Please Help Me About TR costs and maintenance

the more you drive the more it will costs - normal wear parts
and the less you drive the more it will costs - standing damage
but car when you find below 10.000 miles I think you have to drive it first 500 km to see what all is ok - or not ok
once all has been done then you can say the costs will be xxx each year. remember the car is more than 30 years old. but the engine itself is bullet proof

would be nice if you could fill out your profile - thank you

 

I bought an 87 american testarossa that was slightly behind on its engine out service. It also had some other minor issues, mostly electrical. I drove it quite a bit for about 3 months then had it taken to a ferrari service center. The total service cost was around $18000. Once back, it was winter, so I didnt get to drive it terribly much. Im into the car for around $140ish now including that service. I kinda dont care enough to count the money cost. But, I have racked up about 2000 miles on it in less than a year. And ill tell you, every mile is worth it. It too was my dream car. And im just a humble nurse making about $48k a year...and Im doing it. Its all about your priorities.

 

I am in the Ferrari repair business was trained on them when new and have had a 90 for quite a few years. There were so many write ups and stories about how expensive they were to keep on the road my observation has been that many repair facilities are quite happy making the car live up to that reputation. The price quote above is a good example. After 37 years of fixing TRs and about 20 owning one I have never seen a bill that high personally for routine stuff. Most like me who have long histories with them are no longer in the dealership network. As good as many dealers are at some things a car the age of the TR is not one. Find one of the older guys like me who grew up with them.

They will be higher than your other cars for a few reasons. They were built before Ferrari got serious about making the cars easier to service. The motor does need to be removed every few years for regular service. Makes it cost more, just the way it is but even that is mitigated by one of the many like me who has been working on them a long time and our experience streamlines the operation.
Another reason is they are old cars, no denying it. More issues arise over a given time with any old car, even a low mileage one.
Third. As the cars age Ferrari gets more cutthroat about pricing. And since some parts become hard or impossible to find and fabrication needs to take place that is never a cheap process.
Last but not least is something I have had to come to terms with. If ours gets crashed, even not a very serious crash parts like body parts and trim pieces are so hard to get and with the math of the value of the car vs the value of the salvage price of the car and the time it will take to round up the parts it will very likely be a total. I love the car but any vintage Ferrari (and in my opinion a 32 year old car is one) is a commitment. I would not advise depriving yourself of fulfilling that dream, just go in eyes open.
Buy the very best one you can find. In the end it will be cheaper.

 

Since you said your not going to spend the 10-15k on the maintenance then I would suggest you don’t buy one. Realistically, it would be more like 15-20k every 5-7 years. This range would be based on a variety of factors which I won’t get into now. 3 years is too frequent and not needed. The planned 15k-20k over the 5-7 years would cover you and is on the upper range. You might spend less but I always plan everything on worst case so your not surprised. If you can’t get past spending that kind of money on the car than your better off not buying one. I too had concerns about high maintenance costs when I considered buying one and let me tell you how that worked out. But before I tell you that story, I need to tell you another story. Many years ago I remember being invited over to dinner to a wealthy couples home. What was odd was that at the end of the dinner I was offered dessert and coffee. The coffee was prepared using reused coffee grounds. Yes you read correctly, this was to save money. This couple was in their 70s at the time and have since passed away. They left many millions of dollars to each one of their kids. I was somewhat bothered at the time that they would watch every penny they spent to an extreme. I thought to myself, enjoy your money you won’t live forever. I vowed I would never live that way. That to me is not the reason to acquire money, to leave as much as you can to someone. Now moving forward, when I decided to buy my car I remember that. Do you have plenty of money I asked myself? The answer was yes. Will this change my financial picture or outcome? No. How bad do you want this car? Very much. I then went hunting for the nicest Tr I could find. I came across a nice car that had a good service history with the last major performed 5 years prior. Let me tell you what I have done. Tires were 7 years old. New tires and battery. I waited a year and did the major at the 6 year mark. I spent 20k on the major. Spent 10k on the differential upgrade parts and labor. Another 4500.00 on an aftermarket exhaust. Another 5k on extra stuff. 40k total. The brakes were slightly squeaking but were in good condition so I went ahead and installed new brakes. Turned rotors and installed new pads. Everything is perfect with no issues. I expect my next service will be 15-20k but not stuck on that number either way. I have to take care of my car. I’m not looking at leaving the maximum dollar amount to someone. I want to enjoy my life and the things that I love. I have never regretted the purchase. Hope that helps. In may not, but things to consider for sure. Good luck!

 

Want a TR? Bring check book. A very special vehicle and it doesn't come cheap.

 

once all has be done the costs are "normal" for a ferrari

 

Correct. That is why mine was a restoration. When completed it will be a normal cost maintenance program, not the unraveling of mistakes by dimwit wannabe mechanics.

 

Dimwit wannabe mechanics are not limited to the TRs. Every model made suffers from it. Either a do it yourselfer who shouldn't be or going for low bidder work. Then there is the scenario where a 20 or 30 something mechanic working flat rate gets a car to work on older than he is and does anything needed to get it out of his stall. And the longer the car has been around the more it happens until the cars get valuable enough to justify spending money on them. Every Ferrari since the 166's have gone through the same cycle.

There will always be a few that suffered none of that and those cars will not come cheap. Hence the saying "Buy the best one out there".

