Good Porsche specialist, please?

[Mike_C]

Having recently acquired my first Porsche, a 2006 Cayman S, I want to find a Porsche Specialist who can look after it for a reasonable rate.

I've already been to the local OPC for a quote, and while some aspects seem pretty reasonable (drive belt & brake fluid changes), the actual servicing costs are pretty high. The problem I've got is that the independent specialists I've looked at are equally or more expensive!

So far, I've tried JZM Porsche and looked at RPM Technik's website and neither seem to offer much of a saving over the OPC on the servicing (about £50, tops?), and both are more expensive for the drive belt and brake fluid changes. So overall it is better to stick with OPC I reckon.

Can anyone recommend me a reasonably priced Porsche Specialist in or around the Beds/Herts/Bucks or Leics areas, or shall I just got the OPC and get the full monty treatment and stamp in the book?

Cheers,

Mike

[Actus Reus]

PSR Automotive in Bishop's Stortford are excellent - near a station too if that helps.

[mrdemon]

we have 2 great indy's in Leicester who are no where near OPC prices or the main 3rd party indy prices.

one is based in Saddington
http://www.motawerk.co.uk/
£220 for a 20k service

and the other is

http://www.gcrcentral.co.uk/

[crisisjez]

Promax Motorsport in Great Horwood are close to you.

[alfa phil]

Peter Tognola Slough , top man knows his stuff.

[tr7v8]

As a TIPEC member we get 10% on parts & labour at a lot of OPCs & I generally find I pay less than the indies would charge. Also a few of the indies I've used I wouldn't touch with a long barge pole. As a group we have a great relationship with OPC Tonbridge & I've carried it on. They are happy to use my oil as I don't want Mobil 1 or their grade & this works out very well. My last minor (with my oil) on the 986 Boxster was £202 all in including resealing 3 spark plug tubes.

[Fat Albert]

I used Dove House in Northants (just over the border from N. Bedfordshire) for my 968, the Workshop Manager is ex-OPC Silverstone and their ethos is all around customer care.

Tony loves talking to enthusiastic owners and does what he can to come up with pragmatic options for the maintenace of your P&J

http://www.dovehousecars.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dovehouse.motorcompany?fr...

[shavenhaven]

Speak to Martyn on service @ Leicester OPC and tell him the nice boys on Pistonheads have told you to give him a call re matching Indie rates and i think you'll find a decent OPC will be as cheap, if not cheaper than a good indie! It's always nice to have an OPC stamp when coming to sell, plus you might be able to blag a shiny new Porsche loan car

[Mike_C]

OK, thanks for the recommendations. I really want a Porsche Specialist who know's the cars inside out, and one that actually says as such on their service stamp - otherwise the stamp in the service book really doesn't mean all that IMO!

tr7v8 said:

As a TIPEC member we get 10% on parts & labour at a lot of OPCs & I generally find I pay less than the indies would charge. Also a few of the indies I've used I wouldn't touch with a long barge pole. As a group we have a great relationship with OPC Tonbridge & I've carried it on. They are happy to use my oil as I don't want Mobil 1 or their grade & this works out very well. My last minor (with my oil) on the 986 Boxster was £202 all in including resealing 3 spark plug tubes.

What's TIPEC?? And also, what oil do you use other than the OE Mobil 1, and why?

Fat Albert said:

I used Dove House in Northants (just over the border from N. Bedfordshire) for my 968, the Workshop Manager is ex-OPC Silverstone and their ethos is all around customer care.

Tony loves talking to enthusiastic owners and does what he can to come up with pragmatic options for the maintenace of your P&J

http://www.dovehousecars.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dovehouse.motorcompany?fr...

Will give him a call, thanks.

shavenhaven said:

Speak to Martyn on service @ Leicester OPC and tell him the nice boys on Pistonheads have told you to give him a call re matching Indie rates and i think you'll find a decent OPC will be as cheap, if not cheaper than a good indie! It's always nice to have an OPC stamp when coming to sell, plus you might be able to blag a shiny new Porsche loan car

Thanks, will give him a try!

[tr7v8]

Mike_C said:

OK, thanks for the recommendations. I really want a Porsche Specialist who know's the cars inside out, and one that actually says as such on their service stamp - otherwise the stamp in the service book really doesn't mean all that IMO!

tr7v8 said:

As a TIPEC member we get 10% on parts & labour at a lot of OPCs & I generally find I pay less than the indies would charge. Also a few of the indies I've used I wouldn't touch with a long barge pole. As a group we have a great relationship with OPC Tonbridge & I've carried it on. They are happy to use my oil as I don't want Mobil 1 or their grade & this works out very well. My last minor (with my oil) on the 986 Boxster was £202 all in including resealing 3 spark plug tubes.

What's TIPEC?? And also, what oil do you use other than the OE Mobil 1, and why?

Fat Albert said:

I used Dove House in Northants (just over the border from N. Bedfordshire) for my 968, the Workshop Manager is ex-OPC Silverstone and their ethos is all around customer care.

Tony loves talking to enthusiastic owners and does what he can to come up with pragmatic options for the maintenace of your P&J

http://www.dovehousecars.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dovehouse.motorcompany?fr...

Will give him a call, thanks.

shavenhaven said:

Speak to Martyn on service @ Leicester OPC and tell him the nice boys on Pistonheads have told you to give him a call re matching Indie rates and i think you'll find a decent OPC will be as cheap, if not cheaper than a good indie! It's always nice to have an OPC stamp when coming to sell, plus you might be able to blag a shiny new Porsche loan car

Thanks, will give him a try!

TIPEC is the Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club, membership is £50 for 2 years & I've said it before if you can't save more than £50 having become a member then I'll personally refund it. Come to www.tipec.net & have a nose, we've just organised a free show with 700+ Porsches. It is also our 20th year so lots of events!
Mobil 1 is a good marketing exercise. OPC use a 0W/40 which is a light grade great when new, bad as they get older, it is also low in ZDDP which is bad. Go to LN Engineering or Barry's posts on here as regards oil grades. Mine is currently on Comma Motorsport 5W/50 which is SL spec not SM, Barry recommends Millers 10W/60 I think. I'm hoping this will stop bore scoring & IMS issues.

[Thermonuclear]

From my experience, the servicing at specialist vs OPC is nothing to do with money, 9 out of 10 times you'll get better service from a specialist. I've had personal experiences where an OPC had the car 3 times and failed to identify the cause, let alone cure the problem. Took it to a specialist and it was sorted within 2 hours!

Out of JZM and RPM, I'd take to JZM every time.... Although you'll get a better deal elsewhere I'm sure.

[tr7v8]

Thermonuclear said:

From my experience, the servicing at specialist vs OPC is nothing to do with money, 9 out of 10 times you'll get better service from a specialist. I've had personal experiences where an OPC had the car 3 times and failed to identify the cause, let alone cure the problem. Took it to a specialist and it was sorted within 2 hours!

Out of JZM and RPM, I'd take to JZM every time.... Although you'll get a better deal elsewhere I'm sure.

Out of the indies I've used, not many admittedly, the only one I'd trust is Ray Northway. One failed to diagnose a handling issue on a 944 which took 5 minutes for me to do. Said indie also damaged the car in the process. Oh & when we picked my 944 up from the same indie, the throttle jammed a couple of miles away.

[BillTheButcher]

Another vote for Northway. They were great when I was having a load of trouble with my old 996 C2.

They're only about 15 miles away so that's where I'll be taking my 987 Cayman S.

[Martian O]

Actus Reus said:

PSR Automotive in Bishop's Stortford are excellent - near a station too if that helps.

[spyderman8]

Mike_C said:

So far, I've tried JZM Porsche and looked at RPM Technik's website and neither seem to offer much of a saving over the OPC on the servicing (about £50, tops?), and both are more expensive for the drive belt and brake fluid changes. So overall it is better to stick with OPC I reckon.

I've switched back to my OPC for "menu" servicing but I'm very surprised an OPC can beat indies for stuff outside of the menu work. Mind you, JZM are a touch expensive.

You could try DeutschTech in Wolverton:
http://bmwservicemiltonkeynes.co.uk/

[james S]

Jaz in Wembley

[tr7v8]

spyderman8 said:

Mike_C said:

So far, I've tried JZM Porsche and looked at RPM Technik's website and neither seem to offer much of a saving over the OPC on the servicing (about £50, tops?), and both are more expensive for the drive belt and brake fluid changes. So overall it is better to stick with OPC I reckon.

I've switched back to my OPC for "menu" servicing but I'm very surprised an OPC can beat indies for stuff outside of the menu work. Mind you, JZM are a touch expensive.

You could try DeutschTech in Wolverton:
http://bmwservicemiltonkeynes.co.uk/

Tonbridge will price match on some jobs. One of our members has just had Mid Sussex do head gaskets on his 928 which is 28 hours book time I think & was very impressed by the work & what they charged.

[dadofbud]

Mike_C said:

Having recently acquired my first Porsche, a 2006 Cayman S, I want to find a Porsche Specialist who can look after it for a reasonable rate.

Can anyone recommend me a reasonably priced Porsche Specialist in or around the Beds/Herts/Bucks or Leics areas, or shall I just got the OPC and get the full monty treatment and stamp in the book?

Cheers,

Mike

DEUTSCH TECH in Wolverton, 01908 579229 two partners, four staff in total.

Master Techs; Porsche, BMW and Audi, Ben is ex Silverstone Porsche OPC 18 months ago, so all their knowledge is upto date unlike a lot of specialists.

They have the Porsche diagnostic equipment up to 2011, three low Porsche friedley lifts, my car has not been anywhere else and Herts, Beds & Bucks is spolt for choice, but I still recommend these chaps.

Senible pricing and quality service.

Edited by dadofbud on Wednesday 2nd October 22:10