The 308 GT 4

My mom brought this picture over today. It is of my younger brother, John, and I with the 308 GT 4 that was offered in trade for one of our father's lots in northern California. My guess is it was taken in 1978 or 1979 but I am not sure. If you have been reading this blog you know that I posited that my dad made a mistake in not trading for the car. Who knows. Even though he did not make the trade we still talk to each other several times a week and cars are a frequent topic.

I saw a 308 GT 4 for sale recently and thought about buying it. The owner wasn’t asking much and it has back seats. I can still remember the roads we drove on and the sound of this car. I remeber being worried that I would forget that it was a 308 gt 4 when I bragged to the kids at school the following day. As a kid I wanted to freeze that moment. Thought you would like to see the picture.

Use for a Ferrari in Winter

What can you do with a Ferrari in winter? If you live in Portland, Oregon and it happens to be an unusually cold and wet winter not much. Sure I could take the car out, slide it around in the ice and slush around my house and let the front get sand blasted by the gravel laid down by the department of transportation. I could but I won’t. I like cars too much to do that.

What I can do is plan what I am going to do with the car once the weather turns. Earlier I made a list. It included taking the car skiing. I think I will take ski trip off my list unless I can pick a bluebird day and talk someone into driving my truck as a support vehicle.

I plan to attend three track days this summer, the Ferrari Club track day, one Gran Prix track day, and just for grins, the Lamborghini of Portland track day. Before attending any of these I am going to take a performance driving class. I found one where I can use the Ferrari and some unlucky soul has to ride along and give me pointers. I am not worried about crashing. I am worried about being passed by a 60 year old grandmother of six. Best to get some pointers and not become an embarrassment to Ferrari drivers everywhere.

I want to attend the exotic car show in SunRiver and combine that trip with a fly fishing trip where the Ferrari gets to go to the river. I am pretty sure I can fit my boots and waders in the truck. I will bring several large plastic garbage bags to put all the wet stuff in. Since I fish on catch and release rivers I don’t need to worry about anywhere to put fish. I also seldom catch anything but that is beside the point. Originally, I had not planned in showing the car in the show but why not. Few people are going to be interested in looking at my Toyota and if you only have a Ferrari for one year why not take advantage of all opportunities for fun you can find.
Two years ago a few friends organized a sports car Oregon wine country tour. We had two Porsches and two BMWs. We had prefect weather, great food, and wonderful roads. I want do organize a similar trip.

Finally, I want to make some videos of the car. More specifically, I want to make some videos of the car being driven on the track and twisty country roads.

That’s about it for now. Not much else I can do with the car today other than let it slowly depreciate and think about what I can do with it this summer.

Addicted to Driving

There was a brief bit of sun yesterday. I was working, looked out the window and sun. Finally, the road was probably still wet but so what. It was sunny. I was going to drive the car. I put on some shoes, grabbed the keys to move the truck and told Barb I what I was doing.
The patch of sun was just bigger than our lot. About ½ acre. Everywhere else, dark grey clouds. I thought about it for a few seconds. I could drive around the neighborhood. I felt a bit like some sort of addict. Is it possible to be addicted to driving a car?
I went back inside and back to work.

Should have moved to Palm Beach

Oregon continues to be unkind to my one year with a Ferrari concept. At this rate I can re-label my experiment one year, four drives, and lots of frustration with a Ferrari. I had a chance to drive the car on Friday. Let me restate that I missed a chance to drive the car on Friday. It was cold, clear, and dry. Not the greatest sports car day but I will take what I can get.

During the process of buying the car I contemplated the wisdom of starting a one year experiment with a car at the beginning of winter. I do not regret buying the 355 but I wish it was available in May not December. Probably would have cost me more but at least I would get to drive it. Now it just sits in the garage.

I did not drive the car on Friday. I had to choose between picking up wine and pizza stuff for dinner or driving the car. I choose food and wine. This is off topic but I did make a great octopus pizza. Don't knock it. It was fantastic.

I did find a replacement ashtray module.

$375.

Let’s say you want to replace the ashtray in your Toyota Matrix. $15.24. Your Lexus LS 430 $86.40. For $499 I can buy a complete motor for an Isuzu Pup. I am going to buy the ashtray anyway. If I cannot drive the car I might as well spend money making it perfect.

Ferrari Haiku

Winter in Oregon
Ferrari in the garage
Lonely forgotten

There we have it. Winter in Oregon is not a happy place for sports car. I am ready for spring. I doubt my readiness will cause the hastening of spring. It should but I doubt it will. I feel as if my skin is tuning light green. Like I am some sort of aquatic creature, except if I was an aquatic creature I would be dead, frozen in some pond or puddle.

