Weekend Trip To Cavallino, Palm Beach. Cost, 1 Million Dollars

[AEHaas]

I thought that I would keep my Maranello 575 forever, wrong again. Let me repost this from FerrariChat.com: “It happened again. The first time was 8 or 9 years ago. My wife and I travel almost never but the cost is always out of proportion. To back up a little, we went to see her sister in LA. All I wanted to do was see the migrating whales and we did. It was great. Then I had to go along with everybody who wanted to go to Rodeo Drive. We ended up “window shopping” at the Lambo dealership. My wife wanted a Diablo (me too). When we got home we decided my 2 1/2 car garage was not big enough. We were just about to pay off the house (250k value). We could then afford a mortgage on the car. We just needed more space. A wine cellar would be nice too instead of those refrigerator things. Anyway, to make a short story long, we built a bigger house. Now we had a 2,000 square foot garage and a small wine cellar. Cost - 1 million. That was 7 years ago. Two years ago we bought a Murcielago. We finally got the Lamborghini we built the house to garage. About 4 years ago some friends invited us to a Ferrari event in Sarasota. I sat in a used 550 Maranello, drove it, bought it. I did not actually have any plan or even any thought to do that. It just happened. I later traded it in on a new 575 (my current ride). Present day: Our neighbors asked us to join them to go to the King Tut exhibit in Ft. Lauderdale on Friday then the Cavallino event on Saturday. Sure we said. I am a history buff anyway. After we went through the Tut thing (really fantastic for me) we then decide to “window shop” the exotic car dealers. First stop - Shelton Ferrari. They had my favorite car, the yellow Enzo. Short ending - I’m buying it. Once again, no plans to buy anything (let alone an Enzo I almost cannot afford) but it just happened. I bumped into the actual owner at Cavallino and we shook hands on the sale. Also, I have to quit saying I am never buying another car. I said that about the Maranello, I am selling it to get the Enzo. I bought that Maybach and said I was never selling that but now they have an AMG, faster version so I have to trade up to that (next year). I just cannot trust myself any more. I have to quit going on trips too. It is just not safe. ???Anybody else have this problem??? aehaas Here is a picture of the garage, now at least there is room for an Enzo.” So now what oil do I use. They spec the Shell Helix Ultra 10W-60. The Shelton Ferrari service people insisted on changing the oil for me. The car has only 1,600 miles on it but they wanted to deliver the car as good as new. I argued with them and they agreed (reluctantly) to put in the 5W-40 Shell Helix Ultra in there. I also spoke to the tech and racing people at Ferrari North America in NJ. They went along with it and wanted me to send them the used oil test data as I have done with the Maranello. I will run 500 or 750 miles and run a sample. I may keep the oil or I may change. Right now my first thought is Red Line 5W-40. The car is designed to run around the track continuously at speeds of 225 MPH. I will be using the car only around town. If the engine temps stay low and the pressures stay high maybe a 30 or 20 wt. could be used. Does anybody on this board have a view about this insanity. aehaas

 

[stringsattached]

I feel your pain man.

 

[Drew99GT]

Your problems are my dreams

 

[AEHaas]

Pictures of my problem are here: http://www.ferraris-online.com/pages/carintro.php?reqcardir=FE-ENZO-132663 aehaas

 

[Bill in Utah]

Wow... I sat in one of those once... A Red one at the airport. It must (is) nice! Thanks for the photos.. (Need to adopt a son? I need to fix my possible Anti-freeze in oil problem...) Post more photos when you get it Doc. Please.. Take care, bill

 

[LarryL]

Dr. Hass, have you talked to Roy at Red Line to hear what he might have to say. They can brew up small batches of oil for something special like your Enzo.

 

[surfstar]

I hope you don't just use that Enzo around town. I don't think that's what they were made for. Take that think to a track! I'm sure everyone here at BITOG can relate to you, except that your Enzo is our BBQ grill.

 

[AEHaas]

Yes but I am not using that oil and the dealership is gracious enough to give me a half dozen oil filters knowing that I will be changing the oil ad nauseam. aehaas

 

[Bio-T]

Dr. Haas,

quote:

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Does anybody on this board have a view about this insanity.

