N430 Questions/Search
Discussion
Hi guys
I have been looking at getting into a N430, as my GT4 is now sold. I had a manual 4.3 some years ago and found it a really enjoyable car and found myself looking at these again with a real interest. I viewed a Sportshift locally which I did not get a chance to drive and the owner naturally talked really positively about the changes and advised resetting the clutch each time you start for more enjoyment as he advised between 2nd and 3rd it could be a bit lumpy without doing this?
We have agreed a second viewing in two weeks time where I get an opportunity to drive it hopefully (main road was been pulled up so didn't want to talk it out on the rumble). it seems a lovely example in the main with only 13k on the clock good history and condition generally.
I wanted to know what the sport shift was like and how has it aged? I had a F430 (08) and had no issues driving that as you essentially drive it as a manual and its fine so was unsure if it worse or better than this? does it add to the character of the car. Or should it be manual or nothing?
The one I viewed had a small amount of corrosion on the drivers door in the corner about the size of a 5p piece, is this covered by any sort of AM warranty eg 10 years paint and body? also one of the wing mirrors was gone too. He had a wing sprayed by AM Cheltenham due to some damage and I was not 100% sure the colour match was correct not to mention some run marks (poor effort Cheltenham). Is Alloro green very difficult to match?
It has diamond cut wheels and one is blown, are these any more difficult to refurbish than normal ones?
I was a little concerned it had been for sale almost 2 months now and I was the first person to view it? is this a sign of the market or typical of the N430? It did take a little while to shift the GT4 in fairness...
Any guidance ont he model would be great.
Thanks
I have been looking at getting into a N430, as my GT4 is now sold. I had a manual 4.3 some years ago and found it a really enjoyable car and found myself looking at these again with a real interest. I viewed a Sportshift locally which I did not get a chance to drive and the owner naturally talked really positively about the changes and advised resetting the clutch each time you start for more enjoyment as he advised between 2nd and 3rd it could be a bit lumpy without doing this?
We have agreed a second viewing in two weeks time where I get an opportunity to drive it hopefully (main road was been pulled up so didn't want to talk it out on the rumble). it seems a lovely example in the main with only 13k on the clock good history and condition generally.
I wanted to know what the sport shift was like and how has it aged? I had a F430 (08) and had no issues driving that as you essentially drive it as a manual and its fine so was unsure if it worse or better than this? does it add to the character of the car. Or should it be manual or nothing?
The one I viewed had a small amount of corrosion on the drivers door in the corner about the size of a 5p piece, is this covered by any sort of AM warranty eg 10 years paint and body? also one of the wing mirrors was gone too. He had a wing sprayed by AM Cheltenham due to some damage and I was not 100% sure the colour match was correct not to mention some run marks (poor effort Cheltenham). Is Alloro green very difficult to match?
It has diamond cut wheels and one is blown, are these any more difficult to refurbish than normal ones?
I was a little concerned it had been for sale almost 2 months now and I was the first person to view it? is this a sign of the market or typical of the N430? It did take a little while to shift the GT4 in fairness...
Any guidance ont he model would be great.
Thanks
The N430 is a lovely car.
Personally I am not a fan of the sport shift, I feel that the vantage suits manual better. All personal Ofcourse.
McGurks have a really nice 430 for sale at the moment. If it’s the one I think it is, it’s immaculate fyi.
The market seems to have slowed across the board from what I can see. Funny you mention F430’s as they really don’t seem to be moving at the moment from what I can see online.
Personally I am not a fan of the sport shift, I feel that the vantage suits manual better. All personal Ofcourse.
McGurks have a really nice 430 for sale at the moment. If it’s the one I think it is, it’s immaculate fyi.
The market seems to have slowed across the board from what I can see. Funny you mention F430’s as they really don’t seem to be moving at the moment from what I can see online.
I would have thought the corrosion will be covered, I have had similar done on my 2012 Vantage. Colour match shouldnt be an issue, they will paint the whole door.
I also have the diamond cut wheels, mine have been refurbed once by dealer when I bought the car at 3 years old, but lacquer had gone again within another few years. This year Im going to have them refurbished and painted 2-tone silver/grey instead.
Good luck with the search
I also have the diamond cut wheels, mine have been refurbed once by dealer when I bought the car at 3 years old, but lacquer had gone again within another few years. This year Im going to have them refurbished and painted 2-tone silver/grey instead.
Good luck with the search
Defo try both!
Diamond cuts are a pain in the ass. You can only spin them so many times as well so check they’ve got enough meat on them to be refurbed if you want to keep it original.
Be worth speaking with a dealer re the paint but I wouldn’t be surprised if they say no. It shouldn’t be massive drama to sort.. just annoying.
If it was me, I’d buy one that’s already mint - unless there’s a deal to be done ..
Diamond cuts are a pain in the ass. You can only spin them so many times as well so check they’ve got enough meat on them to be refurbed if you want to keep it original.
