1977 Ferrari 400GT Chassis 21111

Good day All,

Just adding some additional doc on chassis 21111... It is currently on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1977-ferrari-400-gt/

Cheers,

Sam

 

Good day All,

If you get a chance, take a look at some of chassis 21111's invoices and how many hours were billed for various services. Here are a few that really stand out:

- Remove/Replace Spark plugs and new spark plug wires... 9 hours

- Rebuild/Tune Carbs 52 Hours! $11249 USD The rebuild is not a restore...

Wow... given these and other costs, I can certainly understand why some owners decide to sell their cars... and why newcomers are reluctant to buy.

Amazing.

Cheers,

Sam

 

Good day Mike,

I agree. Sadly, these types of invoices are not uncommon and could explain why many cars/models are see deferred maintenance, abandoned, or simply sold before the next major bill arrives. There are cases where a higher than expected bill is warranted... as there can be unexpected surprises as one digs into an issue, etc. If so, then the service shop should better document their work... I get it, time is $ and so more doc means more time, which the shop may not be paid for. However... the shop not documenting things risks be labelled as a shop that likes to bill, be paid to learn on a car, or is simply slippery. In my work, I try and document things as much as I can... for both my customer and myself, as it really pays dividends in the future.

In terms of the hours billed... indeed... it is nonsense. However, there are some shops that simply like to bill or convince customers that the time/cost is to be expected. Interestingly, some customers are so convinced that when one attempts to inform them that those prices are not the norm and/or are unreasonable, they actually defend the shop's bill. I can only conclude that the customer is happy to overpay (perhaps bragging rights of a service cost) or is experiencing some form of the "Stockholm Syndrome". All I can say is that I am very thankful to my past mentors, experiences, and skills that allow me to service my own cars... as finding a reasonable, skilled, and knowledgeable local shop can be quite challenging and/or very rare these days.

With regards to the 52 hours billed for chassis 21111's carb rebuild and adjustment... I have seen similar bills on other f-cars and so heavily inflated bills is not unusual and seems to be the trend and not just in the specialty auto industry. I see this routinely in my day job... and it takes a lot of effort and, at times, even demonstrations to customers that what is being quoted/charged is far higher than it should be. We certainly live in interesting times these days.

Cheers,

Sam