Buy a Ferrari for the price of a Toyota Camry - that's the kind of crazy challenge that participants in "Car Trek", a well-known YouTube car series, regularly set themselves. One of them took a chance with a 1994 Ferrari 456 GT V12, which he managed to import from Dubai at an unbeatable price. A good deal on paper. But the rest turns into a mechanical and financial nightmare... and even a little intestinal.
A seemingly perfect 456 GT...
The vehicle in question had everything to seduce: a naturally-aspirated V12, a rare manual gearbox, and less than 10,000 miles on the odometer. Above all, it cost a fraction of the usual price, having been imported from Dubai. At that price, the owner knew he wasn't buying a perfect Ferrari. But he didn't expect what was to come.
Upon delivery, the first doubts appear: the car only runs on one bank of cylinders, i.e. six instead of twelve. The electrical wiring is a disaster, and many parts have been cobbled together. The bodywork has been completely repainted, probably following a violent rear-end collision. Even the rear window has been replaced, obviously second-hand.
1,600 km road trip before resale and... new problems
Once reconditioned for "Car Trek", the Ferrari embarked on a road trip of over 1,600 km across the United States, between Texas and Colorado. Against all odds, the 456 held up well. The owner gave it his all, even if it meant driving at breakneck speed at night on roads lined with ravines... before discovering in the morning that he had literally flirted with death, since several cars had already fallen into the void, and some of the carcasses had been abandoned at the bottom of cliffs, as they were impossible to climb back up.
He decides to sell the 456 GT and a 355 Spider to Dan, of the "Normal Guy Supercar" YouTube channel. But a few days later, the verdict was in: the 456 overheated, cylinder head gasket out of order, engine ready for the scrap heap. The new owner discovers white smoke from the exhaust, coolant leaking like a kettle... and an unusable car.
Feeling responsible, the seller buys back the Ferrari and decides to repair it again, despite doubts about feasibility, as he discovers that the engine had already been "rebuilt" and the cylinder heads planed.
Happy ending!
Against all odds, repairs are possible. And surprise: the Dubai dealer (Tamini Classics) admits some responsibility and is contributing financially to the repairs (perhaps because of the good or bad publicity on Youtube), explaining that he had fired the mechanic responsible for the carnage.
A year later, the Ferrari is ready to go again. It even sold for $10,000 more than its purchase price, taking advantage of the rising prices of manual Ferraris on the market.
Importing a low-priced Ferrari from abroad may seem like a good deal, especially when it's rare, manual and low-mileage. But behind an attractive price tag can lie dozens of hidden defects, complex repairs... and repeated cold sweats.
English 
French 
Italian 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
German 
Japanese 
Turkish
Buying used scrap... but what an idea. Leave Ferraris to those who have money to throw out the window and buy good autos instead 🤣.