- Jul 23, 2014
- 11,865
- 27,025
Gatordiddy;n255480 said:That just looks like a speeding ticket waiting to happen - sweet ride
oxrageous;n255498 said:He pushed a piece of paper with a picture of the Ferrari he test drove that day across the table to me. "Here's one right here!" he said, and laughed again.
oxrageous;n255498 said:I've been an exotic car freak since I was 10. In 2002, I knew the daughter of a Hollywood billionaire, William Tilley, and was invited to stay at the estate for a week. It was one of the biggest lot in Hollywood Hills - it's several acres. The view up there of L.A. is breathtaking, especially at night.
Mr. Tilley was also a well-known Ferrari collector, and I knew he kept at least 5 Ferrari's at the house, including a freaking F40 and my dream car, a Testarossa. I was finally going to get a closer look at these cars!
Mr. Tilley was also a well-known drinker. I only met him one time after being there a day or two (the cars were hidden away in the garage) when we had dinner. He was well into his drink and began to tell me a story (none of the other family members were listening at this point) about his trip to the Ferrari dealership that day. He was taking a test drive with the president of that particular Ferrari dealership in a yellow 360 Modena Spyder. Here was his story:
"I pull up to a stop sign and roll down the passenger window. The dealer says, "Bill, you can't roll down the window in these cars!" I said "Why not?" And he said, "Because if you do, the women will just run and jump into the car!"
He went off into gales of laughter at that. I smiled politely.
I figured it was my opportunity to try and get to actually SEE the freaking cars that were literally parked 20 yards away. "So when are you going to show me your Ferrari's, Mr. Tilley?" He pushed a piece of paper with a picture of the Ferrari he test drove that day across the table to me. "Here's one right here!" he said, and laughed again.
Needless to say, he never showed me those cars.
Halfway through the trip, I decided to try and see them myself. I was sleeping in the guest house, which sat over one of the garages. I was literally sleeping over 3 Ferrari's. After everyone went to sleep I went out the door and sneaked down the staircase to the side door of the garage. I tried the door. Did I really think it would be unlocked? Honestly no, but at least I can say that I tried. Blah.
I was there an entire week and never saw so much as a flash of chrome. I never laid eyes on the treasures that were in the garages.
Here's a picture of the collection. This is a cool shot, because it shows the guest house I was staying at on the right, just over the garage. You can even see the staircase I sneaked down in the cover of darkness. You can also see the yellow 360 Modena Spyder he was talking about - yup, he bought it.
Mr. Tilley died a few years ago, and RM Auctions handled selling the "Bill Tilley Collection" in 2013:
http://driven.urbandaddy.com/2013/05...ey-endurables/
The house sold shortly after, for $24.5 million:
http://www.zillow.com/blog/house-of-...illion-119303/
Jand3k;n255807 said:Love some of these rides and stories.
Kind of a car enthusiast myself and really enjoy talking to people who work on and know their vehicles.
For me, I drive a 2001 Chevy LT Silverado (4x4) that I installed a 6" suspension lift w/35x18" tires & rims. It has a CAI w/a performance MAF and it runs a little hopped up via a computer tune that I've tweaked. It's very civil on the road and when in the mud/dirt can perform admirably.
I also drive a 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP and am trying to keep it stock except for the OTR CAI that I installed for the benefits it provides at speed. With the 415 stock HP & Torque, this car is an absolute blast to own and drive! There were only 1,829 GXPs ever produced and only 56 in the blue color of mine.
Pontiac hit the nail on the head w/this design and when GM reorganized they realized their mistake and have now brought the platform back as the Chevy "SS" for a limited run of about 4 years.
Additionally, the wife and I also belong to several G8 Car Clubs in both Florida and Georgia and have a great time with that group of people.
JimtheGator;n255820 said:
I drive a 2007 Nissan Frontier SE (stock photo) that I bought new in 2/2007. I did my research online and didn't sit in or drive until after I had signed the papers. I really liked that the engine is based on the workhorse Nissan VQ V-6 (think 350Z, among others), but at 4.0 liters has a little more low end grunt (rated 265bhp, 285lb/ft torque). After 8+ years I have a whopping 67k miles on it. Needless to say, at that rate, I'll die before the truck does (I'm 50). Our oldest is 14 so it will be my daily driver for a few more years. I'll then probably look for a well maintained Infiniti FX35 (there's that VQ engine again) while she and her sister (12) share the truck. Once the girls are out of the house, it'll be time for me to finally get my dream car, an early 2000s MB SL500.
Jand3k;n255807 said:Love some of these rides and stories.
Kind of a car enthusiast myself and really enjoy talking to people who work on and know their vehicles.
For me, I drive a 2001 Chevy LT Silverado (4x4) that I installed a 6" suspension lift w/35x18" tires & rims. It has a CAI w/a performance MAF and it runs a little hopped up via a computer tune that I've tweaked. It's very civil on the road and when in the mud/dirt can perform admirably.
I also drive a 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP and am trying to keep it stock except for the OTR CAI that I installed for the benefits it provides at speed. With the 415 stock HP & Torque, this car is an absolute blast to own and drive! There were only 1,829 GXPs ever produced and only 56 in the blue color of mine.
Pontiac hit the nail on the head w/this design and when GM reorganized they realized their mistake and have now brought the platform back as the Chevy "SS" for a limited run of about 4 years.
Additionally, the wife and I also belong to several G8 Car Clubs in both Florida and Georgia and have a great time with that group of people.
Concrete Helmet;n255842 said:As a previous owner(2) of that era Mercedes I would strongly advise against it....The computer and electrical issues started at about 25-30k miles and never stopped. Neither Mercedes or independent service guys could ever get it figured out. Shame to because the Mercedes Cabriolet was a beautiful car. When I checked some car forums about the issues there seemed to be thousands of others with the same issues from the same era.TIFWIW....
JimtheGator;n255856 said:Thanks for the heads up. While I really like the looks of this model I'm a fan of all SL500s (or 500SLs) so I'm not dead set on this particular one.
LagoonGator68;n255861 said:The key to life with them is having a honest independent mechanic that is factory trained.
LagoonGator68;n255861 said:Mercedes went to hell while they were with Chrysler. Don't know if they're back or not. I drove them from '83 til '03 and couldn't take it anymore.
The key to life with them is having a honest independent mechanic that is factory trained.