Ferrari F430 Spider

Author
Discussion

Dr Imran T

2,301 posts

199 months

Thursday 15th December 2016
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mwstewart said:
Thanks again.

hyphen said:
Is the long term plan to always keep it a hobby, or eventually make it a full time occupation somehow?
My OH thinks I should start a business. The routine service stuff bores me now but we're both quite interested in classics at the moment so it would be good to work on restoring and modernising older cars, much like the approach I'm taking with the Fiesta. I work too slowly to make decent money out of it but quality of life would be better than a relatively high stress city job.
Your other half is right! I think there could well be a market for high quality work.

anonymous-user

54 months

Thursday 15th December 2016
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Where do you get all your stainless fixings from?

r1chardh

144 posts

175 months

Thursday 15th December 2016
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Great to see the update, those hinges especially - you must have been very happy about a free kilogram there. Keep up the good work!

H20DJY

189 posts

93 months

Thursday 15th December 2016
quotequote all
Dr Imran T said:
mwstewart said:
Thanks again.

hyphen said:
Is the long term plan to always keep it a hobby, or eventually make it a full time occupation somehow?
My OH thinks I should start a business. The routine service stuff bores me now but we're both quite interested in classics at the moment so it would be good to work on restoring and modernising older cars, much like the approach I'm taking with the Fiesta. I work too slowly to make decent money out of it but quality of life would be better than a relatively high stress city job.
Your other half is right! I think there could well be a market for high quality work.
Agreed, look at Singer Porsches.

chillo

724 posts

222 months

Monday 19th December 2016
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Do you have any info on 'PRE-SOFAST and SOFAST transmission control' versions and which model variant was used in the f430 and what year it was used? I would like find out what is in mine!

mwstewart

Original Poster:

7,615 posts

188 months

Tuesday 20th December 2016
quotequote all
hyphen said:
Also did your dad get you into cars, or have you got him into it?
Dad got me into them, but I think most of the family were as my Gradnad had a main dealer and uncles and cousins were in motorsport. One of my earlier memories is Dad teaching me what sandpaper was and how to use it, only for him to come into the garage and find me sanding the wing of a GT6! Oops.

lordf said:
Where do you get all your stainless fixings from?
I go to a local company, but there are outlets on eBay. I tend to buy at least 20 of anything I need so I build up a stock.

r1chardh said:
Great to see the update, those hinges especially - you must have been very happy about a free kilogram there. Keep up the good work!
Cheers. I was!

H20DJY said:
Dr Imran T said:
Your other half is right! I think there could well be a market for high quality work.
Agreed, look at Singer Porsches.
Cheers guys. Giving it some serious thought. I may go into electrifying classics as well as restorations.

chillo said:
Do you have any info on 'PRE-SOFAST and SOFAST transmission control' versions and which model variant was used in the f430 and what year it was used? I would like find out what is in mine!
I do, see below:

PRE-SOFAST and SOFAST transmission control system (CFC201) - early 360
SOFAST II transmission control system (CFC231) - 360 CS, late 360, F430 to late 2007
SOFAST III transmission control system (CFC301) - F430 MY08 (no passenger door lock key hole)
SOFAST III+ transmission control system (CFC301) - F430 MY09
SOFAST IV with Superfast shift transmission control system (CFC301) - 599
SOFAST IV with Superfast shift 2 transmission control system (CFC301) - 16M, 599 GTO, Scuderia

If you need further help give me a shout.

mwstewart

Original Poster:

7,615 posts

188 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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I've tracked down another rare part: the 16M dashboard plaque. I always wondered why it was so expensive compared to even the Scuderia carbon version, but now I know; it's hallmarked solid silver! I found this new part in Japan.


Steering wheel – paddles - electronics
Looking further into feasibility of my circuit I realised there was a problem: most Solid State Relays SSRs are opto-isolators, which means they are devices comprised of an LED and a phototransistor. The problem occurs because there is a small voltage drop across the phototransistor, which means the TCU would not see the expected voltage for any given paddle position. I had to go back to the drawing board. There are other options I could take including reed relays, and analogue/CMOS switches, but I settled for a different approach: rather than copy the Ferrari circuit I would simulate its behaviour using a small processing unit.

I’ve purchased a Genuino (Ardunino) Micro which is a small microcontroller with a number of input and output pins that comes with a development environment so that custom code can be uploaded to it, and so the possibilities are endless. I’ve also picked up a AD8403AN10 quad channel digital potentiometer which I will communicate with from the Arduino over something called the Serial Peripheral Interface Bus. Finally, a LM2596S based voltage regulator to ensure the components receive a steady 5v regardless of alternator and battery output.


I'm going to write some code that will vary the resistance of three pots to match paddle position. The three outputs being connected to the up, down, and standy wires to the TCU.

I'll package the whole lot in a small enclosure to create a steering wheel paddle module.

