Sheehan's new 330 GTS Listing
The safest way to inspect the car, both from condition and correctness of parts/restoration would be to hire someone with experience in restoring them or judging them. It's been my experience that judges vary in their depth of expertise, and there are certain details of all these cars which will remain debatable as to what is correct (these controversies can even be entertaining, if not frustrating). Bottom line, get the car checked out.
330GTS
I agree with Jim, have it checked by an independant expert. 330GTC's are very similar to GTS's (except of course for details of the top and weatherstripping around the top). Few people will know these details exactly. Maybe more important is how well was the car taken care of, and did the previous owner take out his checkbook when it was appropriate or just defer the maintenance.
For example, I think all 330GTS's came with black tops, black spark plug wires, and black spark plug boots. But for $2500 you can have all this fixed on any car, and it'll make no difference in the way the car drives or what 99.999% of people think of it - it's just for you, you can do what you want. One trip to the shop for the yearly fluid change and "while-you're-at-its" will cost the same amount, that's what you want to make sure was handled properly over the life of the car. You can fix the rest over time.
For example, I think all 330GTS's came with black tops, black spark plug wires, and black spark plug boots. But for $2500 you can have all this fixed on any car, and it'll make no difference in the way the car drives or what 99.999% of people think of it - it's just for you, you can do what you want. One trip to the shop for the yearly fluid change and "while-you're-at-its" will cost the same amount, that's what you want to make sure was handled properly over the life of the car. You can fix the rest over time.
Deane
'67 330GTS (gone but not forgotten)
'67 330GTS (gone but not forgotten)
Jim and Deane are offering some great advice on this thread.
I'm sorry that my earlier comments were taken as overly strong or even as "bashing".
I've been intending to surprise my elderly father by having his 308 repainted. (In fact, I've been idly thinking about it for a number of years!) Five years ago the price was around $5,000 USD. The recent quote, from the same trusted shop, was $10,000. Material and labor prices have definitely increased over the past five years, but neither has come anywhere close to doubling. What has changed, however, is the gullibility of the average Ferrari owner.
For example, owners of modern Ferraris are paying far too much, far too often for cambelt replacements. Where the factory specifies a mere inspection or adjustment, belts are replaced at $5,000 a pop. This is accomplished by the widespread misinformation that Ferraris are overly exotic.
That's the same misinformation that M Sheehan spreads in his bogus article. It's only common sense that the repainting of a Daytona doesn't cost double in both labor and materials over a 308. (Des one need twice the filler, twice the primer, twice the sealer, twice the high-build primer, as well as twice the color? No one doesn't.)
He's not the only source of misinformation about Ferraris. Ferrari of North America, for one, does their part to keep their dealers nicely profitable.
And there's nothing wrong with making a profit. I say, more power to Mr. Sheehan for making money by earning the people's trust and selling cars. I hope he continues to do well by it. I would just like for members of this forum to know what the real markups are for a mid 1960s Ferrari are. There's a substantial savings (and related risk, that someone like Sheehan can mitigate) if you buy cars from an auction.
From what I can tell, this forum is about the realities of Ferrari ownership and the related expense. I hate the misinformation that undermines the reality, and will point it out if I can. But I'll also do it here, in a place that values real and helpful information, and values it over places like Ferrarichat.com.
Sorry to take up so much space. The "cost to paint a Ferrari" issue has been a stone in my shoe for a while. And, for what it's worth, I have friends who are getting their 1950s American Cadillac’s (that have a lot more chrome trim and surface area) being painted for under $5,000.
--Matt
I'm sorry that my earlier comments were taken as overly strong or even as "bashing".
I've been intending to surprise my elderly father by having his 308 repainted. (In fact, I've been idly thinking about it for a number of years!) Five years ago the price was around $5,000 USD. The recent quote, from the same trusted shop, was $10,000. Material and labor prices have definitely increased over the past five years, but neither has come anywhere close to doubling. What has changed, however, is the gullibility of the average Ferrari owner.
