Are us dumb Americans are getted ripped off for service ?

TOO long, my date got sick last night

Hmm, maybe, but frankly it does not matter what car it is P or F, if the engine is out and something could be fixed easier, you can bet we are going to recommend repairing it. It's ultimately up to the owner of the car.

Oh for the record there is one car we charge a higher rate for, and if you've worked on them, you know why.....Lambo....we charge $100/hour.

Sorry, Wayne....I guess I should have elaborated.........more? What I meant is somethings you can't buy discounted enough to pass on anything but list price. It's usually on smaller parts. But, let's say for instance, you sell a 348 ignition cable set. Ferrari list is some ludicrous thousands of dollars. Whereas, we can offer an OEM manufacturer replacement for what you may pay for one wire at the dealer.

Not long ago an Fcar came in with A/C problems. It had a bad compressor. Ferrari price for the compressor was around $2,800 (my cost). The receiver dryer was $400 as it was special to fit under the hood with a pressure switch built in. We found Sanden compressor similar, yet even more efficient, removed the rear section for the hose connection, removed the front pulley so we could match the ferrari style grooved pulley on crank, replaced the rec/dryer with std unit and put the pressure switch in line to make it fit, installed an off the shelf exp. valve, made a few hoses, converted the system to R134. The parts, labor AND TAX for the job, mind you this on a Ferrari, was $1900.....it may have cost only $1700 on a Pcar, cause we would not have had to make the mods. But factory parts would have put the ticket for doing the same thing on the Ferrari well over three thousand dollars.

d

 

Wayne

In response to your query about timing belt change intervals....I believe belts should be lifed in terms of revolutions completed, and not road miles travelled (but most reach the time interval first anyway).

If you count your revs on your landcruiser, I reckon it would do half as many in double the mileage of your average Ferrari.

Remember too, that belts are rubber......we all know that old tyres still work, but how much better is the ride on newies??

 

And not forgetting, one of the most common causes of cam-belt failure is not belt material fatigue, but caused by the failure of the tensioner bearing, which is why you here the stories about "my car has only done 5000 miles since its last belt change and has been stored for 2 years, why has the belt failed " - the tensioner has rusted and caused the failure of the cam-belt !

MW

 

ABSOLUTELY.....just serviced a 348 in for it's 45k. We did the 30k on it only 1.5 years ago. The tensioner rollers that were replaced at 30, failed and overheated the belt. We updated with a larger style ball bearing roller as in the 308. Had to machine a different bushing to mount ea.

D

 

Now, in that case, it sounds like definitively sub-par parts. You wouldn't find that happening on almost any Japanese car...

-Wayne

 

Performance of a Ferrari is not worth what they cost to repair. I don't care what type car you own ... $ 5,ooo.oo + is just rediculous for a 15k mile service and every 15k miles for that matter. I paid over $ 6,5oo.oo at a Florida dealership to have my 348 serviced years ago and it still required costly service after that to keep it in spec.

 

Ahh, thanks to Rob's monthly newsletter, the thread is alive again.

I don't disagree with your above statement - there is that unspoken mantra that says that Ferraris are overpriced for their performance levels (well, most of them, I suppose). On the other hand, as an owner, you shouldn't really expect to be getting "a good deal." My Ferrari is way more expensive to maintain than any of my Porsches (expensive in their own context). Yet ownership of a Ferrari is more of a lifestyle choice than it is about owning the "best performance car" or the "best performance car for your money." You can find better performance at less $$$ elsewhere.

-Wayne

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I am a new Ferrari owner. I recently bought new tires for my Boxer from Coker. I brought them into my local Ferrari facility and was charge $370 for a mount and balance. I didnt ask the price prior to the job but it never occurred to me that it could cost that much.The local tire guys charge about $15.00/tire, I guessed maybe it would be double that. Is the Ferrari wheel so different? I was told that it took 4 hours to do the job. This shook me up as to the potential costs of Ferrari ownership. And I thought I was prepared. I am a person that does not deny anyone a living. I understand the cost of doing business and that the owners are there to support their families. However, I thiink there can be very different personal philosophies of doing business. That philosophy should be treating your customers the way that you would want to be treated if you walked into their business.

I also own a Porsche 996 which I love. I really never think much about the maintenance, i bring it in for oil changes every 3000 miles and motor on. Although I feel that the Porsche actually performs better than the Boxer, it doesnt give me the same visceral excitement. I can stand and look at the Ferrari for hours anticipating the next drive without even starting it, go in the house, and then step out for one last look. I believe that is why many Ferrari owners pay whatever it takes to keep it healthy, just the way they would do it for their kids. Very weird, huh.

 

It's this type of chincanery that I rally against. While I typically pay more to go to a quality tire shop that will not mess up my $1000 911 rims, I can't say I ever paid even close to that to have the tires mounted and balanced. I think the most I ever paid was about $100.

Your 996 also has about 25 years of development progress on your Boxer...

-Wayne