Braking update
I'm going to use another Arduino to create an EPB module to control the two Brembo EPB motors. At this stage I don't know if the Speciale EPB motors have integrated hall effect sensors to detect when the parking brake is fully engaged, or whether I'll use a current sensing circuit to determine that.

sealtt

3,091 posts

158 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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Doesn't solid silver kind of go against the whole weight loss above all else mantra of this project? laugh

Maybe get your own plaque made up in titanium!


mwstewart

Original Poster:

7,615 posts

188 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
quotequote all
sealtt said:
Doesn't solid silver kind of go against the whole weight loss above all else mantra of this project? laugh

Maybe get your own plaque made up in titanium!
It does a bit! The badges aren't exactly light, but I'll make a concession for them smile

sealtt

3,091 posts

158 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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At least it's not platinum!

rdodger

1,088 posts

203 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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I hesitate to post a negative comment as I continue to be impressed with the quality of work in this and your other build threads........but why the 16M badges?

It isn't a 16M and never can be no matter how many bits from one are added. I feel there is a danger of it being seen as a replica when in fact it's so much more. It feels much more like one mans obsession to build his ultimate car.

F430 by MWStewart would be more appropriate in my sometimes not so humble opinion. Get those badges made up in a mix of carbon fibre and titanium.

Anyway winge over and keep up the rather impressive work.

mattyc69

330 posts

152 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
quotequote all
rdodger said:
I hesitate to post a negative comment as I continue to be impressed with the quality of work in this and your other build threads........but why the 16M badges?

It isn't a 16M and never can be no matter how many bits from one are added. I feel there is a danger of it being seen as a replica when in fact it's so much more. It feels much more like one mans obsession to build his ultimate car.

F430 by MWStewart would be more appropriate in my sometimes not so humble opinion. Get those badges made up in a mix of carbon fibre and titanium.

Anyway winge over and keep up the rather impressive work.
100% this, if this was someone making a 330 BMW into a M3 and putting M badges on everyone on here would be losing their sh**. I am sorry I just find badging it up as a Scud when it's not ruins the whole thing.

True Gaucho

41 posts

118 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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mwstewart said:
. I'll package the whole lot in a small enclosure to create a steering wheel paddle module.
Impressive stuff as always! Is there any potential that introducing this extra interface between the paddles and gearbox wil cause any slow down in gearshift times? I'm sure the answer is no, given your focus on improving the car, but thought I'd ask :-)

ferrisbueller

29,335 posts

227 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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mwstewart said:
The model designation for the F430 is F131. I've learnt there is a different suffix for the various models and knowing that sometimes aids me when identifying parts.

F131 E - Standard car
F131 EA - Challenge
F131 LP - Scuderia
F131 JD - 16M specific parts
I had thought the 360 is 131 and the 430 is 136.

Is that just engine designation? (Some of your diagrams also have 136 on them).

EJH

934 posts

209 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
quotequote all
rdodger said:
I hesitate to post a negative comment as I continue to be impressed with the quality of work in this and your other build threads........but why the 16M badges?

It isn't a 16M and never can be no matter how many bits from one are added. I feel there is a danger of it being seen as a replica when in fact it's so much more. It feels much more like one mans obsession to build his ultimate car.

F430 by MWStewart would be more appropriate in my sometimes not so humble opinion. Get those badges made up in a mix of carbon fibre and titanium.

Anyway winge over and keep up the rather impressive work.
I have to agree; it seems (almost) a bit of a shame when the rest of the build is so stunning. If there must be a badge, it could be:

MW
Stewart
Limited Edition 1

Instead.


Anyway, this build continues to get ever more impressive. I have said that before and each time it gets even better!

lee_fr200

5,478 posts

190 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
quotequote all
must admit i agree about the badges, its not a 16m so don't try and trade it off as one,
it would be a tacky add

do your own in titanium and carbon as has been suggested

Name of user

176 posts

107 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
quotequote all
lee_fr200 said:
must admit i agree about the badges, its not a 16m so don't try and trade it off as one,
it would be a tacky add

do your own in titanium and carbon as has been suggested
Call it the 16mw wink

gcpeters

961 posts

232 months

Thursday 22nd December 2016
quotequote all
True Gaucho said:
Impressive stuff as always! Is there any potential that introducing this extra interface between the paddles and gearbox wil cause any slow down in gearshift times? I'm sure the answer is no, given your focus on improving the car, but thought I'd ask :-)
I would worry about using those Arduinos, they are designed for the "Maker" community and have been known to fail, often! Same with RPi3s etc etc. There is going to be some latency introduced but I guess until you test you will never know smile


Janosh

1,736 posts

167 months

Thursday 22nd December 2016
quotequote all
Name of user said:
Call it the 16mw wink
+1 I would love to see a bespoke lightweight badge of some description.

Earlier in the thread you mentioned that you'd consider custom 'F470' badges post engine build - perfect IMO.

I also feel that badging it a 16M is selling it short.... which in itself is quite an achievement!

Krikkit

26,534 posts

181 months

Thursday 22nd December 2016
quotequote all
Janosh said:
Name of user said:
Call it the 16mw wink
+1 I would love to see a bespoke lightweight badge of some description.

Earlier in the thread you mentioned that you'd consider custom 'F470' badges post engine build - perfect IMO.

I also feel that badging it a 16M is selling it short.... which in itself is quite an achievement!
I'd agree on this - it's a level of detail and fettle beyond even a 16M, why give it a lower moniker?

Put something custom on it.