F430 New owner diary inc. maintenance & upgrades

The Superfast 2 conversion is complete and working! This leads me to just about the end of phase two and from here I will MOT the car then just use & enjoy it for a while. The whole (car) project started February 2016 and on reflection has been the greatest, most interesting personal car project I've undertaken to date and I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to do so.

Like any project with a degree of emotional attachment it had its downs as well as ups! but the learning & satisfaction I've taken from it is absolutely priceless and will hugely add to my continued enjoyment of the car. I now have my dream specification and at the moment I wouldn't change it for anything else!

(photo attached below)
(photo attached below)

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph it wasn't all plain sailing, in fact at the point it was expected to be a commissioning exercise things proved to be anything but! I will document the diagnosis here in case it helps anyone else in the future.

Issues and diagnosis leading to completion: paddles
DEIS was the first of several steps required to commission a new TCU and something was causing it to fail with unsatisfactory results.
(photo attached below)

The NCR/TCU did not log actual DTCs (trouble codes) during the seven or so times DEIS had been run, but thankfully on the next attempt a DTC was logged for a lever error: P1745 LEVER UP and P1748 LEVER DOWN. This pointed to the paddles. I figured out the root cause was a safety feature I'd put in my code that makes sure that at every clock cycle the resistance value is set to 'nothing pressed' if nothing actually is pressed. It seemed that even if the AD8400 digital potentiometer in my module is already set to the value being requested again it momentarily reverts to max scale before setting down again, and this fraction of a second change was enough to confuse the TCU.

I fixed the issue as part of the v2 prototype and incorporated some ideas that Stef from Scud Ing Swiss has suggested, which included using hardware interrupts for efficiency, implementing a watchdog interrupt ISR(WDT_vect) to reboot the device if a hang is detected, and adding a S14K17 varistor to the power circuit for added transient protection. Thanks Stef.

Issues and diagnosis leading to completion: Self-learn
The paddles were the easy part. The F1 system refusing to play ball most definitely wasn't. DEIS would complete with the paddles addressed but self-learn would not get to the point of engaging gears. The pump would prime and the TCU would update the instrument cluster (NQS) with the gear it wanted, but the actuator would not change position. The process failed with a P1741 error for the engagement potentiometer being under the minimum threshold. In this case the threshold relates to the output voltage range of the engagement potentiometer (the wiper) which was recorded by the TCU as less than 0.49v.

What was interesting to note was much like the DEIS process the error was not stored in the TCU as a DTC but displayed only on screen following the procedure - I've read people referring to 'soft' and 'hard' errors so this would appear to fit the description of the former. Also of interest was that there are multiple categories of error for the same DTC, whereby in the case of P1741 it could be either 'under min', 'over max', or simply 'inconsistent with previous usage' (the TCU seems to record this and does forget it after being disconnected from the battery for a few hours); if the diagnostic tool being used doesn't display the category like an SD3 does then further diagnosis would be required to determine which one is the trigger.

Back to the P1741 code - it could actually mean one of several things:

1) The potentiometer was faulty;
2) There was a problem with the wiring or a short to ground on the pot output;
3) The NCR/TCU was not providing the 5v reference voltage;
4) P1741 is just is a symptom: there was actually a problem with the actuator causing the pot to read out of range.

Checks were performed to address each of the above:

No.1 - The Scuderia potentiometers were swapped with the known good set from my old actuator. No change.
(photo attached below)

No.2 - All of the wiring was checked - not only from the pots, but everything back to the TCU. All OK.
For info: the TCU converts the engagement and selection pot output voltages into a 0 - 1024 engagement and 0 -1024 selection range for use as grid coordinates in the gear changing process.