---

My view is that I wish I could afford to be that insane. Congratulations on your new toy and enjoy.

 

[Vilan]

I think if you can afford a million-dollar car, your oil change bill is not going to be too much of a concern. Haven't seen any Supertech 10W60 at Walmart anyway.

 

[AEHaas]

The price of oil has never been a concern even in college working full time. Of great concern is finding BITOG. It's like finding the tomb of King Tut. aehaas

 

[Johnny]

I don't know what else to say but,

 

[marco246]

Ali, I share your financial indiscipline, but on a vastly smaller scale. If you haven't taken a high performance driver's course, such as Jim Russell, you should think about it. That Enzo needs to be flogged occasionally at the track. Otherwise it is just a magnificent piece of portable sculpture. As for advice--hey, you're the reason I joined BITOG, courtesy of the articles you posted on F-Chat. Knowing your penchant for lower viscosity oils, all I could advise would be to experiment--which you are going to do anyway. I hope you will keep us informed of your findings. Cheers, Mark

 

[Matt89]

Since you asked, here's what I think about it. Taste aside, the real insanity here is spending all that money to drive a car like that in traffic. An utter waste...a gleaming monument to untapped automotive potential. A tremendous psuedo-phallus in steel and glass, trundling along in an endless circuit of self-gratification. You could have achieved the same thing by getting a crappy old burgundy 1983 Econoline van plastered with the words "I'm rich as h--- and don't need Viagra (yet)" and driving it through town at 15 mph.

 

[stringsattached]

*Mona Lisa smile* *wink to Matt89*

 

[AEHaas]

I used to drive Formula Super Vee in HS. What became the most interesting to me was oil and suspension. I have my own wheel alignment equipment - how's that? I was SCCA but alas cannot stand the thought of driving on a track with other cars. I will drive alone and have done so. I was at Sebring (at the request of MB North America) to test the Maybach on the track. That is when I figured out that I wanted that car but it needed some modifications that they did for me at the factory. Even with the drive to work I can corner at high speed and accelerate from a stoplight to 60 in 3 seconds. That is good enough. There is a tendency to drive at high speeds. My definition is greater than 180 MPH. Anything less is slow in a real race car. It really does nothing for me unless I am testing the car on a track. I can have fun just staring at my cars in the garage. Simple pleasures are sometimes overlooked. aehaas I also like taking things apart. On arrival this Friday the car goes on the lift to see what makes it tick. I will post a URL to FerrariChat so you can see the pictures.

 

[Parrothd34]

Dr. Hass, If I may, would you mind me asking what insurance runs on a car like that?

 

[AEHaas]

Insurance is based on accident history costs. In general I would pay maybe $2,000 a year to insure a $20,000 Camero but only $1,500 for a $330,000 Maybach. The car is not the cost of the insurance but rather the hospital bills for those inside. The cost of a Camero is insignificant to the medical costs of 3 people inside when a drunk driver hits a pole. Less people ruin Ferrari cars. When they do there is nothing left of the driver or car so costs from the insurer are relatively minimal. A quote from my major US insurer today was $2,500/year for the $1,000,000 Enzo. aehaas

 

[Parrothd34]

Thanks for the info Dr.Hass. It is such a beautiful car!

 

[pastmaster]

Dr. Haas, I congratulate you on your celebration of life! BRAVO!!! As you said, "I can enjoy just looking at my cars in the garage". I would also take it out to the local McDonalds Drive-thru, for a late night snack in my underwear, or well swimsuit, don't want any weirdo charges, if the mood for a quick snack struck me. Just for the FUN of it! Hmm, I recall you are a blood flow specialist, the thick shake, double-cheese quarter-pounder, with fries, would thicken the blood flow a bit. Well, YOU, wouldn't have to order that stuff, anyway, no 20 weight oils or fats in that. May I suggest a name for the ENZO? Enzo Ferrari's first son, who is deceased, was named Alfredino; or DINO as a nickname. And, the OIL appellation of DINO, for Conventional Oils. Your ENZO, is a Mustard Yellow Color... Maybe...MUSTARDINO, would be a fitting nickname? Enjoy the LIFE, out of it!