Just bought a Testarossa.. some service questions..

Hi Kevin,

Congrats on the car. I agree with you - the Tubi on TR doesn't sound as raw as the 3X8 stock exhaust. On the oil change, I'm going to attempt my first one on the 512TR this afternoon, and will let you know how it goes.
Just document what you've done, and I think you'll be fine.

Cheers.

 

As long as you feel comfortable with your abilities,
sure it's OK to do your own work!

 

Congradulations on your purchase....you will NOT regret it. TRs are terrific cars. I too have a TR. My car is a "beater" and it needed lots of work when I bought it. I had musclecars, and vettes, but always dreamed of a TR. When I got mine it had so many problems, many of them serious. So I bought a cheapie-copy of the service manual and a parts manual. These are an absolute necessity. Anyways I tore into "uncharted territory" and ended up rewiring the dash and console, and even performed 2 engine-out services so far. I have some mechanical ability but I'm not a mechanic. What talents I have are organization and common sense. So I feel that if you also have these talents you can do almost anything on your TR. Oil changes and fluid changes are a great way for the TR owner to "bond" with their car and get to know it better. I also feel that if you do your own work...that you take more time, and pay more attention to details, than most Ferrari service centers would. You asked about resale value if a car is owner serviced? THIS IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION !!

I think the only real owner-performed-services that can de-valuate the car are cam belt changes and valve adjustments. And this is a shame as again I believe the owner will be much more attentive when doing this job than most mechanics. But the public's "perception" is reality in this case and unless their is significant documentation and experience with other exotics, owner-performed-services will hurt resale somewhat. It shouldn't but it probably does.

I like the idea of owners doing things like oil changes, coolant flushes, brake system flushes, spark plug changes, and other maintenance jobs. It gives you experience and takes away some of the "myth" of working on Ferraris. And you get a great deal of satisfaction knowing you did it yourself.

If you have any questions, please post them and these terrific people will do their best to answer them. The advice and help I have gotten here is priceless....and it has saved me THOUSANDS of dollars.

So good luck with your Testarossa.....one of the greatest Ferraris ever!

 

Congraturation on your new TR.... I also just bought a Testarossa two weeks ago in addition to my 308 GTB. These both are truely a dream come true. I am sure, and you too, I will be enjoying them for years to come. I can only wish I could do my own mechanic works myself... not only to save cost but also to get to know your car and it seems to be enjoyable....

pics......

 

The very best first step is buy some cheap copies of the parts and service manuals..T Rutlands is a good source. Remember, these are just fancy Fiats. Also, on the really tuff things, call a couple of places because you can get four different answers (like shim placement on clutch). Good luck.