, it's best to keep on top of everything. I've averaged around £2k a year. Ranging from £600 to the £10k I spent last year. Worth every penny...
At what age (of the car, not you lol) did you buy it? Which model? How many km in that 14 years? Spending just 28k in 14 years seems close to impossible to me.
@@bladieblaat23 it's a 94 Berlinetta. I bought it in 2008. Done 30k miles in it. Thanks
Like the old saying goes "If you can't afford a new Ferrari, you certainly can't afford an old one."
Great video, as always, and feeling slightly guilty for using ad-blocker :) 12G is proper money, no matter who you are.
Yeh but this works because its a business expense and he can claim back the VAT. Plus the car generates income via the channel. Maintenance only makes for more content
Wonderful! Really appreciate your actually driving your Ferrari’s and debriefing us. Really want a 456, however your (and Ratarossa’s) experiences are rather sobering my enthusiasm….
I have owned V12 Ferrari’s for many years now and trust me there is never going to be a cheap V12 Ferrari to run.
I budget around $4k a year to maintain my 575..worth it though.
What a beautiful piece of Italian engineering you have James. Sorry to hear she's failing so many bits at the same time, but it's great to see you resolving them, letting her live to see many a-more days! Cheers from Charlotte, NC
It’s a crazy amount for a bill but it’s fantastic that you’ve driven so many miles. Keep up the adventures James.
Refreshing to have a UA-camr actually enjoying and improving a car rather than having it because it's the latest, greatest thing (on credit) or turning it into something it's not. Nice job JE :)
I had a fuel smell from my 328 recently, turns out the tank had been badly repaired previously, probably with chewing gum! Also ended up with a big bill for major service, belts, A/C compressor refurb etc. At least not quite as expensive as running a V12 but I am still tempted! I do enjoy hearing you real world owner stories on both of your Ferraris, I can relate well!
12k? Yeah but it's a beauty though isn't it. Makes it all worth while when you take it for a spin on some twisties in spring. Cheers for the update and breakdown of costs. This is why I watch you Jay. Straight to the point, bare bones and all.
Hey man, that smell of fuel in the cabin…check your fuel pumps in trunk they get leaky. Btw Kia makes those pumps so don’t get snookered by Ferrari.
Thanks Jay for the update. The car looks fantastic. I’m glad you did the extra spends despite the pain. Nothing irritates me more than people scrimping on such beautiful machines.
Great update. I've been watching these videos closely as I have a 575M. Thanks to your earlier discussion on the premium service I approached my Ferrari dealer in Melbourne about doing my car. As a consequence I will be the 1st car in Australia to go through the procedure. We have almost all the parts and will do it in the next few weeks hopefully. I get the car serviced by Zagame and they are excellent. They take great care with my car.
The car has also been giving an occasional fuel smell. Not in the cabin, but in the boot. It is however noticeable if the windows are down and I'm driving very slowly. Especially noticeable when going over several speed humps in a row. Hopefully the premium service alleviates this as a lot of fuel lines etc are to be replaced. I'm also needing new tyres and had wanted to put PS4s on but as you pointed out they don't come in the 18 inch size. So it's either upgrade to 19 inch rims or try the Super Sport.. do you have any thoughts so far on those. Currently I've got PZeros on and they have been great. But I've read so much on the PS4s that I wanted to try them.
Keep us up to date on the car.
Super Sports are good so far
Super sports are good but they wear out super quickly
They can do whatever they want with the V8 in the corvette. Put it in the middle. Heck they can end up with it in the boot.
It doesn’t matter.
It’ll never EVER touch the legacy, the legendary presence OR the stunner factor of Ferrari’s like THIS! keep up the content my brother. We love it.
It's legacy does date back to 1953, and quite a few wins on track all over the world....
@@jamesengland7461 true.
So then which do you lust for?
?
@@HotTakeHQ they both have worthy legacies. For myself, I could have an entire late- model Corvette in great condition for the price of this service, and I cannot rationally justify ANY car which needs this much costly care. I respect those who do choose the Ferrari though.
