Ferrari F430 Spider
Discussion
Weight saving
Passed the 115kg mark. The trim was 225g heaver in the end but oh so worth it for the improvement, though some of the additional is from the LED steering wheel which is slightly heavier than the standard F430 wheel - I weighed both types to compare.
Sprung weight saved: 90.058 kg
Unsprung weight saved: 24.97 kg
Total weight saved: 115.028 kg
Passed the 115kg mark. The trim was 225g heaver in the end but oh so worth it for the improvement, though some of the additional is from the LED steering wheel which is slightly heavier than the standard F430 wheel - I weighed both types to compare.
| Original Part | Fitted Quantity | Original Part (kg) | Replacement Part (kg) | Sprung Saving (kg) | Unsprung Saving (kg) | Replacement Part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedals - brake | 1 | 0.987 | 0.627 | 0.36 | - | 16M/Scuderia |
| Pedals - brake and clutch height adjuster bracket | 1 | 0.086 | 0 | 0.086 | - | Removed - unused |
| Brakes - ABS/ESP - acceleration sensor | 1 | 0.091 | 0 | 0.091 | - | Removed - function provided by CAN yaw |
| Pedals - Pedals - accelerator assembly | 1 | 0.883 | 0.869 | 0.014 | - | 16M/Scuderia |
| Door hinges | 4 | 0.705 | 0.5005 | 0.818 | - | Machined to reduce weight |
| Dashboard plaque 'F430 Spider' - carbon version | 1 | 0.025 | 0.086 | -0.061 | - | '16M Scuderia Spider - Limited 499' |
| Interior - centre console, complete (carbon driving zone) | 1 | 2.253 | 1.341 | 0.912 | - | 16M (carbon) |
| Windscreen washer tank, pumps, and minimum fluid | 1 | 5.257 | 2.899 | 2.358 | - | 360 non-headlamp wash version adapted |
| Headlamps - standard | 2 | 0.3505 | 0.137 | 0.427 | - | 16M (carbon) |
| Wing mirrors | 1 | 2.11 | 1.431 | 0.679 | - | 16M/Scuderia (carbon) |
| Spider hood tray | 1 | 8.45 | 1.555 | 6.895 | - | Bespoke carbon version |
| F1 paddles | 1 | 0.154 | 0.103 | 0.051 | - | Steering wheel mounted |
| Steering wheel - leather with aluminium trim | 1 | 1.78 | 1.85 | -0.07 | - | 16M/Scuderia (carbon) - leather & alcantara |
| Interior - rear bulkhead (carpet) | 1 | 2.86 | 2.703 | 0.157 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Interior - rear bulkhead document nets (untrimmed) | 2 | 0.119 | 0.257 | -0.276 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Interior - rear shelf, centre (carpet) | 1 | 0.402 | 0.465 | -0.063 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Pedals - drivers footrest 'dead pedal' | 1 | 0.181 | 0.162 | 0.019 | - | Hill Engineering (drilled aluminium) |
| Interior - tunnel trim (carpet) | 1 | 1.177 | 1.041 | 0.136 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Interior - drivers footwell trim (carpet) | 1 | 0.305 | 0.316 | -0.011 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Interior - rear shelf, LH (carpet) | 1 | 0.822 | 1.039 | -0.217 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Interior - rear shelf, RH (carpet) | 1 | 0.98 | 0.91 | 0.07 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Interior - passenger footwell trim (carpet) | 1 | 0.229 | 0.371 | -0.142 | - | Retrimmed in Alcantara |
| Bumper - front mounting washers (steel) | 4 | 0.019 | 0.012 | 0.028 | - | Bespoke aluminium spacers |
| Battery change #2 - Optima 'Red Top' 34R | 1 | 18.75 | 16.72 | 2.03 | - | Bosch S5 007 |
| Pedals - passenger footrest | 1 | 0.347 | 0.175 | 0.172 | - | 16M/Scuderia (machined flat and drilled) |
Sprung weight saved: 90.058 kg
Unsprung weight saved: 24.97 kg
Total weight saved: 115.028 kg
To the pistonheads massif, my apologies - this is not the latest update from Mark about a carbon this or a rebuilt that.
However, I am delighted to confirm that after a chance encounter with Mark this afternoon his mythical beast is indeed real and just as good in the metal as you would hope.
To Mark, a real pleasure to meet you and your father today (who, just to confirm, is not the mythical beast!). Didn't realise you are quite so local. If you ever get bored of the Ferrari and feel the need to plate up another E46 subframe I'll happily keep you fed and watered from the 5 Bells whilst you tend to mine in the garage!
