TR inspection help in Chicago | FerrariChat

TR inspection help in Chicago

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by grantb, Nov 11, 2003.

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  1. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Hi Guys,
    I am planning to go up to the Chicago area this weekend, actually Indiana, and look at a 1988 TR. Anyone know of someone who could assist me. I am more than willing to pay someone for their assistance in inspecting the car.
     
  2. Tod328gts

    Tod328gts Formula Junior

    Jul 23, 2003
    626
    River Forest, IL
    Full Name:
    Tod Whitmore
    grantb,
    There are two Ferrari dealers in the Chicago area, one up north and one down south. Your best bet would to have one of those two places inspect the car you are looking at. Especially if you are purchaseing it from an individual...

    You probably would want the Ferrari dealer down south, they are in Hinsdale, I294/Ogdon Av. This winter they will be doing my Major Service on my 328. I haven't used them before, but they are very friendly and helpful on the phone. You may want to give them a call, their number is 888-901-6340 and ask for service...

    Hope this helps...
    Tod
     
  3. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Thanks, Todd, I'll contact them.



     
  4. pma1010

    pma1010 F1 Rookie

    Jul 21, 2002
    2,559
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    Philip
    The Hinsdale dealer you are referring to is Continental Autosports. They'll be happy to help. 630 655 3535. Ask for Gary Kral, service manager. Good guy. It'll not be cheap but you'll get a good job and they know the soft spots in the cars. I am probably biased (they've done a lot of work for me and help me at the track), but I think their tech guys are some of the best in the country. Tod has done a lot of work on my car and Gary maintains all of John Weinberger's race cars.

    The other guy to think about is Giovanni at Autosprint, at about 5600W Addison in Chicago. Giovanni owns a TR and works on a fine stable of prancing horses - he had a 275 and a 250 and assorted 330s in the shop when I was last there. Good rep. too.

    HTH
     
  5. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Thanks, I'll be contacting Autosprint, as well.
    I'll let you guys know how it turns out
    Any Ferrari chat members interested in doing this?
     
  6. LRPMAN

    LRPMAN Formula Junior

    Oct 31, 2003
    383
    Aiken S.C. & FL.
    Full Name:
    George Pavlisko
    GrantB if you EVER need anything in my area AIKEN SC, we will be happy to help.
    Good Hunting!, The guys and girls on this Forum are th best and saved me some money!
    Take Care
    George P.
     
  7. gripet

    gripet Rookie

    Oct 31, 2003
    38
    south of Chicago
    Grant, Don't forget about Lake Forest Sports Cars in Lake Forest, IL at 847.295.6560 ask for Lee Brownstein good luck
     
  8. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    George,
    Thank you, I will contact you if and when I get a TR.
    Danny B
    PS I saw you pics, your TR is beautiful!!
     
  9. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Thanks, I contact them as well.
     
  10. BrentC

    BrentC Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2003
    278
    If it's actually in Indiana, you can try Exotic Performance Plus in Ft. Wayne. Call Bob Beam there at 260.483.9300. He's probably more reasonably priced than the franchised dealers.
     
  11. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Thanks,I spoke to Giovanni, and it looks like he may be able to help me.
    he is also trying to sell his 89 TR.
     
  12. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Just wanted to post a BIG THANK YOU!!! to you.
    I spent a good part of Saturday with Giovanna ,and he was incredibly
    helpful. He is vey knowledgeable about Ferraris in general.
    he did have some lovely cars there as well.
    During the inspection of the car, Giovanni pointed out many important items. This was a TR that sounded cheap, but that needed a full
    service.It leaked oil from a variety of places, the engine compartment was filthy, there was sound kind of white residue all over it.
    No floor carpets. The owner didn't even know they were missing.
    SO, the hunt continues.
    Again,, thanks for your help.
     
  13. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Hello Grantb.....I don't want to pry, but what is the owner asking for the car? Would you mind going into details about it's colors and condition a bit more? I ask because I am very curious, as many know there have been heated "discussions" about TR values and such. Many opinions are based on publication information, and it would be good to hear actual first hand experiences. Thank You.
     
  14. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    I would be happy to.
    We had settled on a price of $55,000.00.It is red/tan/ chocolate.
    I did not see the bill,but the service was supposed to be 4 years, and 2500 miles ago.
    However, there was oil leaks around the cam covers, below the distributors, and there was also a little fresh oil under the car.
    There was also a white powder like substance on top of the block, and on various hoses.Giovanni suspected it was dried antifreeze, but was not sure.
    The car needed tires, possibly new brake pads, shift linkage felt a little loose. The dash had been redyed, as well as the door panels.Giovanni showed me signs of dye overspray on the door, and how the dash colour didn't match the door panels.
    The odometer said 8100 miles,the car fax said mileage unknown,but the owner swore it was true.Judging by the interior wear, I would guess mileage was certainly above that.
    The floor carpets were missing, but there were mats, no jack,no tools, but there was an owner's manual.

