Maintenance on my 1986 328GTS, need advice

The maintenance schedule is on your owners handbook - oil change brake fluid etc - if you are having the timing belt etc done I'd pay for experience rather than someone's learning curve

If you don't know of a speciality shop how do you know you can't afford it ? The geographic section lower down may have local suggestions

 

Another vote for the specialty shop... they have the skills, experience, manuals, tools, analyzers and parts sources to do the job right the first time. Their hourly rate will be higher but you get what you pay for (peace-of-mind, work guarantee, resale value). But really vet them, either here or better through your local Ferrari Club chapter. Go talk with them and see if you like their style. Talk to some references (other 328 customers they have). They do vary in quality.

 

Go to a specialist. These are not the type of car that just anyone can work on- even a car as reliable as the 328. Even specialists can have trouble sourcing parts for these cars so I don't know how a non Ferrari guy will go. Unfortunately its maintenance like that that turns once lovely cars into dogs very quickly. Good luck.

 

Research the shop with Ferrari owners who have personal experience with their work. Trust me.

 

Of course a specialist is best, IF you can find one and IF they are nearby.

A regular mechanic will be fine if they take an interest, and ideally have worked on Euro cars eg. Mercedes from the 1980's. The basic things on this car are simply not that specialized. The owners manual is pretty good. Parts from Ricambi, and/or AW Italian (in NJ) will have most of what might be needed, look up the contacts and provide to the shop. Belts, pump are pretty straightforward (print out the Birdman belt change instructions and give it to them). Most overlooked is fresh fuel hoses, brake lines, not specialized but requires someone who is interested in fussy projects. Some mechanics have pretty mundane cars to work on, and will be excited at the chance to work on a Ferrari, and will make the effort to give you a good experience.

 

Would definitely take it to someone who has experience with Ferrari/ Mercedes/ BMW etc. .When I bought my first 308 it was weeping coolant from the water pump. Purchased a water pump rebuild kit and decided to save some money and just have a friend of mine who is a mechanic by trade rebuild it because water pumps are all the same right? After he finished trying to remove the snap ring and disassemble it, I got to buy a brand new $600 water pump! Lesson learned.

 

Universal Autosports
112 Glen St. Glen Cove NY 11542
Tel. 516.801.8201
www.UniversalAutosports.com

Or
http://bradangroup.com

 

It’s a very tight squeeze to get to the belts plus the ac has to be removed. Any good mechanic with birdmans how to can do it. Problem is the first time will be a learning curve for them. If they charge you their actual time then a specialty shop will save you money.

Rebuild alternator and fix the ac since you were in there.

 

I’m not sure I would be comfortable taking mine to someone that wasn’t familiar with the job.
One thing I would throw out.
If money is tight, you are right about at the 5 year mark on time I think.
I have heard from a very good ferrari mechanic that 7-8 years is perfectly fine for the belts and that 5 years is not necessary.
So.....maybe you just stretch it out a bit and bank some extra money and then get it done at an independent that knows Ferraris.

Maybe others can chim in on this as I know the belt issue is hotly debated.

 

"... a friend of mine who is a mechanic by trade rebuild it because water pumps are all the same right? After he finished trying to remove the snap ring and disassemble it, I got to buy a brand new $600 water pump! Lesson learned."

Maybe you could by him a nice set of snap ring pliers for his next B-day!

 

I'm a mechanic and this is my first Ferrari. I agree there is nothing overly sophisticated about it and I am confident that I can do any job on it myself but being my first time there is no way I could do it competitively, in regards to labor hours, against someone who has done it a hundred times. Since it's my own car I can spend weeks doing a belt job if that's what it takes me. Not so with a mechanic you hire, he is under a time/budget constraint and I'm not implying that he might not have the skills, just that if he has never done the job before he is at a distinct disadvantage in regards to competing with someone who has already done it, even if he charges far less for his labor.

On the other hand there is the possibility of garnering a relationship with a skilled mechanic that will, in the long run, pay off. Because I see the bills from the specialty shops and I look at my own car, which was maintained by these high end shops, and I see evidence of some things getting pencil whipped or not having been done to my own personal standards. So just because you're paying through the nose doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the best service. Just sayin'...

 

Exactly, a mechanic in business has to make money. That means the work has to be done quickly enough to turn a profit/get on to the next job. The primary difference between a mech experienced on a particular job/car/whatever is that he/she can do the job faster. Using the timing belt change as an example - anybody who has ever changed a cam belt/chain/gear assembly or who hcan do the belts on a 3x8. HOWEVER, if it's his/her first time, they may not be aware that some swivel ratchet/box end/open end wrenches make removing 328 (don't know about 308) timing covers MUCH easier. Not having them could add an hour and much cursing to the job (there will be plenty more of that when the AC compressor has to be removed/replaced and the alternator re-tensioned!)!

I have had poor work done several times by well known shops, work that in each case, I had to re-do myself. OTOH, I have seen mechs literally work "overtime" without charging extra to find a problem that evaded normal troubleshooting. They did so because they were determined to find and fix the problem rather than just throwing parts and your money at it. Those are the guys worth their weight in gold!

 

Try Autosport design in Huntington. Ask for Tom Popodolpoous (pm me for more details if interested)

 

My first Ferrari back in 2010 was a 1986 - 328 GTS with high miles, I had some cam-seals leaking and oil cooler hoses, with the cambelt service I had everything sorted, also look at your gear leaver seal, chances are you'l see some gear-oil lurking on that rubber boot covering the shaft entering the sump, common on these cars.

What I can add is if you like to wrench a bit, water/coolant, brake fluid / bleeding and engine oil / filter and air filter is very easy to replace yourself, like working on a Toyota or VW from the 80's and 90's. You will have some piece of mind getting to know the car and I believe enjoy more..

I prefer the red Baldwin oil filter, they are more robust for heavy duty applications and we'll recommended by some 3x8 enthusiasts around here. Otherwise stick to the UFi and I will not recommend the Fram since we had some folks finding them to collapse inside and there are claims of oil pressure not being correct etc.

There are some updated spark plugs available like the NGK irridium's which is highly recommended but it's up to you, Champion and Bosch also great.

cheers bud
Johnny