355 - Who has an early 355 equipped with a single-piece (center) undertray? | FerrariChat

355 Who has an early 355 equipped with a single-piece (center) undertray?

Discussion in '348/355' started by ShineKen, Jan 26, 2023.

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  1. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    ShineKen, Jan 26, 2023
    #1
  2. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

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    103154 has a two (2) piece undertray.

    I heard they did this to make oil changes easier.
     
    Mitch Alsup, Jan 26, 2023
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  3. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    308 GTB, Jan 26, 2023
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  4. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    ShineKen, Jan 26, 2023
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  5. willrace

    willrace Three Time F1 World Champ Owner Rossa Subscribed

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    100005 does.
    What was "Recall 156" and its relation to the single piece tray?
     
    willrace, Jan 26, 2023
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  6. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    This is an official list sent out by Ferrari North America as part of a recall for the earliest 355’s with dual fuel pumps. It verifies the VINS of the first 355’s in the country.


    I am curious where the cutoff/transition is to 2-piece.
     
    ShineKen, Jan 26, 2023
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  7. spaghetti_jet

    spaghetti_jet Formula Junior

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    My F355 was first registered in November 1994. I bought it in 2004 and it came with a 2 piece undertray. It may have been changed out prior to ownership, but I highly doubt it. By the way, I would have been cursing a lot each time I did an oil change if I had to drop a massive single tray (I've probably changed the oil well over 30 times).
     
    spaghetti_jet, Jan 27, 2023
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  8. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    Mine (100329) has the 2 piece tray. It's only 1 car off from Barry's (they must have been painting yellow that day), so may be one of the first to get the 2 piece tray. I have no record of it being changed and it's pretty beat up, but the history I have only goes back to the early 2000's iirc when valve guides were done.
     
    bobzdar, Jan 27, 2023
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  9. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    Very interesting.
     
    ShineKen, Jan 27, 2023
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  10. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    I don’t believe I ever found a part number online for the single-piece undertray, however, I believe part number is hand scribbled on the undertray somewhere. It’s not a piece one can replace if destroyed. Was probably never offered for sale as a replacement by Ferrari as the transition to the 2-piece came very early. The person would need to buy the 2-piece version, which is still offered till this day.


    The 1-piece undertray is made using handlaid fiberglass and very thin and flimsy. Easy to damage. I had to repair mine extensively. Still contemplating if I should commission a mold made since it is such a rare historical 355 piece.
     
    ShineKen, Jan 27, 2023
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  11. INTMD8

    INTMD8 F1 Veteran Owner Silver Subscribed

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    I'll contribute to the mold(s) if we can get carbon ones made :)
     
    INTMD8, Jan 27, 2023
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  12. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    ShineKen, Jan 27, 2023
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  13. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    ShineKen, Jan 27, 2023
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  14. Targatime

    Targatime Formula 3

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    Cool item. Don't really want to know what it would cost to get a mold made of something that big.
     
    Targatime, Jan 27, 2023
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  15. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    Very costly. This is a sick hobby :).
     
    ShineKen, Jan 27, 2023
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  16. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    Right, Ken. The one-piece undertray is pictured in the 1995 Parts Manual as the "Old Solution" but no part number is give. Consider it a "prototype" part.

    Pete's car (S/N 100329) is my car's "sister" and has the two-piece undertray. This would indicate a transition to the two-piece undertray in September 1994.

    My unerpanels and diffusers along with those of another F355 Challenge at Pocono Sportscar are off our cars right now being repaired and restored. They've had a hard life. :)
     
    308 GTB, Jan 27, 2023
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  17. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    100386 Sep 94 has 2 piece.
     
    ShineKen, Jan 27, 2023
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  18. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    There you go! Ferrari made several one-piece undertrays until someone realized that it would be a pain in the ass to do an oil change and came up with the two-piece design.


    This is what F355 Challenge undertrays go through on the track...





    The only protection my car has down there are the undertrays and the Challenge reinforced rear chassis cross members.

    You'll never find front bumper scuff plates on a Challenge car. If anyone ever put them there, the bumper would be torn off the first time the car ran over some high curbing.
     
    308 GTB, Jan 27, 2023
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  19. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    If molds were available, that’s one less thing for you to worry about on your drives Barry :). There’s only so many times an undertray can be patched together.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    ShineKen, Jan 31, 2023
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  20. PaulK

    PaulK F1 Rookie Silver Subscribed

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    PaulK, Jan 31, 2023
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  21. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    Ken, in my car's many years of racing my undertrays and diffusers suffered scrapes and splitting at areas where there are fasteners. They've been patch-repaired every so often but now they're being fully restored. It's worth the expense. We'll start the cycle all over again. :)

    Surprisingly, the flimsiest of all my car's underpinnings, the gear box heat shield, suffered very little damage over the years. It remains intact today with just a little loss of paint...


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    308 GTB, Jan 31, 2023
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  22. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ Rossa Subscribed

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    What's your car's build date, Paul?
     
    308 GTB, Jan 31, 2023
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  23. PaulK

    PaulK F1 Rookie Silver Subscribed

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    My build date is September '94.
    My assembly number is 17482 if that helps.
     

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    PaulK, Feb 1, 2023
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  24. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

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    Last edited: Feb 1, 2023
    zstyle, Feb 1, 2023
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  25. ShineKen

    ShineKen Two Time F1 World Champ Silver Subscribed

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    ShineKen, Feb 1, 2023
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