Ferrari F430 Spider
Discussion
Spider hood top housing
I've been looking around the car to find more opportunities to save weight. Although the Scuderia and 16M models went quite far in this regard they weren't unlimited production budget cars, so there is some scope for further weight reduction.
I'd noticed when working on the car that the housing which holds the convertible hood when retracted is made from the same moulded fibrous material as the F430 front and rear undertrays. There were a couple of revisions to this tray during the 360's production run as mentioned in Voicey's blog post, but beyond that it remained unchanged. The function of the tray is to seal off the front of the engine compartment from the elements and contain & support the hood when it’s retracted – wet or dry.
Although the tray has a support function, like the standard undertrays and diffuser it is most certainly not weight optimised. Here is the standard part which weighs in at 12kg!
I’ve been in contact with Stoian who owns Parts3000 - a Ferrari parts and composites specialist based in Bulgaria. It is actually Stoian is producing the carbon version of the engine lid trim for me. Following some discussions with his team Stoian reckoned he could make for me a carbon replica of the hood housing that maintained all of the recesses, mounting points, and drain holes that are absolutely necessary to make any replacement part a viable option. This morning I received an email from Stoian with some pictures of the first part fresh out of the mould. I am over the moon with it - at 1.55kg is lighter than the standard part by 10.45kg.
There is some cleaning up to do of release agent, OE grommets to swap over and the rubber edging strip, but I'm really impressed. This new part narrows the gap between Berlinetta and Spider from 53kg to 43kg and will enable me to surpass the 80kg weight saving Ferrari achieved with the 16M.
I now just need to figure out the best way to fit it
I've been looking around the car to find more opportunities to save weight. Although the Scuderia and 16M models went quite far in this regard they weren't unlimited production budget cars, so there is some scope for further weight reduction.
I'd noticed when working on the car that the housing which holds the convertible hood when retracted is made from the same moulded fibrous material as the F430 front and rear undertrays. There were a couple of revisions to this tray during the 360's production run as mentioned in Voicey's blog post, but beyond that it remained unchanged. The function of the tray is to seal off the front of the engine compartment from the elements and contain & support the hood when it’s retracted – wet or dry.
Although the tray has a support function, like the standard undertrays and diffuser it is most certainly not weight optimised. Here is the standard part which weighs in at 12kg!
I’ve been in contact with Stoian who owns Parts3000 - a Ferrari parts and composites specialist based in Bulgaria. It is actually Stoian is producing the carbon version of the engine lid trim for me. Following some discussions with his team Stoian reckoned he could make for me a carbon replica of the hood housing that maintained all of the recesses, mounting points, and drain holes that are absolutely necessary to make any replacement part a viable option. This morning I received an email from Stoian with some pictures of the first part fresh out of the mould. I am over the moon with it - at 1.55kg is lighter than the standard part by 10.45kg.
There is some cleaning up to do of release agent, OE grommets to swap over and the rubber edging strip, but I'm really impressed. This new part narrows the gap between Berlinetta and Spider from 53kg to 43kg and will enable me to surpass the 80kg weight saving Ferrari achieved with the 16M.
I now just need to figure out the best way to fit it
Max M4X WW said:
Wow! That looks great - impressive weight saving too.
Cheers Max. I've been getting jealous looking at photos of your recent road trip!AyBee said:
With that much of a weight saving, you wonder why Ferrari didn't do it themselves? It looks like a relatively simple shape so can't be that expensive, can it?
The cost to Ferrari would be huge. The 16M was the only lightweight Spider released on the 360/430 platform and the run was limited to (officially) 499 units, so this part has very limited use. There would have been a budget for the 16M/Scuderia and a target weight reduction. Priority calls would be made for the 'quick wins' like exhaust, seats, bumpers etc. and the list would be further refined by selection of parts that buyers will see thus further distinguishing the lightweight models from their standard counterpart. Parts like this roof tray are only seen when the roof is being folded away and even then someone would have to really look for it. It’s quite easy for me to commission a carbon copy of an existing part and take on the R&D myself, and it is relatively inexpensive if dealing with a small supplier who's overheads are low, but Ferrari would on a commercial scale have to model the part, fund the initial outlay for tooling (even though the carbon for this model was not made in house), test it, alter the production line for it, build it into the parts system, budget for it etc. That can quickly eat into the margin, and of all the manufacturers Ferrari seem to like that least of all
LanceRS said:
Nice to see OCD being turned into a positive thing
I do have to ask though, have you managed to invent a machine to squeeze more hours into the day, or do you just not ever sleep?
