Bradan Mondial T major service.

It is funny to hear the commentary from the peanut gallery regarding an old car with low miles getting a going through and then a long road trip showing some teething problems. I suspect most of the critics have never tried to do this sort of work.

It is a given that you will have to go a few rounds with the old machine to get everything right. A nice firm new clutch matched to older hydraulics and then a long demanding drive in high heat? No surprise that an issue could crop up there : )

Well, "the shop should have known that and fixed it they will cry!" Yeah sure the hydraulics look good but change them anyway. The same bunch will cry "rip off those parts were perfectly good" Haw haw so which complaint do you go with and at what point do you just do a full mechanical restoration with an unlimited budget? At that point you will then contend with sometime defective new or rebuilt parts. Well, "new parts or rebuilts should work right out of the box" will be the cry. Well, no they don't and the mechanic can't always know until it's installed and they are at the mercy of suppliers, factories and rebuilders yeah yeah, those should be perfect too, right? What world do you think you live in?

I suspect that there will be one more big round of fixes on this car, followed by some other one by one issues and after about 18 months of ownership it will be at a pretty good baseline, though it is old and stuff will continue to wear out and give up, that is just how it is with old cars and why it is so expensive if you don't do your own work.

I used to beat myself up about not always catching everything on old project cars that were getting put into regular service. Not anymore, now I accept and expect that fixing one thing and then using the car will expose a number of lurking or about to fail issues. I realized that even Formula 1 and other race teams with massive budgets and the best talent out there will struggle with hard to diagnose problems, bad parts and failures of multiple systems one after another, even when they have just been inspected. So then I stopped feeling so bad.

The only way the shop in this case could have handled this stuff is to drive the hell out of that car for hundreds of miles, and we have all seen rants about mileage put on cars by shops. Not to mention that they won't have enough hours in the day and staff to do that kind of driving, no doubt followed by owners whining "you broke it, it was fine before you drove it"

This is why when I work on getting an old machine back in shape I do a lot of driving close to home first, I know other things will pop up. No big roadies till you get 500 miles or more on the thing. What this owner did was a gutsy move, and has to be called a success cause he made it home under his own power not on the hook and that is pretty good for an old complicated car in this case.

To expect this to unfold much differently with an old machine, well it might happen better due to luck, but generally this all appears par for the course to me.

Shop owners being told to "step up" for old cars falling apart is why so many of them won't work on an old car in the first place.

There's no crying in baseball...same with old machines, expect it and go forth or go lease something new : )

Best luck to the owner of the machine, you are more than halfway there, and after the first couple rounds it will get much better and you will like your machine a lot better. Don't sell it after all the work, enjoy it for a few years, it is the best way to amortize the initial costs

PB : )

 

I have now had 3 " Bradan " service visits , over the past 2 years . They have proven that they go the extra mile in terms of all aspects of customer service . The work that they performed on both my 575m & Mercedes CL600 was truly amazing . They allowed me to also supply some parts as well. They picked up my cars in their own enclosed trailer . All work they do is posted on the internet , every part they see that needs correction get a phone call with a price quote . My cars both look and drive like new . Additionally the benefit to the client is savings over using the dealer . I have saved thousands of dollars .They have replaced my clutch, installed a clear bra set up, painted my front spoiler , replace a leaky power steering hose, dyno runs, straight pipes , leather repairs , battery , tires, hood struts , air filters , fluid changes , amazing detailing . They also have resolved issues with my car at no cost while it was in their care . I will continue to show my support for this shop , and am looking forward to next springs major service ! I run a customer service business and strive to run my business like I am treated by Bradan . Seriously if anyone wants to chat , please pm me. I have had service experiences with many dealerships and independent shops over the years . Having had 3 Ferrari's , 15 mercedes , 4 Porsche ' , 5 BMW's , an Aston Martin and a F1 car , I am not a newbie to the automotive world .
My only regret is that they are not located in Pennsylvania .This post is unsolicted , I just felt the need to respond to the previous posts by some people that have not been fortunate enough to speak from first hand knowledge .

