| Author | Message | ||
| LWR (Lwr)
New member Username: Lwr Post Number: 31 Registered: 12-2001 |
I thought I'd better resurrect this thread in order to correct my previous assertion... I've seen the light... 550 brakes are at least as good as 996's! For the first time in 18 months I had to properly use my brakes in an emergency... that stopping power is definitely there. I guess my observation is that you have to stand on them very hard. | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 869 Registered: 9-2002 |
Dave, Got the email, much thanks. --Dan | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2153 Registered: 1-2002 |
Dan, I just PM'd you his email address. Name is SW. Great guy!! | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 865 Registered: 9-2002 |
Dave, Save for butchering his name, I know which car you are talking about. Actually, I wanted to touch-base with him about how he lowered it, etc., so if you have any contact info, that'd be much appreciated. It was his pictures, plus Norm's car, that finally did me in on the black/black combo. Suhweet!  --Dan | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2147 Registered: 1-2002 |
Dan, try Fikse's. V-E-R-Y nice wheels. A friend here in Austin has Fikse 19" wheels on his black 550. Looks lovely. Only slightly bling-blingy... | ||
| Dan (Bobafett)
Member Username: Bobafett Post Number: 862 Registered: 9-2002 |
Brian, I have been looking into alternative wheels a bit. HREs are nice, but a bit too flashy. I wonder if the stock 575 rims will fit, they look quite sharp. The modular wheels will, but they are quite expensive for a wheel (at least from my dealer). --Dan | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 109 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Everybody -- Thanks for the posts. I really enjoy reading about driving F-cars more than the technical or financial details of the cars. Because there really are not that many Maranellos out there, it is great to hear that my driving impressions are not too far off base. So keep it up and remember to keep the rubber side down. Dale | ||
| Grant Johnston (Grantj)
New member Username: Grantj Post Number: 1 Registered: 6-2003 |
Brian, beat me by a short 550 nose-Monteverdi it is, of course!! | ||
| Brian (Bjc138)
New member Username: Bjc138 Post Number: 5 Registered: 9-2002 |
Psk: Nice one. The car is indeed a Monteverdi, a 375 L model. It's from the Monteverdi museum in Basel, Switzerland. For the curious you can read about the marque here: http://www.movit.de/rahmen/monte.htm Dale: Unfortunately, I too am a working man. To improve my feel for the 550 I drive it to/from work for 10 months of the year! I've kept the sportsbike but it gets used less and less now that the 550 is here. For better braking, I looked into the Movit upgrade for the 550. It's supposed to be awesome but rather expensive, take a look under http://www.movit.de/htm/maranel.htm. I won't be upgrading the brakes as they are sufficient for 99% of the time. For serious track use though, I would definately do it. The main reason that I haven't upgraded is due to the fact the I have a 360 Stradale coming in spring 2004 and this will replace the 550 for track days! Has anyone looked into changing the wheels on the 550? I love the 19" 575 wheels or perhaps the Cargraphic ones. Any thoughts? | ||
| PSk (Psk)
Member Username: Psk Post Number: 618 Registered: 11-2002 |
Mystery car is not a Jensen Interceptor (father owned one for many years) or a Aston Martin DB6 or S but a Montevedi (sp?) Wayne will be able to confirm this, but I am pretty sure. Pete | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 107 Registered: 4-2003 |
Brian: You are where I want to be. I just brought the 550 and being a working man, I have to find time to drive it. Right now, I'm trying to listen to what the car is saying. And you're right, it does talk through its back tires. ps I love the color of your car, ha! And thanks for the chart. Not sure what it says, but I'll keep studying Dave: What I think that LWR and I are saying is that the Maranello could benefit from slightly larger brakes. You're right. It is a heavy beast. It just would be nice to have brakes that threaten to put you through the windshield. But I'm not complaining. Just making an observation. Namely, that you can't count on the brakes to bail you out of a heavy right foot. But I gotta say. I've been looking for this car ever since I gave up riding sport bikes. I wanted a car that acted like a motorcycle, and GREAT GAWD ALMIGHTY, I found one! Thanks | ||
| LWR (Lwr)
New member Username: Lwr Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2001 |
Interesting... I must admit the discs on my 996 seemed a lot bigger On closer examination... I think you're right about it not being DBS.. they normally had a descrete power bulge on the hood with an intake. The back end looks higher than a DBS too. Jenson is a very good guess... | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2132 Registered: 1-2002 |
LWR, the 996 & the 550 have essentially the same brakes. The reason the 996's feel & seem to work better is that it is nearly 1,000 lbs lighter than the 550! This weight makes all the difference in the world! I still think the mystery car is a Jensen. Look at the anonymous grille & round badge--neither is the sign of an Aston, IMO. | ||
| LWR (Lwr)