For example, owners of modern Ferraris are paying far too much, far too often for cambelt replacements. Where the factory specifies a mere inspection or adjustment, belts are replaced at $5,000 a pop. This is accomplished by the widespread misinformation that Ferraris are overly exotic.
That's the same misinformation that M Sheehan spreads in his bogus article. It's only common sense that the repainting of a Daytona doesn't cost double in both labor and materials over a 308. (Des one need twice the filler, twice the primer, twice the sealer, twice the high-build primer, as well as twice the color? No one doesn't.)
He's not the only source of misinformation about Ferraris. Ferrari of North America, for one, does their part to keep their dealers nicely profitable.
And there's nothing wrong with making a profit. I say, more power to Mr. Sheehan for making money by earning the people's trust and selling cars. I hope he continues to do well by it. I would just like for members of this forum to know what the real markups are for a mid 1960s Ferrari are. There's a substantial savings (and related risk, that someone like Sheehan can mitigate) if you buy cars from an auction.
From what I can tell, this forum is about the realities of Ferrari ownership and the related expense. I hate the misinformation that undermines the reality, and will point it out if I can. But I'll also do it here, in a place that values real and helpful information, and values it over places like Ferrarichat.com.
Sorry to take up so much space. The "cost to paint a Ferrari" issue has been a stone in my shoe for a while. And, for what it's worth, I have friends who are getting their 1950s American Cadillac’s (that have a lot more chrome trim and surface area) being painted for under $5,000.
--Matt
Well Matt I think we all appreciate your point of view and that you express it here. However isn't the big difference in painting a Cadillac and a Ferrari is the Ferrari is a hand made car and has a lot more variation then a Cadillac?
As for people who sell used cars, they are used car salesman whether their selling Ferraris or Cadillac’s or Fords for that matter.
There are collections of articles on older Ferraris put out by Brooklands and the like that include ones about a certain Michael Sheehan's operation of chopping the tops off of Daytona's to make Daytona Spyders. I'm guessing this was where he got his start.
Went up to restoration shop that also sells cars two weekends ago and the owner there was talking about a 275 GTB that he had for sale. Guy calls him and says how much is that car, $160, 000 says the owner, $160! I'm not paying $160 says the guy. The he calls the owner back a month later, "ok I'll buy the car." Well says the owner prices have gone up on GTB's, now it's $180. As you can imagine the guy said"What the hell!" And furthermore says the owner if you want it you better put a deposit on it. "A deposit?", the prospective buyer says, " you've had that car for a few months."
Well you know the end of the story, when the guy was ready to buy the car someone else already had bought it. Isn't that the way it always is, when we are ready to spend the money on a car we are looking for one whose price is what they used to cost.
Damn I need some emoticons here.
Yale
As for people who sell used cars, they are used car salesman whether their selling Ferraris or Cadillac’s or Fords for that matter.
There are collections of articles on older Ferraris put out by Brooklands and the like that include ones about a certain Michael Sheehan's operation of chopping the tops off of Daytona's to make Daytona Spyders. I'm guessing this was where he got his start.
Went up to restoration shop that also sells cars two weekends ago and the owner there was talking about a 275 GTB that he had for sale. Guy calls him and says how much is that car, $160, 000 says the owner, $160! I'm not paying $160 says the guy. The he calls the owner back a month later, "ok I'll buy the car." Well says the owner prices have gone up on GTB's, now it's $180. As you can imagine the guy said"What the hell!" And furthermore says the owner if you want it you better put a deposit on it. "A deposit?", the prospective buyer says, " you've had that car for a few months."
Well you know the end of the story, when the guy was ready to buy the car someone else already had bought it. Isn't that the way it always is, when we are ready to spend the money on a car we are looking for one whose price is what they used to cost.
Damn I need some emoticons here.
Yale
I have a friend that does high-end paintwork, mostly on street rods and the like. He charges $7K just for a basic strip to bare metal and paint. If any bodywork needs to be done that's extra labor. If you want the final product to be a showcar finish that's extra.
