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F430 New owner diary inc. maintenance & upgrades
- Thread starter MWStewart
- Start date
Sunday 22nd June, 2014
Those who have read my M3 thread will know I was hunting for a Rosso (red) Spider with tan interior, but in the end I decided I would be happier in something slightly more toned down. I put a deposit on this Grigio Silverstone Spider last week and will be collecting it at the beginning of August. The dealer is being very helpful in that respect by waiting for me to complete and move house; apparently a lot of his customers are collectors and don't tend to collect for anything up to six months - interesting!
The car is flawless and I really can't wait to collect it.
The spec is as follows:
2006
27k Miles
Full Ferrari Service History
6 Speed Manual
Grigio Silverstone Exterior
Rosso Leather Interior
Carbon Fibre Driving Zone Trim
Ferrari Navigation and telephone module
The Dealer photos:
This thread won't be updated frequently like my others as I'm not planning to modify it in any way
Famous last words..
Those who have read my M3 thread will know I was hunting for a Rosso (red) Spider with tan interior, but in the end I decided I would be happier in something slightly more toned down. I put a deposit on this Grigio Silverstone Spider last week and will be collecting it at the beginning of August. The dealer is being very helpful in that respect by waiting for me to complete and move house; apparently a lot of his customers are collectors and don't tend to collect for anything up to six months - interesting!
The car is flawless and I really can't wait to collect it.
The spec is as follows:
2006
27k Miles
Full Ferrari Service History
6 Speed Manual
Grigio Silverstone Exterior
Rosso Leather Interior
Carbon Fibre Driving Zone Trim
Ferrari Navigation and telephone module
The Dealer photos:
This thread won't be updated frequently like my others as I'm not planning to modify it in any way
Famous last words..
Last edited:
Mike01606
Active member
Some do. Car looks great.......I recognise your PH username from the photo links. Welcome to this site.....
Thanks Mike. I'll have a fiddle about later to see if I can get them to display on the page.
Wednesday 13th August, 2014
I said I wouldn't modify it, but...
I'm having the steering wheel trimmed to my own design by Jack at Royal Steering wheels.
He's starting on it when back from holiday on 4th September
I also found a photo online of another Grigio Silverstone car but with a red roof (I got the colour wrong in my original post; it's Silverstone not Titanio). I'm currently getting quotes for a roof re-trim.
I said I wouldn't modify it, but...
I'm having the steering wheel trimmed to my own design by Jack at Royal Steering wheels.
He's starting on it when back from holiday on 4th September
I also found a photo online of another Grigio Silverstone car but with a red roof (I got the colour wrong in my original post; it's Silverstone not Titanio). I'm currently getting quotes for a roof re-trim.
Wednesday 27th August, 2014
I was initially very disappointed with the car, primairly I think because the build quality came as a shock after the kind of performance cars I've owned, and still do (M3). I wasn't quite prepared for what is considered 'normal' within the realms of supercar ownership! I would place the general trim/interior/bodywork fastening quality on par with a Mk4 Fiesta, but with a fabric roof. Don't get me wrong, it isn't terrible, but there is a gulf between it and for example my E46 M3, which let's face it is an old car now. I feel magazines and internet reviews serve to create a kind of romance and aura around these cars that in my opinion isn't fully justified.
I am perhaps being critical because I like well-made things and my expectations were off, but essentially a Ferrari is a great chassis and engine with some - very - nicely designed parts screwed on afterwards in a way only the Italians can. I've had a nosey around some of the trim and fastenings etc. and the best way to sum it up would be: good concepts but sometimes the execution is poor I will be improving some of the trim in due course.
Handling wise it is very good but I need at least another month with it before I've raised my driving to the point where I can explot its limits. On the legal side of a ton my modified m3 is a sharper handling car, and if there wasn't a power difference between the two there would be little in it on a twisty road, however the mid engine balance of the Ferrari can be felt at all times and in fairness as a car it doesn't begin to shine until well into prison-sentance territory. This is where the gap between the two cars opens up.