@@jamesengland7461 haha as soon as I posted my last comment I was debating my own argument. I had a bunch of old vettes pop into my mind and I was lusting.
The sticky buttons and dash’s of these era ferraris are not lust-worthy that’s for sure.
Thanks for the little chat. I been in the hospital and slowly recording. UA-cam and these content creators really really have provided me with escape.
What vette would you have if money were no object? Likewise, what Ferrari would you buy, again, if money were no object. All fees, repairs and maintenance included (I’ll cover the costs in this pretend moment 😉)
@@HotTakeHQ get well soon! My favorite Corvette is the C6 for its curvy, yet clean and taut styling, and the 250 GTO as far as Ferrari goes. I know; I'm all over the place, but I'm also not picky. Just don't want a Mondial or C3 [my mom had a C3 and they're notorious for horrid quality; her front control arm literally tore in half while she was driving through our neighborhood at low speed].
I thought I spent a lot this year maintaining my car at 6k, showed this to the misses in an attempt to show sports cars are expensive and that I'm not deliberately wasting money. She's still not impressed but I don't care! It's an obsession keeping these beautiful machines 👌🥰
Its not good mate , i used to be a big shot as they say , i lived in LA in 2013 to 2015 and had a nice fast car and a porn star girlfriend but i gave it all up and joined UNICEF , i visited Ethiopia and volunteered to help do my best to feed starving babies and children who are literally resorting to eating grains of rice to survive , anyway i can tell you a fact that will shock you , imagine if you gave that £6 grand to a charity like UNICEF do you realise how much food and clean water could be provided for £6 grand ? over 1 Ton of High Vitamin content food and fresh clean water can be provided for that £6 grand , im a man on a mission nowadays as i wasted over £40 grand in the past living the high life and the rest of my money i gave away , anyway just thought id put it out there as people nowadays in the UK and USA are too me me me , they don't think about others.
@Luke D Yeah it is weird but had to be said , as too many people in western countries are not spreading the wealth around as my friend Harald Baldr would say lol , its ok to have an Ego and get the fast car phase done when your in your early 20s but as we get older we should be more compassionate and help people in the 3rd world
@@Cayres9 They're not exclusive past-times, though.
@@EvoraGT430 No anyone can have a car and tune it to be good and take pride in it , my point is wealthy people who own like 20 or 30 very expensive cars , Harry Metcalfe or Jezza being prime examples , should sell some of their collection at charity auction to help the 3rd world or trust me my friend we will end up having to bring these people to Britain to help them like we have 17000 Afghanis
This makes me feel much better about just spending £600 on my 03 Mk6 fiesta project car!!! Good to see a UA-cam creator paying with his own money. Great video love the Ferrari content👍👍
One of the prettiest and most understated Ferraris every made. Personally if I was in the position to own and run such a car I wouldn’t mind paying the big bills because they’re only going to go up in value being a manual v12 Ferrari. Love it!
They won’t go up as much in value as it costs to buy and run over the years.....
Don't get too down James, since 2015 I have spent £5500 on repairs to my 55 plate BMW E87 120d hatchback 142000 mile - turbo, four fuel injectors. Koni FSD dampers, top-mounts, bump-stops, rear strut upper mount bushes and lower mounts, lower wishbones, tension struts, Eibach Pros, brake shoes, alternator, battery, radiator, steering rack, glow plugs and glow plug controller, engine and EGR thermostat. I got an ECU remap & EGR coded out, it's kicking out 300lb-ft and 190BHP. I service annually and the AT every 5 years or 50000 miles. I also have a 2009 Boxster that I also look after:) We are car guys...
This is why, although I adore the Ferrari 550 and hold a well-paying job, I could never enjoy a car of this level. It is just one step above of what I would or could spend on a car.
For those both willing and fortunate enough to do so, I wish you all the joy in the world with a machine as beautiful as this.
Yeah, even if I had a salary of £500,000 a year or something there's no way I could justify this expense at all.
