What's it cost?

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Art S.
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Post by Art S. »

Yale,

Even assuming those expenses were for 18 months (the first bill was for stuff in 2005), the number is excessive. I don’t understand what the cause is but something isn’t right.

I've driven my car into NY (granted it was only Manhattan) and there are parts of NJ that are not very car friendly but my car tends to be relatively happy (the cause for it being taken off the road the last time turned out to be a ~$300 fix, that said much more has been done during this tenure with Francois).

Regarding my radiator; when I went to see Francois the first time, I though my radiator was done. The head tank was cracked it leaked in several places and literally had chewing gum plugging some of the leaks. I asked Francois if there was any way of creating a new radiator while preserving the look of the old one. Francois replied by telling me that he thought my original could be saved and be made reliable. Thus far, it has been.

I don’t know what it will take, but I hope the current problems are minor and once sorted; your car finally becomes reliable.

Regards,

Art S.
1965 330 2+2 series 2 7919
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Art S.
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Post by Art S. »

Yale,

Pictures of the car in the city this occured a few years ago early on a Sunday morning in October if I recall correctly:


Image
I generally don't do events but filling Times Square with Ferraris seemed like a good idea



Image
Pulling out into traffic



Image
gathering on a side street in preparations for a fast lap around the bottom of Manhattan and the for a run out to the LI councourse - did a 270 on the way out - on the Long Island Expressway - my wife would talk to me for the rest of the day...
1965 330 2+2 series 2 7919
mark
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$$$$$$$$$$

Post by mark »

Greetings all:

I had similar problems with my radiator. When I received the car, the bottom can was leaking profusely. Someone at some time had rammed it into an extruded parking curb, or some such low lying obstacle.

Regardless, I had the rad. repaired and I subsequently installed it. With strength and resolve, I connected everything up and took it for a drive. LEAK

I then reversed the process and I made the radiator shop pressure test it for a couple of days. They said they tested it. Being optimistically pessimistic I tested it myself. LEAK.

I repeated the process above until I was satisfied. Removing that thing is difficult enough, once. Twice caused impure thoughts to be generated, I can't think what three times would be worthy of.
69 365 gt 2+2, 12659
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Rebuilt Radiator Problems - Generic?

Post by whturner »

This radiator thread is hits home for me. I have developed a seep at the bottom of the top tank of my rebuild radiator - not enough to pull it yet and fix it again, but a tad unsightly. While Charlie Pierson was redoing the mechanics of my car - he had the tank out twice for the same thing using the best radiator guy he knew.

I don't know how to explain the problem - when I redid my '56 Ford truck the same happened. And also my '47 Ford Convertible. It seems to be universal. The good news? is that about the 3rd or 4th time they went back to be repaired, the leak was finally fixed.

The last time the repair was done without pulling the radiator, since the top tank is accessible. The truck has now gone about 40K miles (including a couple trips across country in the summer pulling a trailer) without leaking, so maybe there is hope. But why can't the fix be as good as new the first time? The soldering process is pretty simple.

Cheers
Warren
330 GT Series II sn 10069
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Yale
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by Yale »

Hi Folks,

It's that time of year again when I do my taxes and look at my Ferrari expenses. This year was particularly brutal. As you may (or not) recall in 2007 I went to the FCA Nationals with Tom Y. On the way home my alternator died. I did make it to Bryan Vignale's shop, however. Since the alternator gauge was moving in unusual ways during my time at Corning it once again proved my intuition correct of anything you see or hear in your car that sounds or looks different means an imminent failure. Given this maxim, and since my overdrive had been making weird sounds I decided to have it looked at. Sure enough it was close to toast and the transmission also needed a rebuilding. Below is the detailed bills for those jobs. The continuation of the story for the close readers that remember, is that I picked up the repaired car in 2008 and drove up to Tom Yang's house party. Not only did I get a speeding ticket, ($600 to a lawyer to lower my points, is that a Ferrari expense?), but my starter died. After a push start I got the car home and had the garage guys push start it days later so I could get it back to Bryan's shop. On the way there my radiator sprung a leak. Since I have had the radiator dealt with 5 times! already I decided to recore it. To those that don't like horror stories, avert your eyes:

