97 Ferrari 456 GTA bought in auction

[fastgerman]

Thanks guys, the 550 wheels are pushed out of my thoughts :-).

That’s a great angle on the blue 456 above, I’ll have a think about spacers - I guess the only issue is potentially more stress on wheel bearings?

[fastgerman]

Good shout on Hill Engineering. I’m probably going to leave it all alone. Just stuck a few pictures together on wheels/camera angles I like. Isn’t Rosso Metallizato a stunning colour on this car, I always thought black and dark blue only:

[fastgerman]

Cheers Olly, back to thinking 550 wheels :-).

Found this link while reading different reviews on getting the best from the auto gearbox.

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/ferrari-goes-automat...

So the gearbox is General Motors and can handle an 800bhp LS4 engine. In the 456 GTA, there are some Ferrari parts fitted including the slippy diffy from the F40, cool. The box has 4 gears and has the selectors for 1st, 2nd and 3rd should you want to hold it in gear or change down. One thing I hate in autos is going down hill on the brakes in too high a gear and the same with going into a corner at too high a gear. 1st is good for 50mph, 2nd 80mph, 3rd 130mph and 4th (D) good for 200+ if you’re going down a hill and in slipstream :-). While this is a GT car which will spend 95% of its time on road trips, it’s great to know I could leave it in 2nd on some country roads like this:

[fastgerman]

Afternoon All,

I need some parts help please:

Central Door Locking Unit / Actuator is missing on the passenger side



Is this from a Beamer also?

Part number - 63487400

Thank you :-)

[fastgerman]

Another pic and thanks guys, will search Fiat, Alfa and Maserati also. Can’t imagine Ferrari bothered making this part

[fastgerman]

Thanks guys, will check on wax oil type product cheers.

Great find on the BMW part will investigate further :-)

While I don’t want to spend £300 for a small part, they’re also not available through the Ferrari Parts site or Scuderia etc. Will have to be a second hand unit or new from Beamer :-).

Edited by fastgerman on Tuesday 20th October 18:32

[fastgerman]

Hi All!

Exciting times, should have my car back next week, I’ve so far only driven it at about 5mph.

So this is the story so far...

Oct 2020 bill (approx including VAT):

Modified engine mounts - 700
Window trims painted - 300
Service, cambelt, MOT - 1500
Front bumper alignment - 120
Electrics / locking / windows - 360
Door lock unit - 100
Washer bottle - 140
Rear pads - 130
Front track rod - 180
Suspension brake switch sensor - 24

Parts/research:

63487400- Maranello classic parts, central locking actuator / central door locking unit - Not Available, so started a check on other parts...

Bmw e28 7 series door locking actuator
51268356066 (Sachs) approx £150

Suspension accumulators
Most interestingly fitted to BMW e34 M5 and e38 750il (Bilstein Febi)
37211132043 approx £75

Suspension includes Bilstein dampers which can be refurbished by Bilstein instead of replacing at around £80

(Ferrari tax on the above, if the part is even available, can be 7 x. Example being suspension accumulators at £580 vs £75)

Suspension actuators
Also used on Maserati and Corvette made by Bilstein. Plenty available refurbished on the line.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdi4yQLJw5I

Gearbox is made by General Motors
GM 4T80E hydromatic + Ferrari modifications including an F40 LSD. 3 x filters (#178164) and the lower central filter (#178162) and lower front filter (#178159).

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/456gta-t...

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/ferrari-goes-automat...

Later Sony 6 disk changer that doesn’t skip over bumpy UK roads - CDX-U303 or CDX-70

Window alignment issue due to structure being made of flexible aluminium and weight of glass has finally been resolved tbc - http://f1imports.com/our-specialites/window-regula...

New radiator costs £2.5k, however can have a re-core for £800.

[fastgerman]

For anyone who saw the listing and thought the front looked a bit wonky:



It turned out just to be a poorly aligned bumper and some makeshift fastenings. The bumper also sat high on the drivers side raising the bonnet and making the headlight look too low.

The frame was all straight so just waiting on some new fastenings.