This winter seems unusually cold. Wet is not unusual for winter in Oregon but cold is. For some reason the ground seems harder in winter. Oregon is a great place to own an exotic car since there seem to be fewer of them than in other west coast cities. I think that I probably see one or two exotic cars per month, they retain their celebrity status. In Los Angles or Miami you have a good chance of seeing the cars more frequently. With that frequency some of their novelty wears off. Unfortunately, our weather conspires to keep exotics off the road. There may be thousands parked in garages.

Grocery Getters

So you bought the “what is better theory” now I will tackle the “what are supercars for” theory. I know that I am being gratuitous calling the 355 a supercar but supercar Jr or supercar light don’t have much of a ring to them. Besides, it is a fantastic car. In 1998 you would be hard pressed to find something better, something more super. A F50, A Lamborghini, a Mclaren but not much else.
If you recall my theory is the supercars are primarily for entertainment and ego justification. Both are, in my opinion, perfectly valid reasons for existence. I can think of few better reasons to have or do something than it is entertaining and it makes me feel good.
I will start my defense of my theory by asking what else can a supercar can reasonably be used for. Getting groceries? Taking the kids to school? Sure they will do both but they are imminently impractical for either. I can fit two small bags of groceries in our 355 and it is about as practical as a supercar can get. Remember supercar light. You can’t run to home depot and get a load of 2 x 4s, there is no where to put skis. As I mentioned earlier they are less effective at getting you to work, composed and unruffled, than a nice Toyota.
If you think of the fundamental usage model of an automobile it is to get you and your stuff reliably and quickly from one place to another. Both reliably and quickly are relative terms with the base line being the level of reliability and quickness provided by a horse or walking. When looked at from this lens a supercar provides less utility than a Prius or my even by standard for car year, the Isuzu Pup.
Supercars are for making a statement, intimidating pedestrians, and impressing everyone you pass. Supercars are for delivering a driving experience that brings you completely to the moment you are it.
I know this is an incomplete argument. I will spend more time on it later.

Don't Dodge the Question

I realize that my post yesterday, while positing what supercars were for, did not defend my position or answer the question of how do we go about determining what is better.

Sorry.

I will try to answer the question first and will attempt to do better than “we just know”. Here is my theory. To determine one thing is better than another we call upon our past experiences, prejudices, and analytical skills. We use this corpus of knowledge and skills to evaluate the ability of disparate things to fulfill a role, accomplish a task, whatever. The thing that based upon our internal measuring stick best fulfills the role, accomplishes the task or whatevers is judged best.

At this point the astute reader is saying “Hold on, are you suggesting there is no universal better? That better is always subjective?”

Yes, I believe that is what I am saying. Better is subjective. I went skiing today. Today my Toyota truck was better.

What is "Better"?

Yes, I realize I am going to have to find some way to pay for the Gallardo. The Ferrari worked out – so far - and I have eight months to figure out how to make things work but I am going to get one. Trust me.
I have a question for you. What makes something better than something else? What is evaluated and what process is used to come to the conclusion that this thing is better than that thing?
I will stay in context of supercars and stick with the comparison between the Ferrari and Lamborghini. When I reflect on what makes one of the cars better than the other I run into a problem. I have never really spent the time to figure out exactly what the cars are for. Sure, there is the getting you from place to place function but that’s only part of it. If getting around were the point Barb’s minivan would be the champ. I will be honest with you. Supercars are really very good at getting you from the home to the office or to the grocery store. Our Ferrari is about as comfortable as a supercar can get. It can comfortably hold thee bags of groceries buy you are always worrying about some ninny in a 1994 Suburban inflicting massive damage. Have to wear fancy shoes to the office? Unless you have tiny feet supercars are not so friendly. The brake and clutch pedal are the size of an Oreo and the gas pedal is like four #2 pencils laid side by side.
So, what are these cars for? I can think of two things. Entertainment and self gratification. Fun and ego. That is what these cars are for. The Lamborghini is more entertaining to drive than our 355. Is it better than a 430? Don’t know. I haven’t driven a 430 yet. For me the Lamborghini was more entertaining than the 360. On to ego. When I review the things I don’t like about the Lamborghini the corporateness of the cockpit is high on the list. It is like being in the worlds nicest Audi. I don’t want an Audi. I want a Lamborghini. Also, and this is silly to say but a Lamborghini is not a Ferrari. Lamborghini lacks Ferraris history of racing and comprehensive brand recognition. The Lamborghini falls short on the ego side.
Now we get to the tricky stuff. Is the Lamborghini that much more entertaining than the Ferrari to overcome its ego deficit? Unfortunately it’s not that easy. Entertainment and ego are not equally weighted in my decision making process. Ultimately, entertainment is more important to me. So, with respect to my 355 I judge the Lamborghini the better car. Today.

