supercar teardown

posts about #supercarteardown more →
What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
World's Smallest Ferrari Key Fits Tiny Hand-Built Ferrari
Audi R8: Supercar Teardown
Ferrari F40 LM: Supercar Teardown
Vintage Porsche 959 Factory Tour
Supercar Teardown: Porsche Carrera GT
Mercedes SLS AMG: Exploding The 6.3-Liter V8 To Peek Inside
Ferrari 348 TS: Supercar Teardown
Lamborghini Countach 5000S: Supercar Teardown
Lamborghini Diablo: Supercar Teardown

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

TheGuinnessTooth
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Are these cars shipped back to Germany for the full service?

When I went to visit the Porsche museum about two years ago I saw quite a few GT's with non-german plates. I saw one with Oregon plates, one with Canadian plates, a few Asian/ Arab ones, and then Euro plates all over. It was cool seeing a car with Oregon plates sitting in a parking lot on the outskirts of Stuttgart.
Reply

TheGuinnessTooth was starred TheGuinnessTooth was unstarred

FrankGrimes
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Anyone else think this thing looks like it would be easier to work on than a crap box camry?
At least I can actually see the parts. Rather than being shielded from my sensitive eyes with black plastic shields.
Reply

FrankGrimes was starred FrankGrimes was unstarred

Iron coffin doesn't swerve for pelicans
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
$8,000! Who said Germans don't have sense of humour?
Reply

acarr260 promoted this comment

FleetAdmiralAutobahn
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
If any of you knew anything about this car you'd realize that it needs to be up in the air, and the belly pan (which covers the entire underbelly of the car) needs to be removed. It's not a one man job until you get that off. You'd be better invested in a car lift and offer the neighbor a beer to help. I'm sure they wouldn't mind for a GT.

Yeah, like most VW/Audi dealers it's just a check ripoff that any lamebrain can do themselves. You'll pay them to check your tire pressure? Come on.. you have to really be incompetent or not care about your car.

As for the $1.5k for the timing job on a TDI, that's a ripoff too. I've had the Porsche dealer do a 2.7 A6 for $750 - the works. This place had a carrera GT in the bay also. Taking the front end off is easy, messing the timing up will be too.
Reply

Formerlythegreatestdriver promoted this comment

skulldriveshaft picasaweb and youtube
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
In other news, expensive cars are expensive to maintain.
Reply

Novaload Welcomes the Returning Jezuits ! promoted this comment

Novaload
08/28/09

@skulldriveshaft picasaweb and youtube: Game, set, and match.
Reply

Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred

brickyard
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?

Failed to add comment?
Reply

Novaload Welcomes the Returning Jezuits ! promoted this comment brickyard was starred brickyard was unstarred

Novaload
08/28/09

@brickyard: Excellent!
Reply

Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred

Comrade Clockwork
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
You gotta wonder if they at least leave your change in the ashtray....
Reply

Formerlythegreatestdriver promoted this comment Comrade Clockwork was starred

acarr260
08/28/09

@Comrade Clockwork: I keep change in the ashtray of my Silverado. I keep gold bullion in the ashtray of my Carrera GT.
Reply

acarr260 was starred acarr260 was unstarred

PDQ2
08/28/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Can you say "Private Mechanic"? Why must it go to the dealership?
Reply

PDQ2 was starred PDQ2 was unstarred

gravit8...drives with the lights on
08/28/09

@PDQ2: Would you honestly trust some shade-tree mechanic to look over your uber-expensive fire-prone highly strung sports car?

If you can afford the car, you can damn well afford the check up...
Reply

lilwillie hides autos in the attic promoted this comment

chrishw
08/28/09

@gravit8: Not all mechanics are "shade-tree" mechanics just because they don't work for dealerships. I work for a parts company and deliver to many independent shops and hardly any are. In fact, many of these mechanics used to be techs for the dealerships. There are obviously some exceptions, there always are. This goes for independent shops and dealerships alike.

Just because you CAN afford something it doesn't mean you should waste your money.
Reply

acarr260 promoted this comment chrishw was starred chrishw was unstarred

Alex Conley
08/28/09

@chrishw:

Some things are learned by working on the same cars day in and day out plus getting specific model training. Special tools needed and so fourth.

If you buy a top quality car, getting service from a proper dealership is just part of the cost.

I know some very bright mechanics, but i'm sure even they would tell me to take my crotch rocket with doors to a proper dealer mechanic.
Reply

Alex Conley was starred Alex Conley was unstarred

comedian
08/28/09

@Alex Conley: Porsche only ever made 1,270 Carrera GTs, so I doubt any mechanic anywhere in the world is "working on the same cars days in and day out".

As for not believing in non-dealer mechanics, realize this: Good, honest, factory-trained mechanics grow sick of getting screwed by dealership pay antics, procedures and poor management every day. The ones with skill and a low tolerance for dealer bullshit go to work for well-run independents. The ones with skill, a low tolerance for B.S., and ambition set up their own shops.

What is Hennessey, Jack Raby, and/or Farnbacher-Loles if not mere independent, non-dealer mechanics in your eyes?
Reply

acarr260 promoted this comment comedian was starred comedian was unstarred

lilwillie
08/28/09

@gravit8:

"Shade Tree" huh? Thanks for the insult to all us privateers in the Auto Industry.
Reply

lilwillie was starred lilwillie was unstarred

gravit8...drives with the lights on
09/01/09

@lilwillie hides autos in the attic: *censors self

Really, 'cause I can afford to take my uberexpensive ultra-rare sportscar to the local garage, where they havent the liability coverage to pay for it when the tech damages an unobtaium-coated wheel bearing. From my brief time in the Porsche tech program (a couple grand pissed away there, no problem, I'm just in debt FOREVER), I know firsthand that you havent got the tools to change the effin air filter at the local garage, let alone properly diagnose even the slightest misfire in that engine.

