Ferrari F430 Spider
Discussion
Eddieslofart said:
The level of detail in your efforts, mean you will only ever win.
I salute you Sir, because you are a perfectionist, who is a level above perfect.
Every time you fire it up, i see a smile on your face, from my perspective.....you earned it, and thank you for sharing your efforts, like genuinely.
Thank you! It is hugely satisfying driving a project car.I salute you Sir, because you are a perfectionist, who is a level above perfect.
Every time you fire it up, i see a smile on your face, from my perspective.....you earned it, and thank you for sharing your efforts, like genuinely.
Rocksteadyeddie said:
Been up for sale a long time.WF36 said:
Rocksteadyeddie said:
Been up for sale a long time.I've not seen the photos or story of the damage but if it was as light as they say then given the price you could pay I can't see that's a bad purchase at all.
K50 DEL said:
Love the exterior colour but the interior is challenging to say the least, I suspect it's that as much as anything else that has lead to it not selling.
I've not seen the photos or story of the damage but if it was as light as they say then given the price you could pay I can't see that's a bad purchase at all.
Indeed, doesn't look like a bad price to be honest.I've not seen the photos or story of the damage but if it was as light as they say then given the price you could pay I can't see that's a bad purchase at all.
Brake Caliper Powder Coating
I had both the Scuderia and Speciale calipers blasted and powder coated plus powder lacquer. I polished the pistons before reassembly.
Last time I used red rubber grease in the ring lands to help prevent corrosion but over time it goes very sticky, so this time around I just used caliper assembly lubricant. The calipers were rebuilt with new seals and, of course, the brake fluid was changed.
I will return to the Speciale braking system as a winter project.
16M Door Card Recreation - Handles
I now have the inner door handles and storage nets. These are very rare parts so I'm quite pleased.
Door pulls and RH opening mechanism. The pull handles are in poor aesthetic condition so they have been stripped and sent for paint.
16M Door Card Recreation - Speakers
I've purchased a two way JBL component system. I'm not going for three way nor an amplifier as I consider it needless weight.
Roof Microswitch Adjustment
My car had an occasional roof up warning when the roof was down which at first worried me in case the roof wasn't in straight, but after a bit of reading of the WSM I decided to check microswitch adjustment.. The roof is managed by its own ECU which uses various microswitches to sense the position of the carious components.
With a bit of familiarity with the system it would be possible to locate the switch without going via diagnostics, but this was my first time looking at the roof mechanism so I used diagnostics as follows:
1) Create baseline data for roof closed - no errors;
2) Create baseline data for roof open - no errors;
3) Record data for roof open and warning light on.
In my case EVA was triggering the warning and I found the root cause was two things: ) the anti-chafe foam pad I'd used in the replacement roof tray was slightly thicker than OEM which meant the roof closed position was 2-3mm higher than with the original felt pad, and 2) with the foam pad replaced the switch was already nearly out of correct adjustment - see photo below.
Also on the roof a bug bear of mine is the level of noise created by the motor and pump assembly. It is behind a cowel on the RH side of the car which has a relatively thin layer of underlay type sound deadening i.e. not particularly effective.
To reduce noise inside the car I've cut a rough piece from an off-cut of Silent Coat Silent Coat Plus. If it does the trick I'll make something neater from a full sheet.
Black Air Vent Inserts
The Scuderia has black inserts to the interior air vents rather than grey/silver on the F430. I think it looks better so I stripped down my vents and gave them a clean at the same time.
Interestingly, the vents in the central bezel which point out at an angle had been shortened so they sat better in the carbon fibre housing. The housing isn't of the most precise construction so it doesn't surprise me.
I used Tamiya TS-6 plastic (hobby/modelling) paint. It's great stuff that went on very smoothly.
Interior reassembled. I will paint the HVAC control knobs another time.
Luggage Strap Replacement
Snapped luggage straps are a common issue on the 360 and F430. They are made from a leatherette type material which isn't particularly strong. 'Stevecobra' reproduces the straps in leather and sells them on eBay as a kit with replacement rivets, so I've fitted a set.