One Problem with the Gallardo Idea

I have to figure out how to pay for it:)

A Relegious Experience

Today I had an automotive epiphany. I drove a Lamborghini Gallardo. What an impressive car. That is what I want next. I had been planning on following the 355 up with a 360 or 550 but my search for the next car is over. It will have to be a Lamborghini. Why? Several things. First, the performance is out of this world. This is the first car that I have been in where straight line acceleration was so violent that no other word than scary is applicable. What’s more the car was scary without full throttle. I suppose that is what one should expect from an all wheel drive car with a 0 to 60 time of approximately 4 seconds. The car I drove a blue 2004 model. I put a picture of it in the gallery. I noticed it on Gran Prix’s web site and went in to take a look. They were putting new tires on it which gave me a chance to look at the suspension. When the tires were on Joe and I took it out for a spin. I can say, without reservation that I like this car better than the 355 and better than the 360.
What a monster.
If I were to fault it I would say it is too competent and the interior is too Audi. Yes, I know neither of these are faults. What I mean to say is that the Lambo takes a mediocre driver like me and makes me feel like Michael Schumacher, but in a Lamborghini not a Ferrari. Where the Ferrari feels quick and lively the Lamborghini feels solid and planted. I am not going to give you the blow by blow of the test drive. But I will say I comfortably went faster in the Lamborghini than I have gone in my Ferrari. I like the E-Gear system on the Lamborghini better than the Ferrari paddle shifter system I tried on the Maserati. I know this is not an apples to apples comparison but the system in the Lamborghini is fantastic. I like the all wheel drive. To harness that much horsepower, over 500, you really need all wheel drive. Finally, I liked the ergonomics of the cockpit. What a great car! I did not expect there to be such a difference between the two vehicles. Wow. This site may have to be renamed two months with a Ferrari:)

In A Theater Near You

Sure our 911 is eight years older than the Ferrari. It is a cabriolet. It has 125 fewer horsepower. The brakes feel like you are pushing your foot into sand. But, what a great car. I have not driver the C2 for over two months. I started it today just to make sure it would start. I think I got to it just in time. It barely turned over and took a few seconds to catch. But once started what a wonderful sound. I have gotten used to the Ferrari's song and forgotten the lopey sound of the Porsche. Like a cross between a 69 Camaro and a chain saw.

I made a film of both cars starting up and posted it on youtube. It is interesting to hear the difference in the two motors. You can definitely tell the Ferrari is idling at 400 RPMs more than the Porsche. The Ferrari looks like it is smoking badly but it is condensation. As luck would have it the afternoon was only gently overcast, which counts for sunny in Oregon in the winter so I took the Porsche out to run some errands. The difference between the two cars is stunning. Both were built prior to the invasion of driver’s aids but the Ferrari is a much more sophisticated car. The chassis feels far more refined the steering is better, with the possible exception of bump steer. I like the seating position in the Porsche better. More upright and closer to the wheel. I have to recline the seat on the Ferrari to quite a bit to fit in the car and am positioned further from the wheel than what would be optimal.

Even after many months of not driving the Porsche I am much more comfortable going quickly and tossing the car around than I am in the Ferrari. After we had the suspension replaced on the car I felt that we had turned a good car into a great car and created the world’s largest go cart.I hope to have a chance to drive the cars back to back this week as the forecast calls for some dry days.

No One Really Knows

One nanosecond ago you did not own a Ferrari. You were anticipating immortality, better looks, a bigger brain, and a deeper tan. You are going to be a titan. At least less gray hair. You were sitting across from a smiling bald guy and had just lifted a pen from the last letter in your last name. The check is handed over. You now own a Ferrari. For an instant everything is like you though it would be. Just for an instant. Then you realize you are still the same dork as before. Same hair. Same smarts. Same roll of fat around your lower back. Same job. There is one difference. You are now significantly poorer and may have just acquired a four wheeled rolling Italian liability. But then you realize no one else knows. Well a few people know but they have accepted you for who you are. No one else knows. It is your secret. For almost everyone you are no longer who you were before. Venezuelan expats who fix elections drive Ferraris. Members of the Russian Duma crash Ferraris on the Promenade des Anglais with underwear models.
Some component of the Ferrari ownership experience involves vicarious living. Creating a big wake and getting your picture taken by soccer moms in minivans. Driving a Ferrari is like putting on an entirely different skin. A pair of red jeans, a plaid vest, and loafer making it all work and walking down a street in Great Bend, Kansas. Driving a Ferrari is like being an alien. A very exotic green monster.
Why? Because no one knows.

