“Finally! I’ve made it. I’ve got a sweet red Ferrari. No more waiting in stupid lines for this guy. I’m a Ferrari owner, now. I’ve achieved true boss status. At long last, my life is perfect. Wait… It won’t shift out of neutral? I can’t even get it towed? I have to fix the problem myself, like a peasant?! Booooo! This sucks!”
I can’t speak for Rob Ferretti, but I know all of the above would be screamed inside of my head if I encountered the nuisances he did with his 360 Modena.
The first installment of Ferretti’s video log documenting his ownership experience starts with him removing the final parts of the Nespresso wrap in which he cloaked his new car for a promo event. In the process of separating the caffeine skin from the front end, he inadvertently pulls the underlying clear coat with it. Ferretti deduces his 360 had previously received some “undisclosed paintwork.” Its face now looks as if it underwent a chemical peel with battery acid. Yikes.
So, it’s off to the body shop.
Not so fast.
The alignment of the engine cover with Ferretti’s newly installed Challenge rear grill is off by a few millimeters, making the 360’s computer brain think the 3.6-liter V8’s lid is still ajar. A safety-minded electronic nanny butts in to prevent the transmission from getting into gear. Ferretti isn’t going anywhere.
A flatbed wrecker can’t pluck his troubled Italian coupe from the parking garage. He’s going to have to repair it himself.
Can Ferretti do it? Or will he have to find a mobile mechanic? Hit the vid below to find out.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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