Question regarding parts availabilty and DIY ability regarding Ferrari's

Did you try perusing or searching the Tech Forum?

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/forums/technical-q-a.4/

Or the model-specific forums?

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/forums/360-430.58/

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/forums/458-italia-488-f8.204/

Or the BWM thread?

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/bmw-guys-on-ferrarichat.323761/

 

When you get past all the hype,a Ferrari is still just a car,albeit one that was designed and built by people who like olive oil,red wine,and going on strike. The hardest part about working on your Ferrari is that the company refuses to make service manuals available to owners. Nevertheless,all you really need are a few basic hand tools. These are the tools that get the job done on my Portofino:
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Make sure you keep that tool kit intact. They will be valuable some day.

 

Pretty sure the pipe wrench is the wrong color.Mike

 

I believe that most late model Ferraris have red pipe wrenches. Your Ferrari must be very old.

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I have an older one (456) but also came from the BMW world. I found the 456 much easier to work on. A lot of parts are common as well (suspension cells are from an E32 7-series, etc). At the end of the day it's all nuts, bolts, stupid plastic trim fasteners and expensive electronics.

 

So the rub with the latest cars is you need a diagnostic scanner to get ALL the systems in the car. Some scanners will allow you to get the ABS, AIRBAG, etc. and reset lights. For other systems like the stability control, instrument cluster, etc. you need an SD3 for the 430 or as I understand the online Ferrari system for the 458 and later. For this, it's the strategy that will help you reduce costs. For MOST things you *should* be able to get an idea whats wrong at least on the 430. With the 458, the computer systems are so integrated you might need access to an independent with a Leonardo scanner or the like. Bolting on parts is the easy part. I find my 360 easier to repair than my Porsches. Parts diagrams can be found online for the model on most of the parts suppliers.

For parts you have the used market or Ricambi, eurospares, etc. I use FCP for my Porsches. And yes, it's cheap. Don't expect FCP pricing for Ferrari's. Add a few zeros. Parts are cheaper but not cheap by any means. All this Youtube BS of buying a part for $5 and having it work or cleaning it and it magically works... that's the exception not the rule. I've done the Porsche thing, and yes you can be a grad student and afford to own one if you do your own work... I warn you, Ferrari's are in another league all together. Sometimes you get lucky, other times... it will be Ferrari pricing and you have to pay the price. If you can afford it new, you can afford it used.

The good news is the reason most cars only have 20k miles on them is the owners only drive them once a week or once every few weeks. Based on my experience, if you drive your Ferrari once a week to oil operating temp, it will be reliable. If you let it sit.. it won't. Mine has been about as reliable as my 986 Boxster. There are examples out there that the owners take their cars to mechanics who don't know what they're doing, don't drive it, or abuse it, and have a different experience than I've had.

 

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