Are 599 gearboxes reliable ?

Are 599 gearboxes reliable ?

Author
Discussion

Jumpingjackflash

Original Poster:

589 posts

179 months

Tuesday 14th April 2020
quotequote all
Two years ago I was looking at 599’s but bought a 12c. The 12c was a good car with no major issues and I drove it more than most owners.

I am window shopping n and back to the 599. The gearbox worries me. Are they reliable? Stupid money to repair?

I’ve had issues with automated manuals before fiat & bmw.


F355GTS

3,721 posts

255 months

Tuesday 14th April 2020
quotequote all
I never had an issue in any of mine in some 30k miles, driven well the clutch will last as well, I think mine was on 39% wear at 29k miles in the last one

willy wombat

912 posts

148 months

Tuesday 14th April 2020
quotequote all
Mine has 15k from new. No gear box problems (fingers crossed as I hope I’m not tempting fate).

Gregor-lun1d

183 posts

97 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
I've had mine since July '19 and no issues. I have the Ferrari warranty which I added after buying the car privately; perhaps worth thinking about if it's weighing on your mind?

Warranty wording on the gearbox is as follows:-

"F1/mechanical gearbox:
gearbox casing and differential housing(s), including all internal components
(E-diff control and hydraulic part excluded)
F1: Power Unit, electric pump, valves, actuator, selected and engaged gear sensor
(oil seals and oil leaks in general are excluded)"

fitzmoresco

150 posts

156 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
36k miles in and no problems, not so much as a temperamental warning light... 🙏

fitzmoresco

150 posts

156 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
36k miles in and no problems, not so much as a temperamental warning light... 🙏

MarkM3Evoplus

806 posts

200 months

Thursday 7th May 2020
quotequote all
People are worried more about the actuator system than the actual gearbox, but there are people out there that can rebuild for a fraction of the replacement cost

https://www.ssautotech.co.uk/

No relationship, other than putting people in touch who have been very happy

SSO

1,394 posts

191 months

Sunday 10th May 2020
quotequote all
We had one for about two years, no issue with the gearbox and we took it on numerous long road trips.

Jonny TVR

4,534 posts

281 months

Wednesday 13th May 2020
quotequote all
43K miles and no issues.

Hughesie

12,571 posts

282 months

Sunday 15th November 2020
quotequote all
53k here no issues other than a clutch line master and a new clutch.

idealstandard

644 posts

55 months

Wednesday 25th November 2020
quotequote all
The F1 actuator and accumulator went on mine at 47k, was a £10k bill all things considered.... Did the pump at the same time.

PAUL500

2,634 posts

246 months

Wednesday 23rd December 2020
quotequote all
Its just a manual box with actuator based changes, kits are out there now to turn them into full manual if required.

The box started life in the 612 so that is another place to seek out any earlier problems

pancholi

220 posts

157 months

Monday 4th January 2021
quotequote all
PAUL500 said:
Its just a manual box with actuator based changes, kits are out there now to turn them into full manual if required.

The box started life in the 612 so that is another place to seek out any earlier problems
hi can you please expand on this...
websites? who to talk to? etc

as Ferrari's with type of gearbox has put me of buying them.
cheers

idealstandard

644 posts

55 months

Monday 4th January 2021
quotequote all
pancholi said:
hi can you please expand on this...
websites? who to talk to? etc

as Ferrari's with type of gearbox has put me of buying them.
cheers
There isn't an out and out kit to convert it to manual. Depends what way you want to do it. I'm doing mine and getting all the parts has been a real labour of love, time and money. Its about 60 parts all things considered, if you need any help DM me, I can put you in touch with the people who can fashion the clutch pedal, gear linkage etc as those will need to be machined, there are no aftermarket parts available. I've taken 3d scans of a few interior trim parts (for instance the entire tunnel surround and gear lever/switch surrounds are different). I was lucky enough to get new ones made in my trim finish by Ferrari but it required some blagging.

