View Single Post
Old 05-03-2010, 08:05 PM   #16
SonnyakaPig

 
Drives: C63 P31
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: West Coast
Posts: 767
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waco View Post
You will spend well more than $7k to make the switch, all things considered. And many FI installs come with a warranty from the manufacturer.
But the warranties that come from supercharger manufacturers don't function like GM's powertrain warranty.

F/I manufacturer warranties provide very limited financial coverage. For instance, with companies like Edelbrock and Vortech you pay for the warranty, which typically enrolls you in a third party warranty term.

Your new warranty only gives you a set amount of financial coverage for each one of the two or three powertrain components (e.g., engine, trans, and rearend) that is covered under the specific warranty.

And the dollar amount that you are covered up to is very limited in relation to the actual amount that engine, trans, and rearend failure can end up costing you.

And once you make a warranty claim for lets say, engine damage, your coverage amount for that portion of the warranty (i.e., engine coverage) is exhausted once your warranty repair bill meets or exceeds the initial amount of coverage for that individual portion of the warranty.

So, for example, if you were covered for $3,000 for engine damage under the warranty that Vortech sells, and you damage your engine in a way that Vortech and/or the third party warrantor deems covered under the terms of your warranty, and the damage meets or exceeds $3,000, once you use that $3,000, your engine portion of the warranty is exhausted -- used up.

I view these F/I warranties as investments for future aftermarket performance modifications. Buy the warranty so that if your engine or trans breaks, you can use the warranty money to help you cover the costs of building up your engine with forged internals or buying new rear axles that are better than stock.

Because, it would not make too much sense to use the warranty money to rebuild whatever part broke back to stock, because it could conceivably break again, leaving you to fit the entire bill next time.

And I don't even know whether the warranty will just give you a check to do with as you wish, once your warranty is deemed available for your needed repairs.

Then you have to consider the fine print which provides rules like, you having to take your vehicle to service facilities that are approved by the F/I manufacturer or the warrantor, and that if you take your car somewhere that isn't approved, your warranty may be voided. This may cause great inconvience and expense if you are broken down somewhere that is not close to one of the repair facilities that you are required to go to in the event of a warranty repair.

Also, sometimes you may have to pay for the F/I manufacturer's time and transportation to come out and look at your car before they make a decision on whether they will honor your warranty. Again, costing you time and money, if for instance, you have to rent a car while you wait for your approval.

If warranty is an issue for a car owner who wants F/I, wait for the Z/28. That's my opinion. It all boils down to cost/benefit for each individual. If you go F/I, it's reasonable to anticipate needing to rebuild your engine with forged internals, and maybe even needing a stronger built trans and rear end. So, essentially, that route is probably going to be pretty close to the cost of a Z/28, although, doing the upgrades yourself will give you more power than the LSA -- if the LSA is going to be used in the Z/28.
SonnyakaPig is offline   Reply With Quote