 

Nope. But letting people work on things beyond their normal scope is a problem on all vehicles. It just costs more every time professionals have to undue the so called "fix". The TR is and always was a higher maintenance Ferrari. Once correctly repaired and sorted, it is IMHO a joy to own and maintain. The downfall to it is the parts are dwindling.

 

There is both a blessing and a curse to cars appreciating. If they get worth enough, they get worth making parts for. I was just looking up cat ECUS. Not long ago all the different types for TR were NLA. Now they are all good numbers. Expensive, but available.

 

As with most cars, if you keep on top of it, it is a very reliable car. Mine, once brought back from its almost parts-car condition when I bought it, has never left me stranded, nor had any major mechanical issue. It is just that there are a lot of parts which make up a Testarossa, some of which need periodic replacement, such as anything made of rubber as well as aging high draw electrical components like pumps and fans. Diagnosing some things can be a challenge, but that is what FChat is about. I admit that if I could not do the work myself (which I enjoy), the cost of keeping up with preventative maintenance would be a concern.

With the exception of inner door pockets, in 13 years I have never needed an OEM part I could not find.

 

The help would be to kindly advise you not to buy a classic exotic with this philosophy....while I don't own a Ferrari I have an exotic from the same general era. Over 7 years, my average maintenance expenditure is $6,500 per year....my average miles driven is 600 per year. But even at $10 per mile, every mile is glorious, a driving experience no modern car can equal.

You can obviously afford such a car (I couldn't buy a 458 and 488) so it is just a matter of getting used to it should you decide the experience is worth it.

 

It’s a cool car, get it and enjoy. Be aware, it’s not really a “fun” car to drive. You don’t throw it around, you don’t beat on it, you don’t park it. You get in, drive - people chase you and take pictures- and drive back.

I feel like a dinosaur. Bought mine 17 years ago… they didn’t cost 150-200k then…

Countach isn’t a drivers car either… that said… I still want one

You want to drive? Buy a Porsche.

‘But then most Ferrari owners have those too…

 

hahaha
better a 2nd ferrari than a porsche - or a 3rd or a 4th or a ???

 

If you want to drive fast - buy a slow car. An MGB or Alfa or Triumph come mind - many choices.

A modern performance car is too fast for the street (including the TR). If you push the car, its jail time. 150+mph is highly frowned upon…. even in Nevada.

Lots of fun…
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Just did my major at the same place as Zeff and did the same stuff 24k.
Think it’s expensive? Try out of warranty dct,ptu, ceramic brakes on a FF.
TR are not that expensive to maintain, u need time, passion and love for the car.
They are super fun to drive on a not too tight back road, that’s where I always drive mine and push it.
However for me it’s point a to point a. Unless I’m going on a date to the ritz Carlton half moon bay or something I’m not taking it in a public sport and I definitely park it myself.
I


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and only me is driving my competition, so it should be also only me who may crash it and later repair again - nothing to do

 

Luckily servicing and maintenance costs are considerably lower in the UK for a Testarossa, we are talking £2000 GBP to £2500 GBP including taxes on average from several independent specialists for a full major & belt change, including filters+fluids+engine & gearbox oil change etc. Of course if more additional work is required, the price goes up.

Seeing prices like $18k to $24k (currency converted today is £13K+ - £17.5k) is crazy.

 

curious how that works. Did mine myself 2-3 years ago, from what I recall belts, bearings, etc were a bunch of money. I would have paid $3000 US in a heartbeat.

 

I would say the parts prices are significantly cheaper and the labour, take for example DIY buying the parts and even adding a UFI oil filter will set you back around £150GBP extra..

https://www.superformance.co.uk/flat12/eg.html

A few example Independent servicing garages and costs, note: you will need to add 20% tax to the prices which include the parts & labour:

• http://supercar-centre.co.uk/ferrari.html (My closest Indy)
• http://www.keys-motorsport-silverstone.co.uk/services/ferrari-testarossa-servicing/ (This one is more comprehensive and will repaint cam covers, replace corroded nuts and bolts as part of the service etc.)
• https://www.supercarclinic.co.uk/ferrari-specialist-service-repair-manchester-northwest/

You will naturally pay more if you go for a main dealer or one of the more famous London based specialists…

I will be booking my Testarossa in for a full major and belt change in a few months, I suspect some inevitable price rises due to inflation and everything going up in cost this year.

 

Compare what is comparable though.
1-The salaries In the Bay Area are much higher than in the UK, so is the cost of living. U struggle here making 150k a year
2-Labor is $200-$300 an hour
3-in my service I had leather redone for 2k, 3k of clutch, diff, diff install.
Basic major was like 8k without any extra work.


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So your basic major is $8k (I assume with belt change too), that’s £5800+. In London and the rest of the UK you can get a major service including belts changed for half that cost via independents.

The general cost of living in the SF/Bay Area is slightly higher but isn’t double that of London or rest of UK….. if it was say Switzerland or Singapore I can understand the significantly higher charges.

$200-$300 labour rates are equivalent to main dealer rates here, so unless you used a main dealer?

Be interesting to hear what others pay in other parts of the USA for their TR major servicing with belt changes?

 

Sorry I lived in London 10 years and the Bay Area is at least 50% more expensive.
Main dealer is 300, independent is 200. I’d never go main dealer.
That being said most major here star at 6-7k.
Much cheaper in the Uk for sure …but it’s what it is!


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In Alabama my mechanic charges $140/hr for exotics. Although I won’t need a major for at least 3 years, he said around $8k assuming if they don’t find any other issues while the engine is out (I get the feeling that is very rare) but $9-11k is the usual.