(London) Where to repair a 612...
Discussion
Looking for a place to have my 612 looked after. Especially after the ubiquetous main dealer list of ficticious maladies was presented to me a few days ago.
Thought that central london dealer was bad, but it looks like the ones in Nottinghamshire take the biscuit.
Look at the picture below, apparantly this caliper needs changing as it is leaking...ahahah...Copper Grease spray...genius...
I used Bill McGrath for my last two Maseratis and would love their level of workmanship but for Ferraris...any ideas? Preferably North/East London.
PS The 612 has been running perfectly and is an ideal commuter going into ther City day in and day out without skipping a beat. It only went in to fix a boot lid sensor (on warranty)
Thought that central london dealer was bad, but it looks like the ones in Nottinghamshire take the biscuit.
Look at the picture below, apparantly this caliper needs changing as it is leaking...ahahah...Copper Grease spray...genius...
I used Bill McGrath for my last two Maseratis and would love their level of workmanship but for Ferraris...any ideas? Preferably North/East London.
PS The 612 has been running perfectly and is an ideal commuter going into ther City day in and day out without skipping a beat. It only went in to fix a boot lid sensor (on warranty)
Actually that could just as easily be brake fluid leaking past the piston seal and washing some of the copper grease off the anti-squeal shim on the way down... just so as you know... keep an eye on the brake fluid level just in case it is.
Edited to add Verdi also seem to know what they are doing.
Edited to add Verdi also seem to know what they are doing.
larrylamb11 said:
Actually that could just as easily be brake fluid leaking past the piston seal and washing some of the copper grease off the anti-squeal shim on the way down... just so as you know... keep an eye on the brake fluid level just in case it is.
Edited to add Verdi also seem to know what they are doing.
Verdi are not for me, tried them with my QP.Edited to add Verdi also seem to know what they are doing.
The stripe of copper grease cannot be fluid wash, it would splatter at worst and that copper grease is fresh. Also the halo emanates from the grease and not the caliper lip.
I have rebuilt enough motorbike calipers in my day to say that this is a very amaturish attempt.
The car is back soon and once I cleaned the calipers I shall replicate the "phantom" leak...for educational purposes.
Also, I was told that the disc needed changing...doesn't look like there is much of a lip to me...
cronk-flakes said:
"Brand new returning from an MOT"Oh dear.
fitzmoresco said:
may be a bit of a schlep for you but Roger and Alisdair at The Ferrari Centre (www.theferraricentre.com) down off the M20 are mustard. they know the cars intimately, they are informative and costs are very reasonable
They looked after my 456s and now my 612
good luck
Bit far I must say...by the way was was the 456 like. I still remebered when it came out and apart from the wheels which where slightly too small I think it is one of their best looking cars ever (before they brought out the 612).They looked after my 456s and now my 612
good luck
In fact that is half the reason I bought the 3200 8 years ago, reminded me a little of it...in a poor man's way...
Cor blimey, you cannot beat such knowledgable quotes can you. Firstly that scag is nowhere close to £245k..value probs closer to £70k, infact £245 must be just a bout the highest price ever paid for a new scag I would of thought.
And where does the 'theres a 2 year waiting list for a car like this' come from?..cannot get a new one anymore, and I wasnt even aware there ever was a 2 yr waiting list...I could go on, but its just another example of dramatisation & over exaggeration for effect by the press
And where does the 'theres a 2 year waiting list for a car like this' come from?..cannot get a new one anymore, and I wasnt even aware there ever was a 2 yr waiting list...I could go on, but its just another example of dramatisation & over exaggeration for effect by the press
I agree, loved the shape but 17" wheels were marginally undersized. I had an original 456 manual TdF with tan and it was superb but a little fragile - power steering blew, needed new clutch..... Main bugbear was the drive side window regulators failed and it created a 1/4" gap which roared and allowed rain in and was a £2k fix as I recall......
