SO... being Ferrari guys

What services do you do on your own? Like change the oil or brakes? Or are these cars best left to the pros?

 

Brakes and oil are easy. We recently completed the engine out service on my dad's Testarossa and saved about $8500. The car runs perfectly and we have pictures/receipts to document the service but he'll probably never sell it anyway.


Rob

 

I do everything myself. Fluids, brakes, ignition, headers, exhaust, leaks, mods, etc. Only if i'm truely stumped will I take it somewhere.

 

I think if I owned one I would be too nervous to service it myself. I own a Civic personally, and those things are like model kits, they are so easy to work on...

 

I put in fresh gas, as required........

I can do the oil, too..

Alternators and battery, no problem.

I change out the passenger, when she gets noisy.......

 

How much does an oil change cost? I am sure they take more than 5 quarts and you have to run synthetic... Also, what brand of oil do you use? I know I am a noob, but I LOVE Ferraris and would love to own one someday before I die or get too old

 

10 quarts of Castrol Syntec 5W40: $65
1 Ferrari OEM Oil Filter kit: $40

So it's around $100 to DIY. Probably triple at the dealership.

 

I pulled my cams and did a valve adjustment. New timing belts, etc. Access is tougher to work on these cars. I found myself sometimes looking at what I needed to do then reaching my arms in through the wheelwell in different directions to get to what I needed. Of course at that point I could no longer see what I was working on. Time and patience is what it takes to work on them. If you are working on your civic and know the feeling of a bolt thats about to strip, that is the basics. I started when I was 16 pulling the engine on my 1983 Civic to have the head rebuilt and put a new timing belt on. Worked on some old 60's Ford trucks, etc. If you have a dream to own a Ferrari and work on it yourself you can start now by picking up an old Fiat or Alfa Romeo. All under the same parent company, and they frequently share technology. Working on any of them and getting the electrical and other bugs out will be direct experience for fixing Ferraris. Buying an older Ferrari isn't that expensive. Keeping it properly maintained and running is where the costs can be. Get a good education and a good career so you'll have the cashflow to put into one of these fun cars. I used Mobil 1 in my engine Royal Purple in the transmission. Generic brake fluid from Advanced Auto.

 

I don't bother to change my own oil anymore. Ferrari shop charges me $80 for 8 quarts oil and filter. They also check the other fluids too. Can't beat that. No mess for me and they know what they are doing. I would never ever take my Ferrari to a quick change place. Asking for trouble.

 

Old Ferrari's are really very simple to work on, very basic stuff. If your not bound by an unwritten code to keep it BONE stock original and in concours condition, repairing or modifying them is not that costly and more fun. I agree with PV Dirk an Alfa would be a good starting place though they are getting a bit pricey these days, I have a friend with a GTV that has more invested than I do and I can leave him in the dust. I do all my own work below is a photo of my winter project.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I do all on my own work. Nothing magical about it. It's still just turning wrenches.

Here is the latest thing I'm working on. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296274

 

I've always done all of my own wrenching, but then I wrench (on motorcycles) for a living.

To me, at least half of the fun of being a Ferrari guy (in my case an F355) is spending time in the garage with it (ask my neighbors!)

The F355 is a recent purchase, but I've had my 2003 Boxster S for over 3 years and 18k miles now, and the only time I've had it in the shop was to mount tires.

It's scary as hell, the first time you put a wrench to a Ferrari, and there are a lot of things that are different (mostly not having a decent shop manual!) But in the end, Ernie is right, wrenching is wrenching.

 

There is nothing to fear......
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

NO! wait Dave, your puttin' it in backwards!!

 

1977 308 is
9 liters of 20-50 Castrol dino oil $32
1 Baldwin filter $11

DIY $44 ( $1 for the copper washer)

 

I don't mount tires, I don't paint (although I am learning that). I do everything else to ALL of my cars and motorcycles.

 

1997 F355 spider

I have done the following: (I have only basic wrenching skills)

oil/filter changes
battery change
alternator service
replace O2 sensors
replace cats
replace exhaust bypass valve
replace cat ecu's
replace various bulbs (headlight, brake light, turn signal, foglight)
replaced all Motronic wiring harness connector pins (Dave Helms kit)
replaced bulbs in dash cluster
removed/reinstalled various interior pieces for refinishing by stickynomore
filled hydraulic top reservoir
replaced radiator fans and fan switch
replaced hood/engine lid gas strut supports
replaced shock gear on top of Bilstien shocks


Probably other stuff I can't remember at the moment.

 

I go as far the manual goes!
I enjoy every work I do on my 360.

 

Living where I do there isn't a Ferrari tech for 300+ miles so I do all the work.

I do have experience with other Italian cars, my first car was a 1970 FIAT 124 coupe that I did everything on including tranny rebuild. I have owned 4 FIAT 124's in my other life as well as Lancia Beta Coupe (complete engine rebuild) and Lancia Scorpion. These cars prepared me for the work I need to do on the 328.

I have a new clutch and all the bearings, seals etc on the way - so in the next week or 2 I will do the clutch. I have new injectors for the next project and plan on replacing all the H2O and fuel lines as they are all about 22 years old.

 

I couldn't afford to own a Ferrari ('83 Mondial Cab) if I didn't do all the work myself. I had it a month when it threw a belt and ate 16 valves. The only part I didn't do, was the installation of the new valves.

DIY cost was $4200, 2 years ago. Online help from Verell and other "FerrariChat" members, priceless!

 

Everything and Anything......

 

Bushings??

Kai

 

Bushings! yep 16 bushings. I'll see what else it needs when I get in there, the originals are getting a bit dog eared and torn. Doing the brakes while I'm there, not sure on the shocks yet. I might get try my hand at rebuilding them if they need it. Powder coat the arms and install. I have had the bushings for a couple of years its time to use them. If I didnt do my own work and slowly rebuild and make things I couldn't afford it. Older Ferrari's are one of the more rewarding machines to work on, being mostly low volume and hand made it easy to understand just why they were built as they are.

 

I just let my 4 year old daughter tear it apart and toss belts on or whatever it needs. Seems to run okay.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Every 3 years or 15K miles (whichever comes first).......I oil the brakes ---- often, not intentionally.