As said, would be great if you could make it to our next show.
Cheers, Ben.
Moderator edit: no event promotion please,
However, I am delighted to confirm that after a chance encounter with Mark this afternoon his mythical beast is indeed real and just as good in the metal as you would hope.
To Mark, a real pleasure to meet you and your father today (who, just to confirm, is not the mythical beast!). Didn't realise you are quite so local. If you ever get bored of the Ferrari and feel the need to plate up another E46 subframe I'll happily keep you fed and watered from the 5 Bells whilst you tend to mine in the garage!
As said, would be great if you could make it to our next show.
Cheers, Ben.
Moderator edit: no event promotion please,
Edited by jeremyc on Friday 9th June 09:56
I've not got to this thread for a while but Ed turned around the crank seal and bearing in a couple of days, which was excellent.
Here is the old seal - very soggy but caught at the very first stage of degradation.
Installation tool.
New seal and bearing fitted.
Thanks to Ed for doing that so quickly.
Here is the old seal - very soggy but caught at the very first stage of degradation.
Installation tool.
New seal and bearing fitted.
Thanks to Ed for doing that so quickly.
mwstewart said:
Trexthedinosaur said:
Always enjoy your threads Mark.
Have you driven it yet?!
Yes - we got back from a two week road trip yesterday. 3k miles return to Italy via Switzerland. I'll upload some pics this week when I get chance.Have you driven it yet?!
Immensely looking forward to the trip write up.
Road trip diary. I've tried to strike a balance between car photos and general sightseeing as countless pics of the car would be a little boring.
We were a bit more organised this year and had the planning squared away a week before we departed. In the past we've ended up planning the trip a couple of days before and even booking the crossing on the night before we leave, which was fun in its own way. I'm not really a fan of prescriptive planning.
For a change we decided to use the Channel Tunnel this year rather than a Ferry, as actually some of the shorter ferry routes were a bit grim outside of the upgraded lounge area, but at the time safer than the tunnel. I booked us on to the high vehicle carriages as they provide a bit more width which is needed for a supercar. I picked up my OH from Ashford train station on the way down as we were in different parts of the country the night before, but despite packing together a day before and she turned up with another suitcase. Thankfully the luggage compartment on the F430 is pretty large but knowing the type of roads we would be driving on I was slightly concerned about the added weight resulting in further reduced ground clearance!
Part 1 | France | Epernay
The first night at a Champagne producer to taste their wares and go on a bit of a tour. We have a wedding next year so that was the perfect excuse to make sure we got the right champagne
It transpired there were two routes to the producer and despite both looking reasonable on Google Maps, one was well suited to a low car, and one wasn't. Guess which one we ended up on...needless to say the nice new carbon rear diffuser was scraped in several places and I went quiet for couple of miles.
My OH has come to understand my car hobby and takes an active interest in it, so I tried not to bring up the topic of the extra luggage I have come to the conclusion that the memories made when using the car outweigh any wear and tear, which really is par for the course, but I do like to keep it in good condition as much as possible.
Part 2 | France | Lac d'Auzon Temple
France this year was just a stopover to Switzerland so was a full day of motorway driving beckoned, or at least that was the plan. We try to limit driving to seven hours as a day with a stop in-between purely to keep things more interesting so a stop for lunch at the hotel we'd return to for our final night seemed like a good idea, as it appeared to have a nice outside brasserie area for casual dining. Somehow we ended up in the main restaurant for one of their tasting menus and several hours later we still had six hours of driving left. This tends to happen a lot with us!
I was parked next to a British 911 SC Targa which looked great.
The hotel wanted me to park outside so they could take some photos to use in their literature. The staff were very good and kept hold of some additional luggage for us until we returned in a couple of week.
Part 3 | Switzerland | Canton of Solothurn
Moving on to Switzerland for a few days.
We had a couple of days around Solothurn and Lucerne exploring and were very lucky with the weather which was bright with temperatures nearing 40 degrees. Being honest during midday it was a little out of my comfort zone for exploring!
Fiat 500 Riva. We both really like them.
Part 4 | Switzerland | Canton of Uri
Moving on to the Canton of Uri to a hotel we'd dined at a couple of years ago and planned to return to, to stay. It was to be a base for driving various passes in the area. Hotel Stern und Post was one of the last outposts in the area before the Alps and also the post office for people living in the mountains. It has been restored to be historically sympathetic and contains items from its past. The two chaps who manage it went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable.
The view from our room.
