Is the maintenance cycle on 5-20k miles even with a manual tranny? I want the F1 but I am not so sure about having to do clutch service almost annually. Thanks

 

Agreed but you can still try to play smart. I wouldn't mind doing minor DIY e.g oil changes myself if I can save $1k in labor.

 

It really depends how you drive, and manual trans clutches seem to last longer than F1, because you are in control of the clutch, not the computer. If you drive your car normally, it could last more than 20k, but we do not have any people that drive their car more than 20k a year, so I don't really know what to tell you.....

 

i keep hearing about cracked pipes in the cat area for the early 430's...any truth to this?

 

Any good Ferrari shops in Orange county? Thanks

 

This post has some really good information and makes me feel better about purchasing a used F430 in the future - thanks for the info guys!

In summary, I'm looking at only slightly higher maintenance cost than my 997S. For comparison, that one runs $1300 every 4 years for a major service, about $700 for a minor service every 4 years (staggered by 2 years), and about $3k for a new clutch - have almost 40k on my original so it last longer than the F430, but gotta pay to play, right!?!?

 

A lot of the services sound like a cash-cow for dealers. No need to change the clutch unless it starts slipping or chattering; it's not like a timing belt that can snap suddenly and ruin your engine (the F430 does not have those anymore, as noted). You'd get plenty of warning when it starts to go. And if you have to replace accessory belts every year or 5K miles, Ferrari is using crap. They should last WAY more than that, especially if car is not tracked often. Brake fluid change is an easy job, especially with open wheels and exposed bleeding valves. And if done annually (overkill really, but I do that since it only costs me $20), no need to activate ABS/DSC pistons by a dealer IMO since fluid is always fresh.

Most Ferrari owners are not inclined to work on their cars, but basic maintenance is not rocket science. Add to that not having a dealer around plus being out of warranty, and more than the money saved (substantial), it's the convenience that makes servicing your own car attractive to me. 'Gotta pay to play' is a choice, not a necessity .

 

Ferrari is not like say a Toyota. They sell a lot less cars and the company, Ferrari, in its own ways to take care of its dealerships, deliberately, make buying recommended fluids and servicing the cars more difficult than most other car makers. I change my own oil in some of my cars. Done it on my M3, X5, and the F430. With the F430, the oil change was straight forward, but locating the tools for the job was just more frustrating. To remove the drain plug, I had to buy a HUGE hex socket online because none of the local stores have them. To fit the oil filter properly, I had to purchase a special filter wrench so I can torque it to specs. As for buying fluids, Ferrari recommends Shell products which are not sold any local stores, and very hard to find online as well. Most Ferrari owners (older gentlemen) don't want be bothered with all this researching and locating parts.

 

Every 5,000 miles plan to spend around $3,000 - $5,000. Gotta pay to play!

 

Clutches on these cars don't last more than 20,000 miles?!?!

 

Lambo egear systems can give up the ghost around 20,000 miles as well afaik.

 

my old lambo lasted 28k miles before intermittent egear warning light flashes came on and scared the @#$% out of me

 

The clutches are designed to the most optimal mix of comfort and performance there is, so for a clutch to last 20K on a near 500hp car is acceptable. I agree that basic maintenance is easy and cheap to do yourself, but some things require scan tools for, which is where the dealer has the market captured. It is also a good thing to keep up a relationship with your local dealer's service department because if you have a lot of service history at the dealer and something detrimental happens, they are more willing to help you out with parts costs and labor times.

 

All in a for a 200k car the maintenance swems pretty reasonable

 

how is the maintenance cost in comparison to a Scuderia? I would think it is similar, but who knows.