Picked up my new 430F1 yesterday, but drive home was wet.. so just stuck it in the garage. This morning was nice and dry, so decided to have a litlle blast. Got the 1st 100 miles on the clock (keeping it under 6k revs), then after that stuck it in race mode and let it rip to redline. These engines have been bench run-in, so was only going to play safe for a while. Also wanted to get a good piston ring seal. Sound is pretty much perfect, where it is not too noisy in traffic.. but once you hit the gas, the valves open and it sounds like a race car. Anyway decided to try it with the vacuum pipes off, so pulled them and plugged them with a couple of golf tees.. then headed off again. Was not too impressed!! Although you get the loudness all the time, at low revs the engine does not sound that good. It sounds a bit like a tractor (imo). It is only above 3k revs that the engine note becomes melody. So went back home and re-connected the pipes. Anybody else have a similar opinion?? Cheers Rob
This is all you can get, and you have learned it fast by reconnecting the vacuum hoses back right away. No free lunch, only the after market Exhaust will make a difference and that would be a very complicated story. Good luck!
I have always left mine connected as i like how the exhaust changes notes an tones often. Glad to hear it is not special to leave em open though cos I have thought about it.
ithought it would have sounded better also, have the remote control so can turn it on if i'm in the mood!!
Do yourself a favor....exhaust sound is very subjective, listen to several in person before clicking "add to car" And remember...there's what it sounds like inside the car AND outside the car, and if you have a spider...top up vs. top down. It's a simple decision, but one you shouldn't rush into. It's fun but also frustrating. Good luck! FWIW, the nicest sounding 430 I've (thus far) heard was a Capristo with HyperFlow's.....WOW!!!
Found this.. "The F430 is powered by a new 90 degree V8 featuring Ferrari's traditionally uncompromising design approach with a flat-plane crank (180 degrees between throws)." Explains a lot! V8s with flat plane cranks, effective fire 2 cylinders at once.. and sound like a 4 cylinder engine. As opposed to a cross plane cranked "Hemi".. which gives you the classic V8 sound. Benefits of flat plane cranked engines are, less inertia on the crankshaft.. so engine revs a lot quicker. Also exhaust design does not need to look like a barrel of snakes, which provides compact design in a race car.
More like two 4-cylinders engines running at the same time. I'm told you can remove all the spark plugs off one entire bank and the engine will keep running! Ferrrar's have a distinctive sound to them. Ain't nothing like a 355 all wound-out!
I did the golf-tee work-around too... for 1 hour. As was said, the low RPM sound was horrible. Sounded like an old beater car with a hole in its muffler. Not the sound I wanted to come out of my brand-new 430. Also, everyone who simply bolts a Tubi or Capristo onto a 430 reports that the sound is not changed much... at all and that only with Hyperflow Cats do you get a marked improvement in exhaust sound. The only reason I'm not rushing out to hyperflow/capristo enhance my exhaust is the uncertain effect on my car's engine warranty. I've forecasted the install for my hyperflow/capristo combo... delivery date + 3 years and one day. Frank
Frank, When you're back in town, let's get together and I'll show you my Capristo Racing + Hyper-flow cats just installed. I love the sound. It is a little louder than stock but the sound is different. So far, NO CEL on. I have also lowered the car by 13 turns all around. I am in EU next week myself and will be back on Sat the 26th.
Is the lower ride height adjustment fairly easy to obtain.? Will be having my tuner look at the car soon, want to get a good track setup! Cheers Rob
That is interesting to know that Ferrari uses a flat-plane crank. Before today I though that all v8 cranks were of the cross plane design. Also interesting that two cylinders fire at the same time, which in fact would make a different sound.
Have been out playing most of today.. can't stay out of the thing. Also have done nearly a tank of Shell's finest (100 octane Vpower).. at a cost of 90 quid!! (180USD) One of the greatest things about the car is the F1 downshift in Race mode, but you do not get the full sound effect with the standard exhaust setup.. So decided to try the exhaust valve mod again, car now has 500 miles (since Tues ), so think it is prob loosened up a bit. Have to say, after my initial dislike, am now a convert! It does still sound a bit rough at idle.. but once you wind it up, it just howls. Also every Race mode downshift makes you feel like Schumie, with lots of burbling on the overun. The mod is so easy to do, will prob just change it as and when.. depending on the type of driving I'm doing. This car is fecking awesome! Rob
Rob , I knew you would convert. The mod that I did on my 430 allowed me to control the valves from the cabin by remote control and gives the best of both worlds.
Common with the 308 series, one bank gives out (for various reasons including spark or fuel) and the engine actually idles fine, rough but doable, but will have very low power on take off. Also very dangerous on the 308s because its dumping fuel into the exhaust where it can combust in the cats and create one of the "infamous" 308 fires. Just an FYI from the 308/328 section James