If you just want paint on the car any hack bodyshop can spray it for a couple of hundred bucks. To get a final product that is showcar-quality takes lots and lots of time spent sanding, priming, blocking as well as working the metal. Some of his work ( in the range of $20-30,000) is stunning - perfectly flat panels and paint as smooth as glass. You get what you pay for.
He has worked on a couple of our local Ferraris. One huge difference between a handmade car and a mass-produced car can be illustrated by an experience I had when helping him reassemble a 308 that he had just resprayed front entire front end.
I was helping re-install the grille. Now on a mass-produced car the grille would just snap into holes in the bodywork or maybe have a couple of bolts or screws. The screws would fit in elongated holes to accomodate production tolerances.Not on the 308. The grille still bore file marks from where it was custom fit to match the body opening. It attached to the bodywork with small angle brackets handcut cut from angle stock (you could still see the hacksaw marks) and riveted to the body in hand drilled holes. Reinstalling this grille took more like 90 mintues to install as opposed to the 5 minutes it would take to install the grille on my VW. The handmade nature of a Ferarri means nothing just snaps on and off. Everything requires some fiddling to get it right.
On the matter of charging more to work on a Ferrari, there is a relationship between price and perceived quality.
A local guy I know installs a lot of body kits. He charges $1000 or so for a typical install on a Honda or VW. On a Porsche he has to charge $2500 for basically the same labor because the Porsche guys perceive $1000 as being so cheap that they think it can possibly be done correctly for that price. The Honda guys think $1000 is cheap, the Porche guys think $2500 is cheap and a 550 Maranello owner would probably think $5000 is cheap.
If you just want paint on the car any hack bodyshop can spray it for a couple of hundred bucks. To get a final product that is showcar-quality takes lots and lots of time spent sanding, priming, blocking as well as working the metal. Some of his work ( in the range of $20-30,000) is stunning - perfectly flat panels and paint as smooth as glass. You get what you pay for.
He has worked on a couple of our local Ferraris. One huge difference between a handmade car and a mass-produced car can be illustrated by an experience I had when helping him reassemble a 308 that he had just resprayed front entire front end.
I was helping re-install the grille. Now on a mass-produced car the grille would just snap into holes in the bodywork or maybe have a couple of bolts or screws. The screws would fit in elongated holes to accomodate production tolerances.Not on the 308. The grille still bore file marks from where it was custom fit to match the body opening. It attached to the bodywork with small angle brackets handcut cut from angle stock (you could still see the hacksaw marks) and riveted to the body in hand drilled holes. Reinstalling this grille took more like 90 mintues to install as opposed to the 5 minutes it would take to install the grille on my VW. The handmade nature of a Ferarri means nothing just snaps on and off. Everything requires some fiddling to get it right.
On the matter of charging more to work on a Ferrari, there is a relationship between price and perceived quality.
A local guy I know installs a lot of body kits. He charges $1000 or so for a typical install on a Honda or VW. On a Porsche he has to charge $2500 for basically the same labor because the Porsche guys perceive $1000 as being so cheap that they think it can possibly be done correctly for that price. The Honda guys think $1000 is cheap, the Porche guys think $2500 is cheap and a 550 Maranello owner would probably think $5000 is cheap.
mine
oh goody; OPINIONS!
