QP4Me
New Member
- Messages
- 439
Hi,
The Day Of Reckoning
I arrived at the premises of Autoshield at 8.30 on Monday to be greeted by Queenie, the resident receptionist, a quick sniff
and face-lick was very welcoming after a long night of ferries and driving. My 2005 QP was there for a clutch replacement,
erratic running and a general inspection. The Autoshield office is the sort of place I like, eccentric and eclectic, full
of wonderful Maserati paraphernalia and memorabilia, thankfully free of plush furniture, brochures and pushy salesmen.
Also absent was a, ' de rigueur', Cappuccino, Espresso or Cappuccino machine, which resulted in the production of a very
lively cup of instant coffee, just the thing to kick-start the day.
Marios, The Man.
A most interesting man, seemingly unflappable, in control and capable. He exudes the confident air of a surgeon about to
preform a difficult procedure on your loved one, only just stopping short of patting me on the head and telling me everything’s alright.
The car was taken straight to the workshop to begin work and I was kindly given a lift to my hotel. Marios told me my car would be ready
the next day.
The Lads.
I was amazed and surprised to get a call the next morning to say that I could come to pick up the car at lunch time on Tuesday, it seems
they started work at 6 that morning, in order to save me the impossible task of finding accommodation that night (due to some sporting event
being held in Manchester). I arrived before the scheduled time and I am glad I did so, as I got talking to the wonderful lads working in the workshop.
What a great bunch, down to Earth, knowledgeable, fun and enthusiastic. Not a white suited, gloved, 'technician', in sight! In particular, I was most
impressed when the 8 spark plugs were changed without the need for removing half the front of the car. I would imagine the bill alone for changing
the plugs, 'by the book', would be considerable in itself!
The Test Drive.
The time came to check out the work, with Marios strapped into the passenger seat, I fired up the motor. I instantly knew something had changed.
The exhaust tone was even and more, 'purposeful' (You will have to excuse the use of intangible and flower-full language, as you know, not all feedback
can be measured on a graph, most of it is a 'gut feeling'). Pulling away from the shop, and driving in my normal manner, the rear wheels were struggling
to grip the road. The gear changes were far smoother, the power delivery was constant, with no obvious holes in the rev range. As I said above, the exhaust
tone was deeper and 'snarled', with intent. Heading out on the motorway, I indulged in wanton abandonment of the Rules Of The Road, my passenger
squirming in his seat. (I too, am a terrible passenger, so sorry Marios!) The change in performance was incredible, the motor felt like it had 1/3 more power
that previously, it felt tighter and far more willing to deliver its inherent capabilities. To say I am happy with the reworking of the engine would be an
understatement, the installation of up to date software has made a huge difference. One pleasant side effect of the above is an increase in MPG figures.
'Enthusiastic' motorway driving, previously gave around 18.5 mpg, as against the new figure of 22.8, a seemingly small but in the long run, considerable
saving on fuel costs.
The Bill.
Clutch, Flywheel, ECU re-flash and reset, hand-brake adjustment, gear box oil replace, new set of spark plugs. miscellaneous items, time and
labour came to just under £2,500 (inc.Vat).
The Conclusion.
Am I happy? Very!
Slan.
PS. Met dickygrace on my vist to Autoshield, a really nice guy!
The Day Of Reckoning
I arrived at the premises of Autoshield at 8.30 on Monday to be greeted by Queenie, the resident receptionist, a quick sniff
and face-lick was very welcoming after a long night of ferries and driving. My 2005 QP was there for a clutch replacement,
erratic running and a general inspection. The Autoshield office is the sort of place I like, eccentric and eclectic, full
of wonderful Maserati paraphernalia and memorabilia, thankfully free of plush furniture, brochures and pushy salesmen.
Also absent was a, ' de rigueur', Cappuccino, Espresso or Cappuccino machine, which resulted in the production of a very
lively cup of instant coffee, just the thing to kick-start the day.
Marios, The Man.
A most interesting man, seemingly unflappable, in control and capable. He exudes the confident air of a surgeon about to
preform a difficult procedure on your loved one, only just stopping short of patting me on the head and telling me everything’s alright.
The car was taken straight to the workshop to begin work and I was kindly given a lift to my hotel. Marios told me my car would be ready
the next day.
The Lads.
I was amazed and surprised to get a call the next morning to say that I could come to pick up the car at lunch time on Tuesday, it seems
they started work at 6 that morning, in order to save me the impossible task of finding accommodation that night (due to some sporting event
being held in Manchester). I arrived before the scheduled time and I am glad I did so, as I got talking to the wonderful lads working in the workshop.
What a great bunch, down to Earth, knowledgeable, fun and enthusiastic. Not a white suited, gloved, 'technician', in sight! In particular, I was most
impressed when the 8 spark plugs were changed without the need for removing half the front of the car. I would imagine the bill alone for changing
the plugs, 'by the book', would be considerable in itself!
The Test Drive.
The time came to check out the work, with Marios strapped into the passenger seat, I fired up the motor. I instantly knew something had changed.
The exhaust tone was even and more, 'purposeful' (You will have to excuse the use of intangible and flower-full language, as you know, not all feedback
can be measured on a graph, most of it is a 'gut feeling'). Pulling away from the shop, and driving in my normal manner, the rear wheels were struggling
to grip the road. The gear changes were far smoother, the power delivery was constant, with no obvious holes in the rev range. As I said above, the exhaust
tone was deeper and 'snarled', with intent. Heading out on the motorway, I indulged in wanton abandonment of the Rules Of The Road, my passenger
squirming in his seat. (I too, am a terrible passenger, so sorry Marios!) The change in performance was incredible, the motor felt like it had 1/3 more power
that previously, it felt tighter and far more willing to deliver its inherent capabilities. To say I am happy with the reworking of the engine would be an
understatement, the installation of up to date software has made a huge difference. One pleasant side effect of the above is an increase in MPG figures.
'Enthusiastic' motorway driving, previously gave around 18.5 mpg, as against the new figure of 22.8, a seemingly small but in the long run, considerable
saving on fuel costs.
The Bill.
Clutch, Flywheel, ECU re-flash and reset, hand-brake adjustment, gear box oil replace, new set of spark plugs. miscellaneous items, time and
labour came to just under £2,500 (inc.Vat).
The Conclusion.
Am I happy? Very!
Slan.
PS. Met dickygrace on my vist to Autoshield, a really nice guy!
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