Is this a record?

Hi Bucks,

I have a 1999 355 F1 that I bought in Florida, and I live in PA so found it interesting we sort of have the same scenario. Can you send me a Private Message so I make sure to avoid the garage you went to? I have a recommendation from a member, whom I trust here on this forum.

Boaf

 

Simple solution is to get a list of parts the guy still needs. YOU GET THEM. Takes a day. Cal Daniel at Ricambi, give him your shopping list and your AMEX and let him get everything your mechanic needs.

Now the excuses are gone, and you can have a realistic discussion about your expectations and when YOU expect to come and pick up the car.

At that point, daily phone calls, to determine if any additional parts are required to get the job finished will make you just a big enough pain in the ass to get it done, without them continuing to push the car into a corner for a week.

If you get stumped looking for a part, post here, it'll get found by a smart fchatter in about 30 minutes.

 

Repair shops don't want to use parts you supply and typically void all warranties when doing so. Dave - I know you already know this. And, the OP has stated that the shop does not have a complete list.

 

Well then he needs to park his ass there and get them to make a complete list. Or he needs to bring some cartons, a good mechanic, and a flatbed to the shop and haul it out of there. His lack of assertiveness is probably the reason the car is still sitting. People suck, and they'll take advantage any chance they get in this kind of situation. Maybe the shop is in over its head. Who knows, but sitting with them and getting a complete list of what's left to do and what's needed to do it will go a long way towards getting the job done.

On the other hand, would you call Algar a typical shop? I supplied them with many, actually most of the parts for the repairs to my Dino. They found it easier to let me source them. Including all of the parts needed to rebuild the engine and transmission. Pistons, bearings, carb parts, etc. On the other hand, when they worked on the 360, I let them buy the parts as most of the work was warranty related.

I have had multiple shops accept parts that I supplied over the years.

Last month the shop that works on my Mercedes took the box full of transmission parts (filters, gaskets, fluids) and was happy to use them. they're replace my brakes and calipers next month and only using parts I supply.

I think the notion that shops won't accept parts from reputable suppliers is bogus. The reason that some don't want to take them is the obscene markup they make on parts. I had quite a discussion with a shop that charged my kid $400 for a $130 A/C line.

D

 

I bought the Ricambi engine out service kit and gave it to my mechanic and he was very glad to use it.
He also installed the water pump I bought, the tires, the exhaust, and the starter.

I think it depends on the shop.

Kai

 

I don't have the time to search and find the posts of Brian Crall on this subject but I can tell you from memory, he does not like (or possibly does not allow) parts supplied by the customer and most other shops agree. That does not mean they don't make exceptions but I know they don't like it. Tony D (ex-Algar) did use a 458 oil filter I supplied when doing my buddies car only because we are friends and I had bought it before knowing we would take the car to him. But, I did not bring my own oil as I can use it on other cars.

 

I don't want to derail this thread, so I'll leave you with this.

I've had a Porsche Dealer take and use my parts. I've had a BMW dealer do the same. And a Ferrari Dealer. I've had a Brit car specialist use parts I sourced to build a hot TR6, rebuild a TR4 motor and to do the maintenance on my everyday cars.

My Merc guy now is ok with it too.

I can honestly say I don't source easy to find stuff, generally I leave that to the shop, but tougher to find parts, hell yes, they were happy to let me do the leg work. I've NEVER had a mechanic say no, not once, to parts that I provided. Maybe it's because I don't buy cheap **** parts, maybe it's because I'm such a cool guy, I don't know, but in 40 years of owning and fixing 'em, I've never had a car guy turn me down.

Brian Crall is probably not the best example to use, he can be a little, um, edgy.

D

 

Dave - I never said "shops won't do it" but I know they really don't want to. I'm sure it depends on the relationship the client has with the shop. But, the shops do want to make a margin on parts and they don't want to warranty a part they did not supply (hence, make a margin on). Pretty simple concept and I don't blame them.

I'll give you a similar example: In my main business, we use outside vendors for plating. I may send them $100K in parts value for a $2K in plating cost. If they screw the parts up, they give me $2K - not $100K. The reason is simple - they can't warranty a service in which the value of the parts is worth more than the cost of the service.

Not the same, but very similar concept.

 

As a Toyota dealer
We used only OEM parts from our distribution network.
The only exception was tires.

We had the highest service rating possible all of our years.

If a customer asked to use his parts we kindly declined.

 

Good friend of mine works the front desk at an independent shop that does mostly high-end cars. Before that, he was a service advisor at various Japanese car dealerships. His background was in sales, has never picked up a wrench.

When he needs to order parts for a job at the current shop, he's paralyzed without having a part number on hand. Doesn't seem able to research and improvise if necessary. Kind of like when you go to a Napa or Oreilly's for something simple and generic, and the first question the guy asks you is the year, make, and model so they can look something up.

 

huge difference between a Toyota dealer and a high end exotic dealer.

Not even apples and oranges.

D

 

For the purpose of this discussion, it's 100% apples to apples

 

I'll delete my editorializing about your compulsive need to be right, and see if we can help the OP out.

This car is in an independent shop with multiple brands, and an owner who doesn't want to get his act together.

Want it fixed? Call Matt Luckie in the service department at Ferrari of Atlanta, tell him your sad story. It won't be cheap, and it won't be easy, but they have two master technicians there, and they can put it back together no matter what condition it's in, and then it will be right. 678.802.5000

On the other hand, you can leave it where it is, and in six months give us an update as to how much closer to the finish line you are.

I wouldn't even give it a second thought. Your shop is NEVER gonna finish your car in a time frame that makes you happy, and you're gonna pay through the nose for it.

D

 

OP = Original Poster (thread starter)

 

I had a bad dream last night where I found myself in this same situation with my 355. I hired a shop that said they were experienced and later in the dream found out they had never worked on a 355 ! Nightmare. Glad I finally woke up !

 

Well, I hope you can explain why they took the engine out of the cradle, why they removed the transmission, why they removed the headers, why they removed the intake manifolds/throttle body, why they appeared to paint the cam coves with the incorrect paint, why, in the first picture, it appears the cradle was put back in the car without the engine, or did they never drop it?

 

Those are good questions to ask.
And the correct paint is red wrinkle paint, not the glossy type.
This shop has not worked on a 348 before, and if they did, they are certainly not doing it right. I hate to see the bill.

 

I'd be shocked if this ended well. And I'm a huge optimist.