I am genuinely in awe of your abilities and time management.
Haha - it does have its benefits!I do have to ask though, have you managed to invent a machine to squeeze more hours into the day, or do you just not ever sleep?
I am genuinely in awe of your abilities and time management.
No time machine here. Maybe not having kids helps?
mwstewart said:
Spider hood top housing
I've been looking around the car to find more opportunities to save weight. Although the Scuderia and 16M models went quite far in this regard they weren't unlimited production budget cars, so there is some scope for further weight reduction.
I'd noticed when working on the car that the housing which holds the convertible hood when retracted is made from the same moulded fibrous material as the F430 front and rear undertrays. There were a couple of revisions to this tray during the 360's production run as mentioned in Voicey's blog post, but beyond that it remained unchanged. The function of the tray is to seal off the front of the engine compartment from the elements and contain & support the hood when it’s retracted – wet or dry.
Although the tray has a support function, like the standard undertrays and diffuser it is most certainly not weight optimised. Here is the standard part which weighs in at 12kg!
I’ve been in contact with Stoian who owns Parts3000 - a Ferrari parts and composites specialist based in Bulgaria. It is actually Stoian is producing the carbon version of the engine lid trim for me. Following some discussions with his team Stoian reckoned he could make for me a carbon replica of the hood housing that maintained all of the recesses, mounting points, and drain holes that are absolutely necessary to make any replacement part a viable option. This morning I received an email from Stoian with some pictures of the first part fresh out of the mould. I am over the moon with it - at 1.55kg is lighter than the standard part by 10.45kg.
There is some cleaning up to do of release agent, OE grommets to swap over and the rubber edging strip, but I'm really impressed. This new part narrows the gap between Berlinetta and Spider from 53kg to 43kg and will enable me to surpass the 80kg weight saving Ferrari achieved with the 16M.
I now just need to figure out the best way to fit it
What are your thoughts on the parts3000? I have seen they are selling a load of carbon fibre products for the F430 on ebay but they are non genuine Ferrari. For example I am quite tempted by these...I've been looking around the car to find more opportunities to save weight. Although the Scuderia and 16M models went quite far in this regard they weren't unlimited production budget cars, so there is some scope for further weight reduction.
I'd noticed when working on the car that the housing which holds the convertible hood when retracted is made from the same moulded fibrous material as the F430 front and rear undertrays. There were a couple of revisions to this tray during the 360's production run as mentioned in Voicey's blog post, but beyond that it remained unchanged. The function of the tray is to seal off the front of the engine compartment from the elements and contain & support the hood when it’s retracted – wet or dry.
Although the tray has a support function, like the standard undertrays and diffuser it is most certainly not weight optimised. Here is the standard part which weighs in at 12kg!
I’ve been in contact with Stoian who owns Parts3000 - a Ferrari parts and composites specialist based in Bulgaria. It is actually Stoian is producing the carbon version of the engine lid trim for me. Following some discussions with his team Stoian reckoned he could make for me a carbon replica of the hood housing that maintained all of the recesses, mounting points, and drain holes that are absolutely necessary to make any replacement part a viable option. This morning I received an email from Stoian with some pictures of the first part fresh out of the mould. I am over the moon with it - at 1.55kg is lighter than the standard part by 10.45kg.
There is some cleaning up to do of release agent, OE grommets to swap over and the rubber edging strip, but I'm really impressed. This new part narrows the gap between Berlinetta and Spider from 53kg to 43kg and will enable me to surpass the 80kg weight saving Ferrari achieved with the 16M.
I now just need to figure out the best way to fit it
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-Air-Box-fits-Ferr...
GP
gcpeters said:
What are your thoughts on the parts3000? I have seen they are selling a load of carbon fibre products for the F430 on ebay but they are non genuine Ferrari. For example I am quite tempted by these...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-Air-Box-fits-Ferr...
