Is everyone trying to "conserve" Ferrari parts?

Is it only me?

I had a switch in my 328 a year or so ago that was dimly lit. I could have gone out and bought a new one, but with parts getting more rare I thought that would be selfish of me, so instead I found an expert in such automotive electronic repairs and he fixed it not only cheaper, but faster too. With the added benefit that that 'rare' switch remains on a shelf somewhere for someone who really needs it.

But I have always wondered: Am I alone in this effort?

Comments?

Wes

 

For most issues, I just buy the new part. Sometimes if it's a simple fix, the component is just repaired, but not doing it to keep the replacement on a shelf somewhere.

 

You are not alone!
Tom Kizer

 

There are two sides to that. If the factory does not see "demand" for a particular part they may discontinue production of it sooner. I am not familiar with the 328 parts supply but I would guess the parts would be in that situation now unless they are already discontinued.

Maybe a better thought would be to use the new parts while available but save the old ones for someone else or in case you can not find it again if needed?

Just a thought

 

maybe I'm selfish but I think of it as being frugal now, the cost of these parts will only climb. I buy new when it's available and the old part gets rebuilt and shelved as a spare when needed.

 

I have electric parts, ignition switch and voltage regulator in particular, that I've replaced with generic ones. These are rare items that no one would throw away, and I'll get them rebuilt one of these days.

Yout parts-conserving attitude is commendable and a good idea for owners of Vintage and Classic era cars to emulate when practical. I also need to find a repair guy like you have, as I still have two or three original electrical bits and pieces in-place that don't work.

I never throw anything original away, working or not, unless it's rotted out rubber or fabric. Got boxes of 330 2+2 parts, all neatly sorted and stored!

 

This is the guy I used-> http://www.mrwhizard.com/

I couldn't believe my luck when I found out he was only an hour from me, I think I found his ad in Hemmings or something. He does seem to specialize in mail order service.

 

That's my philosophy as well. The advantage of the 308/328 and TRs is that they're the only classic Ferraris available in any quantity. I think it does some good to buy new parts to keep the parts on the 'active' list.

Otherwise we'll end up in the same boat as the vintage guys, having to have everything fabricated.

 

I can see your bumper sticker now, "save the rare Ferrari switches." That was very noble of you and glad you saved some money in the process

 

I refuse to save my Ferrari for the next owner...I have bought all 6 of mine to enjoy and I must drive them to enjoy them...if it breaks, fix it...

 

I answered an eBay ad for a pair of Mag. Mirelli DigiPlexes - turns out, the seller had a WHOLE BOX of 308 parts he wanted to get rid of. So, for a cool $1,000 investment, I got both DigiPlexes, a Bosch Jetronic Fuel Injection computer, a few distributers, a matching set of Injector plenums (with the injectors still inside), the fuel/air plenum 'black box' under the air filter assembly, a couple of pumps (I think one is a fuel pump), a complete set of fuel lines (the brass/rubber set that threads onto the injectors), wiring, a complete throttle body linkage (the device that regulates the air going into the plenum), and a few other goodies. I would like to have the DigiPlexes and the Bosch fuel injection computer 'checked out' - all parts were sold to me having known that everything worked prior to removal from the donor car. Anyone know where I can get this done?

 

M,

So your the one that got that airbox,,, (kicked my EbaYa$$) ha ha
Good job!

I got a spare master cyl, a spare brake booster, spare dist. caps..... etc. on the shelf,, prices are going up!

Edwardo

 

Not sure it was me, per se - the auction was over a year ago, and it never made reserve (???).....nobody wanted the stuff, but I did some web-surfing, and saw that he had WAY more stuff than $$$ he was asking for, so I took a chance. If the DigiPlexes and the fuel injection computer ALONE check out good, then I scored big-time. Just the plenum/aluminum stuff alone has me breaking even. The fuel lines can be restored, and only one of the three Dizzy caps are cracked. Is Bosch still offering a diagnostics service for their earlier Fuel Injection systems?

 

Are you really sure it happens this way?

The problem is you never know which part they'll just give up on. I just don't think there's a bottomless supply of these parts, and when they run out, that's it. Nobody is gonna start production on these accessories on a 20 year old car.

Or are you saying that every switch, lever or knob is still available for 308/328's? I don't think so.