New member Username: Lwr Post Number: 27 Registered: 12-2001 |
Coming from a 996, I have to say I was disappointed with 550 brakes... I'm sure mine are fine, but I'd say that they're not as good as the 996. That's amplified by the fact that the car is so much quicker and on roads where I had my braking points sorted on the 996 I'd find I was much faster in the 550 and would have to brake sooner. The mysterious car appears to be an 1970's Aston Martin DBS... either a V8 or a V6... not sure, they made both. Happy to be wrong about that... LWR | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2131 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jensen Interceptor?? | ||
| Brian (Bjc138)
New member Username: Bjc138 Post Number: 4 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi Dale, Good to hear of yet another 550 living life as it should. My $0.02 is that the understeer to oversteer feeling is spot on. Nothing quite like hearing those rear tyres screetching in a turn, eh? I would go along with the others' opinions regarding the brakes. Have yours checked! I did a track day at Dijon (France) last Wednesday in 100+F heat without fade. Thats around 200 miles of Ferrari 550 being driven as designed! The only cars (in my group) that passed the 550 were a GT40 and a slick-shod Lotus Exige. The 'fast' group was single seaters only and included a Benetton and a Monteverdi Formula 1 car... boy, what a sound. Coming from the biking world, I drive the 550 as you would expect: brake hard on entry, smooth transition into the turn and ....bam.... power out! Regarding Sport Mode+ASR on/off, I tend to run the car both on and off the track in Sport mode and play a little with ASR off. When the going gets hot though I turn ASR on, especially after watching a 355 spin out in a tight 2nd gear uphill turn! The Ferrari Pilota school has this excellent diagram outlining the roles of ABS, ASR and MSR in modern Ferrari's. I've attached a scan (I hope the copyright is OK), hope it helps someone. I've also attached a picture of my 550, my friends Mitsubishi Evo VII and a mysterious 3rd car. Anyone know what it is? Enjoy your 550 and 'track it to learn it' ! Ciao, Brian p.s. A couple of video's here http://www.tiscalinet.ch/brian/550Vids/ Dijon pit lane.  ASR info.  | ||
| Ralph Koslin (Ralfabco)
Member Username: Ralfabco Post Number: 368 Registered: 3-2002 |
Well I am running around with expired Kalifornia plates in Texas. V12 4V. That does tend to keep your eyes plastered on the rear view mirror a bit much. | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 100 Registered: 4-2003 |
Okay, I remember now. You and JR had to fix a problem, and you couldn't find Papas. Small wonder that you're sensitive to being pulled by the cops. I just tell people that my 550 is an experimental camaro and is being made in Mexico, ha! | ||
| Ralph Koslin (Ralfabco)
Member Username: Ralfabco Post Number: 367 Registered: 3-2002 |
I posted before that in March 03 they wrote me up for no front plate on a 00 bone stock white Corolla. We are getting together again on 23 August 03 Beautiful car. | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 99 Registered: 4-2003 |
Yeah, I just got it in the mail from FOH. Actually, the bigger problem is no front plate. But whatca gonna do when they come for you? | ||
| Ralph Koslin (Ralfabco)
Member Username: Ralfabco Post Number: 366 Registered: 3-2002 |
Correction ~ Registration sticker. Don't bait the cops. They love to pull over beautiful cars like yours for fun. | ||
| Ralph Koslin (Ralfabco)
Member Username: Ralfabco Post Number: 365 Registered: 3-2002 |
You need a new inspection sticker !!!! | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 97 Registered: 4-2003 |
Well, I joined the run late at Richards. Don't remember a Sonic, but it musta been! | ||
| Ralph Koslin (Ralfabco)
Member Username: Ralfabco Post Number: 362 Registered: 3-2002 |
Dale was that your Silver 550 that was in the Sonic at the Houston Lambo fun run a week ago? Nice wheels !! | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 96 Registered: 4-2003 |
BTW, I hope that my comments do not imply that I approve of, uh, reckless driving on the streets. Anybody who does more than 6/10s or so on the streets is nuts. I do my fast driving on lonely back roads early in the morning. No crowds, no passengers, no distractions. Like George Thoroughgood sings, "When I drink alone, I prefer to drink by myself. I also learn a car slowly. I try a little of that, and a little of this. Sometimes, I'll mix in a little of this and that. But, you can never know the limits of a car until you get it on the track. Indeed, what I have always found to be true is that my personal limits are far lower than the limitations of any well-built car or motorcycle. Dale ps. I'll be in NO also. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2126 Registered: 1-2002 |
Dave, yes, right now we are planning to come. Still waiting for Kelly's invite to arrive, however... Glad to oblige, although I don't know that track... | ||
| Dave Goldman (Dave328)
Junior Member Username: Dave328 Post Number: 207 Registered: 11-2002 |