Yeah, I'll be frequenting a garage that offers 'ladies day' for oil changes in my half-million-+-dollar 200+mph car. Notice the +++'s? See also: adds costs to any repair. Its a German thing.
Reply

Novaload
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Eight grand for how many hours? I would need a mechanic with a lower diamond rating.
Too much looking, not enough wrenching. Wenching. Now where's that Amex Black?
Reply

Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred

gravit8...drives with the lights on
08/28/09

@Novaload Welcomes the Returning Jezuits !: Hopefully you havent been hopping curbs and such...If he's wrenching at all on any of these things you've got a pretty serious problem and might want to consider not beating the piss out of it. A track day every now and then is much different than doing doughnuts in the wal-mart parking lot, if you follow me here, and you wouldnt want to be hitting 200 mph if your tie rods are loose.
Reply

Novaload Welcomes the Returning Jezuits ! promoted this comment

Novaload
08/28/09

@gravit8: I've written that down and put it on the fridge. To remind me, when I get one of these things. Which should be about...never.
Reply

Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred

segfault
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
For $8k, it better include the personal services of a nubile German female.
Reply

Formerlythegreatestdriver promoted this comment segfault was starred segfault was unstarred

Colonel35
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
It's one thing when, say, Ferrari charges absurd prices for maintenance because their entire lineup is in the megabucks range. But a Porsche dealer still services $50k Boxsters, so the billing rate can't be exorbitantly higher on the CGT, right? Even at $150/hr if they have to fly Hans and Frans in, that works out to more than 50 hours for an oil change and some visual inspections?

It would be interesting to see the invoice...perhaps Porsche requires unobtainium-laced transmission fluid (a la Nissan GT-R) at $120 a quart?
Reply

Formerlythegreatestdriver promoted this comment Colonel35 was starred Colonel35 was unstarred

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/28/09

@Colonel35: If a lowly GT-R has it, so must the Porsche.
Reply

lilwillie
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Damn, I am doing it wrong.

Well, that Porsche Dealer has to pay for their Wi-Fi and 10 free PC stations, leather couches, starbucks coffee, all the bakery goods a guy could think of, 50 inch plasmas everywhere, perfect climate controlled and proper atomosphere, hot secretary in the waiting lounge some how.

/looks in shop and has a few bar stools and a fridge full of free beer.

//Happy with that.

Then again, the amount of work needed to make sure a very expensive car is still perfect it most likely isn't that much money in the eyes of the person who owns and drives it.

I'd love to know book times and more info on the service. I wish I had the book times. Ahhh, to only play with domestics and asians.
Reply

Edited by lilwillie at 08/27/09 10:28 PM lilwillie was starred lilwillie was unstarred

Mad_Science
08/28/09

@lilwillie hides autos in the attic: Well, the funny part is when people buy something like a Porsche and can't seem to wrap their head around the increased maintenance cost.

"Whaddya mean, a brake job costs $2k?!"

Equally unfathomable are the people who refuse to put good tires (maybe $400-500 more/set) on a $60k performance car.
Reply

Mad_Science was starred Mad_Science was unstarred

lilwillie
08/28/09

@Mad_Science: Agreed. There are many who buy uber expensive rides and short change the maintenance. One example is the Suburban driving Soccer Mom's in my area. Since the financial mealt down they suddenly won't stick a dime in that 50K fully loaded Burb but still manage shopping every day.

Performance cars. Vette owners are actually very fun to deal with. They really love their car and want it perfect.
Reply

lilwillie was starred lilwillie was unstarred

tempesjo
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Hey, Carrera GT owners - if you're looking to save a few bucks, I'll do half of the items on that list for $3500. Let me know.
Reply

Novaload Welcomes the Returning Jezuits ! promoted this comment tempesjo was starred tempesjo was unstarred

Novaload
08/27/09

@tempesjo: For $3,500, I'll do half of the items on the list plus a lapdance.
Reply

Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred

powermatic
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
Other:

Rifle through glove box in search of forgotten Krugerrands.

Sniff driver-side seat cushion to ensure owners shit doesn't stink.

If total mileage at four year service is under 750 total miles, lure owner to back room with promise of half/caf mocha latte, beat senseless with coin-roll-filled Porsche sock.

If owner tries to 'be one of the guys' with technicians, under cover of hearty backslap place 'Kick Me, I'm A Douchebag' sign on owners back

Perform 'extensive' test drive.

One more test drive, just to be sure.

Better take 'er out one more time, don't want any call backs.

Field owner phone call wondering about clutch slippage.
Reply

Scandinavian Flick: Reply now! Get free text added to your comment! promoted this comment powermatic was starred powermatic was unstarred

eggwich del fiero
08/27/09

In reply to What Do You Get For An $8,000 Porsche Carrera GT Service Appointment?
I somehow get a sick sense of joy out of seeing that I can't afford the maintenance on cars I can't afford in the first place; my mind somehow twists this into meaning that not being able to afford things somehow makes me frugal and smart. It works with car insurance too, as in "good thing I can't afford a new M3, it would cost me five bills a month to insure!" (pats self on back).

Sad but true.
Reply

eggwich del fiero was starred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO Jalopnik

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment