I Predicted!!! Manual Conversions < F1

Understandably, many are jumping ship on their EAG cars. Some remain happy, but others want to just cut bait.

Just like the EAG 599 on BaT - don’t expect a big number. I think it too is the victim of a poorly executed conversion or owner who has no interest in eternally defending his car. That car has lots of crazy noises coming from those cables. Rubbing at low speed u-turns, whining at high speeds, overall seems like lots of Db coming from that conversion. Doesn’t look like he’s having much fun negotiating the revs. Nothing like a solid linkage OEM 599 conversion based on what you can see in that video.

EAG cars are hurting in the marketplace for obvious reasons. Factory gated and rare OEM conversions, different story IMO.

 

People want what they can’t have. If these car companies never stopped making manuals, I bet the majority of buyers would still be opting for the paddles today if given the choice.

I have both and like them both. Would never convert my cars or buy someone else’s butchered car.

 

With YouTubers now, expect to see more conversions than we did 5 years ago

 

I'm convinced that Manual-Shift Ferraris were an afterthought and, probably due to time constraints, their conversion didn't receive the R&D that was needed at the time. Our converted 599s use an improved rod-style shift linkage like the factory supplied and the cars shift gears beautifully. Due to a narrower transmission tunnel than the Maranellos have, Ferrari made the the vibration damper in the linkage smaller and weaker so it would fit. The resulting flexibility causes less precise shifting which starts to feel like shifting an old VW Beetle. We also install a better clutch master-cylinder with greatly improved geometry in the linkage to the clutch pedal which makes the feel and action 550-like. With Trevor's fantastic programming improvements on top of everything, the 599s we convert drive like a dream.

Regarding the cars' value after the the conversion, I make no claims. If the value drops, who cares? Driving them does also! The same logic as the people who are afraid to put miles on the cars. Lets say that manual conversions are for people who want to drive and who want the full experience of driving a sports car. If you apply enough computers in a car, they with do everything for you and you can just sit and read the Wallstreet Journal going A to B.

 

I meant manual-shift 599s by the way.

 

I'm curious, as I keep hearing the statement that a manual 599 was an afterthought.
However the 599 that I have seen with the center consoles out, all have block-off plates glued in place over the shifter assembly mounting area.
If it were an afterthought, wouldn't they all be solid and only manual chassis would have cut outs?

S

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Perhaps those tunnels were molded in high quantities for a different model originally and all they did was use them, cover the hole and repurpose them? I mean if the main tunnel part fits the car, seems they would do that rather than have too many extra laying around. I’m babbling

No idea which other front engine car they would’ve been made for originally though.

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Good point but even the cutout could have been an earlier after-thought and maybe it's not. We'll never know. All I know is that the 550 uses the exact same shift- turret and a very similar transmission as the 599 but out of the box, the 550 shifts gears much nicer than a factory manual 599. It has to be due to less development.

 

I keep hearing that but I had a client with a factory 6 speed 599 and considered it every bit as good as a 550 in driving qualities.

 

The 599 was built on a shortened 612 chassis so it is possible that the sheet aluminum tunnel stampings in the 599 are 612 pieces. The earlier 612 also came in F1 and stick-shift transmission control and we converted a 612 but didn't pay attention to any differences between the tunnels in the two models. I can tell you that the shift turret for a 599 sits on a wedge-shaped aluminum riser base called a plinth and the plinth is then attached to the transmission tunnel which is subjected to more leverage from the taller tower so we have been reinforcing the top surface of the tunnel to stop noticeable movement of the gate while shifting gears. The 550, 575 and 612 don't have a plinth and don't have a serious flexing problem.

 

Maybe all that extra speed was distracting

 

And now to be serious: For the first 599 that we converted, we fabricated a very close copy of the 599 manual shift linkage with only one (Ferrari-supplied) vibration damper assembly which contained 2 rubber blocks inline with the centerline of the linkage. The entire linkage assembly was an accurate copy of the linkage supplied on factory manual-shift supplied 599s. It worked awfully. The rubber blocks twisted when shifting gears and it was close to impossible to reach reverse-gear and then 6th gear without readjusting the linkage. It was one or the other, not both. When we installed a modified version of the 550 (also 456, 575, 612) shift linkage, with 4 rubber blocks in a rectangular arrangement, just like the 550, the twisting of the shift linkage was virtually gone and gear changing was much more positive, just like the 550.

We also tried installing a plastic block into the two-inline-dampers linkage. Shifting into any gear became very positive but at the cost of much vibration being conducted to the shift lever. That may be OK for a race car but not a GT.

 

Well something was missed along the way because the factory implementation had none of those issues. The factory 599 6 speed was a very good shifting car. At least the one I experienced. He was a regular client and I had significant experience with the car. He just called the other day. He still has it.Black/Black 6 speed.

 

Well, who knows. Anyway, the 599s we convert to manual-shift drive great and look the part. We make our own upper and lower center-consoles so the interior looks very original. I know you care about that. You once judged an F40 we brought to an FCA National event at Watkins Glen, NY and found 4 incorrect bolts in the engine compartment. It was nice meeting you and we won anyway!

 

I remember. Yes it was.

 

F430 2007 with 7k sold for 337500.00.Factory gated.

 

15k-Mile 2009 Ferrari 599 GTB EAG Conversion sold for $203,000 (plus $5k buyer's premium) April 29 on Bring a Trailer.

Comparable BaT sales in 2024:

Mar. 14 -- $275k RNM -- 2011, 2k miles, "Gonzalez Final Edition" option (special paint, HGTE, etc.)
Apr. 18 -- $256k -- 2010, 2k miles, HGTE
Mar. 26 -- $225k -- 2010, 3k miles
Feb. 02 -- $158k -- 2008, 26k miles
Jan. 17 -- $140k RNM -- 2007, 7k miles
Jan. 05 -- $137k RNM -- 2008, 17k miles
Feb. 22 -- $130k RNM -- 2007, 12k miles
Apr. 25 -- $135k -- 2008, 28k miles

Although a single $203k sale of a gated six conversion is too small a data sample to draw a firm conclusion, we can at least agree that these nine BaT results do not support the contention that a gated 6 conversion devalues a 599, particularly in the cars with at least 5k miles.

 

Nothing beats a gated 6 speed, even if done with aftermarket parts. I hope more and more conversions happen and finally these stupid car companies follow Porsche’s lead in offering a driver oriented model fully those who want real engagement.

 

RNM = reserve not met, i.e., the seller agrees with you, that the bidding was unacceptably below market. This of course begs the question, that “the market” is something other than what a group of buyers is willing to pay.

 

thanks for the explanation. ultimately as more of these hit the market we should see prices soften at least a little. Frankly I'm surprised they're holding up as well as they can given the state of the economy.

 

Drive one

 

I've been driving/owning them since I was 14. Meh

 

Then you should respect and understand the fascination