You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

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Micael
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You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Micael »

Image
This is…something. :shock:

Glad I don’t own an SLR!
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jemhouston
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by jemhouston »

Couldn't you buy a new MB for that?
gtg947h
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Location: Savannah

Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by gtg947h »

I looked up a review on this car since I'm not a car guy...

Apparently it was a half-million-dollar supercar 20 years ago, 3500 ish total production run.
Micael
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Micael »

gtg947h wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:01 pm I looked up a review on this car since I'm not a car guy...

Apparently it was a half-million-dollar supercar 20 years ago, 3500 ish total production run.
Yep, but it’s still an atrociously high cost for new brakes. I saw a comment that stated that you can actually go to a high end custom carbon fiber brake builder (like for race cars) and pay a lot less than Mercedes is charging here.
MikeKozlowski
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by MikeKozlowski »

...Be thankful you don't drive a McLaren. For many years, there was only ONE factory-certified shop in the US, and they would not tell owners where it was.

No, really. All the shop and the factory would admit to was that it was in Philadelphia. If your ride needed fixing, you would contact McLaren, they would arrange transport, and Things Would Be Handled. One of the big car mags - IIRC R&T - did an article about this guy. One of the details I remember from the article is that he had to maintain a half-dozen or so fairly ancient computers with various diagnostic programs on them.

Mike
Belushi TD
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Belushi TD »

What I'd like to know is why disk brakes are almost 27K each.

That seems.... excessive.

Belushi TD
Nathan45
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Nathan45 »

I'd wonder how much cocaine was in them...
gtg947h
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Location: Savannah

Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by gtg947h »

Belushi TD wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:38 pm What I'd like to know is why disk brakes are almost 27K each.

That seems.... excessive.

Belushi TD
Bespoke parts for a limited production run. I'd bet they had no spares on hand and had quite possibly scrapped any tooling. I'd be the price quoted included the cost to manufacture new brake rotors exactly to the original factory specification (qty 2) including the recreation of all tooling as required. Anyone who's priced machining work knows that the price drops dramatically as you order more parts. Order one or two and you pay through the nose.

Add to that the "don't wanna do it" factor, like that $30k Chevy Volt battery quote from a couple years ago. M-B doesn't want to do the work but they'll charge some absurd amount that'll make it worth it if the owner says "do it anyway".
kdahm
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by kdahm »

When I searched for that quote online, someone on Reddit said that the brake rotors were only in the $7500 range, not the $26,000 price listed.

Looks like a shock value invoice to me.
Kunkmiester
Posts: 436
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 1:16 pm

Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Kunkmiester »

Id have thought even for a high end super car someone somewhere makes a good enough off-the-shelf brake set for a fraction of that.

That's enough money not just to machine custom rotors, but to buy a CNC lathe to cut them on.
Rocket J Squrriel
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Rocket J Squrriel »

MikeKozlowski wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:19 pm ...Be thankful you don't drive a McLaren. For many years, there was only ONE factory-certified shop in the US, and they would not tell owners where it was.

No, really. All the shop and the factory would admit to was that it was in Philadelphia. If your ride needed fixing, you would contact McLaren, they would arrange transport, and Things Would Be Handled. One of the big car mags - IIRC R&T - did an article about this guy. One of the details I remember from the article is that he had to maintain a half-dozen or so fairly ancient computers with various diagnostic programs on them.

Mike
Seems they have a website now: https://www.mclarenphl.com/
Westray: That this is some sort of coincidence. Because they don't really believe in coincidences. They've heard of them. They've just never seen one.
MikeKozlowski
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Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 9:46 pm

Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by MikeKozlowski »

Rocket J Squrriel wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 10:45 pm
MikeKozlowski wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:19 pm ...Be thankful you don't drive a McLaren. For many years, there was only ONE factory-certified shop in the US, and they would not tell owners where it was.

No, really. All the shop and the factory would admit to was that it was in Philadelphia. If your ride needed fixing, you would contact McLaren, they would arrange transport, and Things Would Be Handled. One of the big car mags - IIRC R&T - did an article about this guy. One of the details I remember from the article is that he had to maintain a half-dozen or so fairly ancient computers with various diagnostic programs on them.

