The Ferrari 456 has always been appreciated thanks to its timeless design, worthy of the lineage of the magnificent Ferraris with V12 front engines, with four seats. A very nice entry into the Ferrari world for those looking for 4 seats. The first copies were released in 1992, what do you need to know about it when you're looking for one? What experience can you expect today with a Ferrari 456 GT? What will the maintenance costs be?
@Spboudart has owned a beautiful Ferrari 456 GT since 2019: a recent enough purchase for current experience and at the same time a look back at the first years of use. And as he is far from being stingy with comments, you will enjoy reading his feedback, even if the Ferrari 456 GT does not interest you. Quite simply automobile passion.
@Franck : Briefly, what is your automotive background and why did you choose the Ferrari 456 GT?
@Spboudart : Quickly: me! to tell a story, it’s just not possible…. I think my biggest fault is precisely being WAY TOO talkative.
Cars mainly started with my father who always had big BMWs, he even had the first 735i (2nd gen E32) delivered to France…. It was the test model (Midnight blue gray interior if some remember) that the dealerships were not allowed to sell, but a pretty little "pig" weighing 135kg, in the Fontainebleau forest, decided to cross the road just in front of his 735i (1st gen E23). My father therefore found himself without a car and “threatened” the dealership to go to Jaguar if he couldn’t get the E32. He also had other cars such as Audi Quattro and Porsche 944 before purchasing, towards the end of the 90s, collector cars: Jaguar MK X, MK IX, Bentley MK V, Royce Rolls Twenty, Citroën SM, DS presidential, Méhari, Mercedes 190SL, 280SL, Maserati Sebring, Aston Martin DB7.
For my part, it started with an Acadiane (bought by my father at the estate), an old DDE, it was orange with gray fenders and the rear doors painted with red and white zebras: Magnificent!!! I only kept her for 3 weeks because while playing Fangio in the forest she got caught by three trees. To summarize, there was 50m between the tank (remaining on the first tree) and the opposite side window…. A dirty business!!! We still have the registration document.
The sequel is nothing exceptional for several reasons. First I did my studies in the US (following the Acadiane episode, my parents did not want me to have a vehicle there), then being an officer in the Merchant Navy, I was shipped up to has 9 months per year at the start of his career. But the main reason is that I always wanted a Ferrari and other cars didn't matter to me. In reality, there are many cars, more than 100 at 1/43, around ten at 1/24 and around thirty at 1/18: Only Ferraris!!!
Why the Ferrari 456GT: Because I graduated in June 93 at the time of the first deliveries and therefore diploma in hand the objective was to have this Ferrari. I could have changed my mind over time but I wanted a V12, 4 seats, a manual gearbox and then it's the last one to have the historic designation of unit displacement (tradition when you're talking about us!).
It's a powerful car, even if today 442HP seems low for a Ferrari, at the time it was enormous, it was the first production 4-seater to exceed 300 km/h.
@Franck : What were your criteria for purchasing a Ferrari 456GT and how did you manage to find your copy?
@Spboudart : Initially the first criterion was the combo. My miniature collection started with the 1/18 and my Ferrari 456 GT was Le Mans blue with cream interior (in fact all my other 1/18s are red: the 456 already had a separate place!), so This is the one I wanted.
The first one I went to see had the right combo, it was at Colombo Challenge in Aubagne near Castellet (and also not very far from where I live), but there was no “deal” effect. Phew” expected…. It was beautiful, had very few km, but I found the cream interior “dirty”. Far be it from me to criticize anyone because in reality this interior was perfect, but the seams had taken on a grayish tint: Yuck!!!
No problem, I intended to take my time, because in hunting or fishing: it’s not just the catch that counts. You have to know how to savor this moment.
Then there was, on the right corner, the announcement of this Canna di Fucile, with this much warmer “tan” interior which caught my eye. I watched it for several weeks... Canna di Fucile is a historic color of the brand, right? (tradition: when are you going to let go of me?)
In short, call and meeting planned with the seller on January 27, 2019 at Perpignan airport: BIG BIG favorite!!!!