Alex


pancholi

220 posts

157 months

Tuesday 5th January 2021
quotequote all
idealstandard said:
There isn't an out and out kit to convert it to manual. Depends what way you want to do it. I'm doing mine and getting all the parts has been a real labour of love, time and money. Its about 60 parts all things considered, if you need any help DM me, I can put you in touch with the people who can fashion the clutch pedal, gear linkage etc as those will need to be machined, there are no aftermarket parts available. I've taken 3d scans of a few interior trim parts (for instance the entire tunnel surround and gear lever/switch surrounds are different). I was lucky enough to get new ones made in my trim finish by Ferrari but it required some blagging.

Alex
wow....hats of to your enthusiasm and passion..PM sent.

PAUL500

2,634 posts

246 months

Tuesday 5th January 2021
quotequote all
idealstandard said:
pancholi said:
hi can you please expand on this...
websites? who to talk to? etc

as Ferrari's with type of gearbox has put me of buying them.
cheers
There isn't an out and out kit to convert it to manual. Depends what way you want to do it. I'm doing mine and getting all the parts has been a real labour of love, time and money. Its about 60 parts all things considered, if you need any help DM me, I can put you in touch with the people who can fashion the clutch pedal, gear linkage etc as those will need to be machined, there are no aftermarket parts available. I've taken 3d scans of a few interior trim parts (for instance the entire tunnel surround and gear lever/switch surrounds are different). I was lucky enough to get new ones made in my trim finish by Ferrari but it required some blagging.

Alex
There is a full kit, based on a combination of Ferrari and aftermarket parts coming to market soon.

You tube user name of "normal guy supercar" is converting his 599 and then fronting the marketing part of the kit supply. The kits are produced by European Auto Group (EAG) in the states.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9gBO7wTVXM

idealstandard

644 posts

55 months

Wednesday 6th January 2021
quotequote all
PAUL500 said:
There is a full kit, based on a combination of Ferrari and aftermarket parts coming to market soon.
The biggest issues for me were the interior parts (and there are two very significant ones) that either need modifying (possible but messy), or aftermarket replacements made (Ferrari won't do it any more). Believe me through my trawling and searching and meeting people, the EAG method is mechanically spot on but visually will not be right. I wanted mine to look like a manual 599 from the factory, which it will do as i have all of the OEM parts.

Having actually done this...I can tell you there is not a particularly long list of parts that are actually from Ferrari, or used Ferrari parts (there are 63 parts in total IIRC).

As I said though, i'm doing this the pedantic - OEM way, wanting it to look and feel like an original.

edit - that and the gated six people are charging roughly double what it cost me to amass the (correct) parts, and given i'm outside the USA, it would still require installation in the UK anyway.

Edited by idealstandard on Wednesday 6th January 07:53

PAUL500

2,634 posts

246 months

Thursday 7th January 2021
quotequote all
I imagine the retail price of the kit is based on the perceived value add, given the gap between an F1 and a factory manual 599, rather than just cost plus a reasonable profit.

Problem is the parts you found have all but now dried up, so lucky you did it when you did.

A converted 599 using all genuine parts v an EAG version will always bring a nice premium for the former. Some of the casting methods they are using don't look the most professional, I would hazard a guess someone else will also enter the game soon enough to add a bit of competition to the pricing,

idealstandard

644 posts

55 months

Friday 8th January 2021
quotequote all
PAUL500 said:
I imagine the retail price of the kit is based on the perceived value add, given the gap between an F1 and a factory manual 599, rather than just cost plus a reasonable profit.

Problem is the parts you found have all but now dried up, so lucky you did it when you did.

A converted 599 using all genuine parts v an EAG version will always bring a nice premium for the former. Some of the casting methods they are using don't look the most professional, I would hazard a guess someone else will also enter the game soon enough to add a bit of competition to the pricing,
Yeah, if there is really a reasonable market for it. I've found only a handful of people who have done conversions on the 612 and one on the 599. EAG is a $40k kit and others will struggle to do all of the fab and fit for less than that and keep it reasonably profitable I reckon. you are right, their carbon centre tunnel is the worst bit of all and that's what the driver/buyer sees first. Most 599 owners I reckon are probably just happy bumbling around in D, I can see the market being bigger for the 430s.

MarkM3Evoplus

806 posts

200 months

Wednesday 13th January 2021
quotequote all
Are there any software changes made in the conversion to full manual?

The original AM Vanquish has been converted, but you also need to do some software changes to make it work.