Servicing, trust in the mechanic or the management

[Wack61]

I had a really good relationship with a local guy until he retired , the guy who bought the garage which had been trading for 30 years with a loyal client base was a complete tool.

He decided he didn't want a lot of customers with 1-2 vehicles so started looking for contract work

Final straw was when I left a van with him for 2 weeks over Christmas for a new axle to be fitted and he didn't touch it, it had cobwebs all over it when I went back.

12 months later he went bust

So I started the search , then through a breakdown I came across a guy in Blackburn

Steve is a proper mechanic , he fixes things, swaps UJs rather than sending them off, strips gearboxes and rebuilds them, fits £10 bushes rather than £200 wishbones and charges me £30 an hour with no VAT as he's well under the registration threshold'

he bought a digger with a blown engine and grafted a replacement from something totally different in it.

5 years ago I bought a 1996 XK8 with a blown gearbox that turned into a blown engine too

Sourced an engine and box out of an XJ8 but only the block and heads were compatible, everything had to be swapped including the cams , engine and gearbox out , bits everywhere , put it back in and it ran like a dog so I did some internet research to find the starter ring gear was different and that controlled the timing, gearbox out, ring gear swapped, sweet as a nut, ran for 4 years without a single breakdown until an abs light killed it.

For all that he charged me £1000

I trust him to work on anything but he's the scruffiest bloke in the world , he never throws anything away so his garage is like a scrapyard with engines all over the place

It's been 10 years now since we first met so he's become a friend and I'm very loyal because Many times he's saved me, one was when the clutch went in my van at 2pm , I rang him, how soon can you get it here, 4pm , I arrived and the parts were waiting, by 8pm I was driving home with a new clutch.

Now the problem , Maserati , I'm 6 months away from buying it, I trust him to work on it but because I've had him working on all my cars for this long I don't think I can bring myself to take it anywhere else, especially not at £80-100 an hour, but then I think but it might end up costing me that if it's got a main dealer history and I break the chain.

So what do I do, put my trust in Steve or management ( you'd all be horrified if I showed you his garage)

I have a mate who's a bit OCD , he asked me about using him and I said forget, it you wouldn't sleep for months

 

[Wack61]

The engine out of the XJ8 came with a story

It was in a garage near Newbury , the guy was breaking the car and had advertised the box for £300, I rang and asked about the engine, £700 for both, bargain, especially as I found out the engine in the XK was a replacement with a new block, I got £600 for it so it actually cost me, £100 mega bargain

Anyway, the XJ was a 2001 car, I got ther to see what was a mint car with a minor prang at the front but every door and the boot lid had been crowbarred open

I asked what had happened, kidnapping, murder

No, they'd sold the car to a German guy when it was 3 years old ,he'd had it for a couple of months then decided to go to Germany in it

In France he lost it, spun and hit a crash barrier hence the front damage, it got recovered to a local garage

The problems started when he claimed on his insurance

I've crashed my car

Where

France

Excellent, you don't have insurance to drive in France, bye

Then while it was locked up in France the alarm started going off so some moron crowbarred all the doors and the boot lid looking for the battery writing the car off

It took 5 years to sort it out and get it back to the UK , still I did alright out of it

I loved that car, so much so that I considered a DB7 for a while which shares the same body

 

[Steve GS]

The problem comes down to has it got the tools to work on the car. I use a a so called back street macanic with engine parts and striped out cars laying around. But he has the tools. And if he comes across a problem his mate works for HR Owen and gives his advice. And it's not just me who trusts this guy his garage has often got Bentleys jags m3. You name it.
I think calling him a back street macanic is a bit harsh. Every bit of work done on my car is documented I my self are not bothered by a dealership stamp. Others maybe.

 

[Wack61]

The problem comes down to has it got the tools to work on the car.

I think if he didn't have them I'd buy them

When we did the jag I had to buy the timing tools but when I sold them I got most of the money back

He knows a lot of people so there's usually somebody , but I doubt he knows anyone that's worked on a Maserati

 

[Steve GS]

At the end of the day it's a car. If he don't see it that way then I'd have to find another macanic.

 

[highlander]

A difficult one. Think we all probably know a mechanic/garage that we trust implicitly with other vehicles. I know I do. However, most on here would not use them for their maser because it will prove more difficult to achieve top price at resale time without the maser/Indy history. Of course, if the car you get is to be a keeper, then resale price is immaterial.