One of my favourite things to do is just driving around seeing random new places and stopping for a drink.
We did a bit of walking in the area and it's interesting to see the landscape when it's not all snow-covered.
Driving the passes was the main event for me. We drove the Furka, Grimsel, Gotthard, and some others that I forget. I had to baby the car a little bit as by now both mounts had failed and the engine movement would affect the balance of the car when downshifting, but regardless of that it was a fantastic time with some of the best driving of my life to date. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.
One of the several incredible experiences from the trip was visiting the Rhône Glacier, and not only visiting but actually walking underneath it in tunnels the land owner has carved out to facilitate walkways. It was a surreal experience going from the high external temps to an iridescent blue underworld close to freezing hearing only the water drips of the melting glacier.
Part 5 | Italy | Lake Como
The roads around Como were pretty interesting in that in places there was barely room for one average car. Despite checking beforehand the route and hotel on Street View, when we finally got there it was apparent there was no way the car would get through their ridiculously narrow entrance, and there wasn't anywhere close by to park. We had to forget the booking and wing it. It was nearly 10pm at this point but we managed to find somewhere in Nesso which even closer to the water. Superb.
"Nesso is located on the Como-side shore of lake Como, along the road which leads from Como to Bellagio. The town’s historical centre stands on the point in which the two torrents: Tuf and Nosè, unite and form a waterfall that takes the name from the Nesso Ravine, diving into the waters of the Lario. Nesso has Celtic origins; the Romans conquered it in 196 BC; the people of Como destroyed it when it aligned itself with Milan during the 10 year war."
The water was balmy and fantastic for a midnight swim to work off dinner.
Bellagio is a good place to visit; there are plenty of restaurants to choose from and its reasonably lively in the evening.
We visited the gardens of Villa Melzi which turned out to be more of a spectacle than the villa itself. The villa was built during the First Italian Republic, founded by Napoleon.
The orangery had quite a few important historic items from the time of the republic, including some linked directly to Napoleon. I was surprised by the lack of security.
Part 6 | Italy | South Tuscany
I love Tuscany. I could move there tomorrow. The surface condition of some roads leaves a little to be desired, but really who cares
We stayed in a really nice historical property once the property of the Knights of the Order of Malta. The breakfast very good, too.
Cue wine, cheese, and general exploring. By week two I've usually long forgotten work and happy to sink into a more laid back pace.
Jeroboam's on sale. I figured I could fit three behind the seats.
There is an amazing place to stay in Montepulciano: it's a palace rented out complete with all of its regal appointments. It's not fantastically opulent but quite unique regardless.
More wine, cheese, and general exploring. Getting a bit fat now!
We hired a little RIB on lake Trasimeno. I have an ICC but these places never ask for one - I guess the boats aren't powerful enough to get into any real trouble on a lake.
The lake is quite large and we explored a couple of its islands. One of them has a restaurant.
There was an abandoned palace on one of the islands and exploring abandoned places is my kind of thing - I used to indulge in urbex years ago.
Sod's law that the engine mounts gave up the ghost part way through the trip - they were on my winter list! One first and then the other, evident by a slight increase in vibration then later perceptible movement of the engine under load which made driving the car as intended pretty difficult due to weight sift at corner entry, and due to my mechanical sympathy: ultimately impossible Having diagnosed the issue I ordered a pair of new mounts from C.D.P. S.p.A. and booked in the car to have them fitted.
Testarossa engine out for a belt service. Good to see the technician using a dial gauge - actually I was pretty impressed with their approach to work. Much less "in out" than here in the UK.
Loads of 500's in the wild, much to my OH's delight.
General exploring.
I spotted this looking rather forlorn in a side garage. I thought it looked like an older BMW but I'm not entirely sure.
We like to visit fattorias to taste local produce though some of the farm tracks need negotiating carefully in a low car.
Sulphur springs were quite a sight, and smell. The mud is supposedly very good for the skin but with an ambient temperature of 38 degrees and a water temperature of 8 degrees, on this occasion we left the locals to it and had a beer instead.
Exploring towns and villages.
Mille Miglia tribute.
The driving was fantastic; the scenery, the weather, the roads, the lack of traffic, and shared enthusiasm for the car. Extremely memorable.
Part 7 | Italy | Mont Blanc
On the route back we stopped by Mont Blanc. The weather turned pretty miserable by this point but the scenery was great.
Part 8 | Home via Lac d'Auzon Temple
I don't know exactly where this was but on the route back through France, close to the Swiss border, there was a cable car from the Autoroute services. The building at the top looks pretty uninspiring but inside was a very warming restaurant with a view back over Mont Blanc.
