9 Months with the Ferrari 360

Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been over 6 months since my last confession..but I've had great fun ;-)

I have run a Ferrari 360 Modena for the better part of 9 months so I thought I would share my experiences a little more...

On exhausts. I have had some fun and games with the damn exhaust. The car game with the flap valves jammed open. The upside was that it sounded pretty good at idle, the downside was that it wasn't what I wanted. Also the MIL kept on coming on (little did I know that the exhaust and the MIL are connected).

So I found a Novitech exhaust in Holland and promptly bought it. I sort of liked it when I was on the open road, giving the car some stick but on the motorway at 70 ish and around town, the booming made my little son's ears bleed (and mine too). In the interests of not deafening my son or the rabbits who live in the fields near my house, I got the exhaust changed.

I was fortunate to find a F430 exhaust which had be nicely modified to fit a 360. Now this is quite special. It's pain in the bum to do but with patience and a TIG welder, one can almost exactly reproduce a 360 Challenge Straddle exhaust and in the process create the most wonderful symphony of Il Cavallino music. Also the flap valves work so the car is not too loud in traffic.

The MIL is a constant issue, it has been largely down to the old exhaust (s) not creating enough back pressure at idle and therefore creating (I suppose) too much turbulent flow around the rear lamb sensor (s). Changing to the CS system with the flap valves working has cured the MIL issue that related to the Lamba sensors (I hope).

But with Ferraris there is always 'more'. In my case, my car developed misfire. It was diagnosed as being a plug and coil issue. So we replaced the plugs and the problem cleared. I think I will have to replace a coil as well because if one of the plugs was drawing too much current, I am sure it will have seen off a coil too.

Other than that the car has been really good. It's delight to drive and is remarkably comfortable on a trip. It's a shockingly pretty beast it really  is  - I just wish that the gear box could do 'throttle blips' on the down shifts. I know this is a possible upgrade  -  just need to find out 'how'.

Together for ever in electric dreams

In the 1960s, my Dad was involved in the electric Mini project. It was in the end a bit of a failure. The electric drive and battery systems worked just fine but in the end the poor realization of the automotive engineering let it down but I’m sure things are very different now. A lot of time has past after all and billions have been spent…

I finally got behind the rather large and American friendly wheel of the Tesla model S the other weekend. My partner insisted that I stop rabbiting on about one and actually drive the darn thing. We were at the London Docklands motor show and I thought “why not, the economics sort of stack up so I should actually drive it”.

I have been trying to crystalize my thoughts on the Tesla S. It’s a confusing car. It’s sort of part techno curio, part American cruiser and part F22 Raptor fighter jet.

A star for the tech. It's deeply deeply impressive. All the systems seem to be upgradable over the air. Self park and self drive appear to be in Beta at the moment and once they are released, owners will get them as a Flash-over-the –air upgrade. For a telematics guru like me, this is manna from heaven.

And it goes well. I mean Porsche 991 Turbo S levels of acceleration. And lets remember that this was the 85D model, the P85 D model has about 30% more umph.  The website says 0-62 in 4.4s. I would say it’s every bit as fast as that.

And now for the downside. Steering feel. What steering feel? Even on the sportiest setting, it’s utterly anodyne think  2003 Mercedes C class and you’re close!

And then there’s the column shift. I hate hate hate having the gear shifter (such as it is on an EV) on the steering column. That’s a granny car thing to have. Why not have cool crystal buttons on the dash like the Aston DB 9 has?

Oh and for a car that is a rival to an Audi A8 – why is their no space in the back? I am 5’ 11’’ and there is no way an adult can comfortably sit behind me.

If you hate having to clear out side bins and storage lockers in the back seat then the good news is that there aren’t any. Nothing, nada nitto. Presumably such items need to be stored on the floor? Apparently Elon likes minimalism which means we get an impractical car.

All this vexes me. You see I really wanted to love the Tesla. These flaws cannot be written off. If it was a Ferrari 488 GTB rival or something to buy instead of an Aventador then I would forgive all sorts of design poops for a truly unique driving experience. Hyper cars are allowed to be awkward and silly. Executive saloons cannot.

The Model S has to go toe to toe with the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes S class and the BMW 7 series and it can’t really because they are all better cars. The Audi especially wins because it has a brand built on cleverness and efficiency. It’s cleverer and more efficient than the Tesla.

So in the end it’s the silly old automotive engineering that lets the Tesla Model S down. You see, the big OEMs have been making cars for a very long time. They have metrics and tests for every kind of vehicle behavior and characteristic. Sometimes they make a dull car but at this level they do not.

…And don’t get me started on how you actually charge the thing if you live in rural Essex!

So I won't have a Tesla in my driveway just yet. But we will still be together. Forever in electric dreams 

That's the noise that annoys the noisy oyster

The Ferrari 360 is bit of an enigma really. It looks awesome. People offer to do very naughty things in order to get a ride in it (none have had their offers accepted). It goes like shot off a shivel and I love the way it drives.

