Mondial daily use upgrades

If anyone is contemplating doing anything to their Mondial, here is a list of subtle things that make it much friendlier and reliable. They do not substansially alter the appearance, and I would recommend especially the top few to any Mondial owner from someone who has had one for 12 years.

1. Upgraded fusebox. If you have an original fusebox with an original circuit card, it will fail or is currently failing. A newer technology circuitboard is available from GT Autoparts in Arizona for ~$750 exchange. This is the single best thing you can do for your car, and I should know.

2. Newer technology tires. Both the original metric Michelin TRX and 16" Goodyear Gatorback are total crap and in the case of the TRX, very expensive. These tires were chosen by the factory not because they were the best suited, but because of politics. Althogh there are metric Avons available, usually folks go to a 16" or 17" wheel to replace the 390mm rim. There are three popular "conventional wisdom" choices: The 16" original style wheel available fairly inexpensively from Superformance.co.uk or Trutlands, the 16" Mondial 3.2 or t wheel, or the 17" 348 wheel with appropriate fitting bolts from Hill engineering. There are aftermarket wheels available. The best are made by the original equipment supplier Speedline who had access to the original engineering data, who with this factory data recommended 17 x 7.5, 17 x 8.5; note not very different from the original factory widths. Speedline also had these wheels sold through the European Ferrari dealers (where I first saw mine). They are the most proper and period correct aftermarket wheel.
The most common error I feel with Mondial tires is the temptation of too much tire. With modern technology, the improvement with the stock or near stock sizes is huge.While everyone should tailor their tires to their driving, my recommendation is for Pilot PS2 in a stagger of 205 or 215 section front and a MAXIMUM of 245 section rear. If you have an M8 or QV using the same size Superformance at all 4 corners I would say a 225 section will match your power and weight well.

3. Air Conditioning. The Mondial actually has a decent air conditioner and great defroster, but is often let down by leaky or non-helpful vent design. What many Mondial owners learn late is that there are actually manually controlled (!) footwell vents. If you want a/c, be sure these are closed. The secret is to get as much cold air out of the useful vents (center and sides), by repairing aging and deteriorating foam connections and plugging off useless venting that act as sinks. The foam between the the plenum and the center vent deteriorates rapidly, but is easily removed and replaced with new foam or ducting tape to prevent leaking of cool air behind the dash. I also have found capping off the vent hose to the rear seat vents at the heater box makes a big difference amd using a stopper to plug off the side mirror vents increases the pressure and flow out the front vents. If you can find an original STCorsa billet aluminum high flow front vent replacement, this also is a huge improvement over the cheap plastic vent for flow and looks. I understand that someone (Ricambi?) may remanufacture these.

4. Exhaust. Much has been written on this, so I'll just say pick one where you like the sound.
there are many good well built aftermarket exhausts; I prefer custom made systems as you can make them match the sound you want (for me= quieter and still high flow).

5.Center switch panel. These cincy plastic pieces delaminate and look like crap after a while, and replacements can be difficult to find and expensive. I made some very nice billet anodized aluminum panels matching the originals, though lacking the back lighting, and were a very nice and permanent fix. I hate plastic in Ferrari interiors, anyway.

5. Headrest for normal sized/tall people. OK, this is a pet peeve of mine and not so subtle. I'm 6'2" and the Mondial headrest is basically nonfunctional. After removing the original headrests, I had a custom leather seat shop make two new taller and forward tilted headrests taken from the pattern of a Ferrari 246 Dino/ Lancia Beta coupe, but using the same leather, stitching and style (sunken crease) as the original Mondial headrest. It is soooo comfortable and worth the $500 for these when I can lay my head back on them at a decent angle.

That's all for now, and really, all you need. I'll talk about engine/chassis reliability stuff later.
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Thanks Joe.

Though not as neccesary, the addition of an amped sub really fills out the stereo if you take long trips. It's easy to place the amp under the seat. Unlike many who use a woofer under the passenger floor, I had a simple box constructed, covered in matching leather and placed between the rear seats. Most head units allow for adjustment. There are a lot smarter folks as to which components to buy, so I'll just post this for ideas. Very subtle and not too flashy.
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Thanks Jeff.
Jeff mentions the Mondial cupholder you see in the photo. When I did the switch panel, I also did up a quick billet aluminum cupholder which replaces and screws in where the cincy plastic cassette (I hate plastic in Ferrari interiors) goes, It covers up nicely when you do not need it with the original cover.

