When your mid-engine, V8 exotic gets sidelined during an owner's rally your options are pretty limited. You can bail out on the fun, cry in your latte and tell yourself "Well, there's always next year," or you can hop into your spare mid-engine, V8 exotic and keep on motoring.
We didn't plan on switching from the Ford GT to the Ferrari 308 halfway through the Ford GT Owner's Rally, but a leaking shock had the GT's rear-end crashing over minor bumps with increasing volume. By Friday night it was clear that continued use would potentially spread the carnage beyond a dead shock to a cracked spindle and/or crushed wheel bearing (to say nothing of the car's four-wheel alignment). It was time to bench the blue-oval exotic.
The initial plan was to switch into my own 1973 Saab Sonett, as I knew it would be sitting dutifully in the Edmunds parking garage. But what's this? A red Ferrari buried 30 feet underground on a Friday night in L.A.? Yeah, recent reports of anti-freeze burps and gas fumes might scare lesser editors, but not one with three old British bikes and two old Chrysler muscle cars in the garage. By my reckoning the 1984 308 remains a modern car.
Once underway the wife was quick to note, "This thing rides like a luxury car." Yes honey, but so would a 1947 Willy's Jeep after getting out of a Ford GT with a fouled shock. The Ferrari didn't fire up as quickly as I remember, and the low-end torque is down. I believe both items relate to an "upgraded tune" peformed during recent maintenance work. It does indeed seem more powerful above 5,000 rpm, but as a torque fan I prefer the previous tune with a meatier low-end punch.
The 308 cruised effortlessly for 50 miles down the 405 to Newport Beach. The Ferrari really settles in happily at about 85 mph and will hit 100 without complaint. The next morning I had to fire it up early to make the Cars and Coffee show at Ford's PAG in Irvine. Again it didn't start as quickly as I remember, and the shifter was reluctant to go into reverse. The last time I drove it reverse was relatively easy to get, but for some reason I had to wrestle with the shifter for what must have been over a minute. I've since altered my technique (more side force before pushing down) with much success.
The cars and coffee show was dedicated to the Ford GT this morning, but in the rows marked for "other" vehicles I found a suitable parking mate and slid in next to it. With these two cars in close proximity I noted many a child of the '80s wandering by for a closer look, often accompanied by "Don Johnson/Tom Selleck" comments.
Some other items to note in the "Ford vs. Ferrari" discussion. First, while the GT offers more legroom, the Ferrari has just as much space behind the seats, and considerably more cargo space. Even with the car's cover taking up 30 percent of the storage area there was plenty of room for my overnight bag, my laptop and the wife's small bag (in the GT only my overnight bag fit in the cargo area...barely).
One other item continues to plague the Ferrari -- a constant haze on the inside of the glass whenever it's parked under the sun. I've washed the windows every time I've driven it, but the cloudy windows return again and again. This issue, along with the weak low rpm power, mar an otherwise fabulous driving experience. Fix those, and I'm ready for the next Ferrari rally. As is, it makes a fine substitue when you're 10,000-mile, two-year-old Ford goes on the trailer.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com
thegreatgrigio says:
07:59 PM, 08/ 6/07
The haze is most likely caused by some sort of dash/vinyl treatment outgassing when the interior heats up. Try cleaning that stuff off the dash and see if things get better.
thebigal says:
10:50 PM, 08/ 6/07
I agree that the haze is caused by Armor-all or some other substance on the dash... I won't use Armor-all for that very reason. I also made the mistake once of usine some Pledge once when I ran out of cleaning wipes and that was even worse. I had a haze until I cleaned the dash again using my regular cleaning wipes.
rennf says:
07:08 AM, 08/ 7/07
thebigal and others: what kind of interior product do you guys recommend? I bought a dedicated leather conditioner for my seats some time back but I've continued to use Armor All on the soft-touch plastic surfaces on my dash.
I've read enough disparaging comments to give me the heebie-jeebies about using it further -- but I don't want to pick at random.
Any thoughts?
ptmeyer says:
11:13 AM, 08/ 7/07
I've had that haze on all three of my cars. I just wipe it down with a newspaper and it takes it right off.
actualsize says:
11:45 AM, 08/12/07
"Lesser editors?" Care to step outside, buddy?
SubyTrojan says:
11:44 PM, 08/12/07
LOL, Dan!
tjbeck says:
03:52 PM, 10/ 8/07
"As is, it makes a fine substitue when you're 10,000-mile, two-year-old Ford goes on the trailer." - Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief
I love the post, but how did you get to be editor-in-chief without knowing the difference between "your" and "you're" - or, less importantly, spelling the word 'substitute' correctly?
editor_karl says:
11:04 PM, 11/ 8/07
its caled uh bloug -- spelleeen iznt tha moist impudent theeng