Ah, the spoils of war. Today, after much procrastination, I fitted my carbon fiber roof to the 348. Some observations and background: 1. Mine is not clear-coated. I bought 2 roofs, and fellow Fchatter "resnow" and I flipped a coin to determine who got which one. resnow has the shiny clear-coated one. Seeing the roof finally on my car, I'm quite happy with the matte look. 2. I bought all new brackets and rubber from a supplier in Italy; I did not buy new latches. Hey, business at Ricambi is good -- but it's not good enough for me to blow $1K on new latches, especially when I know that Paul Hill will eventually have much better ones for much less. 3. The new rubber was a waste of money. It fits just as poorly on the new roof as it did on the old roof. My car leaks like a sieve in the rain, and I don't think this will change the situation one iota. 4. This roof weighs almost nothing. The combined weight of the latches, brackets, pins and rubber is equal to that of the entire unadorned roof. Easily, I just shed 15 pounds from the car. 5. No insulation on the headliner. It'll be a little louder... but with Luca in the picture, I don't see any long country drives with Mrs. JRR happening anytime soon. Yo yo yo, resnow... get that roof fitted before our FCA-NC season begins. 86426 and 86427 need to maintain their family resemblance! p.s. Yes, the drivers door is ajar in that picture... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Dan, a large Challenge number plate on the roof with your name and your flag of origin and you are set! I like it for the track, never have the top on at home... What's the problem?
Daniel: You not only shed 15 lbs., but shed it from a good spot too- way up high. Sort of like when I ditched the heavy rubber-coated steel bumpers from my old GT4 track car in favor of 5-lb. 'glass ones- not only did I lose maybe 65 lbs. each (!), but I lost it from the extreme ends of the car. Besides, it looks way cool! Regards, Ira
Yep I dislike you even more now....hording all those cool little items for yourself. Looks very nice man and I agree the Matte looking be the better choice.
It looks grear Daniel! BTW Your 1/4 mile time just droped by .03 sec. with the weight you droped hehe.
Your challenge to install the CF top on SN86427 has been met and now SN86426 is ready for VIR (but not likely to win a concours). Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Dayyyum that looks good! I think I need to get out a can of clear-coat and get mine glossy like that. VIR in March should be unbelievable (as long as it doesn't rain on our new roofs!)
Can I add the following: What are the chances for using a "red CF weave" vs the standard such that those with red cars could have them fairly close to Rosso? Thanks in advance. -Mike C.
I'm pretty sure these will not go into production for one simple reason -- cost. I have spoken to probably two dozen "brothers" about the top, and whenever I mention a price point in the $3000 range, it pretty much kills the conversation. I have all the requisite items for production, but judging the market (as I see it), there wouldn't be more than about 10 people who step up and make that kind of investment for a 348 accessory. If y'all feel otherwise, please PM me. I would LOVE to be proven wrong on this one. -Daniel
[ VIR in March should be unbelievable (as long as it doesn't rain on our new roofs!)[/QUOTE] You had better duct tape those windows in real good
It looks the same as the exterior. No cloth covering, no insulation. There is one molded center support, identical to the OEM roof.
Those roofs are awesome. Lets hope the 355 guys don't get any. I'm telling you guys if you drop out some weight in your 348's and put in a challenge or free flow exhaust the 55-75hp advantage of the 355 goes away really quickly.
Correct! My 348 is ~200 lbs. lighter, and has an extra 40-50 hp and has no problem handling 355s at the track.... and if your brakes are improved, 360s are your next target! Add the fact that driving the 348 well requires smooth technique and skill, and you have a real exotic car driving experience! As Enzo intended!
Dan very cool. If I still had money... Also, in pix, I prefer the flatter finish becasue it looks more like the stock top. The real problem with clear coated CF is that once you start putting it on your car, you almost cannot stop.
After 3.5 odd years how has the carbon stood up to the environment? Any fading or cracking? Given these cars don't spend extended periods outside uncovered but still interested to heard how it's stood up so far.