GP
I have their sill/kick panel trims and the finish is excellent; they are certainly as good if not a little neater than OEM. I'm going to fit a set of their engine bay panels, too. The products are backed up by good customer service so I do recommend them.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbon-Air-Box-fits-Ferr...
GP
I saw the airbox lids and thought they looked very well made. I would be tempted to ask for a plain weave rather than twill in order to keep an OE look.
If you email Stoian directly you can most likely work out a better deal than via eBay.
Max_Torque said:
I expect you'll find that the reason the std part is thick and fiberous is for acoustic reasons! As it sits between engine and driver, you may find a lot more engine/induction noise with the thin / stiff CF part......
Thanks Max. I'll get a dB meter and run some tests. It will be a nice bonus if I get a bit more of the soundtrack.Max_Torque said:
I expect you'll find that the reason the std part is thick and fiberous is for acoustic reasons! As it sits between engine and driver, you may find a lot more engine/induction noise with the thin / stiff CF part......
As well as weight reduction isn't this the whole point?My new bumpers are back from the body shop. I love getting parts back from paint!
Rear bumper
Rear bumper after a mop and polish.
I've bonded in the OEM parking sensor mounts so I'll leave it 24 hours before I add the loom etc.
Front bumper
There's a little bit of prep required on the front bumper. The side grilles are mounted to studs bonded to the bumper. I've not seen bonding fittings before but soon found they are used in fibreglass parts to incorporate within the mat during the construction phase. In this application they are bonded to the finished surface.
I'm using Sikaflex 221 to bond the studs. The studs themselves are BigHead 23mm bonding studs. I've also bought stainless fastenings to replace all mild steel fasteners around the bumper area.
The final piece of prep on the front bumper is to mask off the side vents and spray stain black around them and the headlamp washer jet apertures. It's not particularly finished but it is how Ferrari do it. It means the openings appear black from the outside.
I had been told that Scuderia radiator ducts are required to fit the Scuderia front bumper but when comparing them to my F430 versions I couldn't immediately tell a difference. They are however just under a kilogram lighter so for me worth the trouble.
I initially drained the coolant via the front rads in order to move them without putting any undue pressure on the coolant hoses, but in the end I found that removing the fan on each rad liberated enough space to replace the ducts without disturbing the coolant hoses. I had to drain the coolant anyway as I want to remove the header tank so it was no big deal.
I'm not a gambling man but I'd say the odds that the coolant was never changed are extremely high. The car is one owner and full Ferrari history - done every year – and a recent service states “full fluids service”. This is my second F430 with full Ferrari history and I found similar ‘oversights’ on the last. Disappointing.
Here's the car with the bumper and rads removed. My next task is to replace the F430 PAS cooler with the Scuderia version.
Along with the bumper fittings I'm also replacing all headlight and rad pack fastenings with stainless.
Headlight upgrade
The F430 has chrome (vacuum metallised) finish plastic bezels surrounding the lights and an ABS bowl. On my car this is metallic grey but depending on the body paint colour the bowl may be painted black.
I've removed my headlights to strip down. Stoian/Parts3000 are going to make carbon fibre versions of the headlight bowls - optional for all models, standard fit on the 16M - and I'm going to strip off the chrome finish on the bezels and paint in matt silver - as per all Scuderia models.
I'm also going to experiment with creating clear front indicator lenses. I've bought a couple of new front indicator/driving lights from an R52 to play about with.
Misc
I've removed the header tank and marked it up to have some tabs TIG'd on to mount the carbon fibre cosmetic cover.
My workshop is getting a bit full of standard F430 parts so I will soon start selling them off. If anyone needs a part I've removed please do let me know.
Rear bumper
Rear bumper after a mop and polish.
I've bonded in the OEM parking sensor mounts so I'll leave it 24 hours before I add the loom etc.
Front bumper
There's a little bit of prep required on the front bumper. The side grilles are mounted to studs bonded to the bumper. I've not seen bonding fittings before but soon found they are used in fibreglass parts to incorporate within the mat during the construction phase. In this application they are bonded to the finished surface.