 

[jluis]

You main problem might be the lack of the SD2 tool to diagnose more tricky problems.
For the standard maintenance and repairs a good mechanic will do, altough it helps to have the service manual.

 

[Steve GS]

I'd like to add I don't use my guy because he's cheep as he is not. he goes over my car with a fine tooth Combe shows me any little fault and deals with it. And always shows me the faulty parts tels shows me why it's faulty he does the same with my transit van my mrs audi and my daughters 15 year old ka. Not sure I'd get the same service else wear

 

[Wack61]

At the end of the day it's a car. If he don't see it that way then I'd have to find another macanic.

He'll be fine with it plus, and this is a big part of it because he's 40 miles away I always stay with it so I know exactly what's being done to it, there's no sitting in a showroom while you have no idea what they're doing to your car

I'd like to add I don't use my guy because he's cheep as he is not. he goes over my car with a fine tooth Combe shows me any little fault and deals with it. And always shows me the faulty parts tels shows me why it's faulty he does the same with my transit van my mrs audi and my daughters 15 year old ka. Not sure I'd get the same service else wear

Exactly but the other side of it is I'm not paying for work that doesn't need doing , he actually talks himself out of work

A guy came in with a Renault Megane while I was there, electric window not working, I was gobsmacked when he told him to take it to Renault as they know there's a fault so they're doing the job for £100

The parts cost me more than that

 

[2b1ask1]

I do all my own work on mine, it is a keeper so I only have to satisfy myself about the dealer and service stamps missing. I know the work is done to my standards and I know exactly how much I'm saving in the process. I would say i you trust him which you clearly do then go for it. Only if you plan to sell it is there an issue with service stamps. Keep a full document wallet so you can prove the work is done and oil changes are on time etc.

lift the bonnet and these cars look intimidating but honestly there is nothing frightening in there, actually they are mostly built from parts bins in the Fiat stable, there is an awful lot of Alfa 166 components, yes Ferrari running gear but nothing you cannot tackle with a basic understanding of auto mechanics. As far as more specialized things like diagnostics, there are options there or pop it over to Marios who is close to you...

 

[CatmanV2]

I use the same Alfa guy I've used for years. When (if) he needs an SD2 we'll either borrow one, hire Voicey or do something else, but I'm not really expecting it until the clutch change.

Granted, my 4200 was never the best loved, but it's fascinating that so many on here won't buy a car that doesn't have a service history yet will expect to do their own work etc

C

 

[ChrisQP09]

As much as I believe a mechanic may be a mechanic, these are specialist cars and someone with knowledge in the niche is by far a better option.

It will be your baby and a temperamental one likely, its up to you whether you trust her in the arms of someone who probably has never worked on one. Personally I wouldn't.

 

[philw696]

Interesting thread most of my working life in the Motor trade I would have been classed as a back street guy and trust me there are alot of skilled guys out there and I have worked with some of the best in and around motor sport.
I have probably done one of the trickiest jobs at home which was replacing the oil/water pump on my 4200 which i did without a hoist.
Here in New Zealand I'm now working for Maserati and Lotus.
I proved myself with my technical knowledge and could prove my experience of over 30 years.
If you trust your man and he can do then stay with him.
Every day is different for me with lots of Maserati but today I was working on a Lamborgini Gallardo and this afternoon overhauling the power steering and brakes on the Lancia Delta Intergrale Evo we have in.
I'm know quite a expert on Masser clutches along with Aston Martin and cambelt changes on Ferraris.
Just my thoughts,
Phil.

 

[davy83]

i think there are only two things to consider here. One is resale value, if your car has a full dealer history, then breaking that chain may reduce its resale value, although that may depend on the buyer to some extent, but it will put off some buyers. The second thing that i have run into is that the two things you are likely to need most are repair to niggly annoying wiring issues where an SD-2 or 3 can make short work of the problem, and the lack of it can make a quick job long and expensive. The other thing you will run into is the suspension, which all needs to be shimmed back into place and the only way to work out if its set up right is a hunter 4-wheel alignment tool. I think you might find your trusted garage can do some of the work, but probably not all of it?