 

hey Ted, I put up with our seat doing the same thing for years before I investigated. It turned out to be an easy fix. First remove the seat(s) which is just four allen screws. Then tighten the allen screws for the back adjust mechanism (In our case one screw was completely gone but I found some in stainless at Sears Hardware.)

. . .then watch a movie in your new Italian furniture.

Dave
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Youre so damn helpful! Its just comforting knowing youre out there.

i will check this out.

 

Great pics, your kids are gorgeous!

Nice post!

 

Late response but:

- I like the extension on the rear-seat connectors for an 'easy?' fix.
- However, even though the top looks in a normal down position I somehow feel you can get an extra inch or two somehow. BUT honestly that is a tricky area to snap correctly.

Mine has seen the sun and not shrunk that much. Others mentioning the application of a leather 'softener' might do the trick. Not sure that will be entirely the cure.

- Before you buy another expensive top, I'd try another's top to see if it's no different.

AND to let you know: Not all T top-covers had the same fastener placements or in the same exact order. In particular the extra snap [non-tenax] that kept part of the cover t the body.

I'd work more on the current top before throwing in the rather expensive, leather, towel.

Other than than, looks like a fine example.
r

 

Mine (leather) has gotten looser as I've used it. When I first tried to put mine on I was pulling and sweating bullets trying to get it to fit. Now that it's been on and off for a few months, it's much easier. It's still a tight stretch, but very managable.

Erik

 

Yea I fixed my top just before driving it to the mechanic to fix the clutch and an oil leak. So my car is now away for now.

I discovered that one side of my top wasn't going all the way down which is why my boot wouldn't stretch over it completely to lock. I spent about an hour looking at each side comparing how it collapsed and then i saw a rubber strip going to the inside of an arm instead of to the outside and that's what was stopping it. It looks like its been doing that for years but not anymore, its all the way flat now. yippie, i hate things crooked. just one more thing now fixed.

 

this was a great, great post...thanks.

 

How are things going with all the issues you are having?

R

 

Wow, I missed a lot of action in the Mondial section while away vacationing in Europe.

Ted, I'd like to address the gas filler cap. Mine also stopped working for a while. Total PITA. I think it has something to do with the manual release pull inhibiting the gas cap release solenoid from working properly. After a little WD-40 and lithium grease on the manual release pull, moving it back and forth a few times, the electric gas cap release began to work again. No problems since. And I do not use the manual release any more.

Also, I just received today from Ricambi the new filter/dryer. The bottom of mine is where my leak was coming from. You can check out the thread I started and hopefully will finish this week. Just found this great Carl Rose description today for the 328 A/C system. Totally awesome. A must read for anyone with A/C issues on these cars.

http://ferrari.cdyn.com/carl_rose_docs/Ferrari%20328%20AC%20Recharge.pdf

Like I said before, hang in there, buddy. Hang in there........

 

Well it developed an oil leak from either the crank seal or cam gear and will require an engine out service to fix. At the moment its over at Continental Motorsports in Chicago for the throw out bearing replacement.

Then an enclosed transport will pick it up and its heading back to Bradan for repair.

I'll update the thread as it goes.

 

Hey Jay welcome back, i was wondering where you might be.

Thank you for the A/C info, i'll check that out soon, as my car now is away from me again and by the time i get it back i probably wont need AC for the rest of the year but it will be a good winter project, like i need another.

hangin in there

 

You need new Tenex fasteners. They get buggered up easily. They are cheap if you don't get the little horsie on them.

 

Some truth in this.

Replacing all is not a start approach IMO

- yes they fail and all could if done incorrectly, which certainly could be the case: Test this. Without trying to put the top on correctly, just one-by-one try each fastener to, say, the rear peg and see if they hold...if not replace it, they are cheap. Matter of fact replace the rear fasteners with the rear-ones behind the window and see how that goes.

I still say, based on the pic that the top needs some 'work' to get it further down. IT IS Tight in that rear section and I've had mine undo at speed. Working the top give just that much more room to make it happen.

but the fastener on those rear two Tenexes might just be defunct as said as someone tried too hard on that difficult area to make it work.