here's mine:
Sheehan Bashing is uncalled for
if only out of deference to our host
the esteemed mr tom
(as he maybe held liable for the crap we might spew)
that said
I have run head on
into the phenomenon of
those who perpetuate the myth
of exorbidant prices on all things Ferrari
for their own benefit
parts, for example
the 'big' domestic Ferrari Parts 'Experts'
quoted me outrageous prices for parts
only to tell me
they had to come from thier 'sources' in Europe
it did not take me long to figure out
that I could get the same parts from
(you guessed it)
Ferrari UK / Maranello Conessionaires
and that these 'Experts' double or triple the price
merely for acting as the middleman
keeping the myth alive
and their pockets lined
now for parts that are NLA
(and are not being reproduced)
you are at thier mercy
if they happen to have something you need
(like the distributor rotor, 400i
which I have found,
but the seller says 'inquire' for price
too embarrased to publish their outrageous demand,
or wants to chisel every buck they can)
as for service
32635 was supposedly 'well maintained'
by 'Factory Authorized Experts'
at exorbidant rates
(file full of receipts)
but you sure can't tell that by looking under the hood
and the Air Filters looked like they had 10 years on them
as for a paint job
a great job does cost big bucks
but like anything else
the 'ferrari factor' is in play
I think I would go to someone
who is the best in the area
at paint /prep
and not a Ferrari expert per se
but then again, I would pull off the trim
(and probably strip the paint)
myself...
(as well as re-assemble)
sometimes paying the price
for experience and expertise
is a good investment
but as in other business matters,
you need to look out for the sharks
here's mine:
Sheehan Bashing is uncalled for
if only out of deference to our host
the esteemed mr tom
(as he maybe held liable for the crap we might spew)
that said
I have run head on
into the phenomenon of
those who perpetuate the myth
of exorbidant prices on all things Ferrari
for their own benefit
parts, for example
the 'big' domestic Ferrari Parts 'Experts'
quoted me outrageous prices for parts
only to tell me
they had to come from thier 'sources' in Europe
it did not take me long to figure out
that I could get the same parts from
(you guessed it)
Ferrari UK / Maranello Conessionaires
and that these 'Experts' double or triple the price
merely for acting as the middleman
keeping the myth alive
and their pockets lined
now for parts that are NLA
(and are not being reproduced)
you are at thier mercy
if they happen to have something you need
(like the distributor rotor, 400i
which I have found,
but the seller says 'inquire' for price
too embarrased to publish their outrageous demand,
or wants to chisel every buck they can)
as for service
32635 was supposedly 'well maintained'
by 'Factory Authorized Experts'
at exorbidant rates
(file full of receipts)
but you sure can't tell that by looking under the hood
and the Air Filters looked like they had 10 years on them
as for a paint job
a great job does cost big bucks
but like anything else
the 'ferrari factor' is in play
I think I would go to someone
who is the best in the area
at paint /prep
and not a Ferrari expert per se
but then again, I would pull off the trim
(and probably strip the paint)
myself...
(as well as re-assemble)
sometimes paying the price
for experience and expertise
is a good investment
but as in other business matters,
you need to look out for the sharks
Everyone in the Ferrari business has stories about them. The business has changed quite a bit through the years and what people did to make a living can come back to haunt them. Even François has his detractors, but there is often two sides to every story. The only time there is concern if you begin to see a pattern, and with François the pattern is of honesty, and excellent service.
Running this website, I've been threatened by at least two attorneys representing clients who feel their reputation was smeared by something posted on this site. I was forced in both instances to remove or edit what was posted because fighting these people was far too expensive! I may be wrong, but I think it's harder to sue a posting to forum because it is not necessarily MY opinions or actions posting these messages. This does not, however, mean that I will not moderate, and delete if necessary, what is being said on this site to protect myself from litigious individuals!
I think people should know the truth, and I champion your opinions, but please also be respectful of my concerns. I know in the balance, we can help you all save some money, and keep enjoyment in Ferrari ownership!
Tom
Running this website, I've been threatened by at least two attorneys representing clients who feel their reputation was smeared by something posted on this site. I was forced in both instances to remove or edit what was posted because fighting these people was far too expensive! I may be wrong, but I think it's harder to sue a posting to forum because it is not necessarily MY opinions or actions posting these messages. This does not, however, mean that I will not moderate, and delete if necessary, what is being said on this site to protect myself from litigious individuals!
I think people should know the truth, and I champion your opinions, but please also be respectful of my concerns. I know in the balance, we can help you all save some money, and keep enjoyment in Ferrari ownership!
Tom
Time for me to come out of the shadows and share my story. Although I'm not yet a Ferrari owner, I feel my experinces with my 105 Alfas may have some relevance here.
