[ds968]

In about an hour I'll be driving a concours condition 1999 Ferrari Maranello 550 ( with less than 2000 miles on it ) on a two-hour journey ( approximately ). It's my friend's ( and former boss ) car which he can't currently drive - stick shift / clutch set up - for anything more than for very short distances because of a temporary medical condition ..


To say that I have some trepidations would be an understatement .. that car, in mint condition and at that mileage is probably in the quarter million $$ category .. I know that's what insurance is for, and typically O would not sweat it, but it's a very good friend's car, which he just bought , so I'm a bit nervous ..

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[Rap]

Insure it!

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[ds968]

Lol, the car's physical damage insurance is his problem, but I still have to worry about my liability insurance if I'm going to plow into somebody else and their car ..

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[94SilverCab]

Meh, it's just 4 wheels and an engine...

 

Be careful,

 

Jay

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[WernerD]

guess everything went alright?

 

How was it?

 

Werner

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[MCL968]

How did it go? Was it as fun as the 968?

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[ds968]

Everything went well, thanks . Is it as much fun as the 968 ? You guys might think I've lost my mind after answering this question , but NO WAY, NO HOW , is that particular Ferrari EVEN CLOSE to the driving experience of the 968 ( I'm talking about the SC'd six speed manual 968 , but actually, I'd even take a "regular" 968 over the 550 or 575 Ferrari any day any time ..if the price was par, and I was forced to drive one of those two cars without the ability of selling it for profit ,or similar investment reasons ..

( now I remember why I didn't buy the 575 which I test drove a long time ago ..it did not compare to the 968 then, and yet it was 4 X the price / market value ! ) Nice looking car though , and no slouch , but not in the 968 league in any respect other than the badge on the hood .


This experience served only to further solidiffy my intent to keep the 968 for a lifetime ..

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[ds968]

At the house before the road trip .. LOL, my neighbors must think I've converted to an all-Italian lifestyle .

       

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[Rap]

Good luck. Don't speed !!!

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[ds968]

Good luck. Don't speed !!!

Already done with the drive, his car is safe and sound at the dealer for the next two weeks , after which I may have to drive it once again when I bring it back , but I definitely don't plan to drive very fast ..not with something which doesn't belong to me anyway ..

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[968Syncro]

Dan, can you please bring those two cars over to my house?  I'd like a similar picture.  Make sure it is on a day when google is coming with their drive-by picture car so it will be available on google street view when people view my house.  

 

Glad you are having this experience, most of us have never driven a Ferrari and probably never will.

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[94SilverCab]

 

Dan's Delivery Service...call for pricing

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[ds968]

Hilarious,     ( both posts !! ) 

 

 

 

BTW,  we now own  German,  Italian and Japanese cars in our family's auto fleet ...  If this scenario would have been in the early WW II days  ( when Bob-"RAP" was a young enlisted man..)  , I think  pre-Google earth , I might have been paid a visit by the department of homeland security ..  :glare:        

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[Ryan]

You just weren't driving it fast enough

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[Rap]

Not a student of history eh? I would have been in an internment camp.

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[ds968]

Funny you didn't look Japanese when we last met . :-) :-). Yeah, yeah, I know there was some internment of Italians as well, but I was under the ( mistaken ? ) impression that , unlike as was the case with Japanese people, only Italian " nationals " were detained , not Italians who were American citizens, nor permanent residents / green card , or even long term residents .. But no, not a student of history just superficial knowledge on that topic , enough to get me in trouble...

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[Rap]

The only reason my family didn't appreciate a camp was that my grandfather secured a contract to provide gas and garage services to the military as they travelled north in Pa. He was one of those savvy American immigrant stories. Still an example of and knowledge base for me to emmulalate. I suspect I don't measure up but the fox and grape fable provides inspiration.

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