 

Right on,, if the above were true, we would have New rear orange lights.

 

MANY pieces are available - they are just available under a different part number for another model of car. The hard part is finding which models 'shared' that part with your Ferrari. One of the 'ultra-rare' Lambda sensor Relays in my 308 QV went bad once - nobody, and I mean N_O_B_O_D_Y in the Ferrari parts community could source the darned thing. It was a Bosch part, but I went to a local Bosch parts distributer and even they couldn't help me. Alas, someone hinted (in FChat) that I go to a Porsche parts desk nearby - "Oh, yea, that goes to a 1980 928 - come back tomorrow and we'll have one for ya, no problem. What did you say it was for? A Ferrari? No kiddin."

 

My ignition switch locked up and when I tried to get it replaced, they wanted 900 for a used one and 1500 for a new one. So, I took my switch to a locksmith and for 100 he was able to repair my old one.

 

Look at the MGB - a case in which MG and later British Leyland went away completely. You can grab a copy of the Moss Motors catalogue right now and literally build a new MGB part by part, including complete body shells made on the original jigs.

Why? Because people keep buying parts for these cars. Moss Motors, Victoria British Spares and probably others have built their businesses on these cars endless appetitite for parts.

I'm not saying the Ferrari 308/328 is a direct analogy, but when the aftermarket (or the OEM component makers) sees how much money is being on 308/328 spares it's probable someone will step up to meet the need.

In my case, my 328 is getting a new coolant expansion tank. List price on this little steel tank, powdercoated, is $400+, mostly because it fits a Ferrari. With 10,000 308 QVs/328s out there that will need this part, there's money to be made - because, as we're always b1tching and moaning about here, there's no way it costs anything close to $400 to manufacture that tank!

Ditto those $1000 driving light assemblies on the 328. The prices are so obscene that it seems there would be ample margin for either the OEM supplier or a company like Hella or Bosch to reproduce these.

As to whether every switch, knob and lever is available for a 328: Ask Daniel at Ricambi, because he knows this stuff far better than I do. But my first impression is that if you have the money, yes, you can get whatever you need. So far I've replaced a door jamb courtesy light switch ($20), a rubber stop behind the driver's side quarter window grille ($5), a targa top snap (maybe $10), and a 308/328-specific coolant tank ($400). Other parts have been common to other cars - e.g., Bosch K-Jet components.

Then some of the pieces are from other cars anyway. I believe the power mirror switch came from an old BMW 7, but would confirm in the cross-ref thread at the top.

 

While it is commendable to NOT be a parts hog and leave parts on the shelves for others that might need them, if the Ferrari world is anything like the Corvette world, you're just shooting yourself in the foot by trying to perform noble deeds. There are many Corvette wheeler dealers that have gone into original parts dealerships and bought out everything on the shelf so that they can then sell them to other wheeler dealers or individuals for a big fat profit. A friend of mine told me that there was one parts wheeler dealer at the Pate Swap meet in Texas that had rented a vendor space only for the purpose of storing all the parts that his team of radio equipped parts pickers would buy up from other vendors. It's rather difficult for an individual hobbyist to buy a part for cheap when you're competing with a dealership team that's equipped with walkie talkies who scurry about the swap meet at the crack of dawn with the soul purpose of buying up every rare part before you can get to it.

It's dog eat dog in the collector car world. Buy what you need whenever you need it. If you don't, some wheeler dealer will buy up the entire lot and try to sell it back to you for a few hundred percent profit.

 

Price commentary aside, they do exist:

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_731&products_id=220014

 

Price commentary aside, I'll ... er, I'll wait for the big Memorial Day sale.

 

Wes, thanks for posting the link.

I got my instruments all repaired/reconditoned by a shop that specializes in pre-electronic stuff...basically I need a local guy who can fix things like trunk and glovebox lights and my cig lighter.

There are some $$$ electrical rebuild items that I'll be doing down the road: original ignition switch and Vreg rebuilds, and have to be mentally prepared for the day that the turn signal/headlight beam & flasher control/overdrive control unit on the steering column goes down. The flasher doesn't work now, and I've decided to leave well enough and not mess with it.

 

Origional (OEM) parts are excluded from all of the above theories,,, MOSS is out of OEM too.

I say buy the parts, before the dealors get em,,, Then, trade among friends..... (Enzo would approv-a)