A number of years ago I managed to park my 105 Alfa GTV up the rear end of another car at a set of stop lights. As a male driver of a sports car aged under 20 years old, my insurance excess was so large I decided not to claim for my damage and persue it privately.
The quotes I recieved from body shops to repair the damage were surprising.
Shop 1. Porsches and Corvettes parked outside. I assumed these guys to be auto enthusiasts so went in. "We don't touch Alfas. When they rust AGAIN where we repair it, you'll come back and blame us." Next shop.
Shop 2. Local Toyota Dealer appointed bodyshop and detailer. "No worries, that will be $5,000. We can fit you in, in 5 months time." Could think of other things to do with $5,000 being a full time Uni student at the time.
Shop 3. Insurance company recommended bodyshop. "Oh. It's a fully monocoque construction. Can't just unbolt the damaged panels. Thats a lot of work to crawl in under there and beat it out by hand." Quote $3,000. Keep on shopin'
Shop 4. Bodyshop whose cars have won nearly every Australian Alfa concourse for the last X number of years and continue to do so. Also regarded for their work on Ferraris and other upmarket autos. Entershop. Ferrari Testarossa (80's) recently rolled. Bareshell 308. Lancia Flaminia Sedan. Hail damaged Merc S500 being beaten by hand. Handfull of 105 Alfas. This is gonna hurt!
Quote --- $900.
When asked how thet could be cheaper than all the other NON-specialist bodyshops they replied.
"All our staff are trained to do hand panel work, not just unbolt broken and replace with new. We work on this stuff every day, so we now the cars and their idiosyncrasies. We know where to source all their parts from so don't have to waste time searching."
From this experience I tend to follow the opinion that specialisation should mean that they are able to offer standard price service on their chosen speciality. Whilst Alfas may be mass produced compared to the products of Maranello, the cost (opposed to PRICE) of parts aside, the labour cost should realistically be no different. IMHO specialisation is not an excuse for unrealistic premiums.
Then again, maybe I got lucky on this experience and it has tainted my view on this matter !?
Adam Malone
A number of years ago I managed to park my 105 Alfa GTV up the rear end of another car at a set of stop lights. As a male driver of a sports car aged under 20 years old, my insurance excess was so large I decided not to claim for my damage and persue it privately.
The quotes I recieved from body shops to repair the damage were surprising.
Shop 1. Porsches and Corvettes parked outside. I assumed these guys to be auto enthusiasts so went in. "We don't touch Alfas. When they rust AGAIN where we repair it, you'll come back and blame us." Next shop.
Shop 2. Local Toyota Dealer appointed bodyshop and detailer. "No worries, that will be $5,000. We can fit you in, in 5 months time." Could think of other things to do with $5,000 being a full time Uni student at the time.
Shop 3. Insurance company recommended bodyshop. "Oh. It's a fully monocoque construction. Can't just unbolt the damaged panels. Thats a lot of work to crawl in under there and beat it out by hand." Quote $3,000. Keep on shopin'
Shop 4. Bodyshop whose cars have won nearly every Australian Alfa concourse for the last X number of years and continue to do so. Also regarded for their work on Ferraris and other upmarket autos. Entershop. Ferrari Testarossa (80's) recently rolled. Bareshell 308. Lancia Flaminia Sedan. Hail damaged Merc S500 being beaten by hand. Handfull of 105 Alfas. This is gonna hurt!
Quote --- $900.
When asked how thet could be cheaper than all the other NON-specialist bodyshops they replied.
"All our staff are trained to do hand panel work, not just unbolt broken and replace with new. We work on this stuff every day, so we now the cars and their idiosyncrasies. We know where to source all their parts from so don't have to waste time searching."
From this experience I tend to follow the opinion that specialisation should mean that they are able to offer standard price service on their chosen speciality. Whilst Alfas may be mass produced compared to the products of Maranello, the cost (opposed to PRICE) of parts aside, the labour cost should realistically be no different. IMHO specialisation is not an excuse for unrealistic premiums.
