This is a potentially interesting opportunity for the Ferrari collector, or someone who wishes to become one (more likely the latter). The 400i is far from the most desirable model out there, but that all changes when it’s equipped with 3 pedals. This car does have a manual, which would typically dictate a fairly strong asking price. However, it has two significant strikes against it: the engine is partially disassembled, and it’s right-hand drive. However, if you can get past the steering wheel location (and you should) and have some ability to reassemble an engine (I don’t, but you might!), then this manual Ferrari 400i listed here on eBay for $24,500 makes an awful lot of sense.
The 400i is listed for sale by Gullwing Motor Cars. I wish – oh, how I wish – that Gullwing would provide some backstory on the cars they find. They manage to uncover all sorts of intriguing barn finds and the listing descriptions lack any excitement or drama. Please, if you’re reading, hire someone to capture the details of your finds. We would all like to know how you discover cars like a RHD Ferrari 400i manual in the States. With the British market license plates and a rear fog light all still attached, the story of how it was imported and left for dead would keep every enthusiast I know fully engrossed in your listings for minutes, not seconds.
The 400i was always considered the thinking man’s Ferrari. If the 308 was the bodacious, in-your-face model that every extrovert pined to own, the 400i was for the conservative man with a panache for extended weekend trips requiring open roads and some luggage (perhaps along with a companion). The 400i cockpit was larger than the 308 and allowed one to relax without feeling trapped inside a rolling homage to Magnum, P.I. The presence of a backseat likely limited interest to a small slice of the motoring population who wanted to spend Ferrari money but did not want a car that looked like a Ferrari.
This, here, is likely the biggest reason for the discounted price. The 310 b.h.p. V12 engine is not the sort of mill you waltz over to the parts store to find a set of head bolts for, and the listing makes no mention of the removed parts being included with the sale. Was there cause to replace the headgasket, or perhaps a previous owner felt compelled to tackle a proper rebuild before time or health ran out? Mileage is not provided, so we have no way to know what caused this 400i to undergo a rebuild that never reached completion. When the engine is reassembled, the RHD steering will still limit its attraction stateside, but I’m guessing you could sell it to an overseas market customer for a fair price when your enjoyment runs out.
This Ferrari is a challenging project. It’s not just the engine that’s a mess, the body is rusted nearly all the way around, and the nose has been damaged. Even the defrost vents are rusty! Yikes. Maybe a parts car.
Gotta wonder if it might be a flood car, which would explain a lot really.
Yikes indeed Michelle. Don’t walk away from this car, run…
It wasn’t that long ago that $25K would buy you a nice one, but nobody did because they didn’t want a 4 door Ferrari.
It’s a 2 door.
Too bad, I like the body style. (Kind of reminiscent of a Fiat 124 coupe.
$24,500 for a rusty 400i with an open engine? That’s not a “discounted” price. It’s insanity worthy of a late 60s Mopar B-body.
I’ve always thought that Gullwing’s listings lack any background information or further details. They also normally include very few photos with no way to grasp the actual condition and how much restoration work will be needed. Their listings often are not sold and constantly advertised for years (like that red Lancia Aurelia B20) with no price adjustments or additional photos added. Is it pure laziness, or just a “take it or leave it” attitude? Their west coast counterpart (Beverly Hills Car Club) also sells rough project cars, but does a MUCH better job presenting a vast array of detailed photos but also lacks detailed descriptions.
That must have been a beautiful car in its day, but its day is far far gone. It’s a rolling platform of parts.
Some engines have cam caps that’re finished off in situ (so specific to those heads); it might be that, if those are missing, the heads’ll be scrap.
I always fancied something like this as a towcar for the racing 2CV…
Every time a 400 comes up for sale here I’m reminided of this advert:
https://www.eurospares.co.uk/Breaking/Ferrari_Cars/400/99
The text for the ad reads:
This car was in superb condition but failed the MOT on the exhaust system The car only covered 34048 miles from new with all documents to justify. SHame to dismantle but need the parts.
This is an old advert (literally years), but if a car is being dismantled due to a faulty exhaust, I wonder “What is it really worth?”
This is a parts car
Has anyone tried swapping an LS into one?
I was wondering the same thing. I mean, it would be a shame to lose the wonderful sound of a high-revving V-12, especially with the manwell, but if the engine is completely gone, a guy may as well go with more power & modern engine management. I suspect there was never huge demand for an anything swap into these, though.
I’ve always like the liens on this – only a few car designs have managed straight lines & sharp creases, nicely. Also, RHD doesn’t cut it, in a world designed for LHD, IMO.
Yes, a SBC was a pretty common swap on these-
Heck, with an engine bay long enough for a V12, how about a Viper V10? 😈
SBC swap was common because Ferrari didn’t re-invent the wheel, the stock transmission is a GM Turbo 400.
A friend brought one of these on our backroads drive with a SBC swap, (cheap and available) and there was so much daylite between engine and radiator one could almost stand with feet on the ground in between.
That would require a ’69-’70 Pontiac Grand Prix fan shroud (easily 2′ long) if using a standard fan instead of an electric.
Hah, very true. He had 2 radiator hoses jumpered together to span the distance, and an electric fan if I remember right. It was a donation motor from a drag racer, so ran really low oil pressure, and was not made to run all day around high speed corners, so the theme was “I’ll run it as hard as I usually do and just see when she blows” (which it did not)
I would like to see challenging projects like this donated to a high school auto repair class as a class project, but parts are so expensive the kids would not be able to do much.
Really disappointing to see a Ferrari in this condition.
No such thing as a cheap Ferrari…
agreed w/mark. The 2 use the same biz model: “Buy this junk we got… oh, sure, we can restore it for U.” (at 2X the price U pay for the junk…
I think it has the “malaise ‘80s” GM look, not a ferrari. As much I’m an Italian fan-boy here, desire to own one w/a M or F 1st letter, nope on this 1…
Located in: Astoria, New York,
This listing ended on Thu, Apr 2 at 4:15 AM
Relisted:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/277857583060
Surely this will end up in Japan, UK, or some other RHD market. These are so rare in RHD, someone in Japan or Britain who’s been living with a LHD one will get in a fender bender and decide that importing this, restoring the metal, and transplanting their good engine (etc.) is more appealing than collision repair and paint on the LHD car they’ve been driving.
And a manual, too? There can’t be more than a couple dozen built with three pedals and RHD. If nothing else this will be a VERY desirable parts car for someone in the UK who wants to convert their LHD automatic.