moved on to a 456M silver/black but couldnt get a manual and settled for an auto. Big mistake as I like to drive. Internal architecture was great upgrade and car felt more robust overall. no big dramas or wildly expensive fixes. The engine did get confused one time over air in-take but The Ferrari Centre guys knew the issue
Current 612 in Grigio Silverstone with black datona seats vs 456 is like Premiership vs Div 1. Only bug so far is engine management light keeps giving a false signal which cant be traced - suspect Bosch electrics are being moody
moved on to a 456M silver/black but couldnt get a manual and settled for an auto. Big mistake as I like to drive. Internal architecture was great upgrade and car felt more robust overall. no big dramas or wildly expensive fixes. The engine did get confused one time over air in-take but The Ferrari Centre guys knew the issue
Current 612 in Grigio Silverstone with black datona seats vs 456 is like Premiership vs Div 1. Only bug so far is engine management light keeps giving a false signal which cant be traced - suspect Bosch electrics are being moody
fitzmoresco said:
I agree, loved the shape but 17" wheels were marginally undersized. I had an original 456 manual TdF with tan and it was superb but a little fragile - power steering blew, needed new clutch..... Main bugbear was the drive side window regulators failed and it created a 1/4" gap which roared and allowed rain in and was a £2k fix as I recall......
My 612 is not doing too well on the window seals either. Very noisy at speeed. fitzmoresco said:
Current 612 in Grigio Silverstone with black datona seats vs 456 is like Premiership vs Div 1. Only bug so far is engine management light keeps giving a false signal which cant be traced - suspect Bosch electrics are being moody
I tried to look for one in exactly that colour/int combination, same as my old QP, but couldn't get one and had to settle for the Batmobile look. That colour handles everyday driving better than black. Nowadays it looks terrible by Friday.By the way took the car out on some local roads Satturday morning (Ongar-Abridge etc) and can very safely say that the calipers are not leaking. Marked the fluid level before I left, got good heat, not reducing pedal travel for the same effort even when the ABS was at its limit. Fluid level was identical on Sunday afternoon.
Really not amused by the dealer's behaviour. Will pursue quite vigorously I think...
Edited by AJSG on Monday 12th September 13:43
Burba said:
May be considering something special for the daily schlep and teh QP is one of the models under consideration..
Put it this way...I still miss it. Had it for 4 years, drove it every day. One year drove all the way down to Ferrara (and back!), it never went wrong.Here is my attempt at a "nice" picture of the car near Vezley in Burgundy...
The only problems I had were with main dealers, that central london one once told me I had a bent cam. Yet they hadn't even taken a head cover off. Then they returned the car and as they hadn't charged the battery it stopped working. Same when I gave it to that one on the north circular, lots of unnecessary work, and delivered the car with a flat battery.
This is the main problem, the battery needs to be in good condition, and the dealers work on them without charging them. The gearbox management software is very sensitive. I got around it by buying a very large caravan battery which is always charged and in the garage. After a service I used to put it in the boot and if I had any issue, park up...plug in and drive along.
When I lived in Italy everybody with a decent car knew this trick; use some coloured nail varnish and put on a few bolts here and there. Which is how I caught out that central london dealer. In fact I think that considering the amount of spurious work that main dealers have asked me to pay for in the last 9 years of super-ish car ownership I think that I'd rather take my car to Ferrari in Naples. At least in Italy attempted fraud is still a crime, here it isn't...
In conclusion, go for it. I couldn't recomend the car more, however I would also say like with all Ferraris and Maseratis...stay clear of low mileage cars. Buy something with a reasonable milage per year.
For future reference, if you need someone reliable to work on your car..
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Bebs said:
For future reference, if you need someone reliable to work on your car..
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Thanks, already spoken to Paul and trying to find a mutally convenient slot. Also wanted the Workshop Manual to arrive first as I want to check a couple of things myself before I send it.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Quick update...its now been about a month from when I was told of my brake calipers leaking and my suspention being on the verge of collapse.
In the meantime the car has been used every day (as usual) and used to ferry 4 people around London and its outskits, sometimes at pace.
Well, I marked the fluids and checked the calipers 3 weeks ago and there is absolutely no change, no leaks, no fall in fluids...nothing.
No wallowing from the front to indicate loosness in the ball joints, nothing...
So here I sit 12 grand richer than I was 3 weeks ago. What can I buy...?
In the meantime the car has been used every day (as usual) and used to ferry 4 people around London and its outskits, sometimes at pace.
Well, I marked the fluids and checked the calipers 3 weeks ago and there is absolutely no change, no leaks, no fall in fluids...nothing.
No wallowing from the front to indicate loosness in the ball joints, nothing...
So here I sit 12 grand richer than I was 3 weeks ago. What can I buy...?
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