If you do not want to do that, other effective smaller cupholders are easily made by removing the two rear rotating a/c vent vanes.
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I think Joe makes a very good point here. With the longer wheelbase and stock or near stock tire sections (<225 front, <= 245 rear), most Mondial owners find that tossing the rear is very controllable, and you can steer with the throttle.The Mondial can tote some absurdly wide tires, but is much more nimble and tossable on the stock or near stock sizes, especially with newer technology tires. Even a hamfoot like me can induce very controllable oversteer with the throttle, and is easily and safely recoverable (unlike shorter wheelbase cars). If you've only ever driven your Mondial with the earlier stock tires, you owe it to yourself to feel the incredible innate balance and tossability of this chassis with 225 - 245 on the rear. She really feels like she is en pointe and ready to dance around at your lead.

And certainly for day-to-day driving, everything is much lighter and more enjoyable, although it still has to be hossed around at lower speeds (if one of the pre-t sans ps). My personal favorite so far are the PS2 in 205/55 - 17 front and 235/55-17 rear. I deliberately got a little taller tire to have a better cruise ratio and take advantage since I mostle use mine on the street. These are the semi-rare OEM Speedline recommended 17" wheels for those who may not have seen them.

Bottom line: Resist temptation and try not to "over-tire" your car for day-to-day use.
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For those who would like the functional Mondial headrest, the place that did mine is:
http://www.classiccarseats.com/
Ask for Stefan and tell him I sent you.

 

Tinting windows.
While I am usually not a fan of tinting widows, especially very dark, there is absolutely no doubt that they do make a difference in keeping the car cooler in hotter weather in an aid to the air conditioning. Moving to south Texas with a black Ferrari with a huge greenhouse area really made me reconsider a light tint to help with the over 100 degree days.
Interestingly, there are new 'metallic' containing tint films that reject most of the UV light which keeps the heat down and protects the interior.I chose a very light gray tint that did have the 100% UV protection.
Yes - it makes a big difference in helping the A/C. If you live in a hotter climate and do use your Mondial regularly, a subtle gray tint with the new technology mettalic doesn't detract much and really works well.
Note in this photo, only the side windows are tinted, the front and rear are not
(this photo also shows the taller headrests)
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Thanks! It's like the perfect small GT for me.

The small plastic cup holder looks quite cool - so you use it in the change bin it looks so that would work well for smaller containers. Very clever!

It is really amazing that the little subtle details go a long way to making the car very much a daily-friendly and fun Ferrari.


Something else I didn't really mention, but I found a thicker rimmed Momo steering wheel adds to the steering feel for those of us with big hands. It's not as neccesary as the stock wheel is fine, but a little more to hold onto is much more comfortable for big folks (and why I have a larger GTO type shift knob). I peronally use a vintage Momo Cavallino wheel from a 246 Dino, but another contemporary OEM wheel that matches well is the Momo Monte Carlo, which is essentially identical to the 328 steering wheel and about $100. The are a straight replacement for all of the oem Momo wheels, and I think you need an adapter for the Nardi in the M8. If you like a more classic look, a Momo Prototipo also looks right at home and OEM (because it is). It's best I think to get a more OEM Ferrari looking wheel that wil fit the car's ambience, and the Monte Carlo, Cavallino and Prototipo all have been used in Ferraris before. A good Christmas present for you and your car.

Here you can see the Cavallino wheel, the STCorsa center vent, shift knob and the anodized aluminum billet replacement switch panel. Subtle details...
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The difference these things make is amazing.

Much like your rubber fuel hoses, you will eventually need to replace the rubber brake lines at all 4 corners to be safe, as the rubber does age. If you want, I would recommend going to the Teflon stainless braided brakelines. The metal covering takes the natural swell/give out of the flexible lines, so when you brake the reaction is much more noticibly immediate with superb brake feel. You will hear the argument that you cannot see the rubber to inspect it as on normal lines, but no one does that much anyway and the steel braid really protects the brake line as well.

Very easy to put on, then refill and bleed brakes.

This is a simple preventive maint. item and well worthy improvement in braking performance - you will notice a difference right away!

 

Itsy bitsy Allen hex wrench; there is actually a hole in the side of the knob with a set screw.
Good luck!!

 

Check again - I remember mine as being fiber-optics carrying light from a single central bulb.