@Underbird Well said! I looked at myself in the mirror, analyzed my social status & bank balance, and decided I won't ever buy a Porsche/Maserati/Aston Martin/Ferrari or a Rolex/Patek Philippe/Audemars Piguet. I'll stick to my Jaguar XF & BMW 6 Series & Mazda MX-5 and Omega Seamaster & Tag Heuer Carrera. These combos are more in synch with my social status and financial position than a Ferrari and Audemars Piguet / Porsche and Rolex pair 😊.
Absolutely money well spent. Better to get all those things done that let it deteriorate and the problems build up. Keeping on top of the jobs will make it a far more enjoyable ownership experience.
As usual, great insight into the runnin of your car. To be honest, I would rather have a classic than a new Ferrari, and this is a true classic in that it bridges the gap on the V12 line.
After 42,000 miles on my 2021 Chevrolet SS (Holden Commodore) I thank Chevy every day that to date the only maintenance cost has been regular synthetic oil changes and filter. I did have the oil in the rear differential changed too at 40,000 miles - not on the maintenance schedule, but good to do early. Coming after owning four Audi's in a row (200 Q, A8, A8, S8) the absence of mindbending bills has been a revelation.
My absolute favourite modern Ferrari. The design is beautiful and it sounds gorgeous. Unfortunately noisy Ferrari's will be a rare thing in a few years and your vacuum cleaner will have more noise than a supercar.
Oh boy. That's quite the story James, I have to say, were that my money, I'd be buying a Mk1 Honda NSX. Supercar performance for M3 money, and it's got that 90's style that never gets old. Still, well done keeping your 550 in excellent shape, I totally get the burning desire to keep it original and well looked after.
I owned a 550 for about 4 years and spent $30,000 US Dollars to keep it rolling. The Major was $11,000 US, and Steering rack went out and that was $4500 for the kit and $3,000 in Labour, all done by Official Ferrari Dealership. ECU were $1,200 each and motor mounts $1,000 each side, plus brakes , A/C problems. But all was forgiven when you cranked the car. The turn of the key and it was worth it. But in 2016 when they shot up, I realized it would not keep going up and the cost of repairs were not going down. I traded it for a 2012 Ferrari 458, which is about $1,000 US per year. All I do is have them change the oil.
My car needed the hood resprayed, and front had rock chips. The color was one of only 3 in America called Rosso Barchetta.A deep wine , burgundy color. The Headlights were getting where the inside was a problem. No way to clean them, and Ferrari will only sell you the whole headlights for $5,000, and the dash was pulling away that is a $5,000 fix. Plus the cost of paint on the hood, do you keep it all factory paint or spray it. I had 49,000 miles on the car. Lots of times the door locks did not want to work, the car would not take gas from a pump after a hard drive on the Tail of the Dragon. It would have to cool down for 2 hours before you could get gas to go into the tank, the dealership never figured that one out. So the engine is super strong and very little goes wrong with the "engine" it is just everything else adds up to expensive. But it is so much smoother than the 458. I miss it. Just wish it was not so $$$$ to keep it going to my specifications. I fixed stuff in advance of a break down. You got a great car. keep on driving.
This shows that a an owner who drives their car will find all the faults. Then, an owner who is prepared to put the money into the car will actually own a better car than a low mileage example. A bill of this size isn’t uncommon for a V12 car but you’ve made the most important psychological leap that most people don’t get - if you really want it, you’ll find a way to raise the money. Well done! A manual V12 Ferrari is a rare beast.
Absolute gem of a car. Glad you're keeping it in mint condition. One of the best looking Ferrari ever made. Although, I do think that the F355 is ultimately the best Ferrari ever. The 550 ranks at #3 for me.
Keep up the video content related to your personal fleet of cars mate, I do enjoy them as well as your regular reviews. Heck, even a 15 minute pure driving video on each of your cars would be great.
Would love to see more content on the green Porsche Boxster and also the 430 Scud. An update on the Celica would also be great as well.
You really have a marvelous collection of cars there mate. I aspire to have a collection such as yours one day. If you ever come to Malaysia, do hit me up. Would love to meet you and show you some great driving roads.
Cheers!