The problem is not with the way it drives. The problem is with way it sounds. As standard they are a bit....well…farty sounding really. Sounds more like a 1970s Ford Escort Mexico than a prancing horse. Not right. Definitely not right.

I resolved to deal with this lack of a decent exhaust tune and so did my research. I lurked on a load of fora ( forums ?) AND spoke to Furlonger Specialist Cars. Yep, everyone agreed. Novitec Rosso make the best 360 sports exhaust. No doubt. 100%. Count me in.

And lo, as luck would have it I found a new one for sale on the Bay of E. A price was agreed and the beastie was shipped directly to Furlonger and I was a happy girlie.

Except that this bliss did not last long. Oh no. When the car rolled out of the transporter (I love that) the noise was quite something. Shaky windows stuff. It made a lovely sound at idle. Quite antisocial in everyway.

So what’s the problem then, why so unhappy? Ah because I have a 5-year-old son whose little ears are too delicate for this almost straight through system. I tried it on 4 journeys and then decided to give up. I would have to go back to the old stock system. Pants

The thought of fitting the old rusty heavy exhaust system to a place of the gorgeous shiny gold Novitec was too much to bear.  So I called an expert to ask for help.

Tim Walker at Walkersport is such an expert. There is nothing he doesn’t know about Ferraris. He’s just that kind of guy. Anyway, long story short, he recommend getting a 430 exhaust and having it modded to fit a 360. We had a really nice techy/ geeky chat about why this option would work best.

So all I would have to do is to find a 430 exhaust in good nick and then get a fab shop to make the mods…Simples.

But things got even better. It so happened that a Ferrari track instructor had such a system  - suitably chopped – that he wanted to sell. So I bought it before you could say brmm brmm.

And now my car is lovely. At idle and anything below 3500 rpm, it sounds like a basey Ford Mexico. Nothing flash or sinister. And then as I press my foot down harder on the gas peddle, something strange happens. The happy little kitty that was gently purring behind me becomes a rabid tiger after a night on Stella. I love it. It’s purrrfect

I Hate Harold

I as going to post this ages ago but frankly I needed to cool off a bit first. I was vexed. Very vexed. Very Very vexed. Here is why.

A little while ago, I took the F360 to a well known car accessory store which we will call Harold’s. Harold’s has a branch located in an out of town retail estate in Chelmsford which is near where I live.

So I rocked up to Harold’s in the F360 and went up to the childseat counter. Got ignored for about 10 minutes and then an assistant did the usual reluctant ‘ do I really have to help you ‘ greeting and ‘buzzed’ for a ‘specialist’ to help me…

I told the very spotty very bored, very indifferent young specialist that I wanted to buy a booster seat for my 5 year old and that I wanted him to bring the booster out to my car to make sure that the thing fitted the Ferrari’s rather perfectly formed Daytona seats.

This is where Harold’s messed up big style. The conversation went like this.

Harold’s specialist: “what sort of car is it”?

Me: “it’s that grey Ferrari”

HS: “is it going in the front or the back” (we were pretty much next to the at this stage)

Me: “We’ll it’ll probably have to go in the front as these Ferrari’s don’t have back seats”

HS: “You shouldn’t have a child in the front and you have to get the air bags deactivated first. It’s illegal to have the airbags ‘on’ and a child in the front seat”

Me: “No, it’s not”

HS: “Yes, it is”

Me: “No, I really think it isn’t, I think it’s just advisory and besides the latest research says that older children are better off with the airbag operational provided they sit far enough back”

HS: “I’m the child seat specialist and I can tell you it’s illegal and I won’t sell you a child seat unless the airbag is turned off”

Me: “OK then, the airbags are deactivated”

I opened the car up  - HS looks visibly offended  - like I’d popped a poo in his lunch box. I placed the booster on the passenger seat and said to the ‘Specialist’ : “It doesn’t fit especially well does it? – I mean it’s OK but can I see if there is anything narrower because Ferraris always have narrow seats.”

HS: “They’re all pretty much the same size (not)”

Me: “Really? I’m not really super happy with the fit”

HS: “Well you shouldn’t have a Ferrari then should you”

I was a little taken a back this to say the least. The spotty grumpy little youth then grabbed the booster and took it to the desk while I locked the car and followed him in.  At the stage I would normally have told the nasty little spotter to stick the child seat up his arse, or even to place my heal on the back of his neck (with his face in the tarmac) and make him beg for forgiveness but I was in a hurry and had to pick my son up from school, hence the uncharacteristic acquiescence.

By the time I got to the cash desk I had composed myself and was able to relay the conversation to the more mature and sympathetic person at the desk. I suggested that the acne afflicted MCP, that didn’t help me fit the booster to my Ferrari, might do better in an alternative area of employment. Perhaps stacking shelves or flipping burgers or anything where he doesn’t have to speak to people.