I gotta say it's refreshing to hear about 550 guys tracking/driving their cars like Enzo intended! Down here most of the front 12's are simply rapid transit. Dave, are you coming down to New Orleans in Oct? If so, I want to get on the list for a ride now. It would be a blast to ride in a beast like the 550 on a track by someone who can "drive" it! Dave | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 88 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Bill, Yes the Adirondacks were great! (I recently drove a 2001 C4 from the Hudson Valley to Watkins Glen through the Adirondacks to Montreal for the GP. Followed by a romp to an island that a client owns(reached by boat of course) north of Ottawa and back to New Hamphsire.) And I much appreciated your driving tips, they came in very handy. The best part was on 30 coming back from the north. No traffic, great sweepers, ah.. God's country. Also the drive through the middle was great. Oh, and I can't forget. The drive from Lake Placid to the freeway was great. The drive in from the south saw a lot of traffic and a lot of police. Hell knows no fury worst than a Porsche with a Valentine 1 following a Suburban police car using radar... But overall the drive was great. I was a little early. Peak season doesn't start until 6/21, and they really hadn't started doing a lot of road work yet. You Yankees don't know what you have. I didn't see one other sports car the whole time. Saw some bikers headed for bike week, who appeared lost. I know that you guys have lots of great driving areas, but you really should get up to the dacks if you can. (I also got Phil Hill's autograph at Walkin Glen!) Canada was another story. It is a stunningly beautiful country, but the roads are worst than Texas. One resident told me that the roads are the national "make work" project. Plus, 60 mph speed limits! Geeze Louise. I was also told that the police don't have a sense of humor... I'll post some pictures later (after I get through sorting a couple hundred digital pics). Back to the 550. Again, I'm still learning this car, but it clearly loves high-speed sweepers. Talk about a freight train! Heewackkkk! And yes, you are right. It is a heavy mother. That's why in the twisties I find myself driving it like a dirt bike. Just go ahead and square that corner and then pull the trigger. Yeehaa! Ride em Cowboy! I can't imagine racing this car. It would be just like NASCAR. Trading paint. Bump and run. This ain't no girly car. None of this tiny dancer stuff. It would have to be slam and jam time. Should someone try and pass you... blam, it's close the door time. (Now, you understand why I don't race.) Dale | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Intermediate Member Username: Whart Post Number: 1349 Registered: 12-2001 |
So, Dale: How was your trip to the Aidirondacks? Take any pics en route? On the 550 cornering question, assuming fresh rubber, a dry surface, and everything else in fettle, the biggest shortcoming of the car is not the engine, brakes or the ability to convert power to the rear tires, it is the sheer size and weight of the car; like the boxer, you have to anticipate the curve sufficiently to set the car up for it so that its at the right trajectory. Maybe i'm simply revealing my shortcomings as a driver, but on tight twisties, its alot of car to try and toss around. On bigger, open roads with sweeping curves, you can drive at nearly insane speeds with aplomb. I also found the car too floaty unless the sport switch was on, so if the suspension is not absorbing the road conditions in that mode, you must be on some pretty nasty roads, indeed. (Also, make sure your wheels are truly round; if they are flattened or bent in places, that will have a real effect on your cornering ability). | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 87 Registered: 4-2003 |
>>I do have a question. If you put on ASR, does in matter if it is in �Normal� or �Sport� mode?<< Bart, I just got this car so I don't even know how to turn the ASR one way or the other. Because Texas back roads are pretty rough, I haven't even thought about going to the sport mode yet. I just keep telling myself that, "There's laws against having too much fun. There's laws against having too much fun...." Dale | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 86 Registered: 4-2003 |
BTW, I didn't mean to imply that the brakes are fading. I'm not driving that hard, ha! What I should have said is that I learned a long time ago that you need to learn how to brake fast before you learn how to go fast. But my main thing is powering out of corners. Some like to do 0 to 60. Some like to do 180. I like coming out of a corner in control and just stomping on that loud pedal. Only problem is that the motor and the handling of the 550 are so good that I find myself going a lot faster on my favorite roads than I'm used to. 110 to 130 is a LOT faster than 80 to 100. Because I like brakes that yank your eyeballs out, I wouldn't mind if the 550 brakes were more aggressive. Maybe I need to turn the ABS off? Thoughts? Dale | ||
| Bart Duesler (The_bart)
Junior Member Username: The_bart Post Number: 165 Registered: 1-2003 |
I have a 550 and love reading posts such as this one. Until I purchased this toy, I never drove a real car. At my age I probably drive 75% of your speed. I do have a question. If you put on ASR, does in matter if it is in �Normal� or �Sport� mode? | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 85 Registered: 4-2003 |
