As with most pre 1995 Ferraris, later years are better. As has been said, have a PPI done with a compression and leakdown test.

The biggest issues with most cars are with the electrics-- check the fuse box, make sure everything works, most of this should be covered in a decent PPI, but not many dealers will do one anymore.

A full service history, as with any F-car, is something that should greatly influence your buying decision. If a seller can't reasonably document at least the last 5,000 miles of the car's life, look elsewhere. A full history from birth is best, though it's not terribly common.

Mileage is not a terribly significant metric. In fact, too low a mileage could denote a garage queen that will have more issues than a car that has been driven regularly.

For maintenance, budget a few grand a year barring any major issues with the car pre-purchase. If you opt to have your service done by a dealer, double the figure.

The Engine Out or Major service should happen every 30,000 miles or 3 years, whatever happens first (almost always the latter). The jist of it is that the engine needs to come out in order to replace the cam belts, tensioner bearings, and a number of other "while in there" service items like the fuel filters, accessory belts, and several dozen hoses and seals. The parts required for a 30k are around $1,500. Independent shops will generally charge 4-6,000 for the whole ball of wax, dealers often more like 6-8,000.

They may not be the fastest car around these days, though they're still plenty quick and quite enjoyable to drive, especially without all the nanny/safety crap in them. My only gripe with the cars is the dated interior, but that can be fixed easily enough.

 

Thank You for the great info Simba!