What are most common and worth it Carbon Fiber pieces to install on 458 Spider? | FerrariChat

What are most common and worth it Carbon Fiber pieces to install on 458 Spider?

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by CrapsLuckyDice, Mar 16, 2020.

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  1. CrapsLuckyDice

    CrapsLuckyDice Karting

    Apr 28, 2019
    61
    NJ, USA
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Looking to make some changes to my car in the future once everything kinda clears up. I'm curious what options are most worth it to upgrade to carbon fiber. I'll list some items I'd like to do:

    Exterior
    - Carbon fiber glass engine bonnet (by Capristo)
    - CF diffuser
    - CF front bumper
    - CF side skirts
    - CF rear bumper
    - CF window triangles
    - CF mirror inserts
    - CF fuel door
    - CF door handles
    - CF pillar covers
    - CF badge
    - CF engine bay

    Interior
    - CF dashboard
    - CF center console
    - CF door handles
    - CF door sills
    - CF door panels

    Everything listed except for Capristo would be ordered through potentially Ricambi.

    Just looking for opinion if these are popular options and if Ricambi is good quality for this. Thanks!
     
  2. scott61

    scott61 F1 Rookie

    Feb 11, 2004
    2,606
    North of Boston
    I will be doing a number of the things you have listed and started with a couple quick and easy ones. Extended Carbon Fiber Paddles and Tach cover, both from Ricambi. Quality was top notch and great to deal with.


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  3. Ianjoub

    Ianjoub Formula Junior

    Dec 22, 2019
    899
    Homosassa, FL USA
    Full Name:
    Ian Joubert
    CF wheels!
     
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  4. s4play

    s4play Karting

    Oct 25, 2006
    170
    I have all the factory carbon already for my Spider, only looking for a rear CF lip wing that doesn't require drilling.

    thanks
     
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  5. DoubleD33

    DoubleD33 F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    May 2, 2012
    2,732
    Pasadena, CA / Oahu, HI
    Full Name:
    Dan D
    No affiliation but there is a CF Capristo lid in the classifieds.

    fuel door and door handle need to be on the right color car to look good.

    I have a lot of factory carbon. I would like the triangles and possibly the door sill plates along with the instrument cluster part that becomes sticky.
     
  6. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    May 21, 2006
    7,398
    West Coast
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    Ray
    I'll second carbon fiber rims. That's going to give you the biggest performance bang for your buck.

    On the front and rear bumpers, if you mean full carbon / kevlar racing bumpers (which replace the OEM heavy bumpers), those are nice. I bought a set of kevlar bumpers from Italy for my 355 and they were shockingly light (something crazy like 7-8 lbs vs. 30 or 40 lbs for the factory parts). However, keep in mind, those are not so much bolt-on as "fabricate on" parts usually. You definitely can save a lot of weight (and where it really matters) with composite bumpers though.

    As far as a lot of glossy CF dress up parts all over the car, "just because you can", I'm personally not a big fan of that. Maybe one or two tasteful matte finish CF accent pieces here or there are nice, but these cars where someone just goes absolutely nuts with CF on every possible surface... those usually look pretty whack if you ask me.

    I understand everyone has their preferences, however.

    Ray
     
  7. Twosherpaz

    Twosherpaz Formula Junior

    Feb 25, 2014
    889
    Thermal, CA
    Full Name:
    Private
    Worth it?

    The value equation for carbon fiber additions is moot. There is none. If you want it, get it, but you will not recover that sunken cost. It is very similar to modifying a Nissan GTR: you will be fortunate to get 50% back on the money you spent.

    I often joke that I carry around about fifty thousand dollars of carbon fiber between my chest and my belt line if what I am truly looking for is weight savings.

    Do I put carbon in cars? Oh my goodness yes! I cannot stand the look of that shiny aluminum in some of my Ferraris. But value? No.
     
  8. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    May 21, 2006
    7,398
    West Coast
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    Ray
    Funny... but also very true.

