F355C Challenge Parts Wanted

If you're interested in using the original OMP fire bottle, their US dealer still has them- just bought one a couple of months ago for my 348 Challenge car (same bottle in both 348C & 355C). It's far from state of the art fire protection, but if you care about authenticity . . .

 

What is the purpose of your car? Ther reason I ask is the OEM Challenge kit has problems due to the age.

1) the omp firebottle uses older tech AFFF foam and the hot ticket now is Fireaid 2000. Also OMP has this big lawsuit (rumor has it) due to a problem with the flop tubes not working so the firebottle did not work when the car is upside down. For a while OMPUSA websites took the firesystems off the market. I do not know if they are back on. Also, OMP is a pita to deal with when you need to recertify your system.

2) The carbon kevlar challenge seat has a Lifespan. Due to this some sanctioning bodies require back braces because carbon seats break with age. They are the best when new and offer the lowest weight and safety when new. 0.125 aluminium does not need a brace and lasts almost forever, check your sanctioning bodies.

3) the Challenge rollcage was bolted together and not SCCA legal as the rules changed to allow weld in only. I'm 90% sure on this. Check your sanctioning body.

4) springs Rob S has a non-Ferrari source for this. roll bars can be made they are low tech you just need the diameter.

5) I bought the last set of Challenge 355 wheels from SL competition the speedline guys in the USA. I do not know if they are making anymore. If you just want race wheels BBS could be the ticket. They are perhaps lighter and 3 piece so yu can construct the offset and width you want. The 355 challenge wheels are limited to about 245 in the front and 265-303 rear. You get what you want with the BBS. I have yet to try my new speedlines I'll report to the FC how they are with Pirrelli slicks.

6) Be careful with the Brembo 355C brakes. There are so far 3 kinds of 348-355C brembo brakes. I am not sure what the 355 runs stock but the 348 ran ATE or Brembo in the same size as the Ate on 12" rotors. There are 3 aftermarket brembo kits. a) gran turismo a supercharged street kit. Everyone sells this for about $7K front and rear. It is easy to get with one phone call, b) F40 just a specific caliper/rotor that was sized for the F40 that some claim fit the 355, c) 355C kit which has an unknown Brembo Caliper number and unkown 13" rotor. You want the 355C brakes and neither of the others. Right now I have a guy doing research on whether he can get Brembo to piece together 355C kits. Brembo no longer stocks these kits. The 355C kit will only fit with the speedline challenge wheel or greater clearance. If you want a 355C kit let me know and I'll tell my guy you are interested and maybe he will try harder to piece together a couple of kits. If anyone has the 355C kit on their car I would love to know what Brembo rotor number you are using and what caliper number you have. The caliper is very important you can actually make the Aluminium hats. But not the caliper. Some calipers flex more or less than others or have more or less piston area etc... The 355C kit is proven in racing so that would be the hot ticket.

 

Sounds like it'd be easier to buy one instead of changing the spec. Couple for sale on here :

http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/sales/sales.asp

There are more in the magazine if you're interested - let me know.

Willing to help with the UK side of the buying if you want.

Rick

 

On this subject...I have a friend in Japan who is looking for a steering wheel boss so he can install an aftermarket Momo steering wheel on his F355 Berlinetta (car does not have an airbag). Would anyone know where I can get one of these?

 

Carguy,

It is really easy to make one of these from a metal of your choice like aluminium in about 15 minutes on a lathe. If fact if you custom turned one it may be cheaper than trying to find one and you can make it any thickness since the column is not adjustable.

 

Charles,

For all the major parts, (ie... wing, roll cage, etc..) Ypu should start by checking with the major players in the challenge series. I`m sure they have spares that they wish to part with:

Classic Coach - Did the most Challenge car repairs and have a very good inventory of parts. - 908-352-3939 - ask for jim

Ferrari of Washington - 703-478-3606
Shelton Ferrari - 954-493-5211 - ask for joe
Ferrari Of Houston - 713-772-3868 - ask for Sid
Ferrari of Long Island - 516-671-7575

Check with their respective parts departments and I`m sure that they can help with what you cannot find.

And as others have said, springs, brake componets, suspension can all be found through brembo, Eibach, true choice(kinda expensive) and others.

Good luck and best regards, Jim

 

From this thread under Philippe's post:

Even though they're on a 348, this is a photo of the 355 Challenge set-up complete with screw-in lug studs and aluminum nuts to replace the lug bolts.

Anyone with a real Challenge can get the rotor's part number off the outer diameter of the rotor (may have to remove slight corrosion first). I don't have this number in my notes, it's a very common size, Nascar and other GT race cars use it. Don't get drilled, only slotted rotors.

(Don't know if the photo's gonna post...hmmm)

Also, all F355 Challenge have reinforced front suspension spring upper mounts. Conversion kits came with a new mount, the old cut off and new welded in. Factory cars had the update installed at original build. Very important. Front Challenge spring rates are huge.

I can modify the road car dampers and springs to Challenge specification. If you desire authenticity, I can modify the damper only, and look for Ferrari Challenge springs and hardware, as Ferrari designed specific Challenge-only spring components which differ from other suppliers.

{edit}Good, the photo's there. Note the screw-in lug stud conversion and aluminum wheel nuts. This is the real deal. Proper caliper too.

Best regards,

Rob Schermerhorn

 

A couple of other items:

The A/C is generally removed and another oil radiator is installed where the A/C radiator used to be. This doubles the oil cooling capability.

The Transmission cooler is removed from the heat load in the water cooling system and plumbed to a radiator in the nose of the car (where the fog lights have been removed.)

The thermostat is replaced with a plug. This makes the engine very cold blooded.

All the emissions controls other than the cats are removed, as is the 3-way exhaust diverter valve.

The diffusers on a challenge car have 2 NACA ducts to divert air to the rear brakes

And only Berlinettas were converted to challenge specs.

 

Carguy, we discussed this previously (at http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1169&highlight=steering+wheel+boss for everyone else). Sorry, I didn't see your last post there, otherwise I would have responded directly to you.

See also: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=707&highlight=steering Read through it, and you'll understand what we're talking about.

Bottom line, if what your friend needs is the adapter that screws onto the FOUR bolt steering column then allows a SIX BOLT (momo pattern) wheel to be screwed onto it, then I can get you one. This is the same one that I use on my 355. Not cheap, though - $400 plus shipping. As fatbillybob said, it is probably cheaper to get it made yourself. The shop that made the one that I use probably went over the top - it's an object of aluminum billet beauty.

Here's is a photo album from when I installed it onto my 355 (note: I also installed a quick-removal adapter, to allow me to pop the steering wheel off, for safety and for anti-theft).
http://www.photoaccess.com/share/guest.jsp?ID=ACB9F832226&cb=PA

vty,

--Dennis

 

Thank You Bighead...I'll pass that price onto my friend. I did tell him it would be easier to have someone make it rather than buy it. I also heard from Momo in Canada and they said an adaptor is about $90 but won't be available for about 2 months. I don't know any specifics about thier adaptor.

The pic sure looks nice!

 

Were there optiona spring rates offered or available to run on the 355 for the series, orwas it the same for everyone for everytrack?

If they were one rate, what was it? I thought I remember someone saying they were around 2000, but I am not sure.

Thanks

 

Approx 2200 front/900 rear or
1800 front/700 rear.

 

Will stock f355 wheels fit on my 97 challenge car? It is a factory car that has been raced a great deal, and at this point finds it rare to leave the garage... though living in the middle of the farm country here, I think I would have little resistance by local law enforcement driving the car into town here and there, though reall ought to have treaded tires...

Thoughts?