That's about it. This time we didn't get too drunk on the final night and miss our train. Must be getting old!
Given the trip was also a bit of a shakedown for the car I have a few things to address and things to change. More on that later.
We were a bit more organised this year and had the planning squared away a week before we departed. In the past we've ended up planning the trip a couple of days before and even booking the crossing on the night before we leave, which was fun in its own way. I'm not really a fan of prescriptive planning.
For a change we decided to use the Channel Tunnel this year rather than a Ferry, as actually some of the shorter ferry routes were a bit grim outside of the upgraded lounge area, but at the time safer than the tunnel. I booked us on to the high vehicle carriages as they provide a bit more width which is needed for a supercar. I picked up my OH from Ashford train station on the way down as we were in different parts of the country the night before, but despite packing together a day before and she turned up with another suitcase. Thankfully the luggage compartment on the F430 is pretty large but knowing the type of roads we would be driving on I was slightly concerned about the added weight resulting in further reduced ground clearance!
Part 1 | France | Epernay
The first night at a Champagne producer to taste their wares and go on a bit of a tour. We have a wedding next year so that was the perfect excuse to make sure we got the right champagne
It transpired there were two routes to the producer and despite both looking reasonable on Google Maps, one was well suited to a low car, and one wasn't. Guess which one we ended up on...needless to say the nice new carbon rear diffuser was scraped in several places and I went quiet for couple of miles. My OH has come to understand my car hobby and takes an active interest in it, so I tried not to bring up the topic of the extra luggage
I have come to the conclusion that the memories made when using the car outweigh any wear and tear, which really is par for the course, but I do like to keep it in good condition as much as possible.Part 2 | France | Lac d'Auzon Temple
France this year was just a stopover to Switzerland so was a full day of motorway driving beckoned, or at least that was the plan. We try to limit driving to seven hours as a day with a stop in-between purely to keep things more interesting so a stop for lunch at the hotel we'd return to for our final night seemed like a good idea, as it appeared to have a nice outside brasserie area for casual dining. Somehow we ended up in the main restaurant for one of their tasting menus and several hours later we still had six hours of driving left. This tends to happen a lot with us!
I was parked next to a British 911 SC Targa which looked great.
The hotel wanted me to park outside so they could take some photos to use in their literature. The staff were very good and kept hold of some additional luggage for us until we returned in a couple of week.
Part 3 | Switzerland | Canton of Solothurn
Moving on to Switzerland for a few days.
We had a couple of days around Solothurn and Lucerne exploring and were very lucky with the weather which was bright with temperatures nearing 40 degrees. Being honest during midday it was a little out of my comfort zone for exploring!
Fiat 500 Riva. We both really like them.
Part 4 | Switzerland | Canton of Uri
Moving on to the Canton of Uri to a hotel we'd dined at a couple of years ago and planned to return to, to stay. It was to be a base for driving various passes in the area. Hotel Stern und Post was one of the last outposts in the area before the Alps and also the post office for people living in the mountains. It has been restored to be historically sympathetic and contains items from its past. The two chaps who manage it went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable.
The view from our room.
One of my favourite things to do is just driving around seeing random new places and stopping for a drink.
We did a bit of walking in the area and it's interesting to see the landscape when it's not all snow-covered.
Driving the passes was the main event for me. We drove the Furka, Grimsel, Gotthard, and some others that I forget. I had to baby the car a little bit as by now both mounts had failed and the engine movement would affect the balance of the car when downshifting, but regardless of that it was a fantastic time with some of the best driving of my life to date. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.
One of the several incredible experiences from the trip was visiting the Rhône Glacier, and not only visiting but actually walking underneath it in tunnels the land owner has carved out to facilitate walkways. It was a surreal experience going from the high external temps to an iridescent blue underworld close to freezing hearing only the water drips of the melting glacier.
Part 5 | Italy | Lake Como
The roads around Como were pretty interesting in that in places there was barely room for one average car. Despite checking beforehand the route and hotel on Street View, when we finally got there it was apparent there was no way the car would get through their ridiculously narrow entrance, and there wasn't anywhere close by to park. We had to forget the booking and wing it. It was nearly 10pm at this point but we managed to find somewhere in Nesso which even closer to the water. Superb.
"Nesso is located on the Como-side shore of lake Como, along the road which leads from Como to Bellagio. The town’s historical centre stands on the point in which the two torrents: Tuf and Nosè, unite and form a waterfall that takes the name from the Nesso Ravine, diving into the waters of the Lario. Nesso has Celtic origins; the Romans conquered it in 196 BC; the people of Como destroyed it when it aligned itself with Milan during the 10 year war."
