1994 348 TS Challenge....In She Goes !

Now is a great opportunity to really clean that engine bay!
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6 weeks just to drop the engine?
They better slow down or they may hurt themselves.....

 

Still At it.. Making progress. I have spent almost $8,000.00 just in parts alone. Most of my shopping has been through Ricambi and T. Rutlands. Ferrparts was a big let down. But that is in another one of my threads.. Here is a parts list so far..

139469 Engine Mounts $1,150.00
169596 Tensioner $393.91
147338 Tension Pad $520.95
143275 Water Pump $885.00
348 Major Service Kit $1,750.00 (Ricambi)
134216 Timing Belt Cover Set $995.00
146312 Phase Sensor $177.39
135940 Oil Pressure Sender $199.65

There is about $2000.00 in parts that the dealer has added as well.

Plus ALL of the CV boots were torn so all of them have been replaced by the dealership.

It adds up quick guys! The car will be very nice after this and ready for driving frequently.
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I just had my major, including water pump, etc., done for around $4750. I'd say that's stupid high, and likely to go much higher once they get in there.

 

Good Luck... Hope to meet you at the Ferrari Fest this year... I plan to bring 348 & 355.

 

Can you post what you did and parts replaced along with labor like the OP ?

Thank you !

 

Pretty straightforward, really. Bought the Ricambi kit with hill bearings, an h20 pump kit, and the hill door lock fix bits. The labor for the basic major came out to $3500 or so. I also had the ac converted to R134 while he was in there, which added a bit in parts and labor, as did a radiator fix. We are lucky enough to have a very fair and talented Porsche/Lamborghini/Ferrari tech named lutzo here. He takes his time, is a great guy to talk with, shoots straight, and does it right.

Caveat is my car was well looked after for years before I bought it, so I would imagine other's results may vary.

 

On the 8th of September it will be three months since I took her in for her major service. While it does seem like a ridiculously long time to have a major service done on any Ferrari, I have to say that the experience has been stellar. Ferrari of Houston employs some of the most talented mechanics I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. My favorites there are Edgar, who has taken personal care of my car. And Harris.. All of the parts guys are knowledgeable AND sympathetic to the plight of my cars parts rarity and price! Giuseppe DiBlasio has a great, Dry sense of humor that I just love. And Tess! One of the most real and genuine people you will ever meet. FOH is a joy to work with.

The one complaint that I have is, I MISS DRIVING MY FERRARI! 3 Months? Its killing me... The end is near, The end is near...
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Eric -

My major took about the same amount of time. It was a painful wait, for sure. But when I finally slipped back into the driver's seat and fired her up..... ooo la la! It was like falling in love all over again. Hang tight!

And heck, in your area, the best driving season is right around the corner.

 

$7K in the US for a 348 is right for a dealer job. $5000 for labor $2000 for parts. I have done a few myself and I can tell you that if you have a snag and have to wait for parts, you can wait for weeks. And then when you want to ... clean this, clean that, fix that messed up threaded hole, reweld the little studs, fiberglass the under-cover while it is out, paint the oil tank, fix a few connectors, take out that useless 20 years old K-40 detectors, etc... It all adds up.

Still, 1 month is all I would believe.

 

The big challenge is that FOH has to do all the warranty work first. This includes the Maseratis. And guess what Takes priority over the warranty work? The racing team. I understand this, actually, I think it's cool that a major Ferrari racing team is headquartered right here at this dealership.

 

It is nice that you feel so well taken care of at that dealership. I would be beside myself if they were jerking me around for three months doing warranty service while my car sat there not being worked on. I could possibly accept a month but three and still not home, well that is really over the top. That doesn't say much for a Ferrari main dealer in my book.

 

Hope you get it back soon. On the bright side, nice weather is just around the corner so you should have some good drive time in front of you.

 

I would expect the dealer would give "more excellent" service to people to whom they would expect to sell a new car....
But I would also expect them to do an excellent job on my car when they did it. I think that's what you're getting! Enjoy!

 

I enjoy the whole process. They email me photos showing the progress on my car for the day. I enjoy going down there and talking shop with the mechanics. I enjoy seeing the other fabulous Ferraris being worked on. My car is by far the least expensive one in there. I just feel very blessed to even have the experience actually.

 

My take: too long and too expensive. You need to find a good independent shop in your area. I am surprised you are using Ferrari tensioners instead of Hill. I hope you get your car back soon. Also, I am trying not to be insulted by your treatment as a low priority job, given the time involved so far. Warranty? Racing cars? Hey, that's nuts. It's first in, first out. But that's just me. We have lots of alternatives to the dealer here in SoCal.

 

Oh! I definately used Hill Engineering bearings and Scuderia Rampante tensioners....

 

+1, way to long. Seems like they must be working on your car when they have nothing else to do. They should give you reduced labor rates. I agrees, next time, find an independent.

 

I heard that Plugzit Motors treats you really well. He can sell you a house too if you are in the market.

 

Well, almost 4 months to the day.. It is just glorious to have her back! Go ahead, ask me how much... Any guesses? I think I will make a list of everything that was done first.. Here are some photos..
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It runs sooo smooth! I am very pleased by the way I was treated. Edgar is a wonderful and patient mechanic. I bugged him, A lot!
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A few more.
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