Finalizing F430 purchase, would like sanity check here

Here's what I'd like to do:

- Buy a Spider - I drive my Miata more than my Cayman in big part due to the open air experience and I have an upcoming Spider test drive, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it more
- Manual swap immediately
- Install Recaro Sportster CS with custom side mount brackets for max seat height drop (I know I could go Pole Position but I need an adjustable back)
- Fabspeed headers with KLine exhaust for maximum theatre
- Reduce unsprung mass to improve steering feedback and feel: PS4S or 200TW tires, BBS FI wheels (do they even make these anymore?), CCM/girodisc rotors, titanium lugs
- Rip out further weight to get to effective ~275lb shed and bring curb weight down to 3250lb or so (210lb sprung, 45lb unsprung: antigravity battery, carbon fiber diffuser, above mods, etc). This is about 150lb more than my Cayman's curb, which I think I'd be happy with since I really enjoy lighrweightedness.

Background:

Test drove an F430 for nearly an hour after window-shopping for years. It's one of my poster cars that I grew up with and my plan is to manual swap it. Current garage is nd2 Miata and 981 Cayman PDK S. Been sleeping on it and I'm nearly sold on it, there are some things I liked and some things I didn't. I think I'm settling on buying a 20K mile one and tweaking it to my taste. My focus is NA manual V8+ focused on driver feedback, this is going to be a weekend car I throw around in bends in California and take to the track a couple of times a year.

Good: The engine and theatre was insane, nothing like it out there. Extremely performant and can see myself rowing through the gears all day. Comfy and airy design. The steering is very precise and reactive with little to no dead space. Chassis is incredibly stiff and can eat corners, despite the understeer due to I suspect bad alignment. Suspension is tuned just right for spirited road driving.

The things I didn't like: stock seat was way too high and cushiony for me, didn't communicate nearly any chassis feel through my butt to me. The steering also didn't have much if any feedback, I suspect bad alignment and tires have to do with this. And while athletic, I could feel the weight a bit.

Ultimately I feel the car calling to me after ruminating for several days. All in I'm dropping 60k into the 100-115k car and I'll be happy if I get at least half that back. I know Spiders aren't as desirable but I'm going for max happiness here. I drove a Gallardo a week later and it was too much of a sanitized experience; only highlight was the steering position and subsequent chassis feedback.

Curious to know if anybody else has gone on this journey and if there's anything crazy I've outlined. This car is probably one I'm going to keep for years; the goal is to be complete eyecandy while also being complete theatre every time I take it out.

 

One item for consideration, I would look at condition and maintenance history over being set on a number of miles. I’ve seen some really poor condition low mileage 430s and some really nice higher mileage 430s. Look at Colorfull’s 430 as a great example of a higher mileage (than 20K) 430 that’s in exceptional condition.

Good luck with your search! The 430 is an exceptional experience.

 

Ferrari values are very sensitive to mods. Some mods can get your money back, but most don’t and some can even cost you more than the mods in value.

I’m in the buy and hold camp also but life can test your resolve with kids, work, spouse etc. I’d maybe recommend doing the easily reversible ones first and see how you use the car and go from there. You might be more satisfied with it in more stock form than you think. That way you ease into it and make sure the car is what you want.

my car has some mods too fwiw. All easily reversible.

 

If you can afford it and are going to keep it for a long time, then go for it. As others have pointed out, don’t get too hung up on mileage. Focus on condition. You can easily dump 20k into a low mileage example to get it sorted - especially if it hasn’t been driven much the last few years.

 

if you dont care about resale or are buying a "less desirable" one, go for it. Otherwise you'll be taking a significant hit. The manual conversion would likely wash out as the cost would increase the value about that much, but the other items would decrease it....best case it's worth what you paid for it before unless you plan on putting it back to stock to sell.

I would take it one step at a time. Get the car, shake it down for a bit...then headers and conversion and whatever else it will likely need when that's happening.

Then go for the things that will have minor impact like unsprung weight and weight reduction as you really need it.

