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North American P-51D-10-NA 44-14560 (33rth FS, 4th FG, 8th AF) in taxiing accident at RAF Debden, Essex, England Jan 6, 1945. Pilot survived,
It is not so much the cost of the parts (although there is the "Porsche tax" that increases the cost of those) but the amount of labour involved in stripping the car down to be able to remove the engine to get at the offending parts. Then it all has to go back together again. There is little room to work in the engine bays of these vehicles.Latest news on my neighbor's Porsche Cayenne. It has started losing engine coolant. It seems to be one of two pipes but they do not know which one.
Estimated cost to repair: $3600. The engine has to come out. I suggested duct tape as an alternative approach.
Great Moments In Automotive Engineering! This is in addition to:
Cost to replace the battery: $300.
Cost for an oil change: $300.
I've got a Ford Fusion and have to remove the whole front end just to change a freakin' light bulb!It is not so much the cost of the parts (although there is the "Porsche tax" that increases the cost of those) but the amount of labour involved in stripping the car down to be able to remove the engine to get at the offending parts. Then it all has to go back together again. There is little room to work in the engine bays of these vehicles.
Recently came across a series of videos of a chap who bought a Lamborghini Urus super SUV as an insurance write off to rebuild. It illustrated the problem really well.
Mechanically the Urus is the same as the Audi RSQ8 (he sourced some parts from Audi for the rebuild) and the 4 litre Cayenne models.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DjFNrG6u9UQ
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=erdvVFXfos0
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7vA55lfhTno
And it's not just these expensive models. I recall an episode of "Wheeler Dealers" a few years back where the entire front end of a Mini had to be dismantled just to gain access to extract the supercharger for refurbishment and to replace the water pump.
Time = money made worse by premium dealership rates
Yes, indeed. To replace the battery you have to move the driver's seat out of the way, and since it is electric that is nontrivial. You have to run it to the limits of its electric travel and then remove some bolts and tip the seat backward. And I thought my Mom's old Dodge Stratus was a pain when you had to remove the Left front wheel to access the battery!It is not so much the cost of the parts (although there is the "Porsche tax" that increases the cost of those) but the amount of labour involved in stripping the car down to be able to remove the engine to get at the offending parts.
A friend of mine had a diesel Mercedes and reported that when we had the gasoline shortage of 1979, diesel fuel was stillWay back in 1970 a neighbor bought a new Mercedes diesel sedan.