Air Box Lid Refurbishment
The original Ferrari carbon gel coat is prone to going milky or yellow over time and the second-hand lids I purchased started to do just that. I decided to take them back down to bare carbon, and I used Synstryp to soften the gel coat - it is strong stuff and begins to burn skin instantly; in comparison Nitromors is positively weak.
It takes a good few hours of sanding to get down to the exposed carbon and remove all of the gel coat. The photo below shows the lids around 70% through the process with a few areas of original gel coat left. I will have the lids finished in a CV resistant lacquer.
I had both the Scuderia and Speciale calipers blasted and powder coated plus powder lacquer. I polished the pistons before reassembly.
Last time I used red rubber grease in the ring lands to help prevent corrosion but over time it goes very sticky, so this time around I just used caliper assembly lubricant. The calipers were rebuilt with new seals and, of course, the brake fluid was changed.
I will return to the Speciale braking system as a winter project.
16M Door Card Recreation - Handles
I now have the inner door handles and storage nets. These are very rare parts so I'm quite pleased.
Door pulls and RH opening mechanism. The pull handles are in poor aesthetic condition so they have been stripped and sent for paint.
16M Door Card Recreation - Speakers
I've purchased a two way JBL component system. I'm not going for three way nor an amplifier as I consider it needless weight.
Roof Microswitch Adjustment
My car had an occasional roof up warning when the roof was down which at first worried me in case the roof wasn't in straight, but after a bit of reading of the WSM I decided to check microswitch adjustment.. The roof is managed by its own ECU which uses various microswitches to sense the position of the carious components.
With a bit of familiarity with the system it would be possible to locate the switch without going via diagnostics, but this was my first time looking at the roof mechanism so I used diagnostics as follows:
1) Create baseline data for roof closed - no errors;
2) Create baseline data for roof open - no errors;
3) Record data for roof open and warning light on.
In my case EVA was triggering the warning and I found the root cause was two things: ) the anti-chafe foam pad I'd used in the replacement roof tray was slightly thicker than OEM which meant the roof closed position was 2-3mm higher than with the original felt pad, and 2) with the foam pad replaced the switch was already nearly out of correct adjustment - see photo below.
Also on the roof a bug bear of mine is the level of noise created by the motor and pump assembly. It is behind a cowel on the RH side of the car which has a relatively thin layer of underlay type sound deadening i.e. not particularly effective.
To reduce noise inside the car I've cut a rough piece from an off-cut of Silent Coat Silent Coat Plus. If it does the trick I'll make something neater from a full sheet.
Black Air Vent Inserts
The Scuderia has black inserts to the interior air vents rather than grey/silver on the F430. I think it looks better so I stripped down my vents and gave them a clean at the same time.
Interestingly, the vents in the central bezel which point out at an angle had been shortened so they sat better in the carbon fibre housing. The housing isn't of the most precise construction so it doesn't surprise me.
I used Tamiya TS-6 plastic (hobby/modelling) paint. It's great stuff that went on very smoothly.
Interior reassembled. I will paint the HVAC control knobs another time.
Luggage Strap Replacement
Snapped luggage straps are a common issue on the 360 and F430. They are made from a leatherette type material which isn't particularly strong. 'Stevecobra' reproduces the straps in leather and sells them on eBay as a kit with replacement rivets, so I've fitted a set.
Air Box Lid Refurbishment
The original Ferrari carbon gel coat is prone to going milky or yellow over time and the second-hand lids I purchased started to do just that. I decided to take them back down to bare carbon, and I used Synstryp to soften the gel coat - it is strong stuff and begins to burn skin instantly; in comparison Nitromors is positively weak.
It takes a good few hours of sanding to get down to the exposed carbon and remove all of the gel coat. The photo below shows the lids around 70% through the process with a few areas of original gel coat left. I will have the lids finished in a CV resistant lacquer.
