I picked up a tdf blue/tan 1998 550 a few days ago at Algar Ferrari and got to drive it some this weekend. Please take a listen to the exhaust in this short youtube video of me driving on a curvy backroad today near my home. It was cold today, so the sound on the video is with the windows up. Is that the sound of the stock exhaust on a 550 or do you think it might have an aftermarket one on it? It isn't as loud as some of the Tubi systems I've heard on other 550s over the years. (You'll also hear me in the video make a few slower-than-normal upshifts and downshifts - I'm still getting used to the car. ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDoOib_h9cA Here is pic of the car on the showroom floor taken back on Friday. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sounds stock to me. Are you getting alot of rpm drop during your shifts? They sound funny like you run up the rpm then shift and it is falling off so fast that you are getting a small lurch as you get back on the gas? Check for the easy to see ferrari muffers at the back with the dashpot on it that controls flow to one of the dual pipes. You may also want to get under there and see if the center muffer is now straight pipes or x-pipe that's a common mod and increases your noise.
LOL, yes. That "rpm drop" is a special trait of mine due to ... lack of current shifting skills! The heavy clutch pedal and torque of the V12 is a bit to get used to. That was only the second time I've driven the car (or any V12 Ferrari). I used to own a 2001 360 Modena with a stick, so I should get much better at driving the 550 over the next few weeks. I have a four-post lift in the garage, so I'll put the 550 up on it and inspect the exhaust system. If I find any identifying brand names I'll post it, otherwise I'll post pics of the exhaust sections in this thread later this week. Thanks.
Ya know, Ron, I drive a manual 12 cylinder Fcar all the time. I would be happy to exercise her for you while you focus your attention on the exhaust note... Just the kind of guy I am. CC
What brand/model lift do you have, toggie? I'm looking into outfitting my garage with one (had enough of all the crouching and sliding around on the creeper) so would be interested in what's out there. ketel
I have a 4-post Rotary "Revolution" parking lift, model #RFP7P, with 7000 lb. lift capacity. I got the one that runs on 110 volts (instead of 220) so that it plugs into a standard wall outlet plug. I got the following options with it: plastic drip trays, caster kit (allows for the lift to be repositioned), jack tray, and extended runway ramps (works better for cars with low front ground clearance). Cost was about $5200 back in 2007, delivered to my home & assembled/tested. I don't think they offer the RFP7P any more, but one that is very similar is their 9000 lb. lift model, the RFP9. Link for that one is here: http://www.revolutionlifts.com/RFP9.asp It seems identical in size and design to my RFP7, so maybe it is just the evolution of the same lift. The 110 volt power unit raises the cars much more slowly than the 220 volt unit. It takes me 20 - 30 seconds to raise my lift when a car is on it. For parking one car on top of another, this amount of lift time is fine. However, if you were doing mechanical work all day long on multiple cars, you'd opt for the 220 volt unit so that the cars would rise quickly, more like the professional lifts at a car shop. The 220 power unit requires a hard-wired connection to its own dedicated circuit breaker, so the 110 is much easier and cheaper to install (no electrician needed - just existing wall plugs in your garage). Plus, the 110 connection makes the lift portable to any side of the garage that has a wall outlet plug nearby. My lift has worked perfectly for my needs. I have enough vertical clearance (a little more than 10 feet high when the garage door is open) to store one car above another easily. Check the vertical height inside your garage when the door is open. There is a height calculator on that web page to see if it will work or not for your garage ceiling & car heights. 4 post lifts are great for parking and getting to the central underside of the car, however, their one drawback is the car is still sitting on the four tires, so any work which requires removing a wheel, requires jacking up the car a few inches above the lift's side tire tracks. This is what the jack tray allows you to do. It is a very strong all-metal cross-section that allows a small hydraulic jack (or jacks) to be positioned under the car to raise one or more wheels. Hope this info helps. Good luck.
I watched your video last night. Your 550 sounds louder than mine....did you get it on the lift and see what the exhaust looked like? Bobert
No, not yet. The 550 is currently down at FOW. I dropped it off yesterday to get the VA emissions test and safety sticker (needed for VA license plate & registration). Brian took a quick look underneath while the car was at ground level and said it had the stock exhaust system on it. So, I'm pretty sure that when I get it on the lift at home and take pics, it will be the stock 550 exhaust system on it. Maybe the digital pocket camera we took the short video with, recorded a deeper exhaust sound than what most humans hear?
The exhaust is stock. You can tell this by listening to the video and by simply looking at his first picture in this thread...
Yeah, when the valves open and you KEEP them open, it's actually quite loud... a little disconcerting to most people who "assume" they're ALWAYS quiet as per conventional wisdom. That being said, the kreissieg pipes aren't something I'd turn down. Gorgeous car Toggie. -Joe
It doesn't sound stock to me. My guess would be that the stock muffler flaps are wired open, or an X-pipe was installed..... But- maybe it's just the video camera that is making it sound louder.
100% it is not stock exhust system. Mine is 99 year and it is very quiet and I know it is stock. You may have a hole in the pipe rather than exhust modification.
The Novitec exhaust is coming off my 575M right now after 200 miles, since I found an HGTC for it. If somebody has a Maranello with central muffler and wants a really strong sounding exhaust, this is the one. It is too loud for late model Maranellos without a central muffler. It really looks beautiful with four 90 mm tailpipes and the polished mufflers seen through the four professionally fabricated screens. Novitec's screens were not used. The stock and most aftermarket systems only have two screens. Will put it in ferrariads as soon as I get it back. Taz Terry Phillips
The problem is that I own a 456, that has a more rounded butt, while these tail mufflers, although they fit, they do not look right, as they are made for the 550 which has a more squared-back butt. So after trying them out I went back with the Tubi my car came with. I will try to post some pictures.
Squat thrusts and bench presses...! Before you know it, you'll be shifting like... like... like Carbon McCoy...! The exhaust doesn't sound stock my very amateur ear. I don't think I've ever been in a 550 that had a stock exhaust.
Hello Toggie - Nice looking car - my wife and I are in the 550 or 575 tire kicking stages now. Need some advise how to glean info from FerrariChat - you know, what to look for when considering either car. As I am new to the forum, lucky you, could you give me a few hints how to pick though so much information and zero in on the treads dealing with what to look for? Thanks in advance - hope to join the 550/75 soon. Doug
I dunno, sounded pretty stock to be. Look at the underside and you should be able to tell a lot easier.
Here are two pictures showing the Tubi tail mufflers mounted on my 456 and the Stebro that I had tried and subsequently removed. The Stebro is made for the 550 / 575 back of the car and although the attachments match correctly with the 456, the length of the pipes does not fit nicely with the shape of the rear bumper. Sound wise, the Stebro is louder than the Tubi. I would sell them for half of what I paid for, if anyone is interested. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I think you had what I did to start: stock exhaust with flappers tricked open... did you ever find out? Congrats on the color! C.