 

All of this is the case. I found out (when i had it last) that the top was not colapsing correcting on the passenger side. It took me a bit but i discovered a black rubber/plastic strip that was in the ducking in instead of bending out when folding and it looks like its been doing this for quite some time so it developed a poor memory since the factory. i pulled it out while colapsing and that was the trick and for awhile i will have to pay close attention to that side until i re train it.

My Tenexes by the engine hatch do not hold, i need to replace them only, but my question is how to take them off (i admit i havent looked too closely) and do they come in different sizes, if so, what size are ours? I see them on ebay and yes they are inexpensive and tend to come in a pack.

 

Jay, you can remove the black one with the horse, it will pop off and replace in on the new tenex.

 

hey Ted, I don't remember where I bought ours but I replaced them all including the mounts (nipples/nails/whatever.) There is a tool of course that you can order for about $3 to R&R the clips.

http://eagleday.stores.yahoo.net/tefage.html

Do yours have the horsey? Ours didn't and I am wondering if the t had the horseys from the factory.

dave
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Once again, thank you davebdaveapedia.

Most of mine are chrome and only the two behind the seat on the ledge are black plastic but not sure if they have horsies on them, let me go out to the garage and look... oh wait.

i assume only the top part needs replacing and not the "nails", just the part that grabs but is it one size fits all?

 

Really? I was afraid I'd break it. Are you sure? Twist or pop off? I'd love to put the horses back on the few Tenax fasteners I've replaced.

Ted, the fasteners themselves unscrew pretty easily off of the leather, even without the specialized tool. Just spin the holding disc counterclockwise a few turns, maybe with the assistance of a small nail or screwdriver or the like. Like SonomaRik said, you can just replace the ones closest to the engine bay, as these clearly are the ones under the greatest stress. Those little metal blades inside the fastener are just not that rugged.

 

Dave has it correct and I've used that site also. RICAMBI also has them at about the same price IIRC [haven't searched] and certainly know direclty the Ferrari sizes needed, but they are fairly standard fare on many cars--actually that link IIRC is a Porsche like scenario.

On the removal item, that tool works but I had a cheap pair of Harbor Freight pin pliers $5 IIRC or less on sale that sported expansion/compression mode to make the pins work: Acutally for expansion/compressin split locking washers or whatever they are called..the tool looked cheap and correct so grabbed it.

As for what to replace the actually only item is the pull-up part [top portion] as the inner clips either bend or break. The bottom portion that screws from the opposite side of the leather, can be kept.

Keep a couple handy, they are 'cheap' and needed especially when you don't have one

I'm talking crome ones here.

BTW, when you replace one and see the grime under the Tenax area, you'll be energized to clean and moisturize the entire top.

[quote\Do yours have the horsey? Ours didn't and I am wondering if the t had the horseys from the factory.

dave
[/quote]

In never recall a Cavallino on the Tenax, which if it did, makes it the premium pricing. However, when I received mine from FofSF, Brian G. mentioned it might have been a replacement top and therefore mine had no prancer.....then again, one less item for gawkers to steal as in take your your ash tray and cig lighter too. Mine stay in the trunk.

 

Jay, use a plastic prybar or a screwdriver with some tape around it, and it will pop off takes a little fuss, but it will come off.

 

It would be funny if it wasn't so wrong. Ted, we're all here rooting for you. I'm confident that Bradan will make everything right. Right?

IMHO

Joe

 

oh Joe the saga continues... i'm not a complainer but this is pushing even me into one, but i'll continue to resist.

Continental has been very good to me so far but even their patience is wearing thin. The Hill TOB is in but not the flange and now word has it its been delayed yet again, i guess bad timing on my part to have CMS pull apart my clutch, but who knew? Now my car is tieing up their lift for an undetermined amount of time and my summer is slowly fading away ~~

insert violin

what i've learned so far... plan and make strategic decisions before purchasing these cars and start your service Jan 01.

 

It's hard to see now, but this car will end up being the reliable driver you want. Sending best wishes your way on getting this dialed in soon.