Edited by mwstewart on Wednesday 13th February 16:02
Scuderia Engine Management Conversion - Recalibration
The final stage before I start using the car is a 'remap' or rather recalibration of the Scuderia engine ECUs to suit my engine configuration. The Scuderia engine internals are identical to an MY08 F430 except for one key difference: the pistons. These are unique to the Scuderia and raise the compression ratio from 11.3:1 to 11.9:1, which is enough to warrant a recalibration of the ECUs to suit. The pistons are surprisingly cheap at ~£250 each but I don't see the point in opening my engine now just to change the pistons - which will yield a relatively minor gain - when at 40k miles the engine must be removed at service time to check the cam chain and tensioners. At that point I will strip the engine and rebuild as part of project stage 3: 4.6 Speciale spec, hence, in the interim I want to set the ECU calibration for my current specification and also liberate a little more power.
I've filled the tank with 95 octane as the fuel quality abroad isn't always good enough to match our 99, so I wanted the added comfort factor, though the ion sensing system does offer an increased safety factor.
I was recommended Ray/West Tuning at Thurxton circuit by fellow club owner Gary, however Ray is too busy at the moment so I went with DMS - another trusted tuner.
I must say I've been hugely impressed by their knowledge; I've been dealing with Rob who talked over the spec with me and actually confirmed that I'd need to swap the coil packs, as despite moving to Eldor coils in 2007/8 there was actually a difference between the ion sensing equipped cars and standard, so I've ordered a set of the Scuderia/458 coils to go on. Bearing in mind he amount of different models DMS deal with I think that's impressive.
Rob has started a base map by calculating the ignition map from Scuderia vs F430 compression ratio, and has reached a point where the idle is smooth, once the new coils arrive the next step is to put the car on the dyno; the ion module controls timing at high RPM and requires the ion specific coils to do so.
I'm hoping for a comfortable 500+.
The final stage before I start using the car is a 'remap' or rather recalibration of the Scuderia engine ECUs to suit my engine configuration. The Scuderia engine internals are identical to an MY08 F430 except for one key difference: the pistons. These are unique to the Scuderia and raise the compression ratio from 11.3:1 to 11.9:1, which is enough to warrant a recalibration of the ECUs to suit. The pistons are surprisingly cheap at ~£250 each but I don't see the point in opening my engine now just to change the pistons - which will yield a relatively minor gain - when at 40k miles the engine must be removed at service time to check the cam chain and tensioners. At that point I will strip the engine and rebuild as part of project stage 3: 4.6 Speciale spec, hence, in the interim I want to set the ECU calibration for my current specification and also liberate a little more power.
I've filled the tank with 95 octane as the fuel quality abroad isn't always good enough to match our 99, so I wanted the added comfort factor, though the ion sensing system does offer an increased safety factor.
I was recommended Ray/West Tuning at Thurxton circuit by fellow club owner Gary, however Ray is too busy at the moment so I went with DMS - another trusted tuner.
I must say I've been hugely impressed by their knowledge; I've been dealing with Rob who talked over the spec with me and actually confirmed that I'd need to swap the coil packs, as despite moving to Eldor coils in 2007/8 there was actually a difference between the ion sensing equipped cars and standard, so I've ordered a set of the Scuderia/458 coils to go on. Bearing in mind he amount of different models DMS deal with I think that's impressive.
Rob has started a base map by calculating the ignition map from Scuderia vs F430 compression ratio, and has reached a point where the idle is smooth, once the new coils arrive the next step is to put the car on the dyno; the ion module controls timing at high RPM and requires the ion specific coils to do so.
I'm hoping for a comfortable 500+.
Edited by mwstewart on Wednesday 13th February 16:03
Interesting you chose DMS, as I've not heard great things in the M Power world regarding their cars not making the power they claim etc.
But maybe the company is founded by someone who does have knowledge as it sounds like he knows what he's doing to be custom mapping yours. Hopefully the results are good!
But maybe the company is founded by someone who does have knowledge as it sounds like he knows what he's doing to be custom mapping yours. Hopefully the results are good!
Digitalize said:
Interesting you chose DMS, as I've not heard great things in the M Power world regarding their cars not making the power they claim etc.
But maybe the company is founded by someone who does have knowledge as it sounds like he knows what he's doing to be custom mapping yours. Hopefully the results are good!
I had clocked that before choosing them; some of their claimed power figures are for sure a bit 'toppy' which is why I said I'd be comfortable with 500+; in reality I'd expect mine to dyno north of 520/530 if all is well. did think it was obvious on first glance but for me power figures from rolling roads aren't of interest: I only pay attention to figures from an engine dyno. But maybe the company is founded by someone who does have knowledge as it sounds like he knows what he's doing to be custom mapping yours. Hopefully the results are good!
