1995 Ferrari 348 Spyder sitting for 3 year in Arizona

1995 Ferrari 348 Spyder sitting for 3 year

Location: Arizona

I was notified that a seller had some cars that have been sitting for a long time in Arizona.

• 1995 Ferrari 348 Spyder (garaged)
• 1997 Jaguar XJS V12 convertible (garaged)
• Mercedes 450 SLC (outside)

Why not?  Lets go check them out!

I was able to get to the Ferraro 348 Spyder  in the evening but the battery was completely dead.   We decided to charge the battery overnight and try again in the morning.  The car looked good.  It definitely showed  signs of sitting for a very long time.  There were spider webs clinging to the tires , wheel wells and under the car.   The Top is original and the rear plastic window is foggy.  The interior looks worn but appropriate for a 30k mile car.   The center console and the door plastics are all sticky and will need to be redone.  Perhaps Sticky No More can help with that job.   There is a horrible dent left of the gas door that will be difficult to fix.  From my experience,  you can always tell when a red car has been painted.   Red paint, especially original Ferrari paint,  fades over time and unless the entire car is painted, you can always tell from certain angles that its off.

I like my cars to be perfect so addressing these issues would be top priority.

1. get the engine running properly
2. check gas tank and fuel pumps
3. fuel injection system
4. engine out service with timing belt change
5. sticky plastic interior pieces
6. find missing toolkit pieces
7. new tires
8. flush brake system and replace rotors and brake pads

The next morning, we went to check the battery and it still did not charge.   The next option was to get a new battery.   Since the jack was missing we had no way to properly get the front left wheel off to gain access to the battery.    The owner’s friend Javier was kind enough to go to his house to get a floor jack and tools to get the job done.   We removed the old battery and went to the local auto store to pick up a new battery.   They did not have the correct 34R size battery in the lead acid category so I opted to buy an Optima Gel Battery for $190 Dollars.

Notice the rust covered rotors and the bare spot where the brake caliper was positioned for 3 years.

After the new gel battery was installed, we put back the louvered panel and the thin side metal trim with rubber seal back.

Everything goes back together and wheel is re-mounted again.

Success! Sort of….

All the dash lights went on when I turned the key which was a good sign.  However, the car did not start so it will be towed to Ferrari of Scottsdale to sort out the issues.   More on this in the near  future.

There is also a 1997 Jaguar XJS V12 convertible for sale.  It is dark blue with cream interior.  I think one of the best color combinations for this car.  Unfortunately this car does not hold its value very well.   We had to get a new battery for this car as well.  Fortunately the battery was still under warranty and we received a brand new one for free.

The last car available was a Mercedes 450 SLC with faded black paint that has been sitting in the hot Arizona sun for far too long.  Not interested in this car but I know the headlights have some value.   I believe this car is now sold.

What do you think of these 3 cars?

What would you value each car at?

I am very curious to get your feedback

Thanks!