F355 Challenge

I bought the very last 1998 Challenge kit on the planet way back in 2000. There is no way you would find the complete kits 11 years later.

 

What did you do with it??

 

Why would anyone want to convert a street 355 to CH using the Ferrari kit?

If you just want to do it because it has some value to a "F" collector then ok(I guess..lol)......but if you want a super trick fast race car this is not the way to go especially when you look at what you get for bigtime $$$$ to purchase ferrari parts.

 

360C,

They were listed at 30K USD, when you got the last one did you pay much less than that? It would be nice to see pictures of all those F355 Challenge parts from back in the days when there were in boxes and wraped up. Your a lucky guy to have got it. I would assume your 355CH car is RHD as all F355CH were LHD? Did the kit include any spares or just the exact parts to convert to Challenge.

Ciao,

SRR

 

It was the '98 update kit

Now residing here
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As I recall it was about $40k Australian and had everything in the 1998 update regulations.
Sold the car about 4 Ferraris back, now with a crusty old racer in WA

 

I feel sorry for that car.

 

What makes the 355 Challenge more desirable to own over that of a standard Berlinetta or Spider etc?

Personally, I find it much more appealling to know that we can have at least one or two different Ferrari 'road legal' race cars....be just as nice if we could see the Enzo or F50 on Australian roads more often.

 

The F355C is essentially a "hardcore" version of the F355 Berlinetta with many modifications / different parts aimed at improving the handling, braking and longevity for track use. It's also the last model of factory challenge race car where the possibilty exists to drive it on the road (at least here in Australia). Lastly, RHD challenge cars are pretty rare, less than 20 made. If all the above is what you're looking for, then it's more desirable than the other versions of the F355.

M

 

Much agreed, I only know of the owner of the #107982 (I think) and after seeing pictures of that car on the track, it made my mouth water.

Were any of the rhd 355C's ever made with paddle-shift transmission?

 

yes One was made for a lady who was in a wheel chair. It was in the forza mag from what I can remember her father had ferrari make the car for her.

 

You could convert any 355 Coupe to a Challenge car by getting a franchised dealer to fit the kit. However the F1 was specifically excluded as the Challenge cars (in theory) were all exactly the same specification and the F1 box wasn't available for several years into the model run. This is why all the Challenge cars run the very early engine management system, no matter what year they were built.
There was an exemption made by Ferrari NA for the young lady as she is a paraplegic. The car not only had the F1 change; but also hand controls for the throttle and brakes.

 

Does anybody know where this figure came from? I seriously doubt it is correct as all you had to do to get a challenge car was have the dealer fit the kit to a new or second hand 355 Coupe. You could also order one from the factory and the ONLY difference there was the roll bar points mounting points were welded in at the factory. The rest of the parts came in 2 big boxes and were fitted by the dealer in the customers country of origin. There is therefore no central record of how many cars were converted.


There was significantly more than 20 cars competing in the English Challenge series and then you have the RHD Asian markets. I find it very hard to believe that only 20 RHD cars exist. I also find the 112 (?) total production to be unlikely. The number of cars that ran in the European and USA Challenge series between 1995-1999 would have exceeded that I would have thought.

 

Strange. I heard that only 17 'proper' factory-kitted 355C cars were made rhd? (dealer website)

 

If anyone knows of a clean 95, titled and VIN Challenge car, please let me know.

 

I'm sure just running a search on your car sales website would come up with a few results?

 

I wonder how many 355 Challenge cars have the Challenge oil tank?
http://www.ricambiamerica.com/parts_catalogs.php?M=FE&P=&V=diag&I=3193

Mine has...although I'm not sure I'm happy about it!

 

What was the incentive behind your purchase of a challenge over a 'normal' 355?

 

The first thing that got me was the brakes. I'd had a bad experience with under performing brakes in a Ferrari on the track and I knew that just wouldn't happen with a 355 Challenge. The rest was just a bonus.