[DeTomaso] Ferrari 360 maintenance costs-- NPC

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/7/10 12 25 28, pantdino at aol.com writes:


> 
> I think that's true for the older cars-- Dinos, 308s. 
> I haven't seen any posts that describe the owner doing anything on a 360 
> beyond oil changes.
> 

I visited a friend of Dennis Yogi in Hawaii who has a F355.   He ordered a 
"30K mile service kit in a box", which came directly from Ferrari in a 
wooden crate.   It contained all the pieces/parts needed to do the job--belts, 
new water pump, new this, new that, gaskets etc. and cost several thousand 
dollars.   On the day I visited, he and a friend had just removed the engine 
and gearbox from the car to perform the service.   I was therefore afforded 
the rare opportunity to see how a Ferrari 355 is put together from underneath. 
  

People who have never worked on a car would deem the packaging extremely 
clever.   But from my perspective, much of it is downright diabolical.   The 
Pantera boast one such design--the metal pipes that carry the hot water 
forward to the heater core are welded in the center of the main structure and are 
impossible to access, service or replace.   The F355 seems to have numerous 
examples of that sort of thinking, and there is virtually no access to the 
front of the motor (well, technically it's the side of the motor) from 
inside the cabin.

No thanks!

Mike