As other reviews have covered the F430 can pootle along quite happily if it needs to, though I have noticed that after 30 minutes or so of heavy stop/start traffic the clutch can judder so that's something that is best avoided. With the Manettino set to 'wet/slippery' the suspension becomes very pliable, comfortable in fact, though with eight ball joints linking wheels to chassis any transition in road surface is always immediately felt despite the comfortable damping.
The engine is as expected: a masterpiece. I thought the CSL airbox was glorious until I heard the F430; it has such vocal talent and such a wide range of sounds that one can almost play it like an instrument! Between 7k and 8.5k it's simply awesome and it's the first car I've owned that I would call fast. I think any more power than this would just frustate me on the public roads.
Back to the theme of the first paragraph, something has already gone wrong. I dropped off the car this morning to Graypaul in Nottingham as a section of the magnesium roof frame has cracked. I had the sense to buy an extended warranty but this part is being covered under the supplying dealers warranty. I've asked Ferrari to check over the roof to ensure there are no alignment issues or anything else - for example snapped elastic under the fabric - that will cause the issue to reoccur. I had to take a photo as I ended up parked next to a 458 also finished in Grigio Silverstone.
I did find last week that the car has Capristo brackets fitted to the rear silencer which is a sure sign the previous owner knew about the OEM manifold issue and F430 ownership in general, so that's good. In spite of the brackets I have just ordered a pair of stainless tubular manifolds as I couldn't shake the feeling that I was driving around in a grenade with the OEM manifolds still fitted.
I expect to update in a months time and by then have fallen in love with the car - it has happenend before
I was initially very disappointed with the car, primairly I think because the build quality came as a shock after the kind of performance cars I've owned, and still do (M3). I wasn't quite prepared for what is considered 'normal' within the realms of supercar ownership! I would place the general trim/interior/bodywork fastening quality on par with a Mk4 Fiesta, but with a fabric roof. Don't get me wrong, it isn't terrible, but there is a gulf between it and for example my E46 M3, which let's face it is an old car now. I feel magazines and internet reviews serve to create a kind of romance and aura around these cars that in my opinion isn't fully justified.
I am perhaps being critical because I like well-made things and my expectations were off, but essentially a Ferrari is a great chassis and engine with some - very - nicely designed parts screwed on afterwards in a way only the Italians can. I've had a nosey around some of the trim and fastenings etc. and the best way to sum it up would be: good concepts but sometimes the execution is poor
I will be improving some of the trim in due course.Handling wise it is very good but I need at least another month with it before I've raised my driving to the point where I can explot its limits. On the legal side of a ton my modified m3 is a sharper handling car, and if there wasn't a power difference between the two there would be little in it on a twisty road, however the mid engine balance of the Ferrari can be felt at all times and in fairness as a car it doesn't begin to shine until well into prison-sentance territory. This is where the gap between the two cars opens up.
As other reviews have covered the F430 can pootle along quite happily if it needs to, though I have noticed that after 30 minutes or so of heavy stop/start traffic the clutch can judder so that's something that is best avoided. With the Manettino set to 'wet/slippery' the suspension becomes very pliable, comfortable in fact, though with eight ball joints linking wheels to chassis any transition in road surface is always immediately felt despite the comfortable damping.
The engine is as expected: a masterpiece. I thought the CSL airbox was glorious until I heard the F430; it has such vocal talent and such a wide range of sounds that one can almost play it like an instrument! Between 7k and 8.5k it's simply awesome and it's the first car I've owned that I would call fast. I think any more power than this would just frustate me on the public roads.
Back to the theme of the first paragraph, something has already gone wrong. I dropped off the car this morning to Graypaul in Nottingham as a section of the magnesium roof frame has cracked. I had the sense to buy an extended warranty but this part is being covered under the supplying dealers warranty. I've asked Ferrari to check over the roof to ensure there are no alignment issues or anything else - for example snapped elastic under the fabric - that will cause the issue to reoccur. I had to take a photo as I ended up parked next to a 458 also finished in Grigio Silverstone.
