360 service in a small town | FerrariChat

360 service in a small town

Discussion in '360/430' started by Husker, May 22, 2020.

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  1. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    So my 360 is due for its annual. I just bought it. I live in a small market. The only European cars you can get new here are BMW and VW. There's not even Lexus or Infiniti here. I have called a few places and they freak out because it's a Ferrari. There is one place here that specializes in European, and according to the owner, they have a mechanic who used to be pretty much exclusively a Ferrari mechanic. I took a look around their shop and in fact, there is a lighted Ferrari sign in one of the bays. If one of their mechanics is in fact familiar with Ferraris, is that a big deal for annual service? They seem to be perfectly fine with servicing it, and asked me to bring it by one day just so they could look it over.

    There is also a franchise VW dealer here who actually advertises that they can service any vehicle, including a Ferrari. Is the annual service of a Ferrari so unique that a competent grease monkey can't handle it?
     
  2. ScudMarks

    ScudMarks Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 22, 2018
    330
    Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Matthew Mauer
    How far away is the nearest “big city” ?
     
  3. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    DFW = 6 hours. ABQ and OKC are 4 hours, but I don't know that either of these places help my cause.
     
  4. flash32

    flash32 F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2008
    5,563
    Central NJ
    Full Name:
    Dominick
    A good mechanic could handle the annual service without a problem ..if he has never worked on the 360.. I would have him read a few pages of the Wsm for lifting , removing panels , what to unscrew, what plugs he needs to remkve and what the required torque plugs, filter and how to fill oil back

    The biggest thing is to be careful not to scratch the finish .. use the right tools like wheel hangers when putting wheels back as well as using sockets that don't mar the finish on lug nuts and if course how to measure oil after change

    Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk
     
  5. ScudMarks

    ScudMarks Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 22, 2018
    330
    Bay Area, CA
    Full Name:
    Matthew Mauer
    I asked because I have a few clients that live about 2 hours away and use that as an excuse to get a nice drive in for the annual service. 4-6 hours is a different story.
     
  6. NT-16M

    NT-16M Karting

    May 17, 2013
    50
    I think you would have found more help by just telling everyone you live in or around Amarillo and wanted recommendations of a competent shop to perform service on your 360.
     
    Apollo 11 likes this.
  7. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Give him a copy of the WSM on a DVD, and, if necessary, buy him some software. For the 3 year belt change, you might want to drive or tow/ship it to La Scuderia in Albuquerque.
     
  8. Skidkid

    Skidkid F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Aug 25, 2005
    8,683
    Campbell, CA
    Full Name:
    John Zornes
    Let me know if you need the wsm.


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
    Husker likes this.
  9. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
    12,282
    South East
    Full Name:
    Jimmie
    If it were me I'd take a just-bought car to a known specialist for my first service to get their expertise not so much on the oil change but generally looking around and checking the car over so as to give a sort of base-line to the car's status in my ownership (whether or not there was a PPI)
     
  10. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    Luckily for me, I have a folder that documents quite literally every time a wrench has been turned on this car. The phrase “All books and records”, in my case, meant ALL books and records.
     
  11. Some Guy in the sky

    Some Guy in the sky Formula Junior

    Sep 19, 2018
    344
    You might want to call BlackHorse MotorWerks. They are near Kansas city but will come pick up your car and trailer it back and forth. I am not sure how far their radius is but its worth a shot. They are the shop that converted the blue CS to a Manual.
     
    Husker likes this.
  12. KC360 FL

    KC360 FL Formula 3

    Jun 20, 2017
    1,677
    Melbourne Florida
    Full Name:
    KGC
    Given your situation, I would try to get to know the car as best you can. Get familiar with it and a lot of things that need to be done you probably can do yourself. Of course we all have to realize our limitations, but once you know your way around the car a lot of things you can do won't seem so daunting.

    But with all that said, remember that the 360 is a fairly reliable car if it's been properly cared for-- something that seems a given for your car considering the fact that you have "all books and records".

    And to be sure, there are a lot of knowledgeable helpful folks on this forum that have done even some of the most involved repairs/maintenance themselves. Often times supplying in great detail what to do and photos to show how it's done.

