Mechanic wrecks out-of-town owner's $500,000 Ferrari F40
Last week's crash of a half-million-dollar Ferrari F40 in Houston was more than just an unfortunate accident, it was, according to exclusive details Jalopnik gathered over the weekend, the result of a mechanic's test drive gone horribly wrong.
The photo shows the aftermath: a rare and expensive Ferrari F40 worth at least $500,000 crushed by a fence. The wheels bent, the front-end destroyed, and a man in the background being treated by EMTs. What the photo doesn't show is how the car wound up in its condition.
We've learned from numerous sources that the Ferrari F40 wasn't being driven by the car's owner, but by a mechanic responsible for the vehicle. In fact, the owner was in Europe on business and didn't even know the vehicle was wrecked until this weekend.
Eyewitnesses report the car was traveling down Hempstead Road and turned onto 34th Street in Northwest Houston traveling at a speed above 60 MPH, despite a posted speed of 35 MPH along the busy thoroughfare. Some say he was going between 70-to-90 MPH.
"I don't know how fast he was going, but he had to be going 60+ because I could hear the turbos spooling on the car," said Travis Brown, an employee at a nearby store who witnessed the crash. "Next I know I heard tire squealing, then he jumped the curb and hit the fence."
Whether the crash occurred because of a driver error or a mechanical failure is unclear, but the distance of the crash from where the F40's driver lost control shows he was definitely traveling at a great deal of speed.
"He had to go airborne," said Brown.
Though slightly injured, the driver was alert and standing when EMTs arrived to treat him.
The owner, who purchased the car new and has been driving it ever since, was shocked when he heard about the vehicle. Because the F40s frame is damaged the car is being treated as a total loss.
"It's just a real screwy deal," said a source familiar with the accident.
We're not releasing the name of the owner, but we can tell you he's not one of Houston's famous Ferrari F40 owners — a list that includes Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale and former heavyweight champion George Foreman.
My cousin, whose family owns a body shop which has been in business since 1926, told me that he referred to the "Motors" estimating system for specs on repairing the F40, and found that all of the pricing listed "refer to dealer" as the only option. Secondarily, it has an aluminum alloy frame, which can only handle "minor straightening, no hard-pulls", which necessitates that the entire frame be replaced, and he's thinking that part alone is north of $30K, possibly even double that.
Car-O-Liner has body alignment specs, which list that "sub-structural panels cannot be pulled effectively without initiating metal fatigue related cracking; replace sub-sections and entire panels/components only". They also listed most of the front, and rear sections as being composed of "crush section sensitive components, replace any damaged section(s) with new or used components, no LKQ available".
If they really paid $400,000.00 for that beast, they hosed themselves but good....
Is someone going to buy. I don't know about Texas, but wrecked insurance or totalled cars require a "R" title in PA. I doubt anyone wanting to make a serious offer on a F40 would want a "Salvage Titled" Ferrari.
I dont know if it was an insurance claim because why would the auction guys need to call the owner to accept the 400k? If it was an insurance claim the owner would have nothing to do with accepting an offer, he would have already received his check from the insurance company and the insurance company would be selling the car to recoup some of what they paid out.
Guys who buy Ass Monkey cars aren't interested in picking up chicks, they're fantasizing about getting a concrete-block foundation and a slide-out for their trailer.
That was a yr 2k article so figure in cost of inflation an wage adjustment. One could picture that the price is doube what is listed, and the problem is still you have a salvage titled Ferrari that will be snubbed.
One other thing that my cousin was saying, was that the car was "hit diamond". Translation: when a car is hit very hard at one of the corners, it becomes very difficult to straighten, as the car's substructure will assume an almost "diamond-like" shape (especially models which have frame under chassis construction). The alignment pulls have to be done using a very complex system of anchoring, and pulls in two or three directions simultaneously (at times). If the substructure was pushed upwards or downwards, additional jacking may need do be done. Their shop uses a system which employs a 360° "dozer", and another which employs a conventional frame rack capable of handling a 7.5 ton truck.