No.3 - The reference voltage and earth were easy enough to check at the potentiometer multiplug. Again, this checked out OK.
(photo attached below)

No.4 - The actuator was bled and re-bled to be sure. The strange thing was when that observing it off of the car it would go into each gear cleanly if requested by a diagnostic test action so a solenoid issue preventing correct engagement was unlikely, in fact leakage rates for the three selection and two engagement valves were well below the 30 cc/min ceiling so the solenoids should be free to do a precise job. The way the actuator cleanly engaged gears when requested by diagnostics (not during a self-learn but an individual test action) certainly did not give cause to think otherwise.
(photo attached below)

What the actuator did not do however was get neutral; selection was not attempted and the two engagement solenoids would just buzz with the actuator finger stationary in its current position. Neutral should be the middle of the gate between 3rd and 4th. Following the failed neutral engagement the TCU would start doing strange things for a few changes afterwards, like going into 6th from 1st when 2nd was requested. This was the first oddity.

The voltage output from the pot was monitored during engagement of all gears to see if it did ever drop below 0.49v to trigger the P1741 'below min'. It didn't. This was the second oddity.

Another check was to ensure that when in gear the engagement and selection position in the TCU were within the factory set minimum and maximum secure thresholds. There are two types of gear positioning information stored in the TCU: engagement - for pushing into a gear i.e. across the gate - and selection - for moving up and down the gate. Each gear has both a selection and engagement value associated with it and there are two categories of those:

1) Min/max 'secure' thresholds: set by the factory as the absolute safe design limit for the movement of the actuator finger. These are specific to the gearbox and actuator type (including revision/part number- the F430 ones did change over the years so some TCUs should only be paired with some gearbox numbers). These represent the safe range of movement actuator can move within for each gear;
2) A self-learned min/max value that indicates the optimal position of the actuator finger for a selected gear. These values are learned during the self-learn process and cater for a slight offset of the actuator position relative to the gearbox and/or any manufacturing tolerances. They are overwritten each time the self-lean is run.

If the gear position is outside of the secure thresholds something is so physically amiss that a self-learn would never start, and conversely would not cure.
(photo attached below)

Everything checked out within the secure thresholds but obviously the engagement position fell outside of the self-learned range. Two things were interesting here: at no point had a self-learn completed so where did these values come from in a brand new TCU?, and secondly the variant of P1741 error related to under minimum voltage - which it never was - so logic dictates it should have been the 'inconsistent' category because the actuator was now moving outside of the self-learned range, rather than providing a voltage outside of the min/max voltage. This was the third oddity.

Happy there was not a mechanical or wiring issue it could only be the TCU itself. The actual Scuderia conversion was working in terms of all modules communicating and allowing drive mode selection by the Manettino, and bypassing TCU control of the third and final start relay by pinning terminal 85 direct to earth enabled the engine to start and run.

Issues and diagnosis leading to completion: TCU
The fun didn't stop: Ferrari have now made TCUs a restricted part that can only be ordered by them with a car in their workshop diagnosed by them as a TCU fault - the reason is a shortage of TCUs! At this point I have a full appreciation of how flaky these modules are, or at least the CFC301s I have experience of. I was not about to send my car to Ferrari for them to come to the same conclusion as it would be a drawn out and costly affair, so instead I looked elsewhere.

I was fortunate enough to pick up three TCUs from Italy: one final software version (EAGD53W08) and a matched pair of penultimate software versions (EAGD51W07). The CFC301 TCUs have flash programmable firmware so the software version and part number on the case label does not necessarily indicate what is actually loaded, so with each plugged in to the car the version could be confirmed by diagnostics. I now have a spreadsheet of the versions and the parameters contained on each of them which I will use as the basis for another project.

Getting to know the TCUs a bit more has led me to suspect that the solution to rectifying a 'bricked' TCU lies in the parameter space, so my next project is going to be how to create a virgin TCU image of the latest software type so that I can easily create a spare from any CFC301 donor, and also potentially repair corrupt ones.
(photo attached below)

The good news is all three replacement TCUs worked and allowed the car to start and drive.

Issues and diagnosis leading to completion: EVF
With the F1 system operational a new issue reared its head: the clutch (EVF) solenoid had an external leak. Fluid was actually escaping through the electrical connector on the end of the solenoid and filling the multiplug with fluid. This was at times - though surprisingly very, very rarely - causing a DTC for clutch circuit pressure. I forget the code now but it was a symptom as obviously the clutch solenoid was sometimes not opening thus the clutch pressure sensor never saw pressure. It is surprising that a solenoid error was not logged for the EVF!