    Congrats and enjoy!
     
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  13. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    I would love to be able to work on my own car. I am fairly decent at detailing aspects. I've already de-sticky'd some things. I am just amazed at this car and that it is nearly 20 years old. It looks like a brand new Ferrari. I've only had it a week and have logged 150 miles. The kids want to get it out every day; random people are stopping by for joy rides. My ultimate goal is to have the highest miles Concours 360 on the planet. ;)
     
    KC360 FL likes this.
  14. vrsurgeon

    vrsurgeon F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 13, 2009
    15,875
    Charleston, SC
    Full Name:
    Curt
    1. Be careful who works on your car. There are Many MANY stories on this website about BMW or Porsche or etc. etc. mechanics that work on the car and screw it up. It's an easy car to work on WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING (no shouting, just emphasis), and the workshop manual is a necessity. The difference between a Porsche and a Ferrari is the small "oops" costs alot more (stripped bolt, snapped bolt, plastic cracking, breaking this or that in the process inadvertently).

    2. There are 2 (two) jobs that I don't do on the car: Belt changes and Clutches. Clutches because you have to separate the trans and engine. Belt changes because if you don't get it right.. you kill one or both banks of the engine, possibly the entire engine. Belt changes seem simple, I've done them on my 9xx series Porsches.. but the cost of a mistake isn't five figures like a Ferrari.

    I would transport it to a bigger city mechanic than work with someone who never did it before or is inexperiences.
     
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  15. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    Agreed. My former go-to guy for the big stuff is Robert Rodgers at Shade Tree Enginetrics in Nevada, TX. He called me this a.m. and he's still going strong. He said that a shop here can handle the annual without an issue. Robert works exclusively on italian cars with an emphasis on racing. He is a two-man shop. He told me this a.m. that he has worked on a number of 360s and actually just bought one for himself. So I am quite happy to have gotten re-acquainted with Robert. I know there are a lot of good Ferrari mechanics in Texas, and Robert is right up there with them.

    If you live in the DFW area and want to kill a half day, drive over to Robert's shop in Nevada and check out his projects. He has fully restored some vintage italian racing machines that are truly awesome, and he's always got a half dozen restorations going! Here is a photo of a Bandini (#192) that he completely restored from the ground up.

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2001
    12,661
    San Carlos, CA
    Full Name:
    Mitchell Le
    There is a very good mechanic in Austin.
     
  17. RedNeck

    RedNeck F1 Veteran
    BANNED Silver Subscribed

    Jul 8, 2016
    9,875
    The CSA
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    Me
    Theoretically, this makes sense, as the annual is pretty straight forward and not difficult in the least, but if you give it to someone unfamiliar with the cars in general, they may take some of the torque specs in the WSM as gospel, when we know that some of them are WAAAY too tight and could strips out the threads on the pans, which of course, would make fora much bigger issue. Some of that knowledge can only be achieved through "tribal knowledge".
     
  18. flash32

    flash32 F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2008
    5,563
    Central NJ
    Full Name:
    Dominick
    I agree if a person doesn't know what he is doing but my answer was based on a mechanic who works on BMW etc as the OP mentioned..so he should know the basics and the Wsm will fill the rest in ..

    Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk
     
  19. RedNeck

    RedNeck F1 Veteran
    BANNED Silver Subscribed

    Jul 8, 2016
    9,875
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    I would definitely hope so but I can see the situation getting turned around..."We told him we didn't work on these kinds of cars", and I'm sure there maybe some kind of non-liability agreement in place. I've talked to enough mechanics to know that some just don't care. I'm definitely of the school of "any owner can do this themselves"...but the owners will generally take the time to learn the ins and outs before attempting.
     
  20. Zanny1

    Zanny1 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 19, 2003
    974
    Arizona
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Agree 100%
    If you can afford to ship the car to a reputable shop, do it.
    There are those that will say they can service your 360 even though they don't specialize in Italian cars. Some will be OK and some will create problems you won't like.
    My 2 cents based on experience in rural Arizona.
     
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