 

FWIW I've only owned manuals (outside of a few DDs) all my life, and I'm in no rush to convert my 430.

 

I second not focusing on mileage. I chose one that seemed regularly driven and had a long list of maintenance history. If you get a list of just oil and fluid changes, I guarantee you something will break soon from lack of use.

also, wait a bit before starting the mods. You want to settle in the car and get to know it as it sits so you know if any of your mods are having issues or if it’s something residual.

if you’re looking at an example that doesn’t have CCB’s already and are going to spend the extra money on them, it’s better to wait and get an example with the already. 2008+ all have them with other updates and can be worth seeking out.

also, not sure how much the market has changed, but Spiders typically have the premium over coupes so I don’t know where you got that info.

 

Typically for other models, yes.

As i had been tracking the market for some time until recently buying one....I dont think there's a difference anymore in the 360/430 market for either. I think there's actually more spiders for sale regularly than coupes, so the prices are either the same or less for spiders. I think this current generation of buyers prefer coupes fwiw. Not sure if it's purely related to supply/availability or the fear of top issues/costs.

 

Appreciate all the replies. I agree I'm definitely going to piecemeal change the car over time after I see what I like and don't like. The changes I outlined are just based on my intuition after driving the F430 hard and pulling from my years of throwing my own cars around. Resale value isn't a huge deal to me, more of a nice to have. I just wouldn't to take a massive hit somehow.

The biggest non reversible change would probably be the seat install if side mount installs means permanently changing stock seat rail geometry. Otherwise I'd keep all stock parts (seats, catback exhaust, wheels) in case I need to sell.

Spiders do seem to be a bit cheaper on average based on my research. Younger gen is buying the F430 now and the spider is less "cool", but they don't know how much more fun an open top is when you're pushing a car lol

 

Don't rush for the manual conversion. I had been dead set on doing the same thing prior to getting my 360 Modena F1 last month. I have been a diehard manual guy for years. My daily is a Boxster manual and I love it. Then I got the 360, and drove it on a windy mountain road - ohhhh man. I absolutely LOVE the F1 transmission - it is fantastic. The F1 in the 430 is supposed to be better than the one in the 360. So my suggestion is to live with the F1 for a bit and see how you like it.

 

Top issues are nightmares I would never auspicate to anybody. You.fix one thing.....another one breaks or starts malfunctioning. Switches, idraulic actuators, tolerances....wonderful cars, but spyder IMHO.... no thanks.

 

you definitely wont get your $60k investment in the swap back. So make sure you want to keep it forever!

 

Yea I'm of two minds. Have a drive of a spider coming up and I just know I'll love it 2x more at least like every other convertible variant I've driven. But reading about the maintenance doesn't give me a lot of confidence

 

Think your 1st mind is right 'cept 2X may be a significant underestimate. When I have the top up, it still sounds great, but then I drop it and oh man, there it is.

As for sanity check, I'd say you're on point imho. My list was 6spd, convertible, then, improve exhaust, improve wheels (ended up doing shocks too), then improve seats, and improve sound system.

Did all that, also some other, just keeps getting better. I had it converted even before getting it, dealer to shop to my home.

Many things I did because at the time I didn't know what I was getting into.

Takeaway, I've done most of it myself, learned tons (thank you entire FCHAT community), made some friends along the way, and would do it again.

So much of the suggestions you get here on FCHAT are good ones, some will make more sense for you than others, doesn't mean they are right or wrong, there are many ways to get there with these cars.

Thank you @AandSC for the callout, you are the master!

 

Thanks for the info here! Curious to pick your brain about the seats, what did you change and what did you see improved? F430 lacked a lot of chassis feel vs my Cayman, Miata, and the Gallardo. The seats were very high and felt like couches with a ton of padding which I imagine is one of the biggest reasons why, I'm thinking there's no way a <3500lb '05 car that otherwise shakes with the V8 doesn't transmit chassis feel unless the seats are swallowing it all