We haven't noticed any of that type of equipment at the Gas Monkey facility. He will probably have to farm out the structural and frame repairs, and limit their involvement to replacing the sheet metal and doing the mechanicals. Seriously, I wish them well.
I don't try to sound hateful, but in some ways biter that by this program competing or taking away choppers some spite is garnered or hatred towards the GMG.
I have in my heart a sadness that they have blackballed or gave up on my viewership of their channels by making the efforts to take away any if not all the shows that they displayed on their programming.
In a way hatefully I'd like to see the heads that be that made the decisions to take the path they are going down with the lack of quality programming TO FAIL. I'd like them to be humbled an taken off their god-like high horse, an feel some kind of pain for their poor decisions.
but mopar, the difference is these guys are a couple of tools, they have lived as smartasses, taken no **** from anybody and do what they want when they want. They are not proclaiming themselves kings of the restoration world, they want to keep old cars and dreams alive. Some of their costs are outrageous, but to turn around the pickups and sell them for less than 10 grand is pretty admirable. At least we see 30 or so minutes of cars or looking at cars, or working on cars or towing cars and not 8-10 minutes of choppers and 30 minutes of bickering.
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I wouldn't waste another minute watching gASS Monkeys. Graveyard Carz makes them look as Charlie Sheen would put it "droopy eyed armless children". Mope, use the power of your remote for good not evil and steer clear of this garbage. You will feel better in the morning knowing you have not subjected your screen to such degrading abuse...lol.
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I wouldn't waste another minute watching gASS Monkeys. Graveyard Carz makes them look as Charlie Sheen would put it "droopy eyed armless children". Mope, use the power of your remote for good not evil and steer clear of this garbage. You will feel better in the morning knowing you have not subjected your screen to such degrading abuse...lol.
I would Do desparate things to be able to drool over the work that the Graveyard boys do. Now that is what any Mopar enthusiest desires in doing a restoration right. I wouldn't cars if it was a common sant six car or a RB Street Hemi or a Ultra rare lightweight drag car. At GMG you don't even see them replace worn out bushings an other than destroying the front spring rate to lower the car(Lazy Mans Way) I wouldn't feell comfortable driving one of their offerings.
but mopar, the difference is these guys are a couple of tools, they have lived as smartasses, taken no **** from anybody and do what they want when they want. They are not proclaiming themselves kings of the restoration world, they want to keep old cars and dreams alive. Some of their costs are outrageous, but to turn around the pickups and sell them for less than 10 grand is pretty admirable. At least we see 30 or so minutes of cars or looking at cars, or working on cars or towing cars and not 8-10 minutes of choppers and 30 minutes of bickering.
I'd take the viewing of choppers over GMG anyday. Even when you got mostly half Senior-Half Junior it was a enjoyable program. It's only when the drama around grandma teutuls death that it started to drive I wedge in the veiwership.
well watching richard get turned down by the pin up girl welder is gonna be pretty funny too.
She sure seemed like she was one of those models that the pawn stars chick was fired over.
Yes, Watching RICHARD being a RICHHEAD is quite enjoyable to watch. Having him strut around the set like he's god gift to everything makes me want to hurl, it wouldn't be a bad show if he had a little humility, but then some ways he's like the heel you always want to see lose.
well watching richard get turned down by the pin up girl welder is gonna be pretty funny too.
She sure seemed like she was one of those models that the pawn stars chick was fired over.
Yes, Watching RICHARD being a RICHHEAD is quite enjoyable to watch. Having him strut around the set like he's god gift to everything makes me want to hurl, it wouldn't be a bad show if he had a little humility, but then some ways he's like the heel you always want to see lose.
If I was the new lady welder, I'd be snickering wondering how it could get that cold in texas for a bunch of Texas boys to be packing so little in the change purses.
Thanks...