Since nice weather days have not been corresponding to days where I have free time, here are some rainy day photos. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
A couple more. There's some sort of film on the new tires that could have been washed off, sorry. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Has anyone here done a Mondial t belt service or major? I'm considering tackling it, or at least taking just the motor to the mechanic and not the whole car. The factory service manual is surprisingly unhelpful.
Curious as to what the benefit of bringing just the motor and not the whole car to the shop? My guess would be that the majority of the labor cost associated with the major service is replacing the belt(s), tensioners, and setting the timing - whereas the dropping and lifting of the engine are negligible in the cost. Having the car present also enables the shop to start and run the car to ensure their work was done properly. DIY would probably be the best cost savings and there are some threads in the 348 section. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My mechanic has mentioned in the past that tying up a lift and a cart for a few days is part of the reason the major service is so expensive. Most of the cars they service are 6 or 7-figure cars, so I guess he's considering the opportunity cost of having a Mondial sitting on the lift instead of a 458 or F40. I'm also figuring that a large chunk of the bill is in the more mundane tasks like bleeding the brakes and changing the fluids - things that I can easily do myself. He might not even want to work on an engine only for the reason you mentioned (testing the car). I think you're right that the best course of action is to do the whole thing myself. The critical part is the timing gear, and that is exactly the same as the well-documented 348 service.
Interesting logic regarding space and cost. If they are willing to do the service at a significant savings, you might still consider it. As far as what's being charged for service by taking up a lift, the belt service should cost the same across the board, regardless of which model is being worked on. So for them, it shouldn't matter, but as the owner, it might be hard to justify the large investment. If you are considering a DIY-job, I'd also suggest removing the front cover and inspecting the tension pads on the timing chain and checking to see if the roller bearing recall has been done both due to the mileage and year of the car.
The car is back on eBay again. I would love to do the belt service and make it more attractive, but time and funds have been decimated by kids and buying a new house. Sadly many buyers on eBay think a Mondial t Coupe should have the same price as a rusty Mondial 8 from BHCC. But some strong offers from Europe are almost at the minimum price I have in mind.
In my unprofessional opinion it’s because of the mileage but that is really a shame because it is a lot of car for the money. I would try to hold out if you can as it is a very rare car and sometimes it takes awhile but the right buyer may come along.
IMO, in addition to the miles, it's also the cost to bring the car up to date on its services and remediate the issues mentioned in your ad that are keeping buyers from paying the price that you're asking for it. If you back out the cost of those items from the price that a solid, driver-quality T Coupe with 80K miles would bring in the market, that is probably what someone would be willing to pay for it. It looks like a nice car. Good luck with the sale! 2cam
I think there is a very small market for Mondials, and the deferred maintenance makes it even smaller. Many people are looking for a car that's ready to go. The driver quality examples are worth more in parts than they are fully inspected and on the road.
This ^ A Mondial t with needs can be a very scary thing indeed. Especially for those who require (and hire) someone else to do the work. Knowledgeable Techs are few and far between as well. Very niche, even more so due to the timing (e.g. soft Mondial market, twitchy economy, winter season, etc.). Do you need to sell right now? If not, I'd take it completely off the market and wait a few months. As it is presently, I see three kinds of buyers: A competent DIYer (if priced under $30k) - questions: any body rust anywhere? What about the trans; original and if so, any records showing it was rebuilt? A flipper with a shop (can tend to it's needs in-house, or with a partner) - lying in wait for the lowball pricing ($22k or less) The uninformed who see "red Ferrari" and buy sight unseen based on emotion - typical eBay buyer/bailer - if you were the type to take advantage of these... the car would have been sold awhile ago (I avoid them myself) The t Coupe is one of my top three Ferraris (sub-$150k) but my window of opportunity closed about 7 or 8 years ago, and probably won't reopen for another 5 or 6 years... Btw, have you looked at getting the a/c fixed? It's pretty much a gotta have nowadays.