Then again, maybe I got lucky on this experience and it has tainted my view on this matter !?
Adam Malone
Hi, Matt-
In reference to Michael Sheehan and your distrust... I am a mechanic, and while I have never disassembled a Daytona for painting, I do know that similar jobs on dissimilar (or even fairly similar...) cars can be radically different. Much more than a 2 to 1 spread, depending on the job. From my perspective, I have found Mr. Sheehan's articles and comments to be very believable. And if I recall the article, he was writing as a FORMER body-shop owner, not trying to justify prices he was currently charging...
As for the markup in price on the 275 GTS, maybe the buyer at the auction bought it to try to make a profit. So what? If it's not worth it to you, don't buy it. Michael Sheehan is a broker. From what I've heard, for the most part, he doesn't own the cars for sale on his web page. If the price is too high, the car won't sell. The owner will either lower the price or take the car off the market.
No, I've never met Michael Sheehan or had any dealing with him. Though I do believe that my car was brokered by him to the previous owner several years ago. Or I may have mis-heard...
All the best in your search for the right Ferrari for you. You're still one-up on the rest of us--it'll say Ferrari in two places on the pink slip!
Michael Mcclure
In reference to Michael Sheehan and your distrust... I am a mechanic, and while I have never disassembled a Daytona for painting, I do know that similar jobs on dissimilar (or even fairly similar...) cars can be radically different. Much more than a 2 to 1 spread, depending on the job. From my perspective, I have found Mr. Sheehan's articles and comments to be very believable. And if I recall the article, he was writing as a FORMER body-shop owner, not trying to justify prices he was currently charging...
As for the markup in price on the 275 GTS, maybe the buyer at the auction bought it to try to make a profit. So what? If it's not worth it to you, don't buy it. Michael Sheehan is a broker. From what I've heard, for the most part, he doesn't own the cars for sale on his web page. If the price is too high, the car won't sell. The owner will either lower the price or take the car off the market.
No, I've never met Michael Sheehan or had any dealing with him. Though I do believe that my car was brokered by him to the previous owner several years ago. Or I may have mis-heard...
All the best in your search for the right Ferrari for you. You're still one-up on the rest of us--it'll say Ferrari in two places on the pink slip!
Michael Mcclure
-
Michael Bayer
- Posts: 699
- Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2002 7:22 am
Michael McClure,
Thanks for remembering who I am. I appreciate that.
I agree that most of Michael Sheehan's articles are generally very helpful and believable. This one particular article, in contrast, really bothers me.
He doesn't say that there can be a 200% swing in prices, he says that model-specific prices can (and will) increase by half for a Dino and double for a Daytona--almost automatically. And for both labor and materials. It just doesn't make sense.
Do you think that there's a bigger swing in price for cars, like your 330 GTC, that was made with the shaped-and-welded-panel process than with full stampings?
Tom,
I certainly respect your concerns, and don't mean to put you at any risk at all. Thank you for the forum, and the opportunity to share information and learn.
--Matt
Thanks for remembering who I am. I appreciate that.
I agree that most of Michael Sheehan's articles are generally very helpful and believable. This one particular article, in contrast, really bothers me.
He doesn't say that there can be a 200% swing in prices, he says that model-specific prices can (and will) increase by half for a Dino and double for a Daytona--almost automatically. And for both labor and materials. It just doesn't make sense.
Do you think that there's a bigger swing in price for cars, like your 330 GTC, that was made with the shaped-and-welded-panel process than with full stampings?
Tom,
I certainly respect your concerns, and don't mean to put you at any risk at all. Thank you for the forum, and the opportunity to share information and learn.
--Matt
I think this is key. Whether you agree with the statements made in his article or not, it is wrong to accuse Michael of presenting erroneous information in order to deepen his own pockets.And if I recall the article, he was writing as a FORMER body-shop owner, not trying to justify prices he was currently charging...