The water was balmy and fantastic for a midnight swim to work off dinner.
Bellagio is a good place to visit; there are plenty of restaurants to choose from and its reasonably lively in the evening.
We visited the gardens of Villa Melzi which turned out to be more of a spectacle than the villa itself. The villa was built during the First Italian Republic, founded by Napoleon.
The orangery had quite a few important historic items from the time of the republic, including some linked directly to Napoleon. I was surprised by the lack of security.
Part 6 | Italy | South Tuscany
I love Tuscany. I could move there tomorrow. The surface condition of some roads leaves a little to be desired, but really who cares
We stayed in a really nice historical property once the property of the Knights of the Order of Malta. The breakfast very good, too.
Cue wine, cheese, and general exploring. By week two I've usually long forgotten work and happy to sink into a more laid back pace.
Jeroboam's on sale. I figured I could fit three behind the seats.
There is an amazing place to stay in Montepulciano: it's a palace rented out complete with all of its regal appointments. It's not fantastically opulent but quite unique regardless.
More wine, cheese, and general exploring. Getting a bit fat now!
We hired a little RIB on lake Trasimeno. I have an ICC but these places never ask for one - I guess the boats aren't powerful enough to get into any real trouble on a lake.
The lake is quite large and we explored a couple of its islands. One of them has a restaurant.
There was an abandoned palace on one of the islands and exploring abandoned places is my kind of thing - I used to indulge in urbex years ago.
Sod's law that the engine mounts gave up the ghost part way through the trip - they were on my winter list! One first and then the other, evident by a slight increase in vibration then later perceptible movement of the engine under load which made driving the car as intended pretty difficult due to weight sift at corner entry, and due to my mechanical sympathy: ultimately impossible
Having diagnosed the issue I ordered a pair of new mounts from C.D.P. S.p.A. and booked in the car to have them fitted.Testarossa engine out for a belt service. Good to see the technician using a dial gauge - actually I was pretty impressed with their approach to work. Much less "in out" than here in the UK.
Loads of 500's in the wild, much to my OH's delight.
General exploring.
I spotted this looking rather forlorn in a side garage. I thought it looked like an older BMW but I'm not entirely sure.
We like to visit fattorias to taste local produce though some of the farm tracks need negotiating carefully in a low car.
Sulphur springs were quite a sight, and smell. The mud is supposedly very good for the skin but with an ambient temperature of 38 degrees and a water temperature of 8 degrees, on this occasion we left the locals to it and had a beer instead.
Exploring towns and villages.
Mille Miglia tribute.
The driving was fantastic; the scenery, the weather, the roads, the lack of traffic, and shared enthusiasm for the car. Extremely memorable.
Part 7 | Italy | Mont Blanc
On the route back we stopped by Mont Blanc. The weather turned pretty miserable by this point but the scenery was great.
Part 8 | Home via Lac d'Auzon Temple
I don't know exactly where this was but on the route back through France, close to the Swiss border, there was a cable car from the Autoroute services. The building at the top looks pretty uninspiring but inside was a very warming restaurant with a view back over Mont Blanc.
That's about it. This time we didn't get too drunk on the final night and miss our train. Must be getting old!
Given the trip was also a bit of a shakedown for the car I have a few things to address and things to change. More on that later.
Fantastic - thanks for taking the trouble to write up the trip. Some marvellous photos.
Does your OH drive the car? What does she make of it?
I found the picture of your car parked up with a TR4A driving past interesting. I know perspective plays a part, but the Ferrari looks huge in comparison to the TR.
The unidentified car on the ramps looks like a Lancia to me, although I may be wrong.
Does your OH drive the car? What does she make of it?
I found the picture of your car parked up with a TR4A driving past interesting. I know perspective plays a part, but the Ferrari looks huge in comparison to the TR.
The unidentified car on the ramps looks like a Lancia to me, although I may be wrong.
That last cable car is up Mont Saleve, an isolated mountain SE of Geneva.
One of your other photos also brought back memories for me... I stayed in the Hotel Post in Realp at the bottom of the Furka, many years ago, in one of those top rooms. It's right next to the clock tower next door which goes off every 15 minutes all bloody night
One of your other photos also brought back memories for me... I stayed in the Hotel Post in Realp at the bottom of the Furka, many years ago, in one of those top rooms. It's right next to the clock tower next door which goes off every 15 minutes all bloody night
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