Brand new from Ferrari of SF for less than 1/3 of list....
Brand new from Ferrari of SF for less than 1/3 of list. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150530317974&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:B:SS:US:1123#ht_500wt_1182 We all need one of these in reserve.
If someone learns too late how to *properly* adjust the tension on their roof, then the next weakest link in the chain is the base of the clamp. That pot metal is thin and will give way, That is why even though I have both of my clamps retrofitted with your toggles and my roof is *now* properly adjusted, I still have a spare clamp, as I would not be surprised if sooner or later one of my clamps break from the years of accumulated abuse. Ron, quit resting on your laurels and get busy making us a new replacement center vent! The stock one is non-functional dookie, and the nice replacement that Ricambi used to sell is NLA. We're counting on you, Ron!
+10000000 I regret not buying the Hill Eng one when I had the chance. The original is a useless plastic embarrassment in a Ferrari. Dave
Did Hill Eng. make one? Really? As I recall Daniel told me that the one they used to sell was made by some old guy in, I think, California. He retired and that was that. But if Hill used to make one, perhaps we can persuade them to cook up another batch. BTW, did you ever adjust your top???
Max, you are confusing two different products. Ron makes toggles for the top clamps. Both Dave and I already have two sets. What I am asking Ron to do is to expand his product line by making a replacement center A/C vent for the Mondial. Ricambi used to sell one, and Dave claims that Hill Engineering used to sell one. Ron has never made one, but I am using every means at my disposal to attempt to "encourage" him to do so. So far he has adroitly sidestepped my entreaties, but I don't give up that easily.
Hmmm, my memory is not that good but I thought Hill made them of Aluminum using BMW vents and quit because the supply of vents dried up. We left the top down all summer and just got caught in a cold snap. It should warm up into the 40s this weekend and I am going to adjust the top as you described. I would do it now but I am afraid to flex the rear window in 30 degree weather. dave
I have one of those It was the best $300 dollars that I ever spent on Rachel, at least as far as the incredible difference it makes in summer driving comfort. It is beautifully machined aluminum, black anodized and, with about double the amount of vent position adjustability...IT WORKS!!! The guy who made them only had about a dozen left when I got mine, almost six years ago. Daniel may have scooped the remaining ones. I don't recall Hill Engineering having that product. Come on Ron - - it's waiting for you Cheers, Hank Image Unavailable, Please Login
The post states $245.00, not $85.00. Did you guys ruin it for the rest of us, or is the link incorrect?
To make is very clear to the un-aware..... What I make is replacement toggles. The toggle is the "U" shaped piece that always brakes. The cost is $85.00 and I just make another batch so availability should be a problem for a while. Search for Mondial Toggles in this section for more information..... Now, for the center vent...... When a fellow F-Chatter recently parted out his car, I purchased a center vent that is perfect..... I did this with the intention of possibly reverse engineering it, correcting the original engineering issues and manufacturing them for sale. The vent is an involved little bugger. Lots of parts = Lots of tooling cost. Although I am sure I can re-design it to "beef up" the problem areas and also mold them using a more robust resin, the tooling cost will be high, unless the volume is there. When Ferrari made them, volume was a mere + / - 200 cars per year. They could amortize their investment over a number of model years. I can’t do this........ As an example, I recently worked with another FChatter to develop an improved design for a replacement of the interior pull handles mounted near the roof line of Mondial Coupes. This part also suffers from poor original design and material choice. The good thing was that it was a simple part to improve upon and manufacture. The cost per part, painted to match was going to be in the area of $250 each. This cost would cover design time, tooling, production, assembly and shipping. This was also based on my initial order of 300 pcs. When I offered this to the group as a possibility, I had only two responses. If I could offer new and improved vents for what I consider to be a reasonable cost I would jump on it. Maybe you guys could help me to find out what the interest is. If the volume is there, maybe we can get this ball rolling. I would also like to find another part to improve upon and manufacture. I enjoy the process and also offering a solid solution to fellow Mondial owners. Let me know if you have any thoughts. Thanks - Ron Frohock
Ron, the one in the picture is made of machined aluminum. I think that's the way to go. More expensive per each to make, but tooling should be zilch, so the overall cost should be reasonable for small lots. The actual vents are from some other car, a BMW, I think, but they could be any that have a center pivot instead of those stupid vanes on the Ferrari part. So, one piece of anodized billet, three vents, a piece or two of sheet metal on the back to mate with the heater box, some small hardware, and a piece or two of foam to seal it. That sounds like about $500 to me including markup to cover time and overhead. I'd pay that and be glad.
Ron - as we discussed on the phone when I ordered your toggles (being installed as we speak, see the last few pics of the thread: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140123014&postcount=70 ) I'm ready to help finance these projects if needed. Is it possible to do only part of the vent (supplement) instead of replacing the entire OEM unit, or is it an all-or-nothing endeavor? Thanks, Erik
Hi Erik, Having researched the subject myself a bit, I can answer that one. A replacement could be made that would just swap out the vents, but it would not be as much of an improvement as one that has a whole new housing. The difference is that the new housing angles the vets up closer to horizontal from the stock unit's below horizontal orientation. Look at the picture posted by hank sound. That's the improved housing. See how it's thicker at the bottom. One of the problems with the stock unit is that the vents in the neutral position are pointing at the floor.
I agree it could be improved upon, but, is it more important to keep the original stock look or improve upon the functionality? Just asking because I dont know. I would think if you had to choose, I would prefer stock look but designed to be more robust. What does everyone think?????? Another very important question..... Is the assembly universal across the full Mondial model range? 8, 3.2, "T"? It would also be good to get some sort of estimated qty. I will pull my recently purchased original equipment assembly out of storage and evaluate it. I would really like to hear the boards remarks on the above questions. Thanks - Ron Frohock
Thanks for your kind offer. Lets try to see if the is a viable solution. We can talk when the time comes. Im watching your car get transformed with great interest. Hope the toggles worked well for you. - Ron
No problem - apparently they are very well made. As to the important question you posed: "Another very important question..... Is the assembly universal across the full Mondial model range? 8, 3.2, "T"? " Here is a pic of mine ('86 3.2) If you need a higher resolution, please let me know. Thanks, Erik Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ron, that question is trivially easy to answer, just go to the Ricambi site and look it up. Yep, same part number for all 4 iterations. Vehicle Quantity Table Location Where Used Mondial 3.2 1 121 32 INSTRUMENTS PANEL Mondial 8 1 113 24 INSTRUMENT PANEL Mondial QV 1 117 32 INSTRUMENT PANEL Mondial t 1 143 33 DASHBOARD As for original look, eh, I don't care. The problem is not one of "robustness". The stock part is adequately robust. It just doesn't get the air where you want it. That's the problem. The solution is to set the vents at a reasonable angle, and replace the goofy stock vanes with three assemblies that pivot on the central axis. As for original look, make it black. That'll keep all the originality anyone needs. So, start a new thread to get a count of interested parties, and get to work!