Before I even tried it, I knew it was the right one. My baby was intended for the German market, but was delivered new in France by POZZI, she was registered for the first time on August 21, 1995 (same birthday as my second daughter: destiny, you are there too!) . She has always been French.
My seller, also French, had and still has a business in Barcelona, he reconditions all Spanish rental Opels for resale, but also a magnificent Porsche restoration workshop (https://typ901.net). A great car enthusiast, he bought this Ferrari 456 GT to test himself on something other than a Porsche. According to him, he did work for the equivalent of €25,000 (unfortunately I don't have any invoices for all of this because there never was any), he made his guys work on it during the low times . Still according to him, the car would have been completely dismantled to be repainted, but I readily believe him given the condition it was in after 24 years and 75,000 km. He also had a file several cm thick with all the history.
It was therefore a Ferrari 456 GT, which certainly had significant mileage, but consistent with its age (3,000/year), which had always been taken care of before undergoing a beautiful restoration. I have always been afraid of exceptional old cars with low mileage... I always wonder why the owner doesn't take advantage of them... and I always find 2 answers: no time or no money! So I conclude a lack of love… that’s my opinion (it’s like a bullet hole: we each have one!).
On the way back, after reflection, we made a rather low offer (my wife thinking that we couldn't buy the first one we saw)... the seller tried to make a counter offer but my wife didn't. didn't want to give up anything... One day she gave me a bronze plaque inscribed “Mi esposo es el Capitan pero yo soy la Comandante” (I don’t know if it was one of Castro’s or Ché’s wives who said it), that says it all... The seller finally gave in and the deal was done!!!!
@Franck : What struck you the most about your Ferrari 456 GT in use?
@Spboudart : First of all, it’s clearly the flexibility of the V12, it’s just impressive! Honestly, anyone can pick it up and will have it in hand immediately (no worries). My eldest daughter just got her license, I offered to drive her, she refused, but I know she could drive it perfectly.
Next comes its bi-polarity, a lamb below 4,500 rpm and a fawn above.
Finally, its balance: if you push a little hard in a roundabout, on wet ground or in a hairpin, your ass will go away, but you never feel in danger. It slips but it is managed with the steering wheel and the accelerator with disconcerting ease. Impossible to go to the pile, everything is still under control.
@Franck : Can you tell us about the costs incurred for normal use of a Ferrari 456 GT (insurance, annual maintenance, major overhaul, unforeseen events, etc.)?
Insurance: it’s like for all other Ferraris, around €1,000 with Allianz (I think they are unbeatable).
As for maintenance and major overhauls:
- the distribution must be done every 3 years, without removing the engine (because it is located at the front). The previous time (in 2021) I had it done at LMC Auto in Solliés Pont (83). The Ferrari Service Center in Aix-en-Provence caught fire and did not reopen. It cost me €1,700. I have to do it again in 2024 and I will also go to his place.
- an oil change should be done every year or every 20,000 km. Given its age, the fact that it only does 4,000 km/year and its oil consumption, I only do it every 2 years. The last one in 2022 was also made at LMC Auto for €700.
- my car consumes around 1L/1000 km of oil, as expected in the maintenance booklet, but this does not represent a big annual blow (40€)
- I had to replace the clutch which failed before the car reached 80 Mkm: €3,500
- I replaced my front and rear pads last February, having done the job myself, I did not have any labor, just the supply of parts €230.
- I had never replaced the gearbox oil (every 2 years or 20,000km according to the manual) since I had the car, so I took the opportunity to also replace the brake fluid (after replacing the platelets). Intervention made this year in Eguilles (13) at the relocated Ferrari Service Center: €700
- Tires: the annoying subject!!!! When I picked up the car in 2019, the tires were new…. In May 2022, I had to change the rear axle (death I had slicks inside): €1,300!!! They are dead again (not as much as the first train, but a change nonetheless). And there, it’s no longer even a question of price because they are nowhere to be found!!!! I also have to change the front ones but that's no problem. Roughly speaking, a front train lasts me 20,000 and a rear train less than 10,000…. you remember the balance of the car, the sliding, etc.… in fact, I should stop…. but it amuses me so much... and then if we have this kind of car it's for fun!!!
A guy who goes on the circuit knows that one train = one day! No problem with that!
No, what’s annoying is not finding them!!!!
Unforeseen :
- the AR suspension… the subject that really gets you worked up!!! After my first service, I decided to have my AR shock absorbers reconditioned (slightly leaking and known problem on the forum). Cost: €800… but it was a huge mistake!!!!! Because shortly after I had a shock absorber that exploded. The phenomenon having never been observed by a member of Ferrarista, it was on Ferrarichat that I found the cause (1 car / year for around ten years, in conditions similar to what happened to me: I opened a topic on the forum)
The 456 is equipped with suspension spheres (like on a DS, but smaller), controlled by the same hydraulic circuit as the power steering pump. As the membrane of these spheres ages, it hardens and ends up sending a “bump” into one of the shock absorbers which bursts (by being slightly leaky it absorbed the shock).
So towing + 2 shock absorbers (€2,300 each) + 2 spheres (€130 each) + MO = €5,000
The story does not end there !!!! Because at the time when it happened I was 500 m from my home, and although having heard a noise, I was able to reach my home without worry, it was only by turning in my path that I heard a weird noise coming from the power steering…I realized I was losing oil.
So a year and a half later my power steering pump which had been running without oil and which had to take a “chestnut” failed: €1,300 to be added to the small affair.
- Air conditioning… the subject that could have hurt a lot!!! She was walking on fire! One day when I had blown the cigarette lighter fuse (using a “crap” electric jack bought on Aliexpress), I decided to check all my fuses and discovered a 30A instead of a 20A for the air conditioning... obviously and for safety reasons, I replaced it.
A few weeks later the air conditioning no longer worked... so I gave a 20 again, telling myself that the first one was defective... but after a while it failed! While talking with a friend, he suggested to me that since I had an air conditioning system that worked very hard, it was possible that, on a car of my age, the compressor could have been replaced by a more powerful one requiring 30A: that's held on! No ? Would you have believed it too?
So I put in a 30A, but it also fails... and I find, miraculously, in my spare fuse box, the one that I had removed a few months earlier. And there, fortunately I had a fire extinguisher in the trunk, because the electrical panel caught fire, and in less than a minute I would have lost the car, but probably also the house! I found a painting in Poland for €1,300. The replacement was done in less than 2 hours….. It seems that I should have taken another board from a specialist because the Ferrari integrated circuits before 2000 were not great. It's been in place for 2 years and everything is fine, except that I still don't have air conditioning.
Quote from Ferrari for €4,500 replacing the compressor, but having tested the circuit, it seems that it comes from the condenser, I found one... it's in the garage: I have to take care of it. But I think I'm a little scared!!!
@Franck : In your opinion, what are the points to watch out for on a Ferrari 456GT over time?
The V12 of the Ferrari 456 has a displacement of 5.5L (and yes 12 times 456!) and only 442HP, which makes it a not too powerful engine with only 80 HP/L. For example, the engine of a Ferrari F355, sold in the catalog at the same time, produces almost 110 HP/L.
Even if it is not the only recipe for reliability, it is a robust engine that does not suffer much if regularly maintained.
I have heard of the valve problem, but not all vehicles are affected. The valve clearance adjustment had been done on mine by the previous owner and I never had any problems in that regard.
A clutch that does 80,000 km is not a black point either, in my opinion, it remains a wearing part.
It is therefore on the rest of the vehicle that we will have to focus.
The Ferrari 456 GT has a major design flaw: the window seals. And there is no solution. I disassembled, tried to adjust, etc... NIL, NADA... The problem is less present on MGTs but remains existing.
The big point to watch out for, based on my experience, remains the suspension spheres.
There is no point in taking original Ferrari spheres, they are expensive. The BMW 750il (E92) were equipped with the same spheres and they cost less than €150 each. They can be found on Oscaro (https://www.oscaro.com/accumulateur-de-suspensionabilité-bmw-serie-7-serie-7-e32-750i-5-0-i-300cv-boite-auto-1718- 1369-0-gt), etc... You can replace them yourself with a good jack, there are video tutorials. Regardless, I advise any future Ferrari 456 owner to change them upon purchase, unless they have proof that this has been done. €300 vs €6,300 the calculation is quick.