Need to wait another week but happy the car is straight.

Oh and the eBay door locking module didn’t work so that’s gone to the electrician.

[fastgerman]

Yes I believe so and also the same part as on the 550 and 575

[fastgerman]

Hi All,

General update and help needed from 456 window experts:

I’m going to try the company I mentioned above for the fix as the drivers side window is beyond alignment repair



Good news front bumper alignment done:

[fastgerman]

Video of window regulator - https://youtu.be/xkbu1Lt6j8U

[fastgerman]

I think the wheels budget has gone on windows and locking but I do want the car water tight. Good info on the hubcentric parts and I’m liking the 575 wheels now:

[fastgerman]

Leftfootwonder said:

Maybe its the photos but are you sure that nearside is lined up?

I’m told it looks good when I see it (hopefully next week). The bumper looks correct to me and certainly better than it was. The drivers side headlight looks like it needs adjusting a bit. I’m happy knowing the bumper and bonnet are original and the bumper frame is correct and not ‘made of bits’. So far it’s difficult to understand why this car has a Cat D rating. A family friend who used to arrange Nick Masons car Insurances and also insured Rardleys Ferrari spoke to her contacts. It’s against data privacy at the insurers to give any info and came up blank. So, since 2011 the car has covered 1,000 miles and had over £20k spent on mechanicals (£14k at Rardleys and £7k at Swindon Dick Lovett).

Edited by fastgerman on Tuesday 3rd November 18:48

[fastgerman]

67Dino said:

My own experience from fiddling with the 456 drivers window was that I seemed to have two choices of position: with wind whistling at the front, or with a bit of rain coming in at the back. I found a happy compromise, but wasn’t able to create a perfect window fit on mine.

I ended up going with a new mechanism from Ferrari Maranello at £708 + vat. The last one has served 23 years and I don’t want the risk of posting stuff to the US for the fix mentioned above. Hopefully I have a water tight car now.

[fastgerman]

Jimmy No Hands said:

Gorgeous car. I was lucky enough to work for a Ferrari dealer for a period about 6 years ago (right around when the new Cali T came out) and I got so bored of the modern stuff. It was so nice seeing a 456, 612 or a 550 come through the doors. Handsome brutes.

I would love to have the skills to work on the car myself but there are some things that I expect make the car more sellable when the time comes, that would be Specialist service history and not me monkeying around with spanner’s haha.

That said, I’m going to have a go at the interior as that’s £3k to get the dash board retrimmed including labour to remove/reassemble.

Edited by fastgerman on Tuesday 3rd November 10:25

[fastgerman]

Yes you are right and Dean, who works at Rardleys, was the guy who fixed them :-)

[fastgerman]

It passed!

[fastgerman]

EJH said:

Good news!

Cheers :-) should be ready this week fingers crossed. Think it’s just window clips left. Never has a car needed so much work to make the doors lock and the windows to go up and down haha.

[fastgerman]

sir humphrey appleby said:

fastgerman said:

Yes you are right and Dean, who works at Rardleys, was the guy who fixed them :-)

I know Deano through a friend of a friend, havn't seen him for a couple of years though.
Took me around the workshop of Rardleys one sunday afternoon, his knowledge of Ferrari and all things mechanical blew me away. An interesting bloke to have a lot of beers with on a Stag day out.
Good bloke and likes his Mountain Bikes.

I look forward to having a chat with him in person, he’s probably had enough of me on the phone and sending over eBay purchased parts that don’t work...

[fastgerman]

So... the car was ready on Thurs last week, MOT (no advisories) and taxed (only £270!). Then, the fuel pumps packed up, which appears to be a common issue especially with cars that have been stored with fuel in. The rubber parts essentially disintegrated meaning I need new fuel pumps and fingers crossed that’s it. Hopefully I’ll have the car back in a few days.
The bill is now over £6k with the bulk being £1800 cam belt service, £1500 on door locks, new window regulator, electrics and adjustment, £600 ish on body work including window surrounds painted and bumper adjusted, same again on modified engine mounts + ‘bits’.