“People only see what you allow them to see.” — Dr. Jennifer Melfi
I hate studio shots. I get why sellers pay for them — they’ll make almost any car look like a million bucks — but they hide all the details a discerning bidder wants to see.
Take today’s car, for example. A 1994 listed on Bring a Trailer by a dealer in Costa Mesa, California. With just 34k miles, this black over tan early-build Spider looks stunning in both the lede and subsequent photos. But is it? I really can’t say for sure.
What I do see are several flaws and nitpicks that make me wonder if the paint is as pristine as the studio lighting would have you believe.
Beyond that, chromed factory wheels – a not uncommon in-period modification – accompany an equally vintage CD changer which displaces the factory tool kit in favor of a roll. I don’t hate the wheels, actually.
An unidentified aftermarket exhaust does a good job of resembling the factory unit with similarly shaped and sized tips. Also aftermarket are the keys, neither of which are the factory folding key — blanks of which can cost up to $1000 on eBay.
Much of the trim in the center stack looks sticky and bubbly, and there are missing finishers on the door edges, both driver’s and passenger’s.
It’s not a concours car as it sits, but if you bid wisely you should be able to make it one without too much effort. Again, assuming the paint is really as good as it looks in pictures.
Estimate: $79k
VIN: ZFFRG43A3R0096042
Leave a comment and tell me what you think!
My thoughts:
- Get paint meter readings. The rear bumper looks like it has a lot of orange peel. This might be a sign there’s been some paintwork beyond just the bumpers.
- This example has an aftermarket exhaust. What kind?
- Make sure the underbody panels exist!
- Bids should reflect the cost of sticky trim repair and door edge trim replacement at a minimum.
The Ferrari 348 Market 
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