race911

Notice this post on a 4 1/2 year old thread over on the 911 Forum. And it's even about a 964. So of course I think it's relevant here.

Thread (no real reason to go there, it's only Post #25 that caught my attention at this point): https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=21505


Post:

I am heading to europe in the near future and thought I'd visit the Porsche museum in Stuttgart and while I was there I thought I would get a service done (just across the street from the museum) have just got an email back from the garage, didn't think it would be cheap BUT…………bloody hell!!

Dear Mr H
thank you for your Email.

So we will do a big service by 91247 km.

We need your car 3 days for an 964 Porsche.

I want to inform you that our Porsche Museum is closed on Monday!

The cost for a big service on a 964 ist approx. 3500 Euro

Let us know if we can make an appointment for you

For further information please do not hesitate to contact us under +49 711
911 26145 or under my Email Account

Sincerely

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Orkide Tanir
Leiterin Kundenempfang
Porsche Niederlassung Stuttgart GmbH
Telefon: 0711-911 26220
Fax: 0711-911 26262


Guessing they don't do too many of these…………………….

ChaseN

I'd love to know what this "big service" includes

Holger3.2

In a German official PZs, the big service (like the 100K km) would normally cost about eur 1,500 +/-, without parts; some are getting nuts and ask for much more; maybe also to scare you away coz they cant handle the old ones not anymore.

With a 993 or any other aircooled, you would normally go to an trusted Indy, there are still a couple of in GER

That said, the rumor says that the service for a 964 is much more expensive ...
could also be that they made just a approx. estimate coz often enough they will find additional needed work and parts and THAN the counting starts ...

To lazy to look, but the task for the big or small service is normally described in the manual and in the maintenance book ...
that said, I remember there is no big or small; there is stuff all 25K and some stuff all 50K kilometers ...

race911

Major should be (or at least what I did):

Valve adjustment (replacing valve cover gaskets/fastening hardware)
Leakdown/compression test
Spark plugs/caps/rotors
Oil & filter change + air and gas filters
Transaxle oil
Brake fluid/clutch bleed (maybe a full flush)
Possible 02 sensor

C4s add front diff, and maybe maybe bleeding the locks
Tips--never worked on one!

Honest 8-9 hours work, plus whatever the parts run these days. Sticking point, even when the cars were 3-4 years old, was exhaust fasteners as you have to take the cat and secondary muffler off.

race911

Oh, and there's the laundry list of checking while you've got the car up and the wheels off--halfshaft boots, brake pad/rotor condition, etc. But that doesn't take too long.

pp000830

One need just remember that most automotive service advisors or automotive technicians are negotiating with you the moment they open their mouths. The scope of proposed work, labor rates and parts cost are always negotiable. You have more leverage if the service providers have the impression you are knowledgeable and they are competing for the work with you doing the work yourself. Here is some generally valuable stuff on the subject of fixing stuff:http://www.fudslayer.blogspot.com/

race911

And a guys like that, I'd politely usher out off my shop. But then again, there are some out there who have the expectation that you're there to work for free.........

tangram

As always, the key is to find a mechanic you trust, build a relationship, pay the guy fairly for the work done and then repeat, over and over again. Now, finding that trusted mechanic in the first place can sometimes be a bit of a challenge and certainly, demonstrating that you are knowledgeable about your car never hurts when searching for said trusted mechanic.

Quadcammer

Firstly, this is obviously your website, so why not just admit that.

Secondly, it seems you know just enough about cars to give dangerous advice. The information on this website is scary bad.

David A

How about Porsche Classic? That's an other building.

pirahna

The PO of my car paid right around $5k for the 60k service at a well no So Cal shop shortly before I bought it. That did include new factory plug wires though. Still seemed high to me. As did the other $5k he payed for the clutch and flywheel around the same time.

race911

And you're not even adjusting valves on 993s!

Most outrageous invoice I've ever seen? Was discussing it with one of the guys at the EASY R Gruppe/Early 911 Registry meet last Saturday. Guy I remember talking to one of the other times brings his RS. Got it 25+ years ago out of Germany. Used to park it on the street in SF.

Anyway, one time an RS that had been back to Werks I (factory resto shop) circa 1980 shows up at my shop in Phoenix for a PPI. 1986-7. Stack upon stack of paperwork. But simple 2 page invoice from that Werks I visit to the tune of 50K DM. And that was pre-Euro, when the currency trades 2:1 against the dollar. No RS was worth $25K back then, yet someone spent $100K having the factory do a complete teardown and rebuild. Go figure.

Cupcar

I'm glad I do my own work. So much more gratifying.

jc85G

I think you have it backwards, 50K DM was $25K. Which isn't too far off considering a rebuild on a SC costs as much as the car now. Lots of money got thrown around in the '80's.
I always enjoyed when a customer comes into the shop showing how knowledgeable they are. If they knew what they were doing they wouldn't be at the shop. The ones who end up doing it themselves end up bringing it back with broken parts and a story "well, what happened was.....". The shop makes more in the long run.

race911

Right. Then it was 200K DM. Definitely was $100K, that six figures was startling; and a multiple of the car's market value at the time.

I tried to give those customers the benefit of the doubt. As I said above, I wasn't every afraid to assess if a customer was more trouble than he was worth.

Some guys do know a lot, but don't do their own work for a variety of reasons. Others of us enjoy figuring things out. Funny that the highest level of Pro (Anderson and Woods, among others in the local PCA brain trust) encouraged me on engine #1 when I was 18.