| Author | Message | ||
| Luigi Gatti (Luigi)
New member Username: Luigi Post Number: 29 Registered: 10-2001 |
Thanks for the info Ernesto! Please, do keep us posted... | ||
| Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator Username: Rob328gts Post Number: 1209 Registered: 12-2000 |
My experience with exhaust upgrades is, well, I spent I nice amount of money and it looks better and sounds better and... well, I think it's a little faster too. After thinking about it a minute. | ||
| Stephen Patterson (Srpatterson)
Junior Member Username: Srpatterson Post Number: 64 Registered: 11-2001 |
Thanks for the input guys. I'll let you know how the search goes... Steve | ||
| Ernesto Sgroi (T88power)
Junior Member Username: T88power Post Number: 249 Registered: 2-2001 |
Luigi, I have driven my de-catted and "Tubied" 360 for about 500 miles already. As I said before, the car is VERY VERY loud now. No so much at idle, but once you get moving you can definitely hear it coming. At full throttle approaching redline, it is simply race-car like. A shriek very similar to an F1 car. The sound is addictive, but maybe a bit much. Definitely not for a daily driver, in my oppinion. But I like it though. This is how a Ferrari should sound. Maybe I'll re-install the cats later on, but for now I am enjoying it! By the way, I did a litte spin with no exhaust (just the headers), and it was eerie just how much it sounded like an F1 car. Regarding performance, I have not had a chance to really try it out. By the seat of my pants it does feel faster, especially at the top end of the RPM range, but nothing in hard numbers yet. I'll keep you posted, either a dyno run or a race against a car I have raced before to compare. Ernesto | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 141 Registered: 12-2001 |
Horeseless Carriage: @1600 ea.way, ny to la. I'm sure it can be gotten cheaper, but HC (aka Headless Horseman) is pretty good; i've used them a number of times. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
New member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 43 Registered: 1-2002 |
What did it cost to ship the car, if you don't mind me asking? | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 140 Registered: 12-2001 |
Dave: i too, did the PCH in my Maranello a couple of years ago. I had the car shipped to LA, and when i finished business there, me and an old friend (who had recently gone thru a life tragedy) bolted up to big sur, got two "cabins" at the Post Ranch Inn (highly recommended for those of you who don't flinch at expensive, but worthwhile, accomodations), and spend 3 days driving back and forth between Carmel and Moro (sp?) Bay on the PCH. It was late november,early december, very little traffic of any sort, and a splendid way to excercise the car. The cost of shipping was no bargain but there is something to be said for having your own car in such a great place, rather than a rental or loaner. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
New member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 40 Registered: 1-2002 |
Please allow me to amplify my brief comment last night. The 550 is a beautifully-made car. It is large, but definitely shrinks around you when in mothion. Its handling is much more predictable than the mid engine cars, although the 360 is much more predictable than the 355, etc. The 550 is very heavy, which you only notice coming into a turn very fast (such as on the track). However, the brakes are the best I have ever used. I also prefer it with the stock exhaust. The Tubi's are too droning at idle and low speeds, IMHO. I have never heard the Koenigs, however. My wife & I drove from Texas to California & went up the coast last September (lucky for us, as we were in San Diego on Sept. 11). Routinely did 165-170 MPH across the desert--smooth, quiet, great A/C, great stereo, hunkers down at speed, and delivered 16 MPG over 3,800 miles at an average speed of 86 MPH. And, it was unbelieveable on Pacific Coast Highway north of Hearst Castlt up to Carmel. Plus, it had plenty of luggage space for 2 people for 2 weeks. | ||
| Ben Lobenstein 90 TR (Benjet)
Member Username: Benjet Post Number: 511 Registered: 1-2001 |
Stephen - Some time ago at the local delaer I managed to take a few pics of a 550 Barchetta with it's top up (kinda like catching someone with their pants down!), altho I failed to get a shot from the rear, it will give you an idea of what it looks like with the top up. The pics are on this site in an archive: http://server.ferrarichat.com/~ferrari/ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/18/1874.html?1010894781 Enjoy -Ben | ||
| Luigi Gatti (Luigi)
New member Username: Luigi Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2001 |
Ernesto, have you been able to drive your 360 de-catted for a while? Can you give some sound and performance impressions, I'm very interested! TIA | ||
| Ernesto Sgroi (T88power)
Junior Member Username: T88power Post Number: 248 Registered: 2-2001 |
I agree with the exhaust, Manu... Ferrari are MUCH too quiet now days! Not like they used to be... A tubi or similar should be the first upgrade to any new ferraris... If a red 550 barchetta is not a cop magnet already, then something is wrong with the police in you area... :-) Ernesto | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 139 Registered: 12-2001 |
Stephen: there are several good reasons why you will not see the top on most barchettas. It is not so easy to install(the dealers were supplied with a cd-rom showing a guy in a white lab coat, with matching gloves, erecting the top in 24 easy steps:-i'd rather make pasta by hand). Once installed, the top is beyond ugly; it looks like it got cut-off in midstream, and abruptly ends just behind the roll bars. Manu: i respectfully disagree on the use of an aftermarket exhaust.Unless you like sounding like a harley at idle, there is really no need for it, it is in my experience a cop magnet, and if you get the revs up, you really don't need it:- i prefer the sound going from a low rumble to a shriek without the added sound effects. Frederick: nope, mine was (yawn), red/tan. Miller should be able to give you the complete history on any of their cars, particularly if they sold the car originally. | ||
| Frederick Klorczyk (Fjk)
New member Username: Fjk Post Number: 24 Registered: 12-2001 |
wmhart, is the LeMans Blue with bordeaux 550 at Miller your old car? If so, any issues? Thx. | ||
| Manu Sachdeva (Manu)
Junior Member Username: Manu Post Number: 54 Registered: 2-2002 |
The 550 is a fluid, beautiful drive down twisty roads and can also double as a hyper-fast, comfortable continent crusher when you need to go from coast to coast.... BUY ONE! My only piece of advice is that you MUST fit a proper exhaust to liberate the magnificent engine note. From my experience Koenig-Specials are the people to go to for that. | ||
| Stephen Patterson (Srpatterson)
Junior Member Username: Srpatterson Post Number: 57 Registered: 11-2001 |
Thanks Wm. I was concerned about a 550 being more sedan than sports car. I also appreciate your comments about the 550 being a substantial piece of hardware. I have to ask about the emergency top on the barchetta. Is it really as horrible as I've been lead to believe? I saw several barchettas at Cavallino, but have yet to see one with the emergency top up. | ||
| wm hart (Whart)
Junior Member Username: Whart Post Number: 138 Registered: 12-2001 |
I've had two(so far): a 97 and a barchetta. Compared to a 355 (which i also had--in the form of an f1 gts), the 550 has real, muscle car torque, which is quite an experience if you have not driven any of the 12s and is still impressive, even if you have. It is not as small, low to the ground, and tossable as a 3 series ferrari; you sit up higher, the console intrudes more, and a slight pressure on the throttle causes the car to launch, without alot of wind-up. It is also built to a different standard; it is a more substantial piece of hardware, and feels less like a toy, and more like, well, a good old fashioned, big car, with a shitload of power, but extremely good balance, and all the "mod cons" as the Brits say. Between a 550 and a 355, its a no brainer, though i sometimes miss the smaller size of the 8 cylinder cars, on extremely narrow, twisty back roads. On higher speed roads, there is no contest in performance, and there is something to be said for having the more "mature" car, rather than the boy racer, although it may not affect your driving habits in quite that way. Nuff Said? | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
New member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 38 Registered: 1-2002 |
Worth the price...and truly a delightful drive. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
Intermediate Member Username: Countachxx Post Number: 1117 Registered: 2-2001 |
put it this way, in a straight line the 550 will leave the 355 like it was a Yugo  | ||
| Stephen Patterson (Srpatterson)
Junior Member Username: Srpatterson Post Number: 56 Registered: 11-2001 |
As Ferrari prices have been coming down lately, I have considered trading my F355 in on a Maranello. Does anyone have any experience with the 550? Will I be disappointed 6 months from now, after the thrill of my mid-engined F355B? |