What are the approx. hourly rates for Ferrari service techs and are they consistent across the country? What might I expect to pay for 89 328GTS service, belts, fluids etc assuming nothing major?
FYI, I got a recent quote for a full service from a local Ferrari dealer (name withheld) for all fluids, all filters, timing belts/bearings, accessory belts, remove cams for adjustments/seals/gaskets, spark plugs, charge AC, replace thermostat, coolant cap, and temp switch. $13,650! Add water pump another $1,150 I passed
Are you buying an hourly labor rate or are you buying a service? Dont tell me you are one of those people who still believes the hours charged equals the hours spent? Ask the question you want answered......How much for the service? And no, there is no consistency or continuity of prices charged.
I have the items on that list that I am unable to comfortably accomplish taken care of by Ferrari and I do the rest. It’s not just a money savings thing, I actually enjoy doing some of the work myself.
Last I heard our local.dealer is $348 an hour. Independents, depending on location.. are knocking on the door of 200 an hour. Either way its expensive to fix any car now. In fact your Ferrari 328 is a rather inexpensive car to service in comparison to say a Range Rover or Benz product..
Aside from the cost, there's often a decent waiting list for service from the best (eg, Tim Stafford in Florida). If you can learn to do basic service yourself, you can save yourself a lot of time and money.
Relating to Rifledriver's point, modern car service shops for mass production vehicles typically go by an hourly rate schedule for a specific task of work to be performed where parts are typically on hand and engineers have created detailed shop manuals (eh em, not 3x8). (e.g. oil change .5hr, fuel pump 1.5hr, 50,000mi service 3.0hr, etc.). That's impossible to do with antiques. There are too many unknown variables and the costs would be exorbitant if we are charged strictly by hourly rates. Even if quoted for specific work, only an "estimated cost" will be provided before service. I personally wouldn't trust a shop that gave me a firm quote. They are businesses; not charities. Dead horse firmly beaten.
IMHO if you cannot perform the work yourself… And you have to ask how much ……. Then you can’t afford it……
I do the work myself and still would in no way say I can afford to keep my car....but somethings are worth making sacrifices for.
Yep. Life is so much more fun when you don't budget. That said, independents around here hover within the $150-$200/hr zone.
Assuming nothing major (famous last words,) you might get by with +/- 40 hours labor plus the cost of a 30k service kit. Google Ricambi and check out their kit pricing. Add in pad for fluids, shop supplies, tax, etc. Also search here for prior threads debating the option of addressing the water pump while access is easier. Labor rates vary widely by geographic region. Dealers are generally quite a bit more than independent shops. Your best bet is to go on Bring-A-Trailer, look at listings for 328s that have sold. Somewhere in the photos of each listing, you'll likely see receipts for the last 30k (major) service. Looking at a handful of those should give you an idea.
It is also impossible to do with Ferrari. Their flat rate times are the biggest joke in the industry. THE ONLY thing they are used for is warranty claims.
I know this is a really radical idea . How about researching and finding a shop with a stellar reputation and ask them? Then take it there. Price shopping in this business never ends well.
Similar in Las Vegas. But its not the price I worry about -- its the quality, training, and experience of the service that's most important.
The old joke about a refrigerator repair man. A guy calls a repairman to fix his refrigerator. The repairman comes out, looks at the fridge, pulls out a big rubber hammer and gives a whack on the side. The refrigerator starts to work! The man is happy. The repairman hands him a bill for $100. The man is upset it so much just for one whack and asks for an itemized bill. The repairman writes the bill out for him. "Hitting the refrigerator with a hammer: $1.00 Knowing where to hit $99.00" A great mechanic will save you money for not screwing things up, doing additional repairs if spotted when fixing one repair already underway, and preventative maintenance. Go with the mechanic you trust and has the ability to do the job and save money in the long run.
I think this is someone just asking for information. OP has a grand total of 5 posts, and evidently just bought a 328. We are all the ones keeping this thread afloat, not the guy who's actually looking for info (maybe for now, or maybe just to see what he got himself into? We can only speculate.) But agreed, next step is researching who are the best choices if one has a classic Ferrari in Birmingham, Alambama.
I am trying to save him from going to or calling a shop and asking about labor rates. With me it gets you shown the door. Few shops with any reputation have any tolerance for price shoppers. A labor rate buys you nothing but a false sense of what an end bill might be. They have no relevance to each other.
You certainly do great service to the members here! And it takes a while to learn the ins and outs of the classic Fcar world.
I agree and disagree. Good advice is good advice. The OP got some good advice. I believe if you are looking to buy a used Ferrari you should look for a qualified mechanic you can work with FIRST rather than trying to find one after a problem happens. Qualification and $$$ / hr can be two different things. Its important to make that known. From our past experience, $$$ / hr is not the biggest factor to choose a mechanic. Saying so is only benefiting the OP.
I give approximate numbers based on past jobs. I only do that so customers have an idea what to budget for. I always make sure it is understood the price can change. If the jobs gets close to exceeding 10% of the estimate..all work stops and a phone call is made.
$130k service cost on 328 true? Discussion in '308/328' started by Sergio Tavares, Sep 2, 2023. Some interesting figures for the OP. Is Donnie a free man?? So obviously there's a WIDE range in prices, and shops ability to charge outlandish prices.
Exactly. Give an estimate for the work requested. Get an authorization to proceed. Call if other issues are found. The problem is that some owners don't know what is necessary and what is "while you are in there". A lot of while you are in theres aren't.
That's a cute cliche and all but there is nothing wrong with asking. I don't phone shop. After living in one city for 53 years I don't have to find someone like I'm new in town. But when I do drop it off I want to know a ball park so I can be prepared.
