How much money should one set aside to properly afford a F-car and maintenance?

IMO you should budget $3-5K/year for routine maintenance.
You should also be prepeared to spend 10-20K in the event of a signif problem.

Maint costs have been discussed ad infinitum. Search function will yield more than you ever wanted to know.

 

What he said. But the big variables are the model, how well it has been maintained and how you drive it. For a 308/328, plan on $4K (being generous) every three years for the major service. The 355 might be closer to $7K.

This site - www.eugeniosferrariservice.com - has some useful price lists for common repairs. It's not an official Ferrari price list, but I've found it helpful. (And Eugenio gets rave reviews here, so his prices reflect work done well.)

 

It would have to be a couple million dinars a year.

 

Ahhh here is your problem... Now or in 7-10 years?

Any answer you get reflects current maint costs. One thing for sure, it won't be cheaper in 7-10 years...

Since I haven't owned a 360, I'll let others pontificate... Or again search function will get you your answer with a bit of research.

 

Here's a better question: for the 308/328 and comperable Mondials, if you do your own work including belt changes, clutches, water pump etc., and you don't blow the engine or fry the tranny, how much should you figure per year?

I have a hunch $500 a year would cover it (on average), but how about an informed opinion?

Ken

 

Ken, DIY and $1K-$1.5K annually on the older cars, assuming an average of 2500-4500 miles per year (most don't do that).

The 360 is less expensive to maintain than the 3x8 and 355. That's a fact.

-Peter

 

That much??? Wow; I would have thought that much on average if you didn't do your own work. Outside of oil, filters, occasional wires, distributor cap...where does that money go? Belts every 5 years and water pump would come in under $1500 I think...

Where does the $1000+ go for a DIY guy? I'm not counting optional stuff, just important maintainence.

Ken

 

Beer

 

I understand what you mean, but most of the "optional stuff" does need to be done sooner or later. What you are really doing is just deferring maintenance. IMO best to stay on top up it...

I pretty much deal with anything each time I take it in...

Just my $0.02.

 

Yep, expensive beer!

I'm including tires every 8K miles, brake pads, periodic electrical component rebuilds, batteries. Remember, these cars (that are capable of DIY work) are an average of twenty years old...

-Peter (DIY on a GT4, Mondial QV, 412 and now a Mondial t)

 

After purchase of the car, you maintenance and repair budget should be about:

Age of the car (in years) X Purchase price / 300 for a good vehicle

Age of the car (in years) X Purchase price / 150 for a less maintained vehicle

Age of the car (in years) X Purchase price / 100 for a neglected vehicle

I've tried this with various scenarios and it seems about right to me.
YMMV

BT

 

Ken, your $500 budget wouldn't buy two disty caps for a carbed 308! C'mon man, you're a Lotus driver! They ain't cheap, either.

-Peter (doing a lot more Elise, Exige maintenance now that there is a local dealer)

 

360s are still fairly new cars, on their first set of airbags, electronics, seals/gaskets, etc.

How do you think they'll compare to 308s in 8-10 years?

 

Don't know. First appearances indicate the better build quality means the car will "age" better, i.e. not have a steadily rising graph of maintenance and repair expense over time, like all the older cars.

"Aging" better means you don't ever reach a point where, even though the car has been well-maintained (to someone like Brian or Dave Helms' standards), you end up having collective, massive or catastrophic component failure (multiple large expense repairs).

The bad deal is that, just as it has adversely affected the quality independent shop's ability to properly diagnose and repair these cars, the DIY market for cars post-355 2.7 (including the 550/575/612 and 360/430) is very limited due mainly to the fact that you need an SD3...

It's not just Ferrari's fault. They're ALL like that, now...

-Peter (saved again by Stabilant 22!)

 

Here is my costs for 1977 308 GTB. I drive 3000 miles a year.
1st year
-belt and idler bearing change $175
-Rebuilt AC compressor and Freon $185
-Rebuilt alternator 85 Amp $125
-Oil and filter $28
-Car cover $225
2nd year
-Air filter $48
-Oil and filter $30
-Dashmat $75
-Dizzy pertronix conversion $500
3rd year
-Water pump rebuild $175
-Fluid change $50
-Steering wheel extension $25
-Oil and filter $30
-Lift $2900
4th year
-Belt and idler change $210
-Oil and filter $30
-Tires $225
5th year
-Seats and panels redyed $600
-Oil and filter $30
-Spark plugs $20
-Plug wires $35
6th year
-Oil and filter $30
7th year
-Oil and filter $30
-Frt Caliper rebuild $50

Carb tune up is only time and no parts.

This is a quick net but if you do your own it is no more expensive (except some parts ) then my Jags or early Corvetts

 

I'd agree with this. likely you won't get that significant problem, but better to know where the money is first. I'd also go with $1/mile budget for annual maintenance if you're getting a shop to do it. Might be a lot less, might be more (assuming V8's).

 

Not counting the purchase prices of (1977 308 GTB's) eaither car, I have spent an additional $6 or 7K on spare sparts. But some of those parts havnt even been put to use yet. Things like pistons, bearings, full gasket and seals set, and the adjustable timing belt pulleys that use a modern belt, all that stuff is still in boxes. I bought new console lever bezels from Verell, but those were just to replace the 30 year old cracked and broken ones, cant really call that routine maintenence.

I would guess if you bought all the main parts and really serviced these cars by the book (belts per three years) you would have to have at least $1500 in parts and labor.

This would include:

Carb kits, belts, tensioners, seals, water pump, lubricants, filters, chemicals, cleaners, plugs, possibly wires or a cap, distributor parts, brake pads, and God only knows what else once you start tearing it apart. I sure know that it all adds up real fast. The simplest plainest part is usually $25, then $50, $75, then $100. Then it pretty much goes up in multiples of $100 after that. And the parts cost exactly opposite what you imagine. If it looks stupid and you dont really need it, its expensive. If its intricate and you need to replace them, theyre not as expensive as you imagined. Then there are those oddball things that REALLY throw you off. A silly clock tag or key fob for example.

And, as was posted earlier, you really need some kind of reserve of backup parts, or easily accessed sums of cash to repair that sudden and unexpected malady.

 

Do you have something against the 348?

 

Don't forget the chips

 

Actually, Europa parts are pretty cheap. My distibutor cap was $20. Spark plug wires $25. Rotor $10. Coil $40. There's not a single relay in the car. Clutches run $500, the master cylinder was only $350. It's a great car for people on a budget IF they do their own work.

I know Ferrari parts can run up there, but once you replace the electrical it's done for a long time. I'm sure even a carb 308, once it's sorted, is a lot more reliable than my car. I didn't phrase my original question well; what I meant was once you sort the car with $5k (whatever) after you buy an otherwise good car, how much a year do you spend on the stuff that just pops up? I imagine some years you spend nothing while other years you need new bushings, or output shaft seals, or whatever that IS expensive. But labor is a big part of that.

I guess a better question is how much have you spent after 5 years, figuring one belt change and you've already sorted everything else? I spent a ton on my car the first 3 years but almost nothing the last 3.

Ken

 

Ken says: "I spent a ton on my car the first 3 years but almost nothing the last 3."

That's true for a lot of folks.

-Peter

 

I've owned my 328 for nearly 6 years and these figures are right on based on my personal experience.(annual maintenance, major belt job, etc.)