I have my 1981 308 in the shop for some repairs. So far the mechanic has done the following: * replaced the two front shocks. * replaced the upper and lower control arm bushings, * Removed and reinstalled the brake booster/master cylinder, bleed brakes. I supplied all the parts and paid rebuild costs seperate He billed me for 21 hours @ $68 and hour. $1428.00 total. Is this reasonable? Thanks
upper and lower control arm bushings (both sides)??? if yes, then, that is a reasonable bill. especially since that is a low labor rate for a ferrari.
Yes, both sides. I wasn't questioning the $68/hour rate as much as wondering if 21 hours is reasonble for the work done thus far.
Mechanics bill on a book rate...not based on actual time spent. So, the hours are irrelevant, just look at the total amount. $1400 seems cheap, for labor... I suspect a ferrari dealers bill would have looked like this (based on my porsche bill experience , and previous owners bills): Labor for shocks: 6 hours at 120$=720$ 10 hours RR bushings=$1200 6 hours RR MC=$720 bleed brakes $300 __________________ $2980
Waouh, 35-40 /hour in France with a good independant Ferrari specialist ! Even if euro is high nowadays, it's not the same !
Call a couple dealers up and see what they estimate time wise for that kind of work. Thats also a very cheap labor rate, we are $110 an hour.
Not every shop bills "book rate." Think about it... What if the tech runs into a lot of corrosion, and has to tap some threads, or remove a broken stud or even clean up poor work done by some past service shop. That can easily run you OVER the "book rate" mentioned above. Most quality shops with more business than they need will quote "time & materials." Then bill accordingly. Also, from my point of view, you provided the parts, not allowing the shop to make ANY profit on said parts. I think the least you can do is pay his fair labor time he is asking for. Oh, and @ $68 an hour, you are getting a deal for Farrari repair. This is not a VW he is working with 'ya know. Your bill is more than fair.
The Service Times Schedule for 308's can be found (free) at http://dino308gt4.com . You can check the reasonableness there. Gerrit
that's the point right there, he not only put on customer supllied parts but didn't gouge you on the labor rate. customer supplied parts usually come back to haunt the mechanic. oh and the labor rate up here is now $95~$120hr
I needed a clutch replacement on my mid-engined Pontiac GT and called the dealer service shop for a quote. They advised me in advance that even though the book rate was 5 hours they charged 10 for that particular model.
where is this mechanic? I would think rates vary worldwide as others above have noted? is this a shop or a guy moonlighting?
Whoa! Slow down Michael. I was ASKED to supply the parts! This guy is NOT A FERRARI mechanic. He's never worked on a Ferrari before. He runs a small foreign car repair shop here in my hometown. The closest Ferrari dealer is a 160 mile drive for me. And I'm not complaining, for crying out loud. This is my first Ferrari and I was just looking for some input to try and deterime if this is someone I'd want to use again. The time did seem a bit excessive to me - and apparently some here agree. Having said that, I understand some allowances should be made for the fact that I"m not paying rates for a seasoned Ferrari mechanic. By the way, what kind of "Farrari" do you own?
The service time book appears to list thetimes as follows" replace front shocks - 1.0 ea replace control arm bushings, including R&R arm - 1.0 ea replace booster/master cylinder - 1.5 That makes 7.5 hr total.....which seems a bit low to me and the guy isn't a ferrari mechanic, I know it takes me a lot longer the first time I do a job than it does the second time.
By the way I agree with Michael. And .... I own a euro model GT4 and a Maserati GT (both serviced by the same mechanic). and bills are paid...
Sorry if you took that post as a rant, I was just typing away, not checking if I made a typographical error on each & every word. For that I apologize. It was more important to me that you understood the post. It looks as if you did. As for what Ferrari I own, just check my profile. There you will see that I am a subscribed member, you will see that the profile is filled out correctly, additionally you will see my name for you to use, and lastly that profile will list any personally owned notable vehicles I cared to mention. Enjoy. Thanks Joseph. Your a gentleman & a scholar.
Perhaps you can check a factory Service Time Schedule; this quotes working time per job on your car. This way you can find out if your mechanic is really slow....
Quoting "Book" time that was written for warranty repairs and using it for a bible on a 25 year old car is highly misleading. It is a guide of what the job paid (not really what it took to do it) the mechanic when the car was new. Often these times were calculated with the car hoisted in the air, wheels off, all required tools on a cart next to the car, specially fabricated factory tools specific for that job........ Using them to judging a tech doing work today on a 25 yr old car isnt fair. I would bet the tech doing the work cleaned the arms, repainted them before install...... Using these times as a rough idea of time required for a job, taking into consideration detailing work, rusted bolts, etc, makes it a valuable tool. Dave
Excellent point. I would like add that since this was the mechanics first Ferrari, he was probably taking it slow, wanting to be careful. One of the things you get for the $150hr rates at a F dealer is their familiarity with the car. They know exactly what to do and what to look for.
My advice is join a Ferrari Owners club ,get to know some honest Ferrari owners that are mechanics.Make friends and you'll be saving $$$$. If you was in Italy you'll probably be charged 85 euros an hour which is very close to $110.50 at an Official Ferrari Dealer.Then what do you know they start changing oil and spark plugs and the works and when it gets out on the street you have one fully serviced car without asking for it and a heavy bill . Maybe a ferrari owner which is a mechanic will do your work for $600 and even give you advice on future maintance. I would not take a ferrari to any old mechanic! I would only take it to an expert,if someone is not an expert they can really stuff your car up! Saving is not always what it seems.Once I had taken my Ferrari to a person who fixed many 348s to 360 modenas.He touched my carb regulation on my 308 carb model,and that was it ! My poor 308 went like a sack of bananas. I took it to another guy and it went better.When I then took it to an Expert ex-Ferrari workshop Cheif Mechanic from the 70's he tuned the carbs with his ears (now thats talent!!!) The car is been going great for 2years without carb regulation.The guy is a very old pensioner,I'm scared when he will not be around anymore to tune my carbs. In this case if your local friend mechanic is a very ferrari knowledgeble guy o.k otherwise take it to ferrari ,atleast the service is recorded and its guaranteed by FERRARI. while Ferrari may seem expensive for service remember we are driving luxury toys not everyday cars. Ferrari has large premises and pays high rent, and also royalties to Ferrari S.p.a. fixing your car at Ferrari is a privilage your car deserves. Remeber what ever goes to Ferrari always helps OUR CHAMP Micheal smack the sh*t out of Renault. Forza Ferrari !!! Forza Shumi !!!!
