Yeah, you're right Bigred, but that’s ok – the more competition there is out there for good Ferrari mechanics the better it is for us owners. As I said in a PM to JSCar 71 who started this thread, it drives me crazy to see how Ferrari owners get gouged by inflated prices that are not justified and have no reason to be so high. I was shopping an exhaust system – initially Tubi but finally chose Capristo - called one of the “well-known” places mentioned in this thread, and in addition to being quoted an exorbitant hourly rate, was told that I would be charge 15% of the list price of the exhaust system, which I can understand if they had to recover carrying and inventory costs. Problem is - they did not even carry either if the systems. Hello?!?!? So I found and started going to Monaco Prestige. Cheers!
I purchased my F car from Auto Bugatti and had the great Benny do my major on it prior to shipping my car out west. I found Benny was fantastic and very detailed in doing my major (yellow dot on everything he touches). I do believe Montreal is spoiled as we do not have anything close to that caliber in Vancouver - not to mention that the rates are over 30% less!
i found a great mechanic in montreal.... great ! an italian fellow, reasonable prices in lasalle... probably the best guy i have met .... steve maman [email protected] email me if u need assistance !
Good day All, I second this recommendation for Ralph at Monaco Prestige! I recently dealt with Ralph/Monaco and found him to be an excellent guy, very knowledgeable, and will certainly go out of his way to help. I was truly impressed! Cheers, Sam
I'm one of those people who had a very bad experience : First impression, everything looks great and fine. Howard is a great person to talk to and he reminds the best part of my experience. Then, they get aggressive, don't take time to talk to you. You jump from one guy to another, acting like there is a lot happening in the store and not enough people to serve everyone (we were only two?!), so you get under the impression that you have to take a quick decision. In then end, when you want to take your time, you don't want to spend money right away, they disrespect you and treat you like crap! Really hated the experience and don't recommend this store even though they have the best prices I've seen.
Good day Alex, I do not know, as my experience with Ralph was with an older F-car. Call him directly at Monaco Prestige 514-337-8484 and find out. Cheers, Sam
Hey samsaprunoff, really happy to hear that you second my perception of Monaco Prestige. Not just for you but also to reassure myself I finally took the plunge and bought a Capristo exhaust system that he distributes. He installed it on my f355 and I finally started it today. WOW!!! Two thumbs up to Monaco Prestige for awesome and meticulous work!!!
Hi Everyone The best Ferrari mechanic in Montreal is a guy named Elio,he worked at the dealer in montreal for 8 years and is a Ferrari Master Technician. He has his own shop but is particular on who comes in.you can reach him at 514-852-2886.I bring my car to him all the time and is a lot cheaper than the dealer and has all the Ferrari scanners.
Sounds good. The more non-dealer mechanics we can find the better it is! I will make it a point to pass by and take a peak. BTW, jackblack, your profile does not give any info about you. Which ferrari model do you have? Have you done any major work done?
How is it that you guys all like shops that have mechanics that are not factory trained,the best choice for mechanics of any sector is the guys who had previous factory training as they would know the in and outs of the product and know how to use the factory tools and also take much less time to get the job done right,in turn costing less for the repairs,What indepenant shop in Montreal has an SD2 or Sd3,not many i am sure, do your home work before taking modern cars to some guys,The only guy i know who has current training is Elio,and he is the only guy i know who has Ferrari Master status
Good day Jackblack, Indeed you make some valid points, however, I have a few comments and I make these in general and are not geared towards anyone: a. Just because someone has factory training does not necessarily mean that they are really good at what they do. This goes for all types of industries and not just automotives. b. For some there is a total experience when dealing with a shop... If they are top notch, but treat you poorly then you may not wish to go there... c. Even if they are top notch and charge you many times more than what they should you may also leave you unhappy... d. Perhaps some of the newer factory trained people either have minimal experience with the older cars (try using a SD2/3 on a carbed car ) or perhaps are uninterested on working on them... Tell me how many young factory trained people that know all there is to know about Webers, Dellortos, etc. I am sure there are some, but it is not that common. The bottom line is people go where they are happy, confident, and feel that they received good value for the work that was done. It is as simple as that. Or in other words having factory training, although certainly not a bad thing, is not necessarily the only reason why people choose a place. Cheers, Sam
I fully agree with you, Sam. Yes, factory trained is nice but that does not necessarily guarantee that one will obtain value or service for money. Nor does it mean that all mechanics that are not factory trained are necessarily incompetent. Soon after buying my car, I spoke with other Ferrari owners as well as high-end car detailing places and high-end car stereo places. The Montreal community is quite small and one quickly gets a good idea about the mechanics when the same information or horror stories are independently given by different sources. And there are many horror stories, sadly by some well known names. Rather than talking about the negatives, which is beyond the scope of this forum, I will say that much good was said about Monaco Prestiges reputation. I have no vested interest and just want best value-for-money that I can get. In fact, I also enquired about the mechanic Jackblack recommended. My missy and my money still go to my current mechanic. Listen to this: My F355 makes a slight whistling sound for maybe 15 to 20 seconds on a cold start. Called a few factory trained shops and was told to replace the air pump leading to the cats, and these pumps, I also found out, are very expensive. Monaco Prestige solution? Took out the pump, cleaned it, tested it and told me to save my money because everything is fine. Since he was already installing a new Capristo exhaust system (see separate post), he did not charge me anything more for the air pump work. He also referred me to a few forums where I was able to read that the noise on cold starts is quite common on the F355's. So, to quote you Sam, the bottom line is people go where they are happy, confident, and feel that they received good value for the work that was done. BTW, Sam, we should try to connect, assuming of course, that you are in Montreal.
Good day Montreal-West, Well said! Sadly, I am not in Montreal, but in Edmonton... If you make it out here let me know and I can show you the "sites" here , and I will let you know the next time I am out there. Cheers, Sam
Indeed. All the shops that touch Ferraris in the Greater Montreal area have their friends and foes. Each is competent in a particular era, has developed a niche market and has a faithful clientele. Given that the F-World in Montreal is small, I'm surprised that the vipers and the charlatans (we know who they are so there is no need for an honorable mention on this forum) still operate and and have return business. Oh well, what's that saying about a fool and his money?
Hi Guys, Just wondering who you would recommend for a Major service on a 355. The car I'm interested in purchasing is due for a major service (based on time, last major was done by Auto Bugatti 3 yrs ago and the car was only driven 2000km since) but the owner is not willing to shell out the upwards of 10k quoted by Auto Bugatti (upon initial inspection). From what I've read & been told, that's a bit steep for a Major on a 355. I was told by Ferrari Quebec that a major service on a 355 generally costs 7-8k. Any comments/suggestions?
Hello Yassa, 7-8k sounds like a reasonable starting price but there are usually add-ons once undergoing the service. This is nornal as some components can only be checked/inspected once removed. Concerning Ferrari Quebec, I recently found out that the two top guys at Ferrari Quebec have resigned and are now working for the Rolls-Royce dealership. There, they also have an exotic car service center (Ferrari, Maserati, Lambo, Porsche). Enjoy your 355!
Hello, Could someone PM me who I should stay away from. I was told to go see Autowerks on Jean Talon not far from the ferrari dealer,anyone have any comments. I went to his shop and he does a lot of exotic cars and has Ferrari scanners. Very busy and has me on a waiting list since April. Lino
