Quote:
Originally Posted by RANDY P
They are hideously expensive to maintain, but that's because the hands-on guys haven't gotten into 'em.
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That's not the problem. People have been working on their own cars for a long time. Well, some people, anyway. When I quit the Ferrari club, I was about the only guy in my chapter that ever got his hands dirty. Most of the other memebers were completely clueless about anything mechanical and probably half of them had no idea how to drive the cars. And I left the heavy work to shops. It just wasn't fun. People think Ferrarichat invented the DIY-er but they existed long before that. Some of you that have been into Ferraris for a while might remember Clyde, from the Ferrari list days.
The problem is that they are more complex than a similar era Porsche (or whatever), the prices are higher, and they need more frequent work. For example:
Need to do the valve guides on a 355? There's 40 of the ****ing things, as compared to 12 on a 911.
Want to put your 328 on a battery charger? Open the trunk, remove the spare, remove a cover, bend WAY over to get to the battery at the bottom of the car. A 911? Pop the trunk and there it is.
An 80's 911 would go an easy 100k miles on the original suspension bushings. An 80's Ferrari is a little sloppy after 20k. Their springs sag, too. I had a pair of front springs on one of my cars that dropped the nose 3/4" after 10K miles. Had to change them, as with good springs there was still not enough ground clearance in the front to keep from bottoming the car on dips in the road. Not speed bumps, mind you. I'm talking about undulations on the highway at speed, that a 911 wouldn't even notice.
Ever break a trunk latch on a 911? Me neither. Buy a Testarossa and be prepared to replace both of the ****ing things, as they
will break. The funny part of that is everybody closes a TR trunklid so carefully, because if you don't, you'll dent the aluminum hood. It ain't owner abuse that breaks these things.
Speaking of a TR, I had to replace 1st gear in mine before 20K miles because the gear was bad. Started making noise about 12k, or so. Bad heat treat? Bad design? Who knows. Let's just say its a pain in the ass. Not A DIY job. Any idiot can be taught to pull the gearbox out of a 911 in his garage. You're not going to do that with a TR. You have to pull the entire powertrain out (and it's big, and heavy, compare to a 911) then split the engine from the gearbox. This of you that know how those two things are put together will understand why it's way more difficult than a 911. The gearbox is under the motor, which makes it a little hard to hold the motor on a stand.
Better a gear than a differential, though. Blow one of those and you'll probably split the cases. Then you'll be looking for a used gearbox. I can find a 911 gearbox any day for a grand or two. This repair on a TR will set the average guy back $15K-20K.
I can change the entire fusebox in a 911 in an hour. Parts are available and they are cheap. The same job in a TR is $2k and a nightmare to complete.
Window regulators are a mickey-mouse wire and pulley arrangement. You'll be changing those, too. On a 911, they are a lifetime part.
Etc. Etc.
JR