Thanks for the brake tips Dave. I would have emailed you privately, but I'm actually trying to get some threads going about driving F-cars instead of... how much are they worth, F1 v stick, how crazy ebay is... whether this thingamabob is better than that whatchamacallit.., etc. etc. etc. <grin>. What I'm finding is that the Maranello handles much like a motorcycle, but better... It responds well if you scrub off speed by heavy braking, picking a line, pitching in, and then powering out of the turn. I'm staying in 4th except for very tight, i.e., 30 mph, turns. I might get more pop off the corner if I downshifted; but for now, my plate is full, thank you very much. But unlike a motorcycle or a 911, late braking in a turn is no big deal. This car is very predictable. Granted, I'm only going maybe 6/10th, and I have new P-Zeros. So maybe the car gets squirrely when you get closer to the edge. But I'm too old to drive that fast on the street. BTW, apparently pics are mandatory with posts. So attached are mine from this morning. And yes, in the thingabob department, I just had a new speed lingerie put on (well, almost all it, couldn't figure out how to make the hood piece work) and it works great. Madonna would be proud.    | ||
| Ali Haas (Aehaas)
New member Username: Aehaas Post Number: 41 Registered: 5-2003 |
Dale, I agree with Dave for keeping the traction control on. That engine has more power than the tires can handle. Once you practice in a safe environment for a good while then you can turn it off. Like Dave, I leave the ASR off all the time. DOT 4 Plus has replaced DOT 4 as the factory brake fluid of choice. The major difference is the higher temperature tolerance. If those brakes are fading, there has got to be something wrong. aehaas | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Intermediate Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2111 Registered: 1-2002 |
Dale, thanks for your post! First of all, if the roads are very bumpy, make sure you are not using the suspension's Sport setting. On very bumpy curves, it make sthe car feel a bit darty. Second, your observation of understeer turning to power oversteer is spot-on. The car is designed for this--to keep novices out of trouble but also to reward skilled drivers. The 550 has stupendous brakes. They are more than a match for all that motor!! You might want to check your pads, fluid, etc. My car stops like a mofo time & time again. If you have a spongy pedal or low levels of brake response, I would try to figure out why. You are smart leaving the ASR on for now, until you get more experience with the car. My $0.02 of advice: until you get some track time, leave it on. When you get it on track, you can experiment a bit with how it feels (after you acclimate to the track!) on & off. I run with it off 100% of the time on track (except in heavy rain) and on 100% of th etime on the street. Agree with you regarding lane discipline. Smart. This will make your turn-in & track-out of corners a lot more awkward, which makes you feel like the car is not smooth. Nothing could be further from the truth. The 550 has a 50-50 balance, and is very smooth when driven well. Just don't forget: it weighs 4,000 lbs with you & fuel on board. That is a VERY heavy car to throw around tight corners. You REALLY have to scrub off speed before the twisties in this car, especially if they are bumpy, and you are exercising lane discipline. Hence, the need to make sure your brakes are in great shape. I currently use Castrol SRF brake fluid after I partially boiled my OEM-spec fluid on track at the event at TWS where we met. This stuff won't suffer the same fate, and makes the pedal feel great. WAY overkill for the street (all you need for the street, even in summer, is fresh fluid every couple of months), and WAY overpriced, but it is what I apparently need on track when I get on the brakes coming into the turn 1/2 complex at TWS at 150 MPH!! I am with you 100% on the heat. I will likely not track the 550 again until fall... Dale, I think you have my email address. Feel free to contact me directly. If you don't, PM me here, & I wil respond. Best, Dave | ||
| Dale W Spradling (Drtax)
Junior Member Username: Drtax Post Number: 82 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Dave, Just got back from a 150 mile run on secret back roads north of Houston because I'm still figuring out how to drive my Maranello. Because you have lot mo' experience than me, I was wondering if I can get some driving tips from you. When running smoothly, this thing is like a train. It starts out with mild understeer gradually changing to mild oversteer depending on how you use the load pedal. When I pick up the pace, things get a bit more choppy (of course, I'm also driving on crappy back roads) and tight corners become a matter of point and shoot. That is, brake hard... slam around the apex... and gun it. Also it appears that the 550 has a better motor than brakes. Of course, lack of brake response may have something to do with the old speedo creeping up to, well, up there... Two last points -- (1) I haven't turned off the traction control yet. I assume that doing so will change things quite a bit. (2) Out of respect for sport bikes, I maintain lane control. It's tempting to dive for the apex, but hitting a rice rocket or a duck would really mess up my paint job, ha! I know that I need to get to a track to really figure this beast out, but man it is hot out there. So until this fall, I'm sticking with my dawn runs through the back woods. Thanks in advance, Dale. |