Servicing - OPC or independent

[tom_nieto]

If I had a warranty I would be servicing at OPC. I chose not to warranty and so have been with the same Indy for the last 5 years.

I've received excellent service and really feel like my car has been looked after by enthusiasts.

If I were buying another car and saw the same (respected) independent garage stamp for a number of years in a row (with corresponding invoices) I'd be very pleased.

 

[MaxA]

I do find it interesting that a lot of people will have their cars serviced by an OPC to get the stamp in the book then use an Indy for everything else ..

Would not a prospective buyer ask the same question ? service at OPC for a stamp but everything done at an Indy .. why not everything done at an OPC ?

They are technically better than us if you are getting the service done there so they should be doing the extra work if you are Maintaining an OPC history ??

Cost of course but what difference between other work and a stamp in the eyes of a buyer ?

Perhaps someone that only looks at the service book and not the actual invoices for work completed .. which is actually the more important of the two .. along with the recommendations that may or may not have been done .

Obviously a lot of Indy mechanics are ex OPC guys ... same job .. different cost .

This topic has come up many times .. and i still struggle with it .. OPC or Indy should mean one or the other ??

At the end of the day .. it's far better to use a garage you trust than the stamp in the book imho .

Relationships take time to build ... from both sides ... and both have their respective benefits .

I agree with this (and thanks DeMort for all your contributions), and would happily interrogate a seller on the service history.

The last time I bought a used car privately, it came with a two inch stack of invoices, receipts, dyno run graphs etc.

The last time (and only time) I bought a 911 from an OPC, it turned out that - despite a nice set of stamps and the 111-point inspection and full OPC warranty - the 'fresh' brake fluid wasn't just old, it was black. As I discovered a couple of days after it boiled at the track... :evil:

Caveat emptor.

And we haven't even mentioned the impact on valuation of self service yet.

 

[MarkC4S]

I think the Guildford OPC quoted me about £2.4k for the 12 year service, I decided to go OPC and then they tried to negotiate with a lower offer! I burned them off.

 

[deMort]

I think the Guildford OPC quoted me about £2.4k for the 12 year service, I decided to go OPC and then they tried to negotiate with a lower offer! I burned them off.

I decided to go OPC .. did you mean INDY ?

 

[Gt3Owl]

Indy all the way for me.... genuine parts with cheaper labour costs, no fancy coffee or £12.95 for screen wash 😅

 

[MarkC4S]

I think the Guildford OPC quoted me about £2.4k for the 12 year service, I decided to go OPC and then they tried to negotiate with a lower offer! I burned them off.

I decided to go OPC .. did you mean INDY ?

Yes I ditched the OPC

 

[deMort]

Yup .. that's what i thought