It's a lovely looking example. If you can't afford to do the belt service now, just try and hold onto it. Doing the belts will more than pay for itself in the final sale price, but in the meantime who knows? Your situation might change or you might find that you want to keep the car after all. I know I would! I generally prefer the 8 and the QV to the 3.2 and the t, but I have to say this car looks fantastic. Is the suspension lowered at all? It has a more aggressive looking stance than most of the t coupes I've seen. I'm obviously biased but I think the Mondial is going to break out one day like so many other "undesirables" before it, and we'll all find ourselves shaking our heads at what we bought and sold these cars for. It has happened with nearly everything I've held dear - Everything from sneakers, vintage denim, old cameras, Fender Jaguars and old Vox guitars, to Porsche 912's, Dino's, QM's, early Ford Bronco's, old Rolex, Omega, Heuer, etc etc. Even old Modern homes that nobody cared about. Everything has shot to the moon in terms of price. The Mondial is one of the last holdouts (I'm keeping the rest of the still secret bargains to myself!!!) but I expect it to happen within a decade. My point being, don't be in too big a hurry to sell unless you have absolutely zero choice. Either way, best of luck!
Hi Wade, Thanks for the thoughtful response. I do have to sell a car, but it doesn't have to be the coupe. Unfortunately the market dip and winter season is reducing what I could get for anything in my collection (mostly exotics). Strangely my project cars on cinder blocks have no problem selling, the running and driving cars get the microscope treatment. Just a different type of buyer. I pinged the two major "sell us your car" dealers (in NY and CA). One wasn't interested and the other offered $17k. It's sad that people do accept offers like that every day and leave a lot of money on the table. The lack of AC didn't bother me except during a heat wave over the summer. It's a good excuse to open the window and listen to the engine. I have cars that are absolute ovens and AC is a must, but the coupe stays cool with just the window cracked.
From what I've seen in past sales I think doing the major service would increase the price of the car by as much as the service costs. A 1:1 return on investment isn't the worst thing in the car collecting world, but it doesn't make sense financially. I wouldn't buy stocks that I expect to sell for the same price later! But I could probably get a wider pool of buyers interested with the liability of the belt out of the way. I don't think the suspension is lowered, but it's possible that it was and didn't make it into the paperwork. It is a very low car and I couldn't fit my floor jack under the car when I changed the wheels. I am definitely a Mondial t guy. I had a Mondial 8 and felt it had too many drawbacks. Most memorable being the lack of power steering. How can a mid-engine car take so much effort to steer?! And Bosch K-jet cars have never treated me well. Maybe you could share your "secret bargains" in a PM?
I definitely think doing the major would increase your pool of buyers, as you say. Personally, I'm more likely to pay more for a serviced car, not just because of cost but because it tells me the owner wants to keep everything on the car up to date. So seeing the car has had a major when it was due to have one makes me think other things I might be worried about, brakes, clutch, and a host of little things, are probably taken care of as well. Just gives me more confidence in the car overall. My preference for the earlier cars has do with aesthetics. I prefer the black bumpers to the integrated bumpers. But the extra hp of the t and power steering would certainly be nice! I'm constantly considering putting an EZ power steering unit into the car.
I’ve read through this post and I haven’t seen a firm price, do you have one, or are you looking for bids? You can email me, if you want. Mheath2 at gmail com Thanks, Milan
Hi Milan, Feel free to send an offer. I am showing the car to a couple people locally this week. But locals are always tire kickers. Thanks.
Reducing the asking price to $32k. I have a near offer from France, but they have enough t coupes over there.
I took some new photos of the car, and have a $30k buy it now on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/333007790339 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I emailed you through eBay, and you answered my question, quickly and thoroughly, thanks for that. But I have to admit that I was scared off by the impending service bill. More expensive to service this than my Dino from what I gathered. It's still a beautiful car, though, and will see its day in the spotlight as we move deeper into electronic interfaces with our sports cars.
Glad I was able to answer your questions on eBay. I took the car off eBay, I think it's just a terrible time to sell a Ferrari. It's a much better time to buy one. Grab a well sorted Testarossa for $80k! I think the Mondial t is caught in the same value trap as other Ferrari's in the past (like V12 2+2's, Dinos). It doesn't make financial sense to get the car to 100% for a sale when the car isn't worth a lot at 100%. I think it comes down to a lack of demand and exorbitant parts and service prices.