    The paint was very nice, we saw no evidence of paint work.
    The owner had told me that the wheels had been polished, but it appeared they had been chromed, there was some evidnce of pealing
    Heat/ac worked well.
    door lights didn't come on when the door was open.
    Front trunk needed new shocks
    the steering wheel adjustment chrome lever would not fully lock in.
    To me, this was not a happy TR, according to Giovanni, it would be easy to spend 8-10k on this car. I wouldn't consider that a wise move for me as I am not mechanically inclined enough (not even close) to begin to tackle this car. By the way his 30k service runs around 5K.
    Hope this has been helpful, any more questions. let me know.
     
  15. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Thank You Very Much Grantb....I appreciate the information. Since I'm just a factory type worker my budget is quite limited, and when I purchased my Testarossa it had many of the same issues as the one you looked at. Interior parts redyed, bad trunk shocks, oil leaks, and other various clues that told of a rough life. Luckily I am somewhat handy with tools and have fixed nearly everything on my car, including a full service that I finished up last month (considering doing TR services for others too?). In my opinion if the service was really done as stated, the price was a fair "asking" price, considering the condition of the car. The really good thing was that the paint was good, the rest of the items could be fixed without trouble. It always seems like the books and tools are kept by an owner for whatever reason...to resell (ebay) or keep for "sentimental reasons". I have seen very very nice early TRs for sale in the range of $55k to $65k, so they are out there. You will know when the right one comes along....it will just "speak" to you. If you think of any more questions continue to post them. Please keep us informed - Thanks.
     
  16. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Carguy,
    Thanks for your comments. You are lucky to be able to do this kind of work, my 8 thumbs, and 2 fingers! make it difficult.
    I will go to the Last detail site and let you know.
    How about some details on your TR?
     
  17. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    My TR is an '87 Nero Black Metallic with a Black/Maroon interior, a wierd color combo. that you either love or hate. It now has 34k miles on it. I have worked on just about every inch of this car. I knew going in to expect some things, but being the perfectionist I am it just snowballed out of control. Some of the repairs have been: New Vacuum pump, rear valence panel repair & paint, right side gas tank removal & repair, repair wiring in dash and console from past butcher jobs for stereo, alarm, radar detector, etc., restore all four wheels, fabricate fuel tank cover plates for bottom of car, recover piece of dash leather, and many other little things I can't think of right now. And as usual I had to locate and buy the leather pouch and owners books, jack kit, spare wheel, and tool kit - which is still not complete yet but close. To top all this off the major service and engine detailing, this took 3 months. At times I hated it, but now that the car is looking and running good I feel it's all been worth it. I had never worked on any foreign car before this one, but limited finances left me no choice. Looking at it now I feel very fortunate to have done this, with the help of many GREAT FERRARI PEOPLE who were always there with advice and help. I am very proud to have done all the work myself, and when I tell people this they cannot believe it. But it is possible as I am proof. I'll try and post some pics....this may take several posts but I will try. If you would like to know more please let me know.
     
  18. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Here is the engine after servicing. All items refinished, all new nuts and bolts. Many hours spent on this project. Once in the car most of the work is not visible....darn!
     
  19. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Here's a shot showing the car, engine, and some of the things removed to do the major service. You may notice I have 2 exhaust systems, one of them is going to be a doner for flanges and stuff for a custom system I'm working on.
     
  20. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Here is the motor installed back into the car.
     
  21. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Here is the motor just prior to my first test drive...I am so excited at this point...yet scared to death I may have forgotten something! As you can see the engine bay is looking pretty good for a car with some miles on it.
     
  22. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    Everything looks fantastic!!
    I think a black and maroon interior would look terriffic.
    I like the contrast.The engine looks superb.
    I'm sure you know that the work you undertook would of cost many thousands of dollars, and certainly would of never turned out better than what you did.
    That first drive must of been something, exciting and terrifying at the same time.
    If you don't mind publishing this, I am curious what you paid for your TR, and what you spent in parts.
    By the way, I saw a TR tool kit that sold on Ebay for $750.00.
    It was offered by Maseratisource.
    Also I checked out the Last Detail's website, but no TR. I did send a request though.
    Again, your car looks fantastic. any more pics?
     
  23. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Thank You....it is nice to know that all the work is appreciated. Tool kits can be had for less than the $750 ebay one that sold. I have seen near mint used kits for $250 to $400 or so...and that's good enough I think. The jack kits can be the same or a bit more. It does take some work to track down all the books...there is the owner's manual, owner's warranty and service book, a consumer information booklet, and maybe a couple of other items that go in the leather pouch. A complete owner's kit I'd guess will be from $200 to $400 if you can find everything. It is also good to get a work shop manual and a parts manual...but these can be reprints instead of "real" ones for $50 to $100. As for how much I've spent in parts, I just happen to add up most of the receipts last night as a matter of fact and it has totalled $3,400 so far. This includes everything including the major service items. So I have no doubt if I had the work done by a shop I would be looking at $8k to $12k. As for pics...I have more that I took to document all the work I performed on the car.
     
  24. grantb

    grantb Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    162
    Columbia SC
    Full Name:
    Danny Burnstein
    You don't want to sell your TR, do you, just kidding, kind of.
    Thanks for your advice regarding the bits and pieces.
     
  25. carguy

    carguy F1 Rookie

    Oct 30, 2002
    3,402
    Alabama (was Mich.)
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    LOL !!

    Well you just never know...almost everything can be bought if the price is right!

    As for information that's what we are all here for. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have...just let us know.
     

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