The EVF solenoid (PPV02 type in this case) was replaced. I also took the decision to replace the entire F1 loom with a new one given the oil contamination - most likely OTT but provides complete peace of mind.
(photo attached below)

Loom laid out.
(photo attached below)

The loom is quite simple to fit and runs from the RH passenger compartment, above the RH fuel tank behind its heat shield, and into the RH rear wheel arch area.
(photo attached below)

F1 power unit loom installation. It's nice to know everything is new.
(photo attached below)

Misc
The new Optima 34R I purchased last year failed to hold a charge for an acceptable length of time either on or off the car. Reading a few other stories online it seems I am not the only one to suffer this, though I do note that since last year when mine was new Bosch have taken the Optima line into their portfolio so perhaps quality has improved. I wanted to go a different route this time but ultra-lightweight options such as the Braille and ODYSSEY battery's would likely not be suited to a two week road trip without access to a battery tender, so I decided to go back to a lead acid battery but downsized compared to standard.

I went for a Bosch S5 005; in terms of amp-hours it is in-between the standard F430 battery and the Scuderia's Optima but is down on CCA. This really isn't a concern for me as although the car will be used in cold temperatures it won’t ever be started in them - my garage never gets below 10 degrees. The 005 will save approx. 4kg over the Optima.

(photo attached below)
(photo attached below)

The bonnet release handle on the later cars is made from a horrible flimsy plastic and mine had cracked around the edges making it look unsightly. I have replaced it with the sturdier part from a 2006 car. The handle and air inlet ducts are the only parts I've so far found in the late car that reduced in quality rather than improved.
(photo attached below)

The front bumper is secured by four M10 studs with Nylocs and heavy steel washers. There is approx. 20mm of unused thread on each stud which makes removing the bumper a real chore, as access to some of the nuts requires a ratchet spanner. I have decided to do away with the steel washers and install some custom aluminium spacers and thin washers that both save a bit of weight and a lot of time when removing the bumper - the nuts now sit close to the end of the thread.
(photo attached below)

My old gearbox and F1 system are for sale if anyone needs either.
(photo attached below)

Contacts/thanks
Ed Blasi at Christian Lewis for anything Ferrari (or Aston, TVR, and others!) in the UK. Massive thanks to Ed as usual including producing a very high standard engineers report that I have used to help secure a very comprehensive insurance policy.

Simon Stoj for actuator rebuilds and servicing. Simon has been involved with Selespeed since the early days and rebuilds actuators under the 'BHP' moniker. He was a real help to me when I wanted an in-depth insight into the internals of the F1 hardware.

Carlo in Italy for helping me to secure the first replacement TCU.

selespeed.de and f1-hydraulik.de - Dirk Bellmann is based in Germany and goes out of his way to help the Selespeed/F1 community.

Angelo and Mike in Italy for parts.

Sander QV - UniDiag . Sander has been involved with the electronic side of Selespeed for several years and wrote the UniDiag program to diagnose Alfa/Fiat/Lancia. He is currently assisting me to start accessing and disassembling the Ferrari TCU code.

 

Thank you! Kind words.

 

Thanks Fredrik. I am an IT Architect working in financial services, so no real connection to cars, but they have been my passion since I was a child.

 

P0715 - GEARBOX INPUT REVOLUTIONS'
I've had to work through some more issues. I had an intermittent P0715 code in the TCU - 'GEARBOX INPUT REVOLUTIONS' which relates to the input shaft speed sensor mounted on the LH rear of the gearbox. The trigger criteria are:

- Detected with engine on and clutch closed or engine on, gear engaged and gear output rpm greater than 600 rpm, zero speed with car conditions for more than 0.58 seconds.
or
- Detected with engine on, but not during start-up, if signal is equal to zero for more than 0.58 seconds.

As with other codes this one can be a symptom of another problem; the Punto Incipiente Slittamento (PIS) parameter in the TCU specifies in mm the liner position of the release bearing along its shaft at which the clutch begins to slip as part of the closing operation. If the PIS is set incorrectly causing the clutch to drag, the TCU will detect an RPM reading from the shaft speed sensor when it does not expect one and log a P0715.