I did find last week that the car has Capristo brackets fitted to the rear silencer which is a sure sign the previous owner knew about the OEM manifold issue and F430 ownership in general, so that's good. In spite of the brackets I have just ordered a pair of stainless tubular manifolds as I couldn't shake the feeling that I was driving around in a grenade with the OEM manifolds still fitted.
I expect to update in a months time and by then have fallen in love with the car - it has happenend before
Monday 1st September, 2014
Scuderia Shield copies. These are gel badges and I've since decided to go for a replica enamel badge version produced by Jim 'Denver308' from Ferrari Life.
My replacement manifolds have arrived. They are mande by 'Top Speed' Top Speed Auto Accessories, Inc. and cost an incredible £655 including delivery for the pair. They are a 4-1 design which optimises power in the top end of the rev range. I chose them after looking at the alternatives;
Fabspeed/Agency power - Quality of construiction appears identical to Top Speed except for the flange, which is cast and of better quality. £1,600 ish
Capristo - As above excpet these are a 4-2-1 design which optimises mid-range torque rather than top end. £3,676.45.
Supersprint - Of the manifolds I have seen these are clearly the best design and quality. £3338.23
Why am I replacing the manifolds? The OEM Ferrari manifolds contain a pre-car and are prone to cracking, and due to the route the primaries take around the chassis, debris can collect close to the exhaust ports and enter the engine on the over-run. The manifolds were revised in 2008 and called 'Mk2', but even these fail. I'm not interested in additional power but this is a welcome side effect due to the removal of the pre-cats in all of the after market manifolds.
Why have I chosen Top Speed? I don't like how certain components attract a premium just because of the target vehcile or market, for example the often disproportionate cost of powder coating/refurbishing alloy wheels just because they are a car fashion accessory, or the price of certain components for premium or exotic cars. I chose the Top Speed manifolds because they are exceptionally well-priced and appeared in photos to be procuded to a standard which meant they comfortably out-lasted the OEM manifolds. I beleive they are new to market hence I was happy to treat them as an evaluation.
What are they like?
The manifolds have been TIG welded. It's not artwork quality but perfectly functional and decent quality. Material is T304.
Welding, O2 sensor, and cat flange detail.
The flange has been welded externally and internally. Internal welds are neat and have been dressed where required.
The manifolds have been constructed so that the steps from overlapped sections face away from exhaust flow, which is ideal.
This next photo shows the worst part for me: the joint and resulting radius of the rearmost cylinders could be smoother.
Mating face tolderance was circa 1mm. This is within spec for the composite gaskets supplied by Top Speed, but is boderline for a multi-layter-steel (MLS) gasket used on the OEM manifolds.
Scuderia Shield copies. These are gel badges and I've since decided to go for a replica enamel badge version produced by Jim 'Denver308' from Ferrari Life.
My replacement manifolds have arrived. They are mande by 'Top Speed' Top Speed Auto Accessories, Inc. and cost an incredible £655 including delivery for the pair. They are a 4-1 design which optimises power in the top end of the rev range. I chose them after looking at the alternatives;
Fabspeed/Agency power - Quality of construiction appears identical to Top Speed except for the flange, which is cast and of better quality. £1,600 ish
Capristo - As above excpet these are a 4-2-1 design which optimises mid-range torque rather than top end. £3,676.45.
Supersprint - Of the manifolds I have seen these are clearly the best design and quality. £3338.23
Why am I replacing the manifolds? The OEM Ferrari manifolds contain a pre-car and are prone to cracking, and due to the route the primaries take around the chassis, debris can collect close to the exhaust ports and enter the engine on the over-run. The manifolds were revised in 2008 and called 'Mk2', but even these fail. I'm not interested in additional power but this is a welcome side effect due to the removal of the pre-cats in all of the after market manifolds.