Ferrari Years Like Dog Years

Ferraris live faster than most cars. Well, Ferraris were meant to live faster than most cars. I think that many exotic cars get locked away in tomb like garages to where their owners wage a battle with entropy. Those Ferraris become like bottles of wine that are never opened. Too bad. Back to my original thought. Ferraris age more quickly than most cars. But, how much more quickly?
To answer this question I have created a formula that compares Ferrari years to a standard automotive year. To establish my standard automotive year I used the 1984 Isuzu Pup with the C223 motor. I did not give the Pup an allowance for 2 wheel drive and did not take into account the changing formulas in diesel fuel, either regionally or over time. I know that this will call my formula into question with more scholarly types and am willing to accept modifications if they make sense.
My formula is FY= X(7761.767)(Y/AM+C/MRPM/AM). X = the age of the pup in years, 24 in our example. Y = the age of the Ferrari in years, 10 in the case of my car. AM = the actual miles of the Ferrari, 27014 in the case of my car. C = the number of cylinders in the engine, 8 in my car. MRPM = the maximum RPM or 8500 in my car. Using this formula we learn that Ferraris age at about the same rate as a large dog. One Isuzu Pup year is equal to 6.8964 Ferrari 355 years.

We Are Now One

If you are like me you do not completely bond with a car until you have washed it. I am not sure why but I never feel as if the car is mine if I have not washed it. It may be the process of washing it. It may be the time spent with the car when it is stationary. It may be the tactile feedback of touching the whole thing. Don’t know. Probably a little of each.
The Ferrari needed to be washed. So does my Toyota but it will have to wait until summer. The Ferrari had been out in the rain and muck a few times and was looking dingy and neglected. The weather forecast did not look good for car washing. Rain, snow, temperature in the high 30s. There was a clear patch on Saturday but I decided to go on a bike ride instead. It snowed for most of my ride. It was raining Sunday when I woke up but I had decided to wash the car and if it was raining so be it. I cannot not scratch an itch.
Eventually the rain stopped and I grabbed a bucket full of warm water and backed the car out of the garage. One of my favorite things about the Ferrari is the way it starts. The engine leaps to life. One instant nothing, turn the key, BOOM, the car is on and idling at about 1100 RMP. No cranking just an immediate start. I heard a Porsche Carrera GT start once, same thing. I think it may be due to a combination of high compression and light flywheel. Whatever causes it I like it. I look forward to the instant I turn the key and a crazy mechanical symphony starts right behind me Prestissimo .
One great thing about sports cars is that there is not that much to wash and you can reach everything easily. In no time the car was clean, dry and back in the garage looking much happier. It is now my car. We have bonded.

Ferraris Don't Melt

First post of the New Year.
I took the car to Gran Prix yesterday so they could figure out why the DEQ could not test its emissions. It took their mechanics about 10 seconds to figure out what was wrong and about another 5 minutes to fix it. Turns out one of the pins on the port the DEQ plugs their computer into had been pushed out of place. The Gran Prix guys put a new one in and tested it to make sure it worked.
Yesterday it was pouring rain in Oregon. It was windy and miserable. Not the type of day you typically associate with driving a Ferrari. Why not? They do not melt. The car handles great, it is fun on wet pavement. It is even easier to kick the rear end out around corners. Also, if I decide not to drive it in the rain I will get to drive it 11 time this year. My book would be about 30 pages long, with not much content.
It sounds foolish but I felt proud of myself for driving a car in the rain. The car does not even look dirty. Now that I have figured out how the heater works I was comfortable. Silly. It was made to be driven. Further, it was made to be driven fast and handle perfectly in almost all conditions. Why not drive it in the rain?
Believe it or not I saw one other Ferrari out yesterday. It was a yellow 430 Spider. It was pulling out of Gran Prix as I was pulling in. The new owner was taking it home. In the pouring rain. I doubt it melted either.
I checked the DEQ's web cam prior to leaving this morning. No line. I got lane five this time and was able to pull right in. The DEQ's computer was unable to talk with the Ferrari. The tech in charge of lane five called another fellow who brought over a hand held testing device. The car passed first try. Fantastic.
On the way home I celebrated a bit. I am adamantly opposed to driving recklessly on public roads. The most common question I get is how fast have you gone. My stock answer is 75 MPH. Usually the person asking looks disappointed. It’s not about going fast. Well its partially about going fast but that is not the whole point. More like 5% of the point. I will drive the car fast, on the track. But, having just passed emissions and faced with a long straight exit ramp I wound the car up in 4th gear just a bit. That dog can hunt.
I have always been somewhat disappointed with the acceleration of my 911. I am not disappointed with the Ferrari.
On another note.
I answered my own posts on both the Ferrari Club of America’s technical forum and Ferrarilife’s forum, thanking other users for not ridiculing me. I received several responses on Ferrarilife which initiated another line of discussion, it is best to just drive these cars and not worry about them. One poster mentioned he had driven his F40 7000 KMs the first year he had it.