Modding my 430
Discussion
I know this is not everyone's cup of tea but I'd thought I'd share anyway - at least to share the result and knowledge gained. After owning my 2005 F430 for three years and tracking it a fair bit I embarked on a process to improve it's on track performance by reducing weight and improving performance and handling. Along the way I thought I'd also personalise it a bit. More can still be done but here's the list so far.
Performance: DMS tune, carbon fibre airboxes, OEM sports exhaust. DMS Dyno says 525bhp but I haven't verified that.
Weight: race seats (-40kg), carbon fibre/ polycarb rear deck (-8kg), carbon fibre diffuser (-7kg), carbon fibre front splitter (-2kg), Li battery (-17kg), OZ Ultraleggera wheels Ti bolts (-20kg), OEM sports exhaust (-8), various trim, bits and bobs (-6kg). Total 100kg.
Handling: 390mm 6 pot AP racing front brakes, braided brake lines, HE ball joints / track rods / tie-ends, Novitec springs (40mm lower), reduced unsprung weight, bigger rear deck nolder, reduced toe, increased camber (-2 all round), Michelin PS4S tyres.
Making it my own: Brushed aluminium wrap with matte black stripe and mirrors.
PM me if you want more detail on suppliers and costs.
Performance: DMS tune, carbon fibre airboxes, OEM sports exhaust. DMS Dyno says 525bhp but I haven't verified that.
Weight: race seats (-40kg), carbon fibre/ polycarb rear deck (-8kg), carbon fibre diffuser (-7kg), carbon fibre front splitter (-2kg), Li battery (-17kg), OZ Ultraleggera wheels Ti bolts (-20kg), OEM sports exhaust (-8), various trim, bits and bobs (-6kg). Total 100kg.
Handling: 390mm 6 pot AP racing front brakes, braided brake lines, HE ball joints / track rods / tie-ends, Novitec springs (40mm lower), reduced unsprung weight, bigger rear deck nolder, reduced toe, increased camber (-2 all round), Michelin PS4S tyres.
Making it my own: Brushed aluminium wrap with matte black stripe and mirrors.
PM me if you want more detail on suppliers and costs.
Larry5.2 said:
Good job on the weight reduction. What seats did you put in?
Sparco Evo 2 - 8.2kg as opposed to the OEM Daytonas at 28kg https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/sparco-evo-ii-lf-fi... Gave me another inch of both head and leg room too.Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 27th June 13:17
Erudite geezer said:
Following this thread with interest.
Mr Cook original poster Sir.........what is your experience on the road/ in town with the 40mm ride height reduction?
Am considering replacing standard springs on my F355 with Fiorano springs.
Hiya. With standard springs I was having issues when just 25mm down. By issues I mean chinning the skid plates when the suspension compressed going through dips in the road (uhh .. at speed). With the stiffer springs in place and another 15mm down (so 40mm in total) I don't get that at all and the ride is great. I have to take speed bumps and ramps pretty slowly but they aren't a problem - height of the skid plates above the tarmac is 8.5 cm. I live out in the sticks - well Amersham way - so your experience may be different, but I think as long as you have stiffer springs and skid plates fitted you will be fine. Gratuitous side shot attached.Mr Cook original poster Sir.........what is your experience on the road/ in town with the 40mm ride height reduction?
Am considering replacing standard springs on my F355 with Fiorano springs.
Slippydiff said:
Picture of your seats/seat install please when/if you have time Ian.
OZ wheel sizes and offsets if readily available too please
Edit to add : The car looks superb btw
Thanks all. OK so seat installation pictures below. Pretty easy to remove the OEM seats and disconnect wiring. I have just left the wiring tails tucked away under the new seat. Didn't get any warnings and lights when I disconnected everything. OZ wheel sizes and offsets if readily available too please
Edit to add : The car looks superb btw
Once the OEM seats were out I removed the plastic delivery wrap still stuck to the carpet
and then fitted the brackets. In order to get as low as possible I went for the simplest option https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/sparco-fia-steel-si... These bolted into the existing threaded holes in the floor. From there I just dropped the seats in and bolted them up. I re-used some of the spacers from the original seats to ensure that the belt attachments could still rotate when the nuts were tightened up. You'll see that in order to get the driver's seat tilted back further I needed to fashion a couple extensions for the front bracket mounting. The seats have a removable cushion which I remove when tracking in order to gain an extra half inch for my helmet. They're comfortable, feel great on track, and 20 kilos lighter per side. The wife and daughters don't like them...The wheels are OZ Ultraleggera in matte black. https://www.rtecshop.com/wheel_range_detail.php?br... Front are 8.5x19 with a 27 offset (standard are 7.5x19 and 31), rears are 11x19 with a 35 offset (standard are 10x19 and 39). So both are an inch wider and both have 4mm less positive offset. By my dodgy maths that puts them half an inch plus 4mm further out (hmm.. 16.7mm). No rubbing even with the car 40mm lower.
thecook101 said:
Thanks all. OK so seat installation pictures below. Pretty easy to remove the OEM seats and disconnect wiring. I have just left the wiring tails tucked away under the new seat. Didn't get any warnings and lights when I disconnected everything.
