Roselli Foreign Car Repair | FerrariChat

Roselli Foreign Car Repair

Discussion in 'California & Nevada (Northern)' started by paulchua, May 9, 2014.

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  1. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    15,979
    Menlo Park, CA
    Full Name:
    Paul Chua
    #1 paulchua, May 9, 2014
    Last edited: May 9, 2014
    My car as been in Roselli for 2 months now. Every week when I call it's the same song..."next week" for a water pump replacement

    Getting frustrated...I know you have to take out the fuel tank to avoid an engine out - but I think 2 months is excessive and I'm starting to get that distinct feeling "i'm the one being taken for a ride" (not my car)

    Much thanks and any thoughts to calm my nerves?

    Huge thanks
     
  2. djantlive

    djantlive Formula 3

    Jun 30, 2005
    1,015
    they do take a while and there is a backlog of cars right now. but u can be rest assured that the job will be done right.

    2 months is a long time. i would keep on calling and inquiring about it.
     
  3. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    15,979
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    Thanks so much - i know he's qualified - but this is getting ridiculous...
     
  4. tr328

    tr328 Formula Junior

    Jun 19, 2003
    905
    Pacifica, California
    Full Name:
    Darryl
    Roselli is a honest man and does great work. The only reason he has more cars than any shop around is because of reputation and good work. Rest assure, he wouldn't have repeat customers if he didn't do good work. I would recommend stopping by the shop and talk to him.
     
  5. Wax525

    Wax525 Rookie

    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    S.F. CA
    Full Name:
    Aj
    I'm with djantlive and tr328. Roselli's work is great and they're very honest. Everyone that goes there knows he's got a steady line of cars and they are always busy. I don't trust anyone else other than them to work on any of my cars. It's very hard to find nice people and an honest mechanic now days and that seems to be the reason why they are so busy. It may in some cases take a little longer that anticipated however it also depends on the situation that is getting taken care of. Rest assured the wait is worth it. When the job is said and done you get your car back with zero worries and it's back to perfection. This is just my personal experience with them.
     
  6. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    15,979
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    Paul Chua
    Huge thanks guys - just needed a sounding board - I've heard nothing but positive things about Robert and Roselli - Just wanted to calm my nerves - I dropped off the car on March 23rd so given it's been 7 weeks - I started getting a bit concerned...sounds like my fears are unwarranted. I got a call yesterday and it is estimated to be ready sometime next week. So hopefully the car is almost done and I'll give a positive review on Yelp!

    Cheers
     
  7. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 1, 2013
    15,979
    Menlo Park, CA
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    Paul Chua
    Follow up:

    As I mentioned, I got a courteous call from Roberto for Roselli Foreign Car Repair in San Jose yesterday (Mother’s day no less) - it went very far to calm my fears.

    I decided call up Roberto up again to follow up on his voicemail and we had a good chat. They are working on the car pretty intensely and should have it ready soon. I’m glad to hear all the positive things said about Roselli and it went a long way to make me feel better. I should be on the road in no time.

    Thanks again for all the comments.
     
  8. Timo04

    Timo04 Karting

    Jul 2, 2007
    198
    S.F. Bay Area
    Full Name:
    Tim
    #8 Timo04, May 13, 2014
    Last edited: May 13, 2014
    There is a old saying in Italian: "Bene e veloce non sempre vanno bene insieme." It translates to; "Well and quick don't always go well together."

    I have been using Roselli since 2001. I don't know of another repair service that is more honest and does the kind of outstanding work that they do. Believe me, I have used other shops over the years, and I always end up going back to Roselli because nobody can beat their workmanship. Robert treats each every car as if it were his very own. He stakes his reputation on it.

    In my opinion Wax525 and tr328 are spot on correct; the reason there are so many cars in for service there, is because Roselli does the best work. Robert loves and really understands Ferraris, and all Italian cars as well. This really shows in the quality of his work. He has a genuine passion for these cars, and I don't know of another technician that works as hard as he does. Moreover, Robert actually does complete diagnostics and full repairs. He does not "throw parts" at cars, like so many mechanics do these days, in the hopes that the issue will be resolved. In the end this can amount to huge savings on the repair bill, and most importantly superior quality work.

