Hi all, Found a car i'm interested in. Am i mad to go for a manual? I now live in London and the idea of using an F1 here makes me cringe (non-stop traffic). I have a great deal of seat time in the 430 F1 and with no disrespect to current owners i found the car a little too easy to drive and not particularly involving. The notion of a gated shifter excites me and i'm hoping it will be far more involving. I also think it will be easier on the clutch (as long as i don't do it in) than an F1 in the constant traffic here. Input from current manual owners would be appreciated! I'd like to know which 'usual' options are missing from the car, here's a list of the spec: Manual 8,200 miles, Nero with full black leather, Daytona sears with contrasting red stitching and leather inserts. Navigation Bluetooth Parking Assistance CF Driving zone and centre console Scuderia wing shields Red Calipers Fire Extinguisher Tracker Full main dealer Service History & Recently Serviced Pics (can someone please make them show up in the thread): http://i37.tinypic.com/1440034.jpg http://i36.tinypic.com/b4xmqr.jpg http://i38.tinypic.com/i5r90i.jpg http://i36.tinypic.com/34r6pmb.jpg http://i34.tinypic.com/4ruusi.jpg http://i33.tinypic.com/2ypdqj7.jpg
You are not mad, you are brilliant! I bought a used 2006 430 coupe 6 speed manual and I'm quite in love with the thing. Your car has more options than mine, it is very well equipped. When I test drove 430's over a year ago they were F1 and I didn't find it involving enough, too used to 3 pedals. 6 speed 430's are fairly rare as 10% or less were made. I came across some data suggesting that they produced only 216 manual 430s in 2006. It looks like they will be the last produced manual 8 cylinder Ferrari's. I say go for it and you won't regret it Good luck
Wow, I think you have every option available!!! You won't regret the manual. I just purchased mine couple weeks a go, and I love it. It just took me a couple of drives to get acquainted with the manual. Little different then all my other cars.
great one... If you will have lots of traffic jam in Hong Kong, then you could forget about the F1, it wears your clutch at the speed of light.. By the way how much are they selling now..??? check the gear box especially 2nd gear, beware of the bushing problem, its a fairly common falut. good luck.
I like my manual, though it's not as good as it could be. Unlike most regular manuals, the Ferrari's shift linkage is not dampened with rubber bushings, so it's a near direct connection. That's fine, but the shift action is a bit notchy at times, so you feel it more than you might in a normal car. When shifting my 430 (mostly into second), I sometimes feel - what must be - the collar engaging the gear. It's not a full-on grind, but I could do without it. I feel it mostly when shifting in the 4K - 6K rpm range. However, my car shifts smothly at high rpm. Some owners claim their cars shift very smooth. Those with shift problems have had success with aftermarket transmission fluids or having the shift cables adjusted. I had the fluid replaced with the factory fill (my cables were not out of adjustment), but it didn't improve the shift feel much. Next time, I may try a different fluid to see if it helps. On the plus side, the clutch works well. It operates smoothly and has good weighting and feel. Overall, the manual works fine, but it could work better. IMO, Ferrari seems more interested in perfecting the F1 auto-manual option. The manual is the unloved child.
I've had my 2005 stick shift coupe since new. Now with 16K miles, probably 1K on tracks. It has been bullet proof and there are no signs of clutch wearing. The hotter it gets, the smoother it shifts. As noted above, it can be a little notchy at times, mostly when not fully warmed up. Since the 430 is the last mid engine V8 available with a stick, get it while you can. I just always feel like there is not much to do in paddle cars. Dave
Ha, ha, you homo - that car's way too cool for you!! Old friend, I've had two 6 speed 360 spiders and found them much more involving than the F1 430 I'm driving now. The scuddy seems to have the F1 resolved, but if you want to row, 6 speed is the only way to go. Fingers crossed for a successful resolution! Edit: Nice!! Couple pics attached. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Lol Thanks Jamie, i am really set on getting a 6speed but there's only a few available here right now. This one has the best spec and best price. We'll see what happens... Good luck with your upcoming purchase!
Thanks buddy, would be great to have it by the time you're in London. It doesn't look too promising right now - the dealer is playing the 'game' and hasn't called me back since Saturday!
My 07 Spider is hard to shift from first into second when cold, but once it warms up it is the ultimate sport car experience.
What about pedal placement. I am also thinking about a 6 speed 430 but wear a 13 shoe. Is a driving shoe required or will an everyday shoe work to feel comfortable in the footwell?
A cold second gear is notorious with Ferraris; most people usually go from first to third until the gear oil is warm enough to accommodate second. But from what I recall, there was an issue with second gear in the 360 Modena. Perhaps you can ask your dealer about it, just in case. Josh, that F430 looks fantastic! Can you tell us the serial number? Not too many RHD manual F430s out there. I think you'd be nutty to get an F1 - three pedals is definitely the way to go. Here are the rest of the pictures... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Am i mad to go for a manual? I have driven both. I felt like I was missing something with the F1. Go for it. Don't look back.
Dealer sold the car and didn't even bother getting back to me to let me know. Pathetic. Oh well, the search continues!
Be patient bro. There are far more cars than buyers just now. Enjoy the exquisite torture of the hunt.