I always liked the 550 … but all these costs are to be expected on a ferrari of this age. Kudos to you for bringing it back up to scratch.
Hi,
Use 303 on your bottom spoiler trim below the licence plate. It will last around 4-6 weeks and gives a nice black gloss sheen that is an excellent protectant for inside and outside trim.
Like Scotty Kilmer would say: "an endless money pit"
It’s no ‘96 Celica
@@TommyRogic18 Scottys Celica is from `94 :)
Scotty "The Sky Is Falling" Kilmer? Eh must mean this car is actually quite good and will hold its value, and he wants it so he'll bad mouth it like he does everything it seems lol
plus its a 6 speed manual ferrari that is over 20 some years old, and how much money does a Gm car need in that same amount of time, as I'd say probably the same.
and I'd rather have the ferrari, as atleast then the expense makes sense.
@@kavinskysmith4094 Agree that there is no comparing a 1999 GM car to a Ferrari of the same vintage. But the GM car would cost a tiny fraction of the amount to repair than a Ferrari.
@@norwegianblue2017 500 dollars for a 10 dollar bit of brake line begs to differ lol which I had to pay once lol but I'm just saying you gotta make allowances, and you still get your money out of it when you sell it, plus his fuel pumps maybe going out along with the seal based on what I've seen David Long of the Omega Auto Clinic do on Hoovies Garage 456 GT
as that might have caused the fuse box thing by giving it too much voltage, plus the main thing that screws these cars up is sitting of all things, once their sorted and kept running they keep going
its one of those weird Conundrums a well used ferrari that's been sorted and kept up is better than buying one with low miles that THEN needs to be gone through
plus the V12's of this era had all the same problems other V12's had with literally two of everything, so you got double the problems regardless if its a BMW 850I, or a Ferrari 550 Coupe like this.
and those are even worse, so its all realtive and how much do you love the car, after all how many old people kept cars up that arent worth anything that then suddenly jump in value when their time comes?
Your fuse board reminded me of 1989 when took the fuse board out of my fiat strata 130tc and fixed the broken tracks with speaker cable and a cheap soldering iron.Before that it was possessed,typical Italian quality of the time.
Great update. Wonderful that you are maintaining the car so well despite the costs and I'm sure you'll enjoy the vehicle for many years to come as a result. As I'm getting older, I may want to go into warm and dry storage with a trickle charge this winter myself. It's where to hook up the trickle charger on my person that I need to consider carefully.
A manual V12 Ferrari is already a highly sought-after car. Keep it for 20 yrs, James.
History says you won't regret it.
It’s these kind of bills which would put me off owning my dream car, a Ferrari 355. Coming back to the great saying if you can’t afford to buy it twice, you can’t afford to run it.
Appreciate the honesty and great video. I think I’ll be sticking to shit boxes for a while!
That’s a very good saying. People fail to realise that luxury cars may depreciate, but their maintenance does not. A £200k car, now £100k, will still have the same repair costs as a £200k car.
@@zgpm7031 Probably more to be fair since more parts are likely to break, and some parts may be hard to find in stock, meaning you have to pay extra/search for NOS stuff.
@@GoldenCroc good point.
It’s a money pit like all ferrari cars over 7 years old.I know as I’ve been there with a Dino and a 355. I admire your loyalty but I would fix the fuel leak ASAP Ferraris do have a habit of catching fire and that would be a shame. Good luck! You may need it
Lovely car James, congratulations for sticking with it and doing at all properly. Well worth it 👌 £10k is 2 years McLaren warranty. Meridian could have replaced the fixings on the cam cover though 😒
Exactly - 10K would only just about cover the brakes on the Scud (maybe)
Marvellous car I have to say. There's no point complaining that looking after an expensive car is expensive is there?
Love it mate! Brilliant video, Only positive advice is wish we could see them doing the work or some pictures
Had one 550 manual with a Tubi exhaust, for three years, paid AUD225k sold it for 225k 3years later, what a car, not to bad on costs.