 

[Wack61]

That's what I'm thinking, servicing is just checking and fluids etc but it's if he'll know what to look for

He's had Motorsport experience too

In the 80s he was Karl Foggarty's mechanic , one of the reason he was winning at the beginning is Steve tuned his bikes but once he started to ride up to the big leagues he got left behind because while he could do the work he'd never been to college to get the qualifications so they didn't want him.

When I get it it will be a keeper, the only reason I sold the jaguar was with an abs light and airbag light on it wouldn't go through an MOT and after doing the simple things it wasn't worth spending the money on it

I've got a lot to think about over the next few months 15-20k on a QP or 25-30k on a GT

I want a GT so much it aches but whether I'll bottle it spending that much money on an 8 year old car time will only tell , it's over double anything I've ever spent on a car

My wife is a diamond , as long as I'm happy with it she's fine whatever I spend

 

[mchristyuk]

Wack61,

The chap who does the majority of work on my car sounds just like your man. The place looks like a bomb hit it, but he knows his onions and does not rip people off.. if something doesn't need doing he doesn't do it. A decent honest mechanic is a hard thing to find!

As others have said, there's nothing particularly special on these cars.. they're not space rockets, they are just cars at the end of the day. Yes some of the computers, etc, are only accessible with the right equipment, but the majority if work is much like any other car.

The question is always the "stamps in the book" resale value. However if you keep all the receipts for everything that's been done and keep the book stamped I don't think it will have the much of an effect on the value of the car.. it's when there are no receipts and gaps in the book that the alarm bells really start ringing!

Personally I'd always buy a car that's been clearly loved by the owner over one with a FMSH stamped book.. I've yet to come across a good main dealer, and the stories I've heard from people in the trade....!!

So.. my opinion is use your local guy that you trust for what he can do on the car, then if there is something that needs a particular set of skills or tools that he doesn't have go to one of the many good independent Maserati specialists there are around.

Mark

 

[jluis]

That's what I'm thinking, servicing is just checking and fluids etc but it's if he'll know what to look for

He's had Motorsport experience too

In the 80s he was Karl Foggarty's mechanic , one of the reason he was winning at the beginning is Steve tuned his bikes but once he started to ride up to the big leagues he got left behind because while he could do the work he'd never been to college to get the qualifications so they didn't want him.

When I get it it will be a keeper, the only reason I sold the jaguar was with an abs light and airbag light on it wouldn't go through an MOT and after doing the simple things it wasn't worth spending the money on it

I've got a lot to think about over the next few months 15-20k on a QP or 25-30k on a GT

I want a GT so much it aches but whether I'll bottle it spending that much money on an 8 year old car time will only tell , it's over double anything I've ever spent on a car

My wife is a diamond , as long as I'm happy with it she's fine whatever I spend

I'm curious to know what the problem was with those lights in the Jag that cost so much to repair.

 

[Wack61]

Never found out, it went for MOT, passed, drove it back , parked and the abs light came on , then about a week later the airbag light

It had 12 months test on it so I stuck a bit of tape over them for a bit then had it scanned , it came up with a sensor fault on the abs but a new one didn't cure it so it was probably a break in a wire or a computer fault

The mot was winding down and I'd fallen out with it so decided to call it a day

It was bloody annoying to in effect write it off when it was perfectly fine to drive like all those classic cars you see on eBay from the 70s .

It's all about selling cars, no you can't MOT that you'll have to buy a new one

 

[casadalloro]

I use a guy ive known for 15 years to do all my service work.. All grand so far.... He can fix stuff..problem ive found from another good friend that i rally with, younger guys can only replace bits the diagnostic tells them to where more expirenced guys can fix stuff!!..

May use dealer for clutch when i need it..used to manage citroen parts dept in that dealer so they look after me on parts prices..

 

[Wack61]

I use a guy ive known for 15 years to do all my service work.. All grand so far.... He can fix stuff..problem ive found from another good friend that i rally with, younger guys can only replace bits the diagnostic tells them to where more expirenced guys can fix stuff!!..

May use dealer for clutch when i need it..used to manage citroen parts dept in that dealer so they look after me on parts prices..

I think it comes down to hourly rate for main dealers £30-40 an hour, fix it, main dealer rates they may as well replace it because it'll be the same price fixed