I'm using Sikaflex 221 to bond the studs. The studs themselves are BigHead 23mm bonding studs. I've also bought stainless fastenings to replace all mild steel fasteners around the bumper area.
The final piece of prep on the front bumper is to mask off the side vents and spray stain black around them and the headlamp washer jet apertures. It's not particularly finished but it is how Ferrari do it. It means the openings appear black from the outside.
I had been told that Scuderia radiator ducts are required to fit the Scuderia front bumper but when comparing them to my F430 versions I couldn't immediately tell a difference. They are however just under a kilogram lighter so for me worth the trouble.
I initially drained the coolant via the front rads in order to move them without putting any undue pressure on the coolant hoses, but in the end I found that removing the fan on each rad liberated enough space to replace the ducts without disturbing the coolant hoses. I had to drain the coolant anyway as I want to remove the header tank so it was no big deal.
I'm not a gambling man but I'd say the odds that the coolant was never changed are extremely high. The car is one owner and full Ferrari history - done every year – and a recent service states “full fluids service”. This is my second F430 with full Ferrari history and I found similar ‘oversights’ on the last. Disappointing.
Here's the car with the bumper and rads removed. My next task is to replace the F430 PAS cooler with the Scuderia version.
Along with the bumper fittings I'm also replacing all headlight and rad pack fastenings with stainless.
Headlight upgrade
The F430 has chrome (vacuum metallised) finish plastic bezels surrounding the lights and an ABS bowl. On my car this is metallic grey but depending on the body paint colour the bowl may be painted black.
I've removed my headlights to strip down. Stoian/Parts3000 are going to make carbon fibre versions of the headlight bowls - optional for all models, standard fit on the 16M - and I'm going to strip off the chrome finish on the bezels and paint in matt silver - as per all Scuderia models.
I'm also going to experiment with creating clear front indicator lenses. I've bought a couple of new front indicator/driving lights from an R52 to play about with.
Misc
I've removed the header tank and marked it up to have some tabs TIG'd on to mount the carbon fibre cosmetic cover.
My workshop is getting a bit full of standard F430 parts so I will soon start selling them off. If anyone needs a part I've removed please do let me know.
AyBee said:
Would it not have made more sense to fit the parking sensors and then get the bumpers sprayed? 
I'm sure there's a reason for you doing it that way around, but I'm not sure what it is 
That's how it is done at the factory, but I don't like it. I'm using the mounting brackets from my old bumper which look like this: I'm sure there's a reason for you doing it that way around, but I'm not sure what it is 
Fitting them after the bumper is sprayed givers the following benefits:
1) It allows me to position them how I want them, both horizontally and vertically. I'm a perfectionist like that;
2) The inner edge of the hole drilled in the bumper is painted;
3) There's no paint seal/bridge between the bumper and the mounting bracket, so if I ever have a need to replace one I can without cracking the paint;
4) There's a more clearly defined line between the outwardly facing part of the bracket and the edge of the bumper. The area tends to slightly well up with paint if everything is painted together.
Manifolds finished
I have the manifolds back from http://www.v8developments.co.uk/technical/head_por...
Photos to show removal of the step and the rough finish from the casting process.
Bumper builds
I've started to build up the new bumpers. I had a couple of carbon upper segments so chose the one I liked best.
The rear PDC loom runs along the row of fastenings that secure the carbon upper segment. These are much closer to the exhaust outlets on the Scuderia bumper, so I've shrouded the loom in high performance heat insulating sleeve.
Photo to show the rear bumper complete with reflectors, heat shields, etc. etc.
I did much the same on the front bumper - installing PDC, and the washer jets etc.
I have the manifolds back from http://www.v8developments.co.uk/technical/head_por...
Photos to show removal of the step and the rough finish from the casting process.
Bumper builds
I've started to build up the new bumpers. I had a couple of carbon upper segments so chose the one I liked best.
The rear PDC loom runs along the row of fastenings that secure the carbon upper segment. These are much closer to the exhaust outlets on the Scuderia bumper, so I've shrouded the loom in high performance heat insulating sleeve.
Photo to show the rear bumper complete with reflectors, heat shields, etc. etc.
I did much the same on the front bumper - installing PDC, and the washer jets etc.
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