'99 F1 clutch replacement

And why shouldn't they??????

 

Low volume, high performance parts are generally accepted as costing a bit more than high volume generic parts.

Specialized labor for low volume cars is typically going to cost a bit more than that for mass produced vehicles, too (I'd think).

But...

On parts and labor there were some old school rules where each supplier would double the cost before passing on his part, so the aluminum wholesaler would charge double his cost to ship his ingots, the metal fabricator would double that ingot cost to ship his frame/box/panel, the part maker would double that box cost to ship his device, the importer would double that price, the parts wholesaler would double the cost of that imported device to sell the part itself in small quantities, and the retailer would double the wholesaler's cost to sell the individual finished product to the consumer.

All of those "doubles" add up. This is why the 348's plastic heater control valve is $700 from Ferrari.

Well, now that we are in the internet age, some of those "doubles" can be bypassed. This has increased effective competion which has lowered prices even further by lowering margins (it's no longer "double" at even the fewer remaining stages of the product life/sales cycle). This is why the 348's heater control valve can be bought in a VW box for $11 instead of $700 in the yellow Ferrari box.

So this has caused consumers to be more demanding. Our expectations of better pricing are higher now than in the past.

And those higher expectations by we consumers are running into resistance from the business people who have bet their fortunes on doing business according to the old school rules that were in place until very, very recently.

It's a natural conflict.

 

Except in exotics it has never worked that way. I am aware of many parts the Ferrari supplies that are marked up many thousands percent, sometimes tens of thousands percent. They have done that rightly or wrongly to subsidize other operations.Some of those parts are available through other sources, some not. Ferrari has also always established list prices that did not provide much mark up after the parts left their hands. So while a Mercedes or Chevy dealer or repair shop will have a similar labor rate they have much higher profit on their parts than any one at any level after the distributor in this make. Also I pay several times the amount in insurance for the various coverages in my shop as my Toyota counterparts. When it comes to parts, how many other makes do you need to spend as much time making some of the parts suitable for use as we do with Ferrari? None in my experience.

Those are just a few of the many reasons. I could go on for hours but there really is no point. The people reading this already know it because they are realistic, or they will never believe it in which case I am just wasting my breath as usual.

 

The shop owners are hit from every angle. Lawsuits. Insurance. Suppliers. Factory. Regulations. Taxes. Competition. Bankers/loans/interest. And now from customers (because in the Internet Age customers are slightly more savvy about various random aspects of the cars or parts or service, etc.).

The shop owners can also add almost as much value into the equation as does the factory itself, yet are still being squeezed from every angle.

20 years ago I spent a week snow skiing with the man who invented the concept of "high tech, high touch."

He was ahead of his time. Shop owners are overcoming all of the above by going high tech while still providing (or even improving) their high touch contact with their customers (in the end, the one equation that matters).

You've seen it in the kudos and repeat business from your customers. Sport Auto gets that sort of respect, too...as does Eugenio.

Well, the internet can rage away, but that sort of business/customer relationship isn't going away. Importers and various cost doublers can go away, but that sort of relationship isn't.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the overall conflicts identified above are going away. Some conflicts are natural. But "conflict" doesn't always mean failure...somebody tends to win in any conflict, after all. Someone is always going to succeed.

And in the case of the overall system from raw materials through retail sales/service becoming more efficient, there can be more than one winner. Various businesses *and* customers can win.

 

Right. Faster information flow means that far more people know that fact today than back when only a few priviledged people would know such a thing in the past.

As consumers, we don't care that Ferrari itself made a huge mark-up on a part instead of the dealership marking it up before putting it on our cars (though shop owners care)...what we care about is that the same part can be purchased for less...if one has the right knowledge.

And in the Internet Age, a lot of that knowledge is available to a lot more people.

That raises our expectations (and abilities) of having lower costs.

 

Those old 100% margins are now gone in most areas. Different world, recently.

 

BINGO!

The internet is a great thing!

What I can't stand is the "Ferrari tax". Just because it is going on a Ferrari does not mean it should cost more. ESPECIALLY when Ferrari DOES NOT make the part, and that part is found on tens of thousands of other cars.

Sorry, but just because a 12oz cup of Budweiser cost $8 at the ballpark, does not make it any better than the six pack of 12oz bottles of Bud you can buy at the store for $6. It's still freeking Budweiser. Now if you want to buy your beer at the ballpark then have at it. As for me I'm getting it at the store.

Yup, the internet is a great thing.

 

6.00 bucks!......no thanks, i'll brew my own

 

You forgot to add tax and crv.

 

so, is there anybody that can post the procedure to bleed the system manually

also, when replacing the clutch without an sd1, can you manually set the New closed clutch value or do you omit this step

 

ok what about this

can the air bleeding be done by activating the pump directly by means of a jump wire? or

what about when the car is off and you turn the key to the next position and the pump activates to pressurize the system, can it be done then?

come on somebody.....show me the light

 

I guess we're just gonna have to figure it out since nobody seems to want to reveal the "secret".

 

you're the man....good to know someone's got my back

 

Have you thought about calling our Fchat sponsor Nick at Nicksforzaferrari? He has SD2's for sale...he *might* rent you one for the job.

Couldn't hurt to ask.

 

Don't forget the other Stooges, Fatbillybob, Plugzit, and Gothspeed. NoDoubt is also a Stooge but he lives too far away.

 

thanks guys

 

You can bleed the system without the SD2. But due to the possiablity of miscommunication, I think it's best just to have it done by a garage with the SD2.

 

show me the light

 

Look at the valve block. You will see a black bulb one end, and six cylinder shaped valves protroding horizontally from it. At the end fitted with the black accumulator bulb, you will see a 10mm bolt head with a cut slot in it, protruding. (it's gold in colour). Unscrew this by half a turn, topup the reservoir bottle, and switch on the ignition. You should hear the gearbox pump run. Leave for 10-15 seconds, and then close the bolt head. Repeat this process twice more, and you should have cleared the air from the system.

 

Finally, the answer i was looking for

Thank You so very much

Jess

 

THANK YOU SIR!!!!! You're a good man Eddie.

 

x10

Thank You again Eddie

Jess