I started a day last week in Queens NY to inspect a 246GT Dino. I was contacted by a potential buyer to look at a car he drove last week at Gullwing Motorcars but wanted my unbiased opinion. I spent a few hours looking over the car, making a list of things I found at fault or were missing. I inspected the paint and took thickness measurements to see if there were signs of crash damage or bad repairs.  After a test drive I performed a compression test and checked all the mechanical aspects of the car.

After I finished the inspection, I headed to Connecticut to swap my car for a Daytona we’ve been working on. Todd plans on picking up the car next week and driving it home over 1300 miles, so I wanted to drive the car a little bit to make sure everything worked.

I drive a 90 minute commute a few days a week I work at Francois’ shop, so taking a car home is a perfect way to put some mileage on a car. Seat time is the only way to see if the heat works, all the electrics work, and to hear those little squeaks, bumps, and rattles that can be addressed.

The car performed well, and really loved cruising on the highway. It took all my effort to keep her under 80mph. I know modern cars do this without a problem, but there is nothing better than having a snorting, growling, V-12, barrelling down the highway!

I found one electrical issue that I sorted when I got home, so the long drive was worth it.

I put the Daytona away in the evening, but couldn’t resist taking my 330 America out for a quick spin in the fading light. The 330 felt a little antiquated after spending over an hour in the Daytona, but she still puts a smile on my face!

It’s funny, I sometimes feel people who read this blog must think I have to the coolest job, and I’m certainly not going to argue the point, but there are sides to what I do that may not come through in my writing. There is an immense responsibility I have for my customers and clients. Whether it’s to inspect a potential purchase, or to prepare a car for delivery. Making sure my customers are happy and satisfied are very important to me, and enjoying the ownership of their cars as much as I have mine is paramount. When we have  particular issue that we can’t solve, I loose sleep! Along with all this driving, testing, and repairing, is also accompanied with worry!

Test driving that Dino in NYC might sound like fun, but there have been plenty of times I’ve gotten lost on the streets of Queens with a Ferrari on the verge of overheating! Getting a Ferrari up to speed so I can test the operation of all the gears while dodging trucks and potholes on the BQE is not an easy feat. Missing a potential problem, or misdiagnosing an issue for a client can cost them a lot of money and give quite a heartache. Being thorough with the time and facilities I’m given is a balance.

Driving customer’s cars is also a challenge. We must put them through their paces, but not put their cars in danger, or damage them while doing so. I often spend more time watching out for someone hitting me or hearing that errant sound than simply enjoying the experience of driving a Vintage Ferrari!

I guess the true enjoyment is being able to jump into my own 330 America at the end of the day and take her out for a spin. True, I still have to be careful driving my own car, but she’s all mine. That 330 America is what got me to where I am today, and I truly am thankful I found her. That makes it all worth it.