Why have I chosen Top Speed? I don't like how certain components attract a premium just because of the target vehcile or market, for example the often disproportionate cost of powder coating/refurbishing alloy wheels just because they are a car fashion accessory, or the price of certain components for premium or exotic cars. I chose the Top Speed manifolds because they are exceptionally well-priced and appeared in photos to be procuded to a standard which meant they comfortably out-lasted the OEM manifolds. I beleive they are new to market hence I was happy to treat them as an evaluation.
What are they like?
The manifolds have been TIG welded. It's not artwork quality but perfectly functional and decent quality. Material is T304.
Welding, O2 sensor, and cat flange detail.
The flange has been welded externally and internally. Internal welds are neat and have been dressed where required.
The manifolds have been constructed so that the steps from overlapped sections face away from exhaust flow, which is ideal.
This next photo shows the worst part for me: the joint and resulting radius of the rearmost cylinders could be smoother.
Mating face tolderance was circa 1mm. This is within spec for the composite gaskets supplied by Top Speed, but is boderline for a multi-layter-steel (MLS) gasket used on the OEM manifolds.
Mike01606
Active member
Mark,
You raise some good points particularly on trim etc. I think the real difference between these cars and BMW is purely down to production numbers. I'm not defending it just recognising that tooling for low numbers would make these cars too expensive. Leave that to Pagani......
I own a 360 which was effectively the 1st gen 430 so that was the real 'prototype' and I too was surprised when you see some of the detail (or lack of) underneath the skin.
For me it is still an event every time I drive it and the engine/F1 combination is what makes it really special.......I like the fact that all the rough edges haven't been knocked off :grin:
Enjoy the car.......:thumbsup:
You raise some good points particularly on trim etc. I think the real difference between these cars and BMW is purely down to production numbers. I'm not defending it just recognising that tooling for low numbers would make these cars too expensive. Leave that to Pagani......
I own a 360 which was effectively the 1st gen 430 so that was the real 'prototype' and I too was surprised when you see some of the detail (or lack of) underneath the skin.
For me it is still an event every time I drive it and the engine/F1 combination is what makes it really special.......I like the fact that all the rough edges haven't been knocked off :grin:
Enjoy the car.......:thumbsup:
Composite gaskets supplied:
I prefer the MLS gasket so I decided to have the manifolds linished to suitable tolerances i.e. within ~0.25mm.
Ferrari gaskets ordered from Eurospares.
I will report back regarding fitment once I have the car back from Graypaul.
Something else I want to mention is another enthusiast, Aldous Voice, who has an excellent blog: Aldous Voice | Ferrari Expertise Aldous has been very helpful to date in answering various questions I've had about the car.
I prefer the MLS gasket so I decided to have the manifolds linished to suitable tolerances i.e. within ~0.25mm.
Ferrari gaskets ordered from Eurospares.
I will report back regarding fitment once I have the car back from Graypaul.
Something else I want to mention is another enthusiast, Aldous Voice, who has an excellent blog: Aldous Voice | Ferrari Expertise Aldous has been very helpful to date in answering various questions I've had about the car.
Hi Mike, Yes, you're right - I think the low production numbers and investment in new technologies make these things horrendously expensive to produce. In fairness, as time has gone on the car has performed faultlessley - it just took me a while to acclimatise after driving mass produced performance cars.
No other car has ever put a smile on my face quite like it :grin:
pilotprice
New member
I asked about these manifolds last week but was advised of the facing issues and also a report of them fouling on the chasis?
pilotprice
New member
Seen your post
I just replied to your post
They are no where near the chassis - there is considerably more room around the manifolds than the OEM versions. I had a chat with Aldous about his experience and came to the conclusion that the manifolds were redesigned at a later date; they were marketed as 'New, perfect fit'.
Saturday 6th September 2014
I'm in the process of replacing the OEM exhaust manifolds with the stainless tubular versions covered in my previous post, and whilst doing so I'm cleaning behind the various guards and trim pieces and replacing any corroded fasteners with stainless versions. It seemed like a good opportunity for a quick photo study of the parts that aren't usually seen.
