488 Spider Glass Engine Bonnet cover project (Capristo)

I wanted to share my 488 Spider glass engine bonnet cover project with my fellow Ferrari enthusiasts to help anyone considering this modification.

In my opinion, the only things that keep the factory 488 Spider from being the perfect car are the hidden engine and the quiet exhaust. I solved both.

This project including the addition of an exhaust valve controller, replacement carbon fiber engine components and a replacement engine bonnet with glass insert.

The exhaust valve controller was purchased from Capristo. This is a relatively inexpensive modification (about $1,000 total) that allows the exhaust valves to be easily switched to "always open" via remote control. This pleases the wife and neighbors with the factory startup, then provides a more aggressive experience with the press of a button. This is a no-brainer "must do" project for any Ferrari.

Carbon Fiber (CF) engine components don't make much sense for Ferraris with covered engines. My goal was to expose the engine (as Ferrari should have done from the factory), so carbon fiber engine components are a must. Most of the CF components were also purchased from Capristo. They were very high quality CF and fitment was excellent. The carbon fiber oil cap was purchased from MyRicambi, which was a perfect match and fit. The MyRicambi cap is actually a cover the glues on top of the OEM cap. MyRicambi even provided the heat resistant silicone adhesive!

The replacement glass engine bonnet was much more extensive and expensive. We used the newest Capristo glass bonnet, which is a cleaner look than their original design. This bonnet is formed carbon fiber, top and bottom. The top is intended to be painted to match the car, and the bottom remains exposed CF. The fitment required modifications, as almost all aftermarket CF components do. Specifically, the hinges needed shims, the edges needed to be sculpted to align with car body opening and one of the body lines on the bonnet needed to be modified for alignment. Some of these changes could have been skipped, but I wanted it to be perfect.

The biggest challenge for my project was matching the paint. My car has very rare Rosso Corsa METALLIC paint, which doesn't even have a paint code. It took over 10 spray-outs plus 2 visits from the PPG paint rep to match the paint. Matching the paint shouldn't be nearly as difficult for most standard Ferrari colors.

The body shop added a red pinstripe on the underside of the bonnet to outline the glass, which turned out to be a very cool feature. We also painted the factory brackets (satin black) to blend with the CF on the underside of the bonnet.

The cost? Don't ask and don't tell my wife. The Capristo component prices can be found online. The labor depends on the level of perfection you are seeking. Plan to spend about $2,000 - $2,500 for labor for this project on average, higher if done by a Ferrari dealership. Mine was much more than this!

The end result of this project is amazing, a head-turner and show winner for sure!

Renown Auto Restoration in San Antonio completed all the work. They did an outstanding job and we both learned a lot about this modification.

Let me know if you have any questions - I'd be happy to save you some time, stress and money!

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