Cost of F parts vs. XKE

Volume

 

But voulume doesn't explain why a Bosch part for a Ferrari is three times the price of a Bosch part for a Jag. I don't think there is any point looking for an excuse, we are simply being ripped off. I already accepted that before I bought into Ferrari ownership, that's just part of the cost. But I love the car so I will just live with it.

 

Its called marketing, supply and demand, whatever ... or how about " a fool and his money are soon parted"

 

I found that parts for my old W140 MB were a little more than bits for the Ferrari. Its not just Ferrari that trys to subsidize the dealers with this scheme...

 

...or, just maybe, possibly, we could enlist the Unobtainium Parts Czar---The Honorable Verrell to make us a batch of Magnetti Marelli Repro distributor caps.

 

I don't know what model the 140 is, but consider that MB still makes many parts for thier older cars, many back to the early 60's. Does Jaguar even exist anymore? Yeah I know Ford owns it, but they don't care to make parts past a few years, they through away the mold. When you also figure that Jaguar made thousands of thier inline sixes, compared to the 308 there is almost no comparrison. I would also point out that probably many 308's still have the original distributor caps from the 1970's.

 

I own two XKE's right now -- a '70 FHC and a '69 OTS. I'm currently restoring the '69 and redid the entire front and rear suspensions, brakes, rotors, wheel bearings, shocks, bushings, and related stuff. Total cost of parts was around $1000.

By comparison, I need to redo the upper and lower front ball joints and wheel bearings on my '84 Mondial QV. Total parts for just that -- around $2000. $2600 if I want to do the shocks on all 4 wheels while I'm at it. And that's without touching the brakes or anything else.

For a long time, I thought that the parts for Jaguars, the E-types in particular, were expensive. Then I got the Ferrari. Fawgedabowdit!! Ferrari parts are through the roof expensive. Makes me feel like the stuff I buy for the E's is cheap, by comparison. The prices of the rotors and distributor caps for the QV are nuts. Wire sets? Crazy. Spark plug extenders? Are you kidding? I don't see a lack of competition in the market place. Seems to me it the old "what the traffic will bear."

 

3 years ago I finished a body off restoration of a '55 XK 140 OTS (roadster). I rebuild every single part, replaced both front fenders due to very poor previous repairs, completely rebuild the engine, gearbox and diff. Had the car painted in Rosso with biscuit interior and sold it the day I finished it to someone that had to have it!
I thought I was crazy paying the prices I did for original Jag parts (no repo stuff) until I started a ground up restoration on my '84 308 GTS. Man, I still can't believe it! Funny thing is I sold the Jag for twice what I can sell the Ferrari for but yet I'm spending 5 times the $$ for parts! Some one told me the prices are high to keep keep it a privilege to own a Ferrari. Oh well, I feel privileged... I guess.