O/S/R wheel arch with liners removed and stock manifold visible through the aperture. Suspension is coil over with double wishbone and a tie rod, which is adjustable for toe. Camber adjustment is made by shimming the wishbone mounts.
Close up of stock manifolds.
There are two aluminium fuel tanks; one in front of each rear wheel. I suspect they are baffled.
I found this signature at the top of the O/S/R arch - possibly a worker at Alcoa where the chassis is made.
Hydraulic manifold for the Spider roof mechanism is visible at the rear of the O/S/R wheel arch.
The air inlets atop the rear quarters feed air along in to the airbox. This photo shows the ducting linking the two.
Rear diffuser removed revealing transaxle.
Airbox lids and engine bay access panels removed.
Flat under tray removed showing the rear of the Alcoa chassis. It's a mixture of box section, pressed, and extruded sections welded together.
Front of the engine showing how the services run around the periphery of the engine bay and converge in a neat run to the front of the car.
The engine is dry sumped, and the sump is structural. The main cap studs are through-bolted here to increase stiffness of the bottom end.
Here are the stock manifolds removed. The job took around five hours and can only be described as a pain! My car had replacement Mk2 manifolds fitted by Ferrari in 2009 and the nuts must have been tightened by a Gorilla; given there is access to turn some of the nuts 1/8th of a turn at best, one more than one occasion I seriously thought I may end up stuck.
Monday 8th September 2014
Hydraulic manifold for the E-Diff is visible at the rear of the O/S/R wheel arch.
I now have the replica Scuderia Shields fitted to the front wings. I used the Ferrari measurements to position them.
Mk2 exhaust manifold failiure
I mentioned previously that my exhaust manifolds were the Mk2 version fitted by Ferrari in 2009 after the original Mk1 versions failed. I had a blow from my exhaust which prompted me to buy the stainless versions as soon as possible, and given that the stock manifolds were scrap I took an angle grinder to them in order to remove the heat shields and confirm a definite failiure.
Here are both of the manifolds with the shields and heat insulating material removed.
The right bank manifold was OK.
Thursday 11th September 2014
Rear Tie Rods
The Hill Engineering rear tie rod ends arrived. They are stainless steel ball joints encased within a billet aluminium end. The original Ferrari ends are plated ball joints in a forged alloy end. Ferrari fitted the arms in 2011 as a complete assembly and they hadn't used any anti-sieze compond which I always find vital when dealing with alloy threads. I had to cut off one of the original ends as it wouldn't budge even with heat applied. I've also bought new bolts to secure the end plates.
Assembly fitted.
I removed the A/C compressor to gain better access to the N/S exhaust nuts, and one of the three securing bolts snapped off in the block. Thank God it was the lower bolt (see arrow) which is easy to access otherwise it could have been a huge amount of work to rectify! It turns out that Ferrari use a grade 12.9 bolt for one of the three, with the others being 8.8! Combine that grade of bolt with an alloy thread in a hot engine block without any anti-sieze and you have a potential recipie for disaster. I decided to Helicoil the mount to make it better than original. I also replaced the bolts with new ones this time all in grade 12.9.
Manifolds fitted
Manifolds coated, and new studs from Ferrari. They are only 71p each so it makes sense to replace them. The nuts were from VW as it happenend; most manufacturers now use M8 exhaust studs with the smaller 12mm hex head.
It took me twenty minutes to fit the new manifolds which is in stark contrast to the four hours it took to remove the stock manifolds! The replacements fit well - a little tight around the studs compared to OEM, but that's no bad thing - so at this point they are looking to be a complete bargain. Let's see how they hold up to regular use.
Hill Engineering Foot Rest
I ordered this at the same time as the ball joints. The standard Ferrari foot rest is just a black rubber peice stuck onto an aluminium back plate. The Hill piece matches the rest of the pedals.
Standard rest:
Hill Engineering were brilliant to deal with and the service was great, and fast. The products are excellent quality so I certainly recommend them.
Strengthening gussets added by Ferrari.
Here's the left bank manifold. There is a 50mm crack right around the primary of cylinder eight.
I'm in the process of replacing the OEM exhaust manifolds with the stainless tubular versions covered in my previous post, and whilst doing so I'm cleaning behind the various guards and trim pieces and replacing any corroded fasteners with stainless versions. It seemed like a good opportunity for a quick photo study of the parts that aren't usually seen.
O/S/R wheel arch with liners removed and stock manifold visible through the aperture. Suspension is coil over with double wishbone and a tie rod, which is adjustable for toe. Camber adjustment is made by shimming the wishbone mounts.
Close up of stock manifolds.
There are two aluminium fuel tanks; one in front of each rear wheel. I suspect they are baffled.
I found this signature at the top of the O/S/R arch - possibly a worker at Alcoa where the chassis is made.
Hydraulic manifold for the Spider roof mechanism is visible at the rear of the O/S/R wheel arch.
The air inlets atop the rear quarters feed air along in to the airbox. This photo shows the ducting linking the two.
Rear diffuser removed revealing transaxle.
Airbox lids and engine bay access panels removed.
Flat under tray removed showing the rear of the Alcoa chassis. It's a mixture of box section, pressed, and extruded sections welded together.
Front of the engine showing how the services run around the periphery of the engine bay and converge in a neat run to the front of the car.
The engine is dry sumped, and the sump is structural. The main cap studs are through-bolted here to increase stiffness of the bottom end.
Here are the stock manifolds removed. The job took around five hours and can only be described as a pain! My car had replacement Mk2 manifolds fitted by Ferrari in 2009 and the nuts must have been tightened by a Gorilla; given there is access to turn some of the nuts 1/8th of a turn at best, one more than one occasion I seriously thought I may end up stuck.
Monday 8th September 2014
Hydraulic manifold for the E-Diff is visible at the rear of the O/S/R wheel arch.
I now have the replica Scuderia Shields fitted to the front wings. I used the Ferrari measurements to position them.
Mk2 exhaust manifold failiure
I mentioned previously that my exhaust manifolds were the Mk2 version fitted by Ferrari in 2009 after the original Mk1 versions failed. I had a blow from my exhaust which prompted me to buy the stainless versions as soon as possible, and given that the stock manifolds were scrap I took an angle grinder to them in order to remove the heat shields and confirm a definite failiure.
Here are both of the manifolds with the shields and heat insulating material removed.
The right bank manifold was OK.
Thursday 11th September 2014
Rear Tie Rods
The Hill Engineering rear tie rod ends arrived. They are stainless steel ball joints encased within a billet aluminium end. The original Ferrari ends are plated ball joints in a forged alloy end. Ferrari fitted the arms in 2011 as a complete assembly and they hadn't used any anti-sieze compond which I always find vital when dealing with alloy threads. I had to cut off one of the original ends as it wouldn't budge even with heat applied. I've also bought new bolts to secure the end plates.
Assembly fitted.
I removed the A/C compressor to gain better access to the N/S exhaust nuts, and one of the three securing bolts snapped off in the block. Thank God it was the lower bolt (see arrow) which is easy to access otherwise it could have been a huge amount of work to rectify! It turns out that Ferrari use a grade 12.9 bolt for one of the three, with the others being 8.8! Combine that grade of bolt with an alloy thread in a hot engine block without any anti-sieze and you have a potential recipie for disaster. I decided to Helicoil the mount to make it better than original. I also replaced the bolts with new ones this time all in grade 12.9.
Manifolds fitted
Manifolds coated, and new studs from Ferrari. They are only 71p each so it makes sense to replace them. The nuts were from VW as it happenend; most manufacturers now use M8 exhaust studs with the smaller 12mm hex head.
It took me twenty minutes to fit the new manifolds which is in stark contrast to the four hours it took to remove the stock manifolds! The replacements fit well - a little tight around the studs compared to OEM, but that's no bad thing - so at this point they are looking to be a complete bargain. Let's see how they hold up to regular use.