Mike
Seems they have a website now: https://www.mclarenphl.com/
Rocket,

I misremembered - the guy was (as of 2017) the only McLaren F1 mech in the US:

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cultur ... h-america/

Mike
Nightwatch2
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Nightwatch2 »

They need to put the brakes on those co$t$
Craiglxviii
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Craiglxviii »

MikeKozlowski wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:19 pm ...Be thankful you don't drive a McLaren. For many years, there was only ONE factory-certified shop in the US, and they would not tell owners where it was.

No, really. All the shop and the factory would admit to was that it was in Philadelphia. If your ride needed fixing, you would contact McLaren, they would arrange transport, and Things Would Be Handled. One of the big car mags - IIRC R&T - did an article about this guy. One of the details I remember from the article is that he had to maintain a half-dozen or so fairly ancient computers with various diagnostic programs on them.

Mike
Be glad you don’t work for McLaren. I did, for 11 weeks, and it was by far the most unpleasant experience of my life. To put it in perspective, Colombia in August was nicer.

They’re shit cars too!
Craiglxviii
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Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:25 am

Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Craiglxviii »

On the quote…

The disc price is $6,840/ ea, shown in the centre columns. Two discs would therefore be $13,680.

The quote shows it at $53,680.

There’s an addition problem in their computer. It added $40k somehow to that line!

I’ve benchmarked the first part no. (front axle) at €4,480 EUR/ ea which is about right for an SLR. The two piece carbon fibre/ steel composites used on the SL65 AMG were “only” £1200 per set.
Micael
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Micael »

Craiglxviii wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 9:54 pm On the quote…

The disc price is $6,840/ ea, shown in the centre columns. Two discs would therefore be $13,680.

The quote shows it at $53,680.

There’s an addition problem in their computer. It added $40k somehow to that line!

I’ve benchmarked the first part no. (front axle) at €4,480 EUR/ ea which is about right for an SLR. The two piece carbon fibre/ steel composites used on the SL65 AMG were “only” £1200 per set.
I saw someone ask (what I think was) the original poster about it, the answer was that the box was too small and it cut off a 2 in the front. So 26,480*2=53,680.
Craiglxviii
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Craiglxviii »

Micael wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 10:15 pm
Craiglxviii wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 9:54 pm On the quote…

The disc price is $6,840/ ea, shown in the centre columns. Two discs would therefore be $13,680.

The quote shows it at $53,680.

There’s an addition problem in their computer. It added $40k somehow to that line!

I’ve benchmarked the first part no. (front axle) at €4,480 EUR/ ea which is about right for an SLR. The two piece carbon fibre/ steel composites used on the SL65 AMG were “only” £1200 per set.
I saw someone ask (what I think was) the original poster about it, the answer was that the box was too small and it cut off a 2 in the front. So 26,480*2=53,680.
Ohhh. That would do it. Defo fuck-off prices then.
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MikeKozlowski
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by MikeKozlowski »

Craiglxviii wrote: ↑Sun May 05, 2024 9:45 pm
MikeKozlowski wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 5:19 pm ...Be thankful you don't drive a McLaren. For many years, there was only ONE factory-certified shop in the US, and they would not tell owners where it was.

No, really. All the shop and the factory would admit to was that it was in Philadelphia. If your ride needed fixing, you would contact McLaren, they would arrange transport, and Things Would Be Handled. One of the big car mags - IIRC R&T - did an article about this guy. One of the details I remember from the article is that he had to maintain a half-dozen or so fairly ancient computers with various diagnostic programs on them.

Mike
Be glad you don’t work for McLaren. I did, for 11 weeks, and it was by far the most unpleasant experience of my life. To put it in perspective, Colombia in August was nicer.

They’re shit cars too!
Craig,

I've only seen a McLaren in the wild once, and honestly...wasn't that impressed. Not sure what model it was, but it looked amazingly toylike.

Mike
Drunknsubmrnr
Posts: 516
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2022 2:35 am

Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Drunknsubmrnr »

There’s a McLaren dealership I drive by once in a while in NJ. Coincidentally it’s right next to “Ramsey Outdoor” which was prominently featured as a bust-out in “The Sopranos”.
Craiglxviii
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Re: You thought your visit to the mechanic was expensive? Well…

Post by Craiglxviii »

They’re one of the most cheaply-made expensive car marques out there.
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