Dino Saga 070318 _ Fine Points for a Lasting Dino | FerrariChat

Dino Saga 070318 _ Fine Points for a Lasting Dino

Discussion in 'Corbani's Corner' started by John Corbani, Mar 18, 2007.

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  1. John Corbani

    John Corbani Formula 3
    Honorary Owner

    May 5, 2005
    1,153
    Santa Barbara, CA
    Full Name:
    John Corbani
    #1 John Corbani, Mar 18, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Dino Saga 070318 _ Fine Points for a Lasting Dino

    Hard to understand so much of the “absolute” advice given on how to do things to keep or improve your car. There are so many ways to skin a cat. My way is one way that has lasted through a Ford Escort (2 yrs), 2 MG TDs (2 yrs each, army hitch in the middle), a 1200 Alfa Spyder (2 yrs), a 1600 Alfa Spyder (5 yrs), a 1600 Alfa Veloce Sprint Speciale (19 years) and my Dino GT (21 yrs.) All have been my only car and daily drivers. All ran great and were traded in on the new car. I plan on keeping the Dino.

    Drive the car. Has nothing to do with wear and tear. Has everything to do with your intimate understanding of when the car is right and when something is just slightly off. If something catches your attention, fix it NOW.

    Have a decent set of tools so you can fix it yourself if it is fixable by a layman. You do not have to buy Snap-On but buy nothing less than Craftsman. Forget the latest wrenches. Get a full set of ¼ and 3/8 drive sockets, extensions and lever switch ratchets. Get 2 sets of standard combination wrenches. Get Vise Grips, Channel Locks, needle nose pliers and side cutters. Get 0 to 3 Philips and 1/8 to 3/8 flat blade screwdrivers of the highest quality. I carry a dedicated 3/8” drive ratchet with a 6” extension and a spark plug socket. I also carry a ½” breaker bar with a deep wheel lug socket. Add a complete set of drive adapters from ½ to ¼ in all directions and you can do anything.

    Change the oil regularly. Watch them do it if you don’t do it yourself. So you are a pain in the ass. That’s their problem and you can minimize it. If the Bean Counters rule, find another shop, but folks who like to work on Ferraris (or any other sports car) are a breed apart. Learn the language of mechanics and keep your hands in your pockets as you watch. When you know they would like a third hand to hold a light or to get a wrench, offer yours. It is possible to generate a rapport. After that, life can be good.

    Buy the shop manual and the parts book. Figure that the shop will not have the one for your car and if they do, the errors have not been corrected. There are always errors.

    Insist that you see, and take home, ALL of the bad parts that they have replaced. Half of them are useable and all are valuable if only to write horror stories for Fchat. You have been educated, there are the rest of us.

    Drive sensibly. Start; when there is oil pressure ease the car out and drive under the speed limit until water temp starts to show. It’s OK to only use 1,3 and 5. Within 2 minutes of starting the transmission will warm up. There is no purpose in sitting in a garage idling for 5 minutes until you see a temp rise. When you drive, engine works, transmission works, and work means heat, and heat means performance is coming. Soon!

    That’s it. Fix it if it’s broke. Follow the book. They broke lots of cars getting it as right as they could. Drive with your brain, not your emotions. The Ferrari is better than you are.

    John
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  2. tzucc

    tzucc Formula Junior

    Jun 3, 2003
    316
    beautiful color, car. nice.
     

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