Product knowledge, good feedback from other owners, ability to provide a tailored map, and reports of quality calibration in terms of smoothness and response throughout the rev range were what I was looking for. They aren't the cheapest but gave me peace of mind.
Rob at DMS wasn't happy with the reading from the right bank pre-cat lambda, so in addition to the new coils I had two new Bosch lambdas fitted for peace of mind. My research on these parts is below.
For the dyno mapping this meant my car had new air filters, spark plugs, coils, MAF sensors, pre-cat o2 sensors, variator solenoids, and fresh fuel - really the best base possible to work from.
430 Scuderia and 16M Ignition Coils (Ion Sensing Applications)
F430 Lambda Sensors
Front (pre-cat) lambda sensor - 500mm cable, 5 pole
Ferrari part: 182837 (£183 - Scuderia car parts)
Bosch part number: 0258007001 (£63.42 - eBay)
Rear (post cat) lambda sensor - 1200mm cable, 4 pole
Ferrari part: 180915 (£66.02 - Scuderia car parts)
Bosch part: 0258006196 (£67.71 - eBay)
For the dyno mapping this meant my car had new air filters, spark plugs, coils, MAF sensors, pre-cat o2 sensors, variator solenoids, and fresh fuel - really the best base possible to work from.
430 Scuderia and 16M Ignition Coils (Ion Sensing Applications)
- Original: 231359 - Scuderia, 16M
- Update 1: 248406 - Scuderia, 16M, 599 GTO, 458 Challenge, 458 Spider, FF, 599 SA Aperta, F12 Berlinetta, 458 Speciale, La Ferrari, GTC4 Lusso
- Update 2: 290850 - Scuderia, 16M, 599 GTO, 458 Challenge, 458 Spider, FF, 599 SA Aperta, F12 Berlinetta, 458 Speciale, La Ferrari, GTC4 Lusso, 458 Speciale Aperta, La Ferrari Aperta, F12 TDF
- Update 3: 337713 - 812 Superfast, GTC4Lusso, and backwards compatible with all of the above.
F430 Lambda Sensors
Front (pre-cat) lambda sensor - 500mm cable, 5 pole
Ferrari part: 182837 (£183 - Scuderia car parts)
Bosch part number: 0258007001 (£63.42 - eBay)
Rear (post cat) lambda sensor - 1200mm cable, 4 pole
Ferrari part: 180915 (£66.02 - Scuderia car parts)
Bosch part: 0258006196 (£67.71 - eBay)
Edited by mwstewart on Wednesday 13th February 16:03
Dyno result below.
I think that's optimistic but then so are the factory figures; for a rough guide here's a little bhp/tonne (curb weight used) calculation based on those factory figures:
F430 Spider: 1,570 kg / 483 bhp = 307.64
F430: 1,517 kg / 483 bhp = 318.39
16M: 1,500 kg / 503 bhp = 335.33
Scuderia: 1,430 kg / 503 bhp = 351.75
458: 1,565 kg / 562 bhp = 359.11
My car: (1,570 kg - 115.067 kg = 1455 kg ) / 563 bhp = 386.94
458 Speciale: 1,395 kg / 597 bhp = 427.96
Figures aside it has certainly moved on from when I first owned it.
I think that's optimistic but then so are the factory figures; for a rough guide here's a little bhp/tonne (curb weight used) calculation based on those factory figures:
F430 Spider: 1,570 kg / 483 bhp = 307.64
F430: 1,517 kg / 483 bhp = 318.39
16M: 1,500 kg / 503 bhp = 335.33
Scuderia: 1,430 kg / 503 bhp = 351.75
458: 1,565 kg / 562 bhp = 359.11
My car: (1,570 kg - 115.067 kg = 1455 kg ) / 563 bhp = 386.94
458 Speciale: 1,395 kg / 597 bhp = 427.96
Figures aside it has certainly moved on from when I first owned it.
Edited by mwstewart on Wednesday 13th February 16:04
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