Hey George - actually I didn't remove the existing paint. Mine was actually very good but stained. So I just cleaned / degreased and removed a few small spots of loose paint before painting. For your other quest - cam gears rusted due to winter condensation. I started to remove with scotchbrite...but it was so thin I figured it would come right off with a few revs of the belt. The gear teeth are basically polished from the belt, I didn't want to roughen them with the scotch brite pad. Tensioner bearings - Hill Engineering for sure Belts - tightened by marking the previous belt locations and then by feel.
Exhaust fully installed...Fabspeed headers (ceramic coated), cat delete OEM bypass pipe with ceramic coating, Tubi catback polished and coated, all new stainless bolts, new donut gaskets, etc. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
DDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your killing me---WHERE DO I GET MINE DONE???????????????????????????????? Then again---Might not be able to see much of it with a GruppeM CF intake...
Also---I am guessing that is the Fabspeed secondary cat delete pipe??? Not saying nothing bad, but keep an eye on it!! You can PM me for details if you'd like...
WWWWOOOOOWWWW!!!!! That is freaking awesome!!! OK, spill, how much and where from? I assume they covered your factory heat shield with carbon fibre? That really is killer looking! I love your car!!
Nope, that's a JS secondary cat delete pipe In other words it was a DIY - I cut off the stock heat shields, cut the cat section open with a die grinder (on the bottom), tore out the cats, then welded the windows shut with a new section of stainless steel...then sent it out for ceramic coating. This way I'm 100% sure it will fit because it's stock! JDM - Yes, I had a local specialist apply the carbon over the stock heat shield. Cost was about $400 US...if you guys are interested I can ask if he wants to do some more. Mine took over a month due to the longer cure times with the high humidity and a few iterations of polishing. Diablo - you got it, that's the question now. No chance it will melt or bubble, the only question is if it will yellow over time. Temp isn't that hot, I measured about 150F on the top of the heat shield after a good heat soak in the summer.
The OEM lug bolts were rusty...since I'm looking to eventually add spacers and get Hill Engineering bolts I didn't want to invest much in new OEM's. What do you think of black? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's a pic of the heat shield installed... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here she is, oh so close to being finished, complete with Labrador guarding the driveway Image Unavailable, Please Login
This pic is what it's all about...true Tifosi (yes I know that's plural, go with it) wrenching in the garage well into the am. Seriously, this experience was just as enjoyable as driving it! Image Unavailable, Please Login
That is cool, Jay! I'd love to do that, but I can only take about 3-4hrs in my 95-100 degF garage this time of year. No worries though.. it's back down to 89-90 in the morning.
When it came down to the last details, I hit a road block that really needed a lift - coolant leak over the gas tank and electrical gremlin. I knew when I had met my match, so I turned to Jim McGee at Pocono Sportscar, who had been a HUGE help all along in this project. This was a very good move, he did in hours what would have taken me several weeks...and fall isn't far away. Here's a few pics of my 355 in good company next to an F40 getting ready for the recent Lime Rock track day. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206004 Quick off topic on that track day...WOW! how about 2 F40's, 2 Enzo's, and a McLaren F1? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo finally...the 355 is running again! Picked her up today from Pocono Sportscar, drove it home 140 miles!!! (It would've been a crime to have it shipped home, Enzo himself would've slapped me). Say what you want about the F1, but it's a BLAST to drive! Exhaust note was perfect with the Fabspeed headers and gutted 2nd cats (and Tubi) - I can't wait to get some hyperflow cats on when these need replacing (OEM replaced once already under warranty). Here's the requisite celebration, been saving this bottle for a long time - Ferrari-Carano 2004 Cabernet from Alexander Valley, Fantastico! Image Unavailable, Please Login