    Roselli Foreign Car is second to none in my opinion.
     
  9. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    Jul 1, 2013
    15,979
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    Timo04, Was525, and tr320,

    Thank you gentlemen for allaying my fears. It's a credit to Roberto and Roselli that he is spoken so highly of. Multiple members swear by them, and his reviews and word of mouth referrals are numerous. Everybody echoes that they do quality work, are friendly, and are easy to get in touch with. My experience thus far talking to Robert, visiting the shop, and being explained about the work being done supports those views. This being my first time using Roselli - I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. It sounds like quality work = quality time.

    I'm looking forward to being back on the road soon!

    Cheers
     
  10. SoftwareDrone

    SoftwareDrone F1 Veteran
    Sponsor Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 19, 2004
    7,502
    San Jose, California
    Full Name:
    Mike
    For folks not in the city (S.F.), Roselli's can't be beat. Super honest, super competent, super careful, prices are great and they are really nice people!
    I highly recommend them.
     
  11. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    Jul 1, 2013
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    Thank You Mike for yet another fantastic review - you guys make me feel a lot better!! Can't wait to get back on the road. Should be back by next week the latest.

    Cheers
     
  12. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    UPDATE:
    At first I was a bit concerned about the length of time it was taking to fix the car. After getting to Know Roberto, I feel silly.

    Roberto is the man period. Bent over backwards for me and went above and beyond. He is honest and knows these cars like the back of his hand. Go to, no run to Roselli for your Ferrari Repair needs!
     
  13. Finitele

    Finitele Formula 3

    Sep 26, 2007
    1,379
    DBC
    Full Name:
    DIR
    But this took from March to October to repair?
     
  14. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    #14 paulchua, Oct 29, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2014
    Nope - he finished original job (water pump) - I had a bunch of other stuff that I had him do in addition:

    1) Total Car Re-wire - EVERYTHING
    2) Replaced Timing Belt
    3) Cracked Exhaust Manifold
    4) Replace Oil Hose
    5) Replace Power Steering Hose
    6) Fusebox Upgrade
    7) Alternator Upgrade
    8) Re-dye interior
    9) Windshield wiper hose replacement
     
  15. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2006
    6,880
    Sonoma, CA
    did he do the timing belt in situ? and the manifold?
     
  16. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    That is correct - the manifold got repaired off site - and reinstalled at the shop.
     
  17. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2006
    6,880
    Sonoma, CA
    no, I mean did he not jerk the engine out for that work.
     
  18. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    Jul 1, 2013
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    Correct

    Cheers
     
  19. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    Also forgot - he cleaned up the sticky plastic too! (he didn't even charge me for a bunch of stuff)
     
  20. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2006
    6,880
    Sonoma, CA
    well that does sound great.

    however, back to original #1post. Not disin' your mech, but you mentioned he took the gas can out to service the water pump, which I would have thought 'neat', but, more likely the better way is to take the engine out.

    did he find, that his can out approach wasn't such a good idea and then reverted to the engine out?

    just wondering of his process
     
  21. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    Thanks! Not sure why the method was chosen - I just know the timing belt, alternator, waterpump are all working well!

    CHeers
     
  22. paulchua

    paulchua Cat Herder
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    Jul 1, 2013
    15,979
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    My Review On Yelp
    Roselli Foreign Car Repair - Downtown - San Jose, CA | Yelp
    ****

    Owning a Ferrari (or any exotic car for that matter) can be a hair pulling experience. Owning a 'vintage' exotic car is a whole another level of masochism. It is with this in mind that finding a knowledgeable and honest, professional is imperative.

    I first learned of Roselli Foreign care repair on Ferrari chat boards online. I previously had gone to another repair shop that was also very well run, but alas - they were very backlogged. Looking for a quick alternative since I only wanted to perform a simple alternator install - I thought I would give Roselli a try.