It’s a shame really because I used to by lots of car care bits at Harold’s but no more. I’ve got a little list….and they are on it.

New Arrival

I did tell you that I had a new toy in mind didn't I ? well now is have to spill the beans and confess all.

After many years of resisting the urge I have finally bought a Ferrari. The 'why' is difficult to explain. I can try and justify that prices are going in only one direction on the 360 modena and that it's the first lower maintenance Ferrari and so on. Utter crap. I just really really wanted one.

I started looking in October and thought I would be a higher mileage 1999 or 2000 car...yeah and so did everyone else. Within a couple of weeks the market was bereft and all that was left was the expensive stuff. So I had to find some more money down the back of the sofa and take a deeper breath...

...and then I found it, a lovely 2003 car in dark grey with burgundy leather, at Simon Furlonger in Kent. Now I know that Rosso Corsa is the colour of choice for most fans but for me it's all too much. Ferraris are inherently flashy so they don't need a flashy colour too. I would have ideally liked Tour de France blue but there are so few UK cars in that colour.  Dark grey was second choice for me.

My experience with Simon Furlonger was really positive. The car is very straight, they serviced it and made sure it's mechanically A1. They did the dreaded cam belts and fitted a Stradale rear anti-roll bar and did the geo too. And when we found out that the tracker didn't work any more, they simply got it replaced. No fuss and no messing about.

So what's it like to drive ? amazing. Simple as that. It's like a cross between a luxurious lotus elise and a Saturn V rocket. I love it. We drove about 350 miles over the bank holiday weekend and the car was comfortable, plenty of storage space and even reasonably quiet. The only problem is the lack of a decent stereo and no Sat Nav.

Ooops, I lied, there is another problem. It likes a drink. I mean REALLY likes a drink. If you are making fast progress on B roads then you can watch those bars on the fuel gauge disappear before your very eyes. I don't know what it does with the stuff. Perhaps it uses the fuel to make the nice noise or perhaps to keep the cam covers extra red. I dunno. Small price to pay for such enjoyment (at the moment anyway).

Bye Bye Aston

In January this year it was time to say so-long to the Vantage. It was one of those things really. I loved it's looks and the way people looked at me when I drove it. I loved being IN it. I just didn't especially enjoy actually driving it.

I now feel like an AA member; "My name's Alex and I don't especially like driving Aston Martins". Now that's something different to 'share in group'.

I'm sure I have dashed my chances of being made a baroness and I don't expect to be ever invited to the Queen's summer garden party. I'm on 007s hit list and Jeremy Clarkson has stopped returning my calls. Oh dear. People say that I have no loyalty and that my feet smell and I hate the Queen. It's not true, any of it (ok the feet bit is semi true - my race boots are not nice to be near).

I had been thinking about blowing some money with Bamford Rose to make the car sharper and faster but in the end the fickle finger of fate just got in the way. An offer was made by a car dealer that I couldn't refuse and so that, as they say, was that.

I then looked at maybe buying a V12 Vantage or a ready tuned Vantage S but it seemed like an awful lot more money for not much more car. Perhaps I did that exercise just to make me feel less like a flag burning traitor.

But true to form I will be replacing the Aston with an even more exotic mode of vehicular transport. This time from the land of Chianti, pasta, and high fashion. And so dear reader, like me, you will have to wait on the edge of your seat until I take delivery of the thing to find out more...

So the weather is cold and salt is on the road. This means that I can’t use the Aston much. Even if I could drive it without freezing my thrup’ney’s off, I still shouldn’t. The Aston is made of aluminum and aluminum cars don’t like salt.

With that in mind I thought I would share a photo and some thoughts about my other car. My Alpina B3 biturbo.

The B3 is a problem. It’s a problem because it’s sooooo good to drive. It goes like stink, is comfortable, has a nice stereo, has a big boot, handles every bit as well (if not better)

as the Aston and it does 27.1 MPG. I get 19 MPG out of the Aston (if I’m wearing very thin socks and race booties). I don’t know what it does with the fuel but it’s certainly not being used for motion. Perhaps the extra 9 MPG is being used to make the nice noise? It’s so good in fact, that I forget to use the Aston and prefer to take the Alpina for any kind of long trip, which makes the Aston jealous.

The other problem is that it sounds a bit like a diseasle. The exhaust note is on the dull side of dull. It’s deeply forgettable.

There is one huge huge plus though and that is it’s not an M3. Newish M3’s in Essex are owned by the sort of people who I don’t want to be associated with. Older M3s are owned by yobs. The original M3s are pretty cool but now cost a fortune and are owned by very rich people who should own a 911 of the same era instead.

Oh and bye the way, the Alpina now has a name. It’s supposed to be called ‘Bagheera’ but this then became ‘Panther’ which then became ‘Panda’  - Panda has stuck.