    When I started riding motorcycles (about 10 years ago), I weighed in at right around 180 lbs. I quickly realized that the area where I could best improve the power to weight ratio of the motorcycle was sitting right on top of the seat :)

    I changed my diet, eliminated all products in the house with MSG, Aspartame and/or HFCS and started eating nothing but the best organic foods I could find and drinking lots of very pure water; 18 months later, without hitting the gym even one time, I was down from 180 lbs to a lean riding weight of 150 lbs. Shaving 30 lbs off a motorcycle would have cost a fortune.

    In addition to losing weight myself, I think I did end up removing maybe 15 or 16 lbs off my bike also. However, that took a lot of expensive upgrades and modifications to drop that sort of weight off of an already light weight sports bike. I'm sure I had over $1000 just in Titanium nuts and bolts, not to mention a lithium ion battery, a full titanium exhaust and also carbon fiber wheels.

    Ray
     
  9. MalibuGuy

    MalibuGuy F1 Veteran

    Sep 18, 2007
    5,280
    #9 MalibuGuy, Mar 25, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2020
    I think it will cost around $1,000 per pound in regards to aftermarket weight loss since the 458 has been engineered with weight as a top priority throughout its lineage.

    Having said that, the price of a high quality Li Ion battery is the best bang for your buck since you will shed 29 pounds!
    But carbon fiber bumpers can produce significant weight savings. I imagine they are pretty expensive for the 458 since the front bumper is a much larger and has a more complex shape than the 355.

    As we speak, I’m changing the front winglets to CF and also swapping CF for the rear fog light surrounds, as well as swapping to the CF central trim on the rear bumper. (Someone backed up into my car and cracked my bumper in a parking lot.)
     
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  10. RaceMX-M3

    RaceMX-M3 Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2010
    523
    Frisco, TX
    Full Name:
    Scott
    Pretty sure my car has every factory CF option available. Love the appearance. Not concerned with saving weight but will take it. Personally would pass on items like door handles and fuel cover but get what you like, your car. Enjoy.
     
  11. Melvok

    Melvok F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jul 25, 2008
    14,101
    Amersfoort, The Netherlands, Europe.
    Full Name:
    Mel

    Exactly … do not waste $$$ on CF optical parts ...
     
  12. Ianjoub

    Ianjoub Formula Junior

    Dec 22, 2019
    899
    Homosassa, FL USA
    Full Name:
    Ian Joubert
    Unsprung weight is the killer. Losing weight above the springs effectively increases horsepower, but losing unsprung weight is what ultimately makes you faster.
     
  13. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    Switching to the Speciale forged wheels definitely would make a difference. I forget how much lighter they are, but also it’s the reason they are $8k+
     
  14. CrapsLuckyDice

    CrapsLuckyDice Karting

    Apr 28, 2019
    61
    NJ, USA
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Thanks for all the responses. I hope everyone is safe and healthy during these times!

    I realize nothing is every "worth it" to upgrade, especially for a car. However, that beings said, I do have a budget and that budget means I need to prioritize upgrades. I actually am somewhat indifferent about weight savings since if I really wanted to go all out I might as well gotten a car specifically made for the track.
    Based upon what I'm reading, I missed the carbon fiber rims. I'm just not sold on the rims since I've had more than my share of slightly scratched rims and I'd kill myself if I even scratched those since I'd have to replace them new!
     
  15. obbob

    obbob Formula Junior

    Aug 14, 2017
    774
    If you are prioritizing, then my general rule of thumb is to prioritize interior carbon over exterior. Black plastic molding on exterior parts doesn't really look bad in my opinion. Shiny silver plastic on the interior does look quite cheap.
     
  16. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,797
    Gladwyne PA
    Full Name:
    Morrie
    Carbon fiber unless it is used in making the machine perform better is not an upgrade it is decoration that serves no purpose and offers no benefit other than costing money. Never could understand what people see in it, I think it looks cheap, and does nothing for the car. My 458 does not have any (that's right none) and that is one of the reasons I bought it. Get a carbon fiber license plate frame it will not cost you much and serves the same purpose as the other parts which is no purpose at all.
     