Of course, the other root cause is if the sensor is faulty. In my case replacing the sensor solved the issue. The part number is 168729 and like most parts common to Ferrari and Maserati, the Maserati 'version' i.e. in a differently branded box is quite a bit cheaper.

(photo attached below)

Rear main oil sieve
The car has punished me for not using it enough: the rear main oil seal has turned into a sieve! It's not uncommon on these cars and unsurprisingly the root cause is hardening of the seal due to lack of use. The photo shows engine oil leaking out of the flywheel inspection aperture.
(photo attached below)

The car will go back to its second home (Christian Lewis) on Monday and Ed is going to turn it around in a few days.

I've picked up a new oil seal and a spigot bearing ready. The clutch in my car was brand new last year before my ownership, and why people don't replace the seal and bearing at the same time as a matter of course is beyond me; the parts are only around £20 each.
(photo attached below)

EVF - Clutch solenoid
I've fitted a brand new EVF solenoid as I wasn't happy using the one from my old system even though it was fine - I'd rather everything in the system was new.
(photo attached below)

I need to correct a typo in my previous update: the original clutch solenoid was a QPV02 type not a PPV02. There are two types of solenoid used in the F1 system:

- Proportional pressure valve: pressure in the circuit is regulated by the valve and modulated buy a PWM signal;
- Proportional flow valve: flow through the valve is modulated by a PWM signal.

The PPV valves are labelled PPV and the PFV solenoids are labelled QPV. he clutch circuit uses a QPV type to fill the release bearing with a specific around of fluid which in turn moves it a known distance along its shaft.

EVFs always used to be the QPV02 type but Ferrari now supply a QPV14 solenoid when 248091 is ordered, The selection solenoids in my system are already on QPV14.

F1 oil
The oil Ferrari originally recommended for the F1 system is Fiat Tutela CS Speed, which is now produced by Petronas. It is a GM Dexron III specification fluid. Later on, Ferrari switched to Shell and specified Donax TX. From what I can gather Donax TX has been - or is in the process of - being discontinued. Its replacement is Spirax S4 HDX so that is what I have used.
(photo attached below)
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Thanks Julian. I will put some miles on the xar after I get it back next week, then write a full review.

 

Thank you!

I've not got to this thread for a while but Ed turned around the crank seal and bearing in a couple of days, which was excellent.

Some photos below to show the the old seal - very soggy but caught at the very first stage of degradation, the installation tool used, and the new seal and bearing fitted.

Thanks to Ed for doing that so quickly.
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Thanks all

 

Road trip diary. I've tried to strike a balance between car photos and general sightseeing as countless pics of the car would be a little boring.

We were a bit more organised this year and had the planning squared away a week before we departed. In the past we've ended up planning the trip a couple of days before and even booking the crossing on the night before we leave, which was fun in its own way. I'm not really a fan of prescriptive planning.

For a change we decided to use the Channel Tunnel this year rather than a Ferry, as actually some of the shorter ferry routes were a bit grim outside of the upgraded lounge area, but at the time safer than the tunnel. I booked us on to the high vehicle carriages as they provide a bit more width which is needed for a supercar. I picked up my OH from Ashford train station on the way down as we were in different parts of the country the night before, but despite packing together a day before and she turned up with another suitcase. Thankfully the luggage compartment on the F430 is pretty large but knowing the type of roads we would be driving on I was slightly concerned about the added weight resulting in further reduced ground clearance!

Part 1 | France | Epernay
The first night at a Champagne producer to taste their wares and go on a bit of a tour. We have a wedding next year so that was the perfect excuse to make sure we got the right champagne It transpired there were two routes to the producer and despite both looking reasonable on Google Maps, one was well suited to a low car, and one wasn't. Guess which one we ended up on...needless to say the nice new carbon rear diffuser was scraped in several places and I went quiet for couple of miles.

My OH has come to understand my car hobby and takes an active interest in