    I called Roselli and was greeted by a friendly voice on the other end of the phone; this was the first time interacted with Roberto, the owner of this business. On the phone, he was very warm and told me to drop the car off, and he would take care of it.

    After towing the car to Roselli, I was quickly immersed by various exotic cars of all stripes and shapes. I figured this was a good sign. I met with Roberto and was in person happy to see that the same friendliness and warmness I experienced on the phone was carried through in person as well.

    I told him about the alternator, and he gave me a reasonable quote and I was off.
    .
    .
    .
    A few weeks later I got a call from Roberto. I was informed that he found a whole host of other issues (this didn't surprise me.) The car had bad water pump, leaking hoses cracked exhaust manifold and wiring that suffered through incompetent hack jobs in the car's previous life.

    Biting the bullet, I knew it was the right decision to do a complete re-haul. I will not lie and admit that Roberto is VERY HIGH in demand. As I said before, finding a good expert for exotic cars is like finding a nugget of gold on the street. It goes without saying that Roselli's is experiencing a gold rush of cars getting in for service.

    After some delays, I grew a bit frustrated and got a personal lesson in Exotic Ownership lesson # 234: There is a old saying in Italian: "Bene e veloce non sempre vanno bene insieme." It translates to; "Well and quick don't always go well together." Roberto is an artisan, combined with his attention to detail and his high demand - expect things to take longer than what you're used to at the local Honda Dealership.

    After talking to few Ferrari tiffosi, I was reminded that this is par for the course. What matters are not necessarily the length of time something make take to complete - but whether done right. Reassured, I decided the best course of action was to be patient. I found Roberto ALWAYS quick to respond to my concerns and questions while repairs were being made.

    I learned that the job was not easy, and I saw first hand by going to his shop many times that it was not a walk in the park. Roberto was always fair, transparent, and communicative. The work done - I could clearly see that he treated my car as his own - the repairs and craftsmanship were amazing. It was the little things that impressed me. Roberto replaced things without me asking, taking care dash stickiness, re-dying the trim, taking apart and reassembling the stalk, reinstalling the radio right - all these repairs/upgrades were "on the house."

    Who does that?

    I'll tell you - Roberto Roselli does. Throughout my experience there, I have become to know Roberto personally and am constantly surprised by his positive demeanor and willingness to go the extra mile for his customers.

    Now some months later, I am happy as a clam - I brought some wine in and we toasted like family in the back to a job well done! I still have a few nick-nacks here and there, but with the bulk of the work done - I'm happy. Roberto stood behind his quote; he was always honest and responsive, and I feel blessed to have a Ferrari expert nearby. What more can you ask?
     
  23. Mikey P

    Mikey P Karting

    Dec 1, 2003
    162
    San Ramon, CA
    Full Name:
    Mike Ponte
    Roberto is truly a class act just like his father...He was brought up correctly. While we're on the topic, there is also Juan Villareal over at Grand Prix Motors in Campbell who is also excellent and a pleasure to deal with. Like Roberto, Juan understands the vintage models as well as the new stuff. Both great mechanics....
     
  24. tr328

    tr328 Formula Junior

    Jun 19, 2003
    905
    Pacifica, California
    Full Name:
    Darryl
    What makes Rob stand out is his vast knowledge and experience working on many cars. Not only will you see Ferraris and Lamborghinis in his shop, he works on Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, and Maserati. I even saw a Fisker in his shop recently. I’m sure there are many other cars he works on. Rob is an excellent mechanic, does superb work and at a very good price.
     
  25. ToadSprocket

    ToadSprocket Rookie

    Oct 5, 2020
    1
    Full Name:
    Brian Hardy
    @paulchua

    Hi, Regarding Roseli's you said "Also forgot - he cleaned up the sticky plastic too! (he didn't even charge me for a bunch of stuff)"
    How did the sticky plastic turn out? Did they have numbers on the buttons? Did they keep their color or change. Were you happy with the work? Did the plastic remain sticky free? Do you have any photos of how they turned out?

    Thank you,
    Brian
     

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