  17. Jason B

    Jason B Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2006
    397
    Hbg, PA
    I think the 458 is absolutely gorgeous without carbon. I think it’s gorgeous with carbon. I was luckily to find a car that was 99% what I wanted and it happened to have a bunch of oem carbon inside and in the door panels. I will say with my color combo it makes the car in this case.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. AlfistaPortoghese

    AlfistaPortoghese Moderator
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2014
    3,778
    Europe, but not by much.
    Full Name:
    Nuno
    I like carbon. Maybe it doesn’t make much financial sense, but it’s an option. And I don’t like bare to the bone specs. If we took a purely rational approach to Ferraris and their equipment list, probably we wouldn’t be buying these things. And look at what we’d be missing!

    You can add it because you may like it visually, and that’s valid imvho. In terms of performance, some carbon options are irrelevant (center console, air vents, kick plates, rev counter housing), and others do have an impact on performance in terms of weight savings (racing seats, rear diffusor, door panels, engine plenum, etc).

    It’s a matter of personal taste. A car filled with carbon bits will command a premium over the same car with less options, but you won’t get all your money back once you sell. No options are more mandatory than others, imho.

    Just make sure you have the car spec’d as you like, because I tell you there’s nothing more irritating than entering your Ferrari and not liking what you see/wishing it was different but because you’re on a budget, you have to put up with something you’re not happy with. These cars are all about making you feel good.

    Kind regards,

    Nuno.
     
  19. Carbonio

    Carbonio Formula 3

    Dec 1, 2009
    1,142
    We have had a lot of experience with Ferrari dealers purchasing carbon engine bay panel kits from us to add to their used car inventory in order to make the car more saleable and raise its market price. It is one of the few times when a modification actually ADDS value to a car. As this is a thread asking about 458 carbon bits for a spider here is a full engine bay package we are blowing out for an incredible price:

    https://carbonio.com/collections/clearance/products/ferrari-458-spider-engine-bay-carbon-zone

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  20. CrapsLuckyDice

    CrapsLuckyDice Karting

    Apr 28, 2019
    61
    NJ, USA
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Wow that is beautiful!!! I saw your prices and they seem very reasonable especially given how much carbon fiber is used for an engine bay. When I'm ready I'll give you PM. Tick that as another CF I want to add. I assume that I can take this to my installer/body shop guy (he specializes in high end and exotic cars only) to install? Do I just keep my original engine bay panels? Also, stupid question but give you supply a fair amount of dealerships with these panels I assume there really is no such thing as OEM carbon fiber then? Thanks.
     
  21. Carbonio

    Carbonio Formula 3

    Dec 1, 2009
    1,142
    Thanks for the kind words. Ferrari charges an exorbitant amount for their carbon fiber because they can and it is impossible to recover their prices in the used car market. We price our parts on a cost to manufacture plus a reasonable mark up model rather than asking as much as we can. This has served us well and explains the interest from the Ferrari dealers. After all our parts are identical to OEM in dimension and specification. We just don't have the fancy yellow box :)

    Installation is a simple affair merely un-bolting the factory parts and replacing them for ours. We include installation instructions but any competent shop can install the full kit within an hour.
     
  22. scott61

    scott61 F1 Rookie

    Feb 11, 2004
    2,606
    North of Boston
    Do you make Engine Bay parts for 488?
     
  23. Jorligan

    Jorligan Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 23, 2007
    266
    Dexter, MI
    Full Name:
    Tim
    You forgot the carbon fiber replacement panels around the frunk which extend to the windshield.
     
  24. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,644
    Silicon Valley
    Pretty much any carbon fiber parts beyond the extended paddles are just for looks. So buy, or not, what looks best to you based on your budget.


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  25. Carbonio

    Carbonio Formula 3

    Dec 1, 2009
    1,142
    No engine bay parts for the 488 sorry.
     

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