Once the OEM seats were out I removed the plastic delivery wrap still stuck to the carpet and then fitted the brackets. In order to get as low as possible I went for the simplest option https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/sparco-fia-steel-si... These bolted into the existing threaded holes in the floor. From there I just dropped the seats in and bolted them up. I re-used some of the spacers from the original seats to ensure that the belt attachments could still rotate when the nuts were tightened up. You'll see that in order to get the driver's seat tilted back further I needed to fashion a couple extensions for the front bracket mounting. The seats have a removable cushion which I remove when tracking in order to gain an extra half inch for my helmet. They're comfortable, feel great on track, and 20 kilos lighter per side. The wife and daughters don't like them...
The wheels are OZ Ultraleggera in matte black. https://www.rtecshop.com/wheel_range_detail.php?br... Front are 8.5x19 with a 27 offset (standard are 7.5x19 and 31), rears are 11x19 with a 35 offset (standard are 10x19 and 39). So both are an inch wider and both have 4mm less positive offset. By my dodgy maths that puts them half an inch plus 4mm further out (hmm.. 16.7mm). No rubbing even with the car 40mm lower.
Thanks for posting Ian (I agree with your calcs for the OZ offsets btw) Once the OEM seats were out I removed the plastic delivery wrap still stuck to the carpet
and then fitted the brackets. In order to get as low as possible I went for the simplest option https://www.sportseats4u.co.uk/sparco-fia-steel-si... These bolted into the existing threaded holes in the floor. From there I just dropped the seats in and bolted them up. I re-used some of the spacers from the original seats to ensure that the belt attachments could still rotate when the nuts were tightened up. You'll see that in order to get the driver's seat tilted back further I needed to fashion a couple extensions for the front bracket mounting. The seats have a removable cushion which I remove when tracking in order to gain an extra half inch for my helmet. They're comfortable, feel great on track, and 20 kilos lighter per side. The wife and daughters don't like them...The wheels are OZ Ultraleggera in matte black. https://www.rtecshop.com/wheel_range_detail.php?br... Front are 8.5x19 with a 27 offset (standard are 7.5x19 and 31), rears are 11x19 with a 35 offset (standard are 10x19 and 39). So both are an inch wider and both have 4mm less positive offset. By my dodgy maths that puts them half an inch plus 4mm further out (hmm.. 16.7mm). No rubbing even with the car 40mm lower.
Have PM'd/emailed you
How do you get on with noise regs. I'm running Tubi de cats and a Top Gear back box. Great for keeping engine temps down but test days only for me. Previously I had a Timate on but blew a hole in it at Donnington. This led to exhaust gases escaping into the engine bay and one cooked bumper!
Would recommend tracking these as they really are at home being thrashed.
Gratuitous shot of me at the ring.
Would recommend tracking these as they really are at home being thrashed.
Gratuitous shot of me at the ring.
MAVROS said:
How do you get on with noise regs. I'm running Tubi de cats and a Top Gear back box. Great for keeping engine temps down but test days only for me. Previously I had a Timate on but blew a hole in it at Donnington. This led to exhaust gases escaping into the engine bay and one cooked bumper!
Would recommend tracking these as they really are at home being thrashed.
Love that shot! I'm currently ok with noise regs on 105db days. I specifically haven't removed cats or changed headers in order to get through and was last tested at Snetterton comfortably under the limit. I'm very tempted by the Top Gear or Nouvalari decatted headers in order to release further hp but I think they will be too loud together with the OEM sport exhaust that I have fitted.Would recommend tracking these as they really are at home being thrashed.
Interesting re Timate - hadn't heard that before. And yes - the track is where you can properly enjoy these babies if wanting to push the limits.
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 17th July 14:45
Hi,
Great post, some nice mods!
I've done a few to mine, slightly different route as I'm not tracking it as it's too loud and has CCM's.
Starting with the carbon race seats which are OEM.
I've got challenge CCM's and calliper's, scud style wheels with 15mm front spacer and 20mm rear spacer +Ti bolts, Michelin PSS.
Had scud springs fitted and lowered by 30mm, I do struggle with road depressions if I'm pushing it as it touches down easy. Interested in your geo settings and ride height.
AP manifold and tubi test pipe, OEM back box with remote valve controller to make the noise level liveable.
I've had the manifold and tubi test pipe plasma coated at Zircotec (performance white), this has made a massive difference to heat soak in the engine bay and has transformed the way the car runs!
I struggled with this before when using exhaust bandage.
Have got carbon engine bay covers, bmc f1 air filter and carbon airbox covers, carbon vents and mirrors. Scud carbon steering wheel and extend carbon paddles.
All joints and track rod ends replaced with HE parts etc.
I've not had it mapped but it's something I've considered.
Great post, some nice mods!
I've done a few to mine, slightly different route as I'm not tracking it as it's too loud and has CCM's.
Starting with the carbon race seats which are OEM.
I've got challenge CCM's and calliper's, scud style wheels with 15mm front spacer and 20mm rear spacer +Ti bolts, Michelin PSS.
Had scud springs fitted and lowered by 30mm, I do struggle with road depressions if I'm pushing it as it touches down easy. Interested in your geo settings and ride height.
AP manifold and tubi test pipe, OEM back box with remote valve controller to make the noise level liveable.
I've had the manifold and tubi test pipe plasma coated at Zircotec (performance white), this has made a massive difference to heat soak in the engine bay and has transformed the way the car runs!
I struggled with this before when using exhaust bandage.
Have got carbon engine bay covers, bmc f1 air filter and carbon airbox covers, carbon vents and mirrors. Scud carbon steering wheel and extend carbon paddles.
All joints and track rod ends replaced with HE parts etc.
I've not had it mapped but it's something I've considered.
Edited by chillo on Tuesday 31st July 15:35
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