In a funny kind of way I find it somewhat comforting to know that Italian cars and electrics are still as good a mix as oil and water, although I'm sure that James doesn't feel that impressed.
Lovely Jubbly on the video, nice to see a Ferrari that is used as a car not a ornament.
Saw one a few days ago on the road. What a beautiful car it is, aging really well
Why repaint the cover and keep the rusty screws? 7:32
you beat me to it
they cost £10k each
Yeah, surely one can get some nice quality stainless or whatever screws in suitable size at a reasonable prize? Does it really have to be oem, I doubt Ferrari used space grade screws?
Great investment in a super car 👏 ….maybe correct & ceramic coat the paint (if not done) did it on my 430 a game changer for lots of reasons however not all ceramic coatings are the same choose wisely
For me, it was either getting a tried Ferrari 550 or a well-sorted Nissan R33 GT-R. Although I went with the later, I still say this Ferrari is the most beautiful one from the 90s.
I agree with you about the Bridgestone tyres, they go hard and crack prematurely, only good when they are brand new, Michelin’s are the best tyres no argument
03:26 There is a rusty screw, if that matters. 07:35 Some more... Would drive me nuts if it was mine. Especially after paying so much.
Nice one Jay! Besides the thrill of buying the Ferrari it must feel good to be able to keep it in tip top shape. Great video 🙌
Thanks for the update 👍
“The tires should last 4 to 5 years”. What sort of mileage do you think you’ll be putting on it during that time?
Harry Metcalfe had one and he said that these things eat tires for breakfast due to the suspension geometry/wheel camber and also the fact of the engine being so torquey. Anyway, your Ferrari looks amazing 👍
Harry used to daily his in the early 2000s and drove it hard. So he’s probably not a usual case.
Sorry for the hit but thanks for taking it for the team lol.
Great to see another 550 video!!!
Keep it up 👍
Ah, the time before overdesign and tastelessness hit even Ferrari. Had a 575 poster in my boy room. Genuinely sexy automobile. Love it.
I want one of these so bad. You have a nice example. This isn’t a car to think of ever selling. The cost of repairs is for you to enjoy.
I will continue to enjoy Ferrari ownership vicariously via channels like this for free! £12k service/fixes. Now the smell of petrol and potential fire. Meanwhile, all the 'fun' Derbyshire roads near us are 50mph limit, a speed we can achieve with our Land Rover/caravan combination.
Awesome car. Hopefully you make more frequent videos with the car. Keep up the good work.
You've cheered me up James.
My 360 has only cost £9k in 1st 18 months!
Very interesting and informative video Jay. I love Ferrari's but could never own one (or any supercar for that matter) as I would be driving around in perpetual fear of what part was going to fail next and cost me several months wages to fix.
Another great video James. A true enthusiast. Look forward to the next one.
Car looks fantastic. Well worth the money to keep something that good looking on your drive!
Finally you got it what you have been dreaming of, Congratz!
There's a green and tan 550 up for sale that looks mega in that spec on Autotrader, nearly as good as jays shoes and shirt combo
Still looks so good today.. Worth every penny!
The petrol smell might be due to the rubber seals degrading around the fuel pumps due to Ethanol damage. If it is, it's a good time to have the Bosch fuel pumps overhauled and modified at the same time, so perishable components can be replaced with non-perishable parts. Degraded seal rubber turns into tar and blocks the pump filters.
Fuel pumps were replaced as part of the premium programme
Thx for sharing, ill keep it with my 550 die-cast model on my desk and continue driving my toyota
Another really interesting video. A world I know nothing about (supercars). The bill for me personally is truly shocking, but then again what do I know about these type of cars. Might be the norm. Anyway as long as jayemm can afford it and enjoys the car then its money well spent for him.
The centre box costs alone the price of my 206 estate 😀
I don't know how much you care about using official parts, but those spark plug covers could be nicely reproduced in 3D printed carbon fibre (don't worry, it's just a high quality matte black). Happy to produce the model if I could have one (or both) to measure up.
you sure you could keep it solid at the engine temperature? PLA melts at 40c, ABS like 60? you'ed need an industrial printer and specialist filament to make it temperature resistant enough
@@anonymousperson7861 the carbon filament is ABS-based and it's a 20 grand printer.