If I can allow myself one last piece of advice, it’s to ride!!! A vehicle, whatever it is (boat, motorcycle, car, plane, etc.), which does not run regularly becomes damaged, especially when it begins to reach a certain age. I take my car out at least every 10 days, sometimes just to drive around twenty kilometers, but its fluids circulate in its organs, rise in temperature and enliven the beast.
@Franck : And if you had to do it again ?
@Spboudart : No regrets, I would do exactly the same thing again. Apart from changing these famous spheres upon purchase, of course.
I love my car, its design, its color, its interior, its engine, its handling, its bi-polarity, its mechanical gearbox, the fact of being able to go for a ride with the family, etc...
It seems that you should never have regrets... but for me, it's very different, I'm living a love story!
A love which was a platonic idyll for 26 years and which came to fruition almost 5 years ago with “orgasmic” intercourse.
My friend @Juanitoy keeps repeating: you don't sell your first Ferrari! I think he also has a love story with his family.
@Franck : How do you use Ferrarista for your experience with your Ferrari?
@Spboudart : Ferrarista is several times a day. A “click” on “Unread content”, a “scroll down” and if I like a subject, I read, sometimes I respond. But I only have 1,000 posts in 5 years. That's an average of one every 2 days, so sometimes there are 3 in one day (exchanges on a subject) and nothing for a week. But I think I have regular consumption.
I have been on forums for over 15 years. I even set up one, with a friend, which had a good life and has since closed. I have never been a “keyboard warrior”, have always rebelled against “dictator” administrators or “little boss” moderators and that is what I greatly appreciate here, there is no competition from that who has the longest, the biggest, etc... moderation is perfect!!!
This is important because it makes the place pleasant to spend time there.
The mentality of the members reflects this moderation. Here, passionate people who have collections worth several millions rub shoulders with guys who dream of the Ferrari they don't yet have. It is said in my activity that the Captain of the ship dictates the mentality on board… so thank you to you @Franck and your team for this beautiful place.
I obviously like this forum for what it provides in terms of technique and shared knowledge, we have some real gems among our members (I won't give any names, but that's just so I don't forget anyone).
Every day, we learn something new. I adore ! I think it was Mandela who said something like “a day is wasted if you haven’t learned anything”. Thanks to Ferrarista and its members, many days were not wasted for me.
@Franck : What does the Ferrarista community bring you?
@Spboudart : Friends, but not those we have on Facebook or other social networks. Real ones, with which we have picnics (during walks – we are planning one this weekend), lunches, dinners, vacations, etc...
Some of them weren't on the forum and we dragged them there.
I always thought that one of the main functions of a forum (and even of the Internet in general) was to be a means of communication in order to be able to meet.
At the time when I was very active on the forums, I loved organizing GTGs (Get together).
Ferrarista also means great encounters and magical moments:
I hadn't yet arrived on the forum for the 1st annual meeting organized by the Lyon gang, but I participated in all the following ones: the 2 organized by @camille, the one in Reims and the last one at Mas du Clos: Fabulous !
Reims was an expedition, 2 days to go up, 3 there and 3 to go down taking the Route des Alpes.
I also love the other little meetings between members: Galette from @mimix, Lavandes from @ladivademaranello26 . Unfortunately, the schedule of my boardings does not allow me to be there systematically (I was lucky for the annual meetings).
Whoa! What a wealth of information and anecdotes about the Ferrari 456 GT! A huge THANK YOU to @Spboudart for this long article as we love them here on Ferrarista!
If you own a Ferrari 456 GT, what advice would you give to a future buyer? What are the reasons to be interested in this model?
If you're thinking about the Ferrari 456, what other information would you like to know before taking the plunge?
If you likes this article, you might also like reading:
- Long-term test: Ferrari California T by FCT-95
There are no comments to display.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.