Hill Engineering Foot Rest
I ordered this at the same time as the ball joints. The standard Ferrari foot rest is just a black rubber peice stuck onto an aluminium back plate. The Hill piece matches the rest of the pedals.
Standard rest:
Hill Engineering were brilliant to deal with and the service was great, and fast. The products are excellent quality so I certainly recommend them.
Strengthening gussets added by Ferrari.
Here's the left bank manifold. There is a 50mm crack right around the primary of cylinder eight.
Mike01606
Active member
Some great pictures so thanks for sharing them.....
Every time I see 430 manifolds I cannot believe the design of the 4 pipes into the collector. It looks as if the designer had no understanding of thermal expansion and how welds can affect thin walled tubing.
Underneath the skin the chassis and suspension are identical to the 360......
Every time I see 430 manifolds I cannot believe the design of the 4 pipes into the collector. It looks as if the designer had no understanding of thermal expansion and how welds can affect thin walled tubing.
Underneath the skin the chassis and suspension are identical to the 360......
Last edited:
Modificato
New member
Similar story
Really Pleased you are posting on here as PH forums seemingly wont allow new users to comment almost everyday due to the amount of trolls on there.
Anyway, very interested in your journey as I am pursuing a similar path with my own 2007 F1 Coupe.
I am an engineer (aeronautical) by profession and have been using spanners since as long as I remember. I have a history in motorsport so drive my car as intended by its designers. I also do troubleshooting work in the industry mostly subject to non-disclosure agreements but suffice to say the premium segment contains a lot of my customers. I take a similar approach to improvement to you staying as much as I can to having the tediously required FFSH for resale, but use independents / DIY to do my upgrades. I am always underwhelmed by the modern service experience and have done work with a couple of marques to improve it but there is nothing like working on your own car to make you quality conscious. To my eye there are parts of the Ferrari designs that are just plain lazy and frustrating but as you say the business bits they get spot on. I have witnessed there testing (was there last week) but unfortunately their customers in the main don't replicate the testing profiles one bit. Maybe on in 500 do. Anyway...
I am currently on Mk2 Headers with Capristo mounts but looking to source a Titanium cat-back system to take some weight (and hence stress) out of the stock system, add some nice Ti resonance to the exhaust note, and not spend my life getting CEL warnings.
I am intrigued by your brake choice as I am going the stock CCM route.
My overall goal is to get somewhere near a challenge look and feel for my car so it sits somewhere between stock and a scud.
Will be good to keep up-to-date with upgrades.
Really Pleased you are posting on here as PH forums seemingly wont allow new users to comment almost everyday due to the amount of trolls on there.
Anyway, very interested in your journey as I am pursuing a similar path with my own 2007 F1 Coupe.
I am an engineer (aeronautical) by profession and have been using spanners since as long as I remember. I have a history in motorsport so drive my car as intended by its designers. I also do troubleshooting work in the industry mostly subject to non-disclosure agreements but suffice to say the premium segment contains a lot of my customers. I take a similar approach to improvement to you staying as much as I can to having the tediously required FFSH for resale, but use independents / DIY to do my upgrades. I am always underwhelmed by the modern service experience and have done work with a couple of marques to improve it but there is nothing like working on your own car to make you quality conscious. To my eye there are parts of the Ferrari designs that are just plain lazy and frustrating but as you say the business bits they get spot on. I have witnessed there testing (was there last week) but unfortunately their customers in the main don't replicate the testing profiles one bit. Maybe on in 500 do. Anyway...
I am currently on Mk2 Headers with Capristo mounts but looking to source a Titanium cat-back system to take some weight (and hence stress) out of the stock system, add some nice Ti resonance to the exhaust note, and not spend my life getting CEL warnings.
I am intrigued by your brake choice as I am going the stock CCM route.
My overall goal is to get somewhere near a challenge look and feel for my car so it sits somewhere between stock and a scud.
Will be good to keep up-to-date with upgrades.