@@mgutkowski should be alright then, ABS softness shouldn't be too bad at 60, but if it's such a high grade printer then maybe nylon carbon or nylon glass would be better suited, since the only barrier to printing it is the printer, and yours is probably a pretty good one.
Your ferrari looks awesome. Thanks for the update and honest costs of owning this 550. Enjoy
As a lifelong petrolhead, £10k maintenance bills would completely kill the enjoyment of any car for me, no matter what it was or how much money I had.
I could live with it i think knowing that the car doesn’t depreciate anymore
If brakes wobble only after a few seconds of sustained braking and not from cold, it's because the calliper is grabbing unevenly and heating one side of the disc more than the other. I've lost count of the number of cars with supposedly "working" brakes I've made immeasurably better by stripping and rebuilding the callipers with new pots and seals and replacing the flexi-hoses.
Takes seconds to get a DTI out and check.
Also, the fuel smell issue has been covered by Ratarossa. You should check that out. Something to do with the fuel pumps in the tank at the back of the cabin.
Brilliant stuff J. Interesting to see how much it really costs to own something like that. Great video. How could 34 numpties have disliked that? Ah yes, that's because they're numpties. 👍
I did that the cam shaft seals two years ago on my 550. Between my 328 and the Maranello my Ferrari experiences aren’t anywhere near the money pit drama you’ve had….
Same as any car. Porsche wanted £800 to fix a gearbox cooler seal. I did it for £20. Brake pedal push replacement. Porsche wanted £300, I did it for £12.
@@Hypersonik Exactly, main dealers are rip-off merchants.
@@EvoraGT430 They are indeed. You don't even need a specialist - just a good mechanic who understands what it's about.
@@Hypersonik exactly...brilliant
Great to see an update on this car 👍
Such such a clean shape of car. A true classic!
Lovely car, got to be a keeper and worth the costs in the long run
Great segment as always, interesting and informative! Curious about the wrinkle finish red paint used on the cam covers, my 550 needs this done and I haven’t been able to find the correct cherry red shade product! More recent models seem to be a more intense brighter red… Cheers.
Sending the 550 to Meridian is like an expensive boutique spa. It comes home looking and feeling younger.
That car with appreciate long term and as you actually use it... It will be a good one....
Great video. Love your enthusiasm! Lovely motor and thanks for sharing. 👍
Well done JAY 12k bill is hell of alot of money, but you have quite alot of fixed. By a ferrari specialist And there's all ways some ferrari enthusiast who wants one. No such thing as a cheap ferrari ever, my mates got a rx7 he's blown 2 engines and then ended up forging it spent crazy money on it. Easy to rack up bills on sports car especially when you start modifying them. Christ some of those crazy max power car bils many moons ago where crazy. Ploughing 12k into a classic ferrari yes I can understand ploughing 40k for a new golf R I can't
Congratulations James! If it were LHD I’d be all over you for buying it😉 Just sold my -94 C2 this week. Full of sellers remorse😅
UA-cam must be paying off real good now bro....good on you james cheers
I recently watched your video on why Ferraris should be driven, but honestly, this cost, while not astronomically high itself considering this is a luxurious v12 performance car, per mile is very scary and makes it understandable that some owners chose special occasions to do so
Bet your bill scared Jack with his Ferrari?!
Thanks for the update, wishing you many more happy miles in it!
I REALLY like your outro sequence.
I make sure I watch your adverts in full.
They could have put some new Allen bolts in the inlet manifold for 2 and a half g's. Anyway what a beautiful thing...
THAT is how a Ferrari should look. Not the fake McLarens look alikes they release now
Each to their own and this is not a personal criticism, but a 12k bill is utter madness. 10k and not fixed properly, 12k and stinks of gas and your happy!!!
9:15 - The fuse-boards are made of plastic which expands and damages the copper circuitry. Hmm. Time to bring back Bakelite, Tufnol and paxolin, perhaps? 🤭