Alternator rebuild and install 498.
Overdrive rebuilt 2800
R&R overdrive from car 1372
Remove Gear Box and rebuild 1078
Reinstall gearbox and test 686
Gear box parts
seal 34.40
4 gaskets 96
4 lock washers 94
2 145 ring synchro 350
2 ring 175
3 ring 175
2 bearings 796

That brings us to around $8000 and after driving the car once (my only drive of the year to Tom Y's house), the car decided it would prefer the shop to the garage and I went back and did the following:

Radiator core 620
R & R 294
Starter rebuild 379
R & R 490
Ignition wire set 392
Spark plugs 198
4 Tie rod ends (a wear item on rough NYC streets) 460.

Ah yes, another $12,000 Ferrari repair year! When I look at Tom who is daily driving his new (to him) 365 2+2 and starting to find a steady stream of maintenance needs I can see that all those people who never have any trouble with their cars drive them 20 miles at a time.
Ex - 1964 330GT #6097
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Art S.
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by Art S. »

Yale,

What hasn't been rebuilt yet?

Art S.
1965 330 2+2 series 2 7919
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Yale
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by Yale »

I fear it's like painting a bridge Art. yale
Ex - 1964 330GT #6097
1963 Abarth Monomille
1970 Porsche 911S
1974 BMW 2002turbo
Rudy van Daalen Wetters
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by Rudy van Daalen Wetters »

The Golden Gate Bridge.

Rudy van Daalen Wetters
1963 GTE s/n 4001
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by whturner »

Hi Yale:

There ought to be a radiator thread - and not just for Ferrari's. I have (still am) having the same experience with my 330, my '47 Ford Convt, and my former '56 Ford Truck. All with persistent leaks/seeps - none disabling - at the seam between the core and the top tank. And several attempts to fix have not lasted for long. It doesn't seem as if the metal is fatiguing, it has always been at the solder joint. I have to wonder if the new solder formulation is no-lead like electric solder, and is just not as good.

Cheers
Warren
330 GT Series II sn 10069
mdempsey
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by mdempsey »

I assume that since these expenses came up at tax time that you have now officially declared the car a dependent!!!! I will be willing to testify at the audit for you!
mdempsey
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by mdempsey »

PS sometimes it is better not adding it all up. Ignorance is bliss.
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Yale
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by Yale »

Well I add it all up because it is a whole hobby in denial. I thought someone should talk about it. Otherwise Art is just going to keep telling folks that ask it's no big deal to keep a vintage Ferrari on the road....course I haven't heard him say that lately. :|
Ex - 1964 330GT #6097
1963 Abarth Monomille
1970 Porsche 911S
1974 BMW 2002turbo
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klv
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by klv »

The good news is that it means you must be earning at least 12k per annum...which would be a good income for someone in Manhatten now wouldn't it :lol:

After 5 radiator rebuilds I would seriously look at the cost of fabricating a new one. Surely that cannot be more expensive that what you've been through. Besides, it's only money and you can't take it with you! Remember that next time you floor the throttle and hear those 12 cylinders chime in!

Andrew
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Art S.
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by Art S. »

Yale,

If I ever said that it was no big deal to keep a vintage Ferrari on the road, I must have been on something; someday my car might just get back on the road. However, I just think that you have had a particularly unlucky spell with yours.

By the way, Francois rebuilt my radiator, preserving the tanks and using an original style core, and I have not had any problems with it since.

Regards,

Art S.
1965 330 2+2 series 2 7919
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Re: What's it cost?

Post by 330GT »

klv wrote:... Besides, it's only money and you can't take it with you! ...

Andrew
Ah, but a wife might want to spend it on something else!
Regards, Kerry
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