Be worth speaking with a dealer re the paint but I wouldn’t be surprised if they say no. It shouldn’t be massive drama to sort.. just annoying.
If it was me, I’d buy one that’s already mint - unless there’s a deal to be done ..
I couldn't get on with mine as I felt there was nothing between a full on attach and gentle sunday driving without it lurching. I'm sure there is but I could never find it. Full bore acceleration and you expect to feel the change, and a relaxed manual change was like a manual shift, lift, pull the paddle, back on the gas, but moderate pushing on was where I found the issue. You may be different, I just suggest if you drive it, try different tempo's of driving and see how you get on.
I also pretty much never drove mine in auto mode.
I also pretty much never drove mine in auto mode.
I preferred SS. Don't lift off throtle completely, just a slight lift just after pulling lever. There is also hypershift on it whereas over certain revs and over 90% throttle you don't lift at all from memory. It will 'blip' throttle too in between gears when changing down. Oh, and dont use 'D', just leave in Sport.
I drive a 4.7 SSII and went that way after almost buying a manual 4.7.
Others have answered your other points, but on the "clutch learn" then yes, do this every time you start the car. The little LED in the "N" button will flash for 2-3 seconds when the learning is taking place and learning only happens from cold - if the LED doesn't flash then you're good to go. As a process I get in my car, start it, do not engage a gear, then put on the seatbelt, unfurl the mirrors if I've folded them, stow any loose stuff in the armrest cubby and, by the time I've done all this, any clutch learn has taken place so I can engage a gear (this is the process for an SSII, which an N430 will have - I think the process is different, but no less important, for the 6-speed SSI). Engaging a gear will stop the learn process.
The reason it's important is so the gearbox ECU knows where the clutch bite point is when it changes gear or moves the car off from rest - it can't "feel" the clutch like a human driver so it just assumes where the bite point will be based on the last learning. If you don't let the clutch learn take place then eventually general wear, etc. will mean the clutch doesn't bite where the gearbox thinks it will, which can affect gear changes and pull-away.
If you acquire a car where the clutch learn has been neglected then it can take a few clutch learn cycles to get the clutch and the ECU back in sync, as I believe each clutch learn can only adjust the bite point by a small increment. Is it vitally important every single time? No, because any wear will only be slight so, if you're in a hurry, missing one learn cycle will make no real difference. But it's a good habit to get into to let the car learn each time to optimise the changes.
typo fixed 23/08/22
Others have answered your other points, but on the "clutch learn" then yes, do this every time you start the car. The little LED in the "N" button will flash for 2-3 seconds when the learning is taking place and learning only happens from cold - if the LED doesn't flash then you're good to go. As a process I get in my car, start it, do not engage a gear, then put on the seatbelt, unfurl the mirrors if I've folded them, stow any loose stuff in the armrest cubby and, by the time I've done all this, any clutch learn has taken place so I can engage a gear (this is the process for an SSII, which an N430 will have - I think the process is different, but no less important, for the 6-speed SSI). Engaging a gear will stop the learn process.
The reason it's important is so the gearbox ECU knows where the clutch bite point is when it changes gear or moves the car off from rest - it can't "feel" the clutch like a human driver so it just assumes where the bite point will be based on the last learning. If you don't let the clutch learn take place then eventually general wear, etc. will mean the clutch doesn't bite where the gearbox thinks it will, which can affect gear changes and pull-away.
If you acquire a car where the clutch learn has been neglected then it can take a few clutch learn cycles to get the clutch and the ECU back in sync, as I believe each clutch learn can only adjust the bite point by a small increment. Is it vitally important every single time? No, because any wear will only be slight so, if you're in a hurry, missing one learn cycle will make no real difference. But it's a good habit to get into to let the car learn each time to optimise the changes.
typo fixed 23/08/22
Edited by LTP on Tuesday 23 August 11:01
Really useful feedback, thank you.
A indy dealer has kindly contacted me and offered me the opportunity to drive both which seems the perfect opportunity back to back to find what is best for me.
The driving style sounds almost identical to the F430, I did the same with those changes and you could keep it planted on those too after a certain RPM.
I did call Cheltenham today and the lady kindly informed me that it was highly unlikely the corrosion would be covered by AM, essentially it needs to literally make a rust hole to be covered... which it won't do being aluminium. She advised up to 5 years old they would be confident of goodwill, but 8 was unlikely but not impossible.
A indy dealer has kindly contacted me and offered me the opportunity to drive both which seems the perfect opportunity back to back to find what is best for me.
The driving style sounds almost identical to the F430, I did the same with those changes and you could keep it planted on those too after a certain RPM.
I did call Cheltenham today and the lady kindly informed me that it was highly unlikely the corrosion would be covered by AM, essentially it needs to literally make a rust hole to be covered... which it won't do being aluminium. She advised up to 5 years old they would be confident of goodwill, but 8 was unlikely but not impossible.
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