As for his asking prices, you have to keep in mind that, in most cases, he is only brokering these cars, much like a real estate agent lists houses for sale. He accepts a a percentage of the selling price as his commission. Certainly, a higher price will mean a slightly larger commission, but you have to realize that he does not set the prices, the sellers do. If a seller is unrealistic in what he/she is asking for their car, it will only result in wasting Michael's time (time=money). Believe me, he would much rather the car be priced accordingly and sell quicker.
Hi, Matt-
I'm not sure how welded and beat vs stamped panels makes a big difference in painting. What makes the difference is how much the prep guys have to sand inside contours or other tight places, like the headlight scoops on the GTC, or inside the hood trough (not sure of the terminology), or the side vents (gills). The fiddley hand work is slow. What would be different is repairing a body panel. Rather than bolting or welding on a new fender/quarter panel/door skin, since a new one is not available, the old one's got to be fixed.
Other than the actual painting, I think doing a full down-to-the-metal body restoration would be more time consuming for a car like my 330GTC than for a mass-produced car for two reasons. First, all the pieces that need to come off/out, (like bumpers, grills and trimwork, door handles and locks, lights, windows and weather stripping, etc.) are trickier to pull off and much trickier to re-install PROPERLY because--as someone pointed out earlier in this thread--the parts are custom fitted and the holes won't necessarily line up.
Second, when a part is stubborn in coming off with a VW or a Chevy it is sometimes cost effective to simply drill out or break the part off. You'll go buy a new door handle or whatever for $45. With a Ferrari, the stakes are usually much higher. Therefore, the mechanic has to be much more careful to salvage the parts.
For all of the above, how well you want it done = how much money you want to spend...
As for Sheehan's comments, all I can say is that I believe he is speaking from experience with the cars in question. I'm speculating, based on experience with a bunch of other cars, but not with the ones he's talking about.
As for me, personally, and my GTC, it's a moot point. Nobody is going to be painting this car while I own it with the possible exception of me. The problem with me doing it (besides the obvious...) is that it would take forever, and I couldn't drive the car while it was apart! Though certainly not a concourse car, it looks pretty good for a driver, so I will. Drive it, that is.
Does this make any sense at all? I'd like to say it's crystal clear to me, but...
Michael Mcclure
I'm not sure how welded and beat vs stamped panels makes a big difference in painting. What makes the difference is how much the prep guys have to sand inside contours or other tight places, like the headlight scoops on the GTC, or inside the hood trough (not sure of the terminology), or the side vents (gills). The fiddley hand work is slow. What would be different is repairing a body panel. Rather than bolting or welding on a new fender/quarter panel/door skin, since a new one is not available, the old one's got to be fixed.
Other than the actual painting, I think doing a full down-to-the-metal body restoration would be more time consuming for a car like my 330GTC than for a mass-produced car for two reasons. First, all the pieces that need to come off/out, (like bumpers, grills and trimwork, door handles and locks, lights, windows and weather stripping, etc.) are trickier to pull off and much trickier to re-install PROPERLY because--as someone pointed out earlier in this thread--the parts are custom fitted and the holes won't necessarily line up.
Second, when a part is stubborn in coming off with a VW or a Chevy it is sometimes cost effective to simply drill out or break the part off. You'll go buy a new door handle or whatever for $45. With a Ferrari, the stakes are usually much higher. Therefore, the mechanic has to be much more careful to salvage the parts.
For all of the above, how well you want it done = how much money you want to spend...
As for Sheehan's comments, all I can say is that I believe he is speaking from experience with the cars in question. I'm speculating, based on experience with a bunch of other cars, but not with the ones he's talking about.
As for me, personally, and my GTC, it's a moot point. Nobody is going to be painting this car while I own it with the possible exception of me. The problem with me doing it (besides the obvious...) is that it would take forever, and I couldn't drive the car while it was apart! Though certainly not a concourse car, it looks pretty good for a driver, so I will. Drive it, that is.
Does this make any sense at all? I'd like to say it's crystal clear to me, but...
Michael Mcclure