F40 LM Restoration | Page 9 | FerrariChat

F40 LM Restoration

Discussion in '288GTO/F40/F50/Enzo/LaFerrari/F80' started by Traveller, Jan 29, 2013.

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  1. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

    Nov 7, 2011
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    Should be effective without adding a lot of weight. Will want to make sure that the epoxy is not metallized as some are dosed with metal for use in integrated circuits. Should be plain old epoxy.
     
  2. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    Tim
    Actually we might even be lighter as we can dispense with the trays the cells used to sit in.
     
  3. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    OK, I accept that with the launch of the hideously named La Ferrari, I will be lucky if this post even gets read for a week or two.

    Just visited the shop to see progress and the Tanks are a work or art.

    More depressingly, we have found some mechanical issues and amongst them, we need a new reverse gear as someone has managed to badly crack it. You have to wonder how. I have posted in the parts section but if anyone knows of someone breaking a gearbox, please let me know or where I might source such a part as Ferrari have since changed the part and I need one of the originals.
     
  4. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    I can't help you on the gearbox. Good luck on that. One wonders how you can crack a reverse gear.

    The La Ferrari name smacks of top down corporateness. Too bad since it is otherwise a marvel.
     
  5. sherpa23

    sherpa23 F1 World Champ
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    Typically wet lay up epoxy that we use is not metallicized these days as the chemical makeup for the cure rate has to be as pure and linear as possible. There are specific heating and cooling progressions that make all the difference in the world as far for the final strength characteristics and void rates.

    Could not agree more. It's like they finally jumped the shark with the names.

    "What do we call it?"
    "Who cares? What are we calling it?"
    "Well, we just call it LaFerrari."
    "Okay, then it's going to be LaFerrari. It will be a great car, so no need to overthink it."

    Seriously, they totally blew it on the name. If I had one, I would say I had the LF, F150 Project, or the Enzo Replacement. I don't know if I could say I had LaFerrari. Maybe in time...
     
  6. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    We don't need another thread on LaF but I also wish it had been a more traditional name. "Italia" was brilliant because it evoked the art and technology capability of the Italian people. But if this is supposed to evoke the ultimate of Ferrari (THE Ferrari), that is silly because there will be more progress in the future and therefore yet more "ultimate" Ferraris.
     
  7. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
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    Thats being indescribably kind.
     
  8. FarmerDave

    FarmerDave F1 World Champ
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    Thank you for offering some content aside from the new hypercar :D
     
  9. patata

    patata Karting

    Mar 29, 2007
    53
    Hi Traveller, could you make the images that i ask by MP?

    Regards
     
  10. SimonSays

    SimonSays Karting

    Sep 14, 2005
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    Brilliant thread, great read...
    Good to see such a thorough approach to restoring the car to its appropriate glory.

    Can I ask, was the car in such a bad shape it couldn't go on for a while? Perhaps drive it for the season, then have the shop undertake the work when temperatures drop in October 2013 or so?
     
  11. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    Thanks, appreciated. At first sight that was my plan but it soon became clear that it was simply too dangerous to drive hard and with what we have since discovered on strip down, would probably have killed me on the track. Seriously. And failing that it would almost certainly have caught fire.
     
  12. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    I would be happy to help when I have the time on my next visit and also when I totally understand which area you need an image of, probably best demonstrated by a sketch as it was difficult to understand.
     
  13. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #213 Traveller, Mar 7, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Well, with all the excitement over La Ferrari loading most threads, a small update for anyone who wants a change.

    Shell now all masked up and ready to have the chassis back to bare metal so should be the last time I see that in black. Meanwhile gearbox tear down has revealed that reverse gear is now useless and that has created a whole bunch of issues as Ferrari want to sell you reverse, Ist and the main shaft for $15K, so we have to find our way round that which may mean getting the part made up. More on this to follow.
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  14. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    $15K for the shaft and two gears? Ferrari does not seem to want to support restoration of its classics. I assume you have no uptake on your search for an old F40 gearbox. Remanufacture may be the way to go; hopefully there is info on the alloy used in the gear set.

    Or I wonder if you could get away with a gear from a contemporary car such as a TR or even a 328? Odds are the ratio would be off but it would not have to take full torque, being reverse. (Did Ferrari design a completely different box for the F40?)

    PS what you show in the photos looks pretty good.
     
  15. SimonSays

    SimonSays Karting

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    With the quite mature market of tuning, mostly for Japanese cars (GT-R and such), surely some of those suppliers might have contacts on where to have such parts built to order?

    Just a thought, might be interesting route to look into...

    I had the shocks on my Diablo rebuilt by hand, as the only option to get them fixed was to buy a new set from the factory at outrageous cost...
     
  16. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    ;)

    IE don't let Ferrari rape you!

    A single gear can be out sourced and built with a higher quality material and more precision and can be very cost effective aswell as less time consuming.
     
  17. jcosta79

    jcosta79 Formula 3

    Nov 15, 2011
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    +1

    This isn't a Pebble Beach car. I am sure you can get the gears you need somewhere else. Heck, you can probably rebuild the whole thing with stronger gears for 1/3 of the price they are charging you.

    Just order the parts by dimension. Don't tell them what car they are going into. :D
     
  18. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #218 Traveller, Mar 11, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    We have now just about finished the front structure save for the locking pins etc and to remind you here is a photo of what went before. The weight saving is dramatic, the new unit being mere ounces.

    Interesting to note the modified central battery position and twin jacking points of the original. We are maintaining the battery position and replacing the jacks with Krontec units as used in F1 and most top end GT cars.
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  19. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Afternoon Wood!!
     
  20. cridom60

    cridom60 Formula Junior

    Feb 2, 2007
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    Have a look on this web site: NOEL RACING - Préparation Ferrari Compétition, so Jean Christophe Noël is specialised in F40 preparation, including redoing gearbox, so he can even redo some parts if necessary as he was good enough to recreate such gear box with short gears, you can call him also if you need to get some engine parts or adaptation! good luck
     
  21. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

    Nov 7, 2011
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    Nice looking unit. Is the weight saving coming from smaller diameter tubes (hard to tell in the photo)?

    BTW appropos of the earlier discussion re turbos and wastegate choices http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/288gto-f40-f50-enzo-laferrari/401409-friend-blows-up-f40-track.html
     
  22. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    #222 Traveller, Mar 11, 2013
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2013
    The weight saving comes from the totally different design and construction in alloy rather than either the standard cars mild steel and more massive design or the odd hybrid I inherited as shown in the photo.

    I saw that thread! That is why you have to modify with care and I can assure you I have this in mind! You cannot just turn up the boost and expect more power with no downsides. We will be doing a totally comprehensive job, more to follow.
     
  23. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    You mean the original was not done in Al alloy (am still learning about this car)?

    The "hybrid" does look much beefier, which raises the question of how do you know that the new structure will support the needed weight without undue flexing/twisting. Any computer modeling (e.g., finite element) or just rules of thumb?
     
  24. Traveller

    Traveller F1 Veteran

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    The hybrid was a combination of alloy and steel. The new is simply a direct copy of an LM assembly and uses the radiator as part of the integral structure acting as a cross member, but this and various brackets are yet to be added. We have relied on Michelotto getting his sums right but as this is a direct copy, it clearly works, and we do not hopefully need to bother ourselves with confirming the calcs.
     
  25. Noblesse Oblige

    Noblesse Oblige F1 Veteran

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    Thanks .. that explains everything (except why the hybrid departed from original).
     

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