Dealer or Indies for my 360 service?

[bmad]

Had my 360 for 3 months now. Love it. No problems at all and I drive it pretty much every day. It's first service with me is due in January. Its just an annual service needed. Basically the car is a 2005 and has had all its services done by the same dealer. I was just going to go to them myself in January too. They quoted me £1200 for the standard service. Thing is a lot of peaople on PH's really rate the independants and obviously they are a lot cheaper. Shorter drive too!

What do you think? Should I just keep the dealer stamp going for a bit extra cash or break the mould and go independant?

[andy355]

1200 for standard service sounds high. try lancaster colchester they collect/deliver either by driver (free) or truck (cost) if needed. on my previous maser spyder they were at the same price for the major service as others were for minor (they discount cars over certain age). minor was about 700 i think, major 1200. Im told costs are similar for 360 and 430. If you go independent verdi gets my vote.

[yellowgriff]

Verdi get my Vote as well..........

[Chris355]

Grimaldi Engineering (Halstead) are excellent. Would use them over a main dealer every time.

[iandc]

I have used QV in AScot when I had 360. Very reasonble and they did a great job.

[taaffy]

Two words .....

Bob Houghton ....

www.bobhoughtonferrari.co.uk

Edited by taaffy on Saturday 22 August 11:28

[bmad]

Great thanks a lot. Think I will go independant. Verdi are not too far. Anybody no anything about the Ferrari Centre in Maidstone? They are the closest to me.

Edited by bmad on Saturday 22 August 15:36

[Kickstart]

I think you will find a good independent eg Verdi, Bob Haughton will do a great job a lot cheaper than a main dealer and I always get the impression at an indie that the mechanic really knows their onions

[bmad]

OK will try Autofficina. They are only 20 odd miles away! Thanks very much.

[evil_dr_fish]

IMHO - Once the 'new car smell' has worn off... Independent EVERY time.

Let me put it this way...

A Minor service involves:

1) Oil Change - £50 - 150 worth of oil depending on the volume of your sump
2) Spark Plugs - £50 - 100 depending on the flashiness of the plugs and number of cylinders
3) Air Filters - £50 - 100 I paid about £85 in p&p for 2 K&N's!
4) Check and top up coolant if necessary.

1) Involves undoing a nut on the bottom of the car. Waiting and doing nothing for a while (*maybe* swapping drainage receptacles). Redoing the nut. Pour requisite quantity of new oil into the top!

2) Undo 8 cables (pull!) Undo 8 nuts (plugs) redo 8 new nuts (new plugs) replace cables. (I do accept that on some of your cars the plugs are incredibly difficult to access! )

3) Undo the nuts / screws / clips / allen bolts as appropriate. Remove old element. Place new element. Redo nuts / bolts etc

4) Open the cap. Look! Pour in a few pennies worth of coolant & water mixture!


I can do that on the Diablo in about 2-3 hours tops. (I did all this as an intermediate service at 6 months because I'm paranoid like that - and you can never change oil too often!)


Does that really sound like it's *WORTH* One Thousand Two Hundred of your hard earned pounds?!!!


What you could then do is pay someone for an hour's labour to inspect the car for wear and tear etc.



IMHO the £6-700 figures seem far more realisitic. (taking the upper figures - £350 worth of consumables, 3 hour's labour (@let's say £75) and an hour's inspection = £650 + vat!

I'm sure the likes of Autoficina, Grimaldi, Verdi etc will be far more reasonable.

Edited by evil_dr_fish on Sunday 23 August 08:29

[Mike Rob]

D K Engineering:

http://www.dkengineering.co.uk/servicing/fixed-pri...

They have been doing Ferraris for years (mine included) and even quote a fixed price service on the site above.

[christer]

I asked on another thread, but I think it got missed. In the case of Grimaldi and Gallardo's, there is no minor service on their website for fixed prices, only major services. These are quoted at £1750+VAT but does not include any parts.....why is that? Do Gallardos only need major services? Why do they not quote parts prices?

[Chris355]

christer said:

I asked on another thread, but I think it got missed. In the case of Grimaldi and Gallardo's, there is no minor service on their website for fixed prices, only major services. These are quoted at £1750+VAT but does not include any parts.....why is that? Do Gallardos only need major services? Why do they not quote parts prices?

Why dont you try asking them?? They are good guys and very willing to talk.

[wintrader]

I should take an indie. I have seen a lot of work done by so called experts or dealers and a lot made me cry.

[evil_dr_fish]

Holy cow!

From DK engineering:

Enzo (minor) £790 (Major) £1,200

They want less for a major service on an ENZO than the dealer the o/p was asking about wanted for a minor on a 360!

[andrew.]

evil_dr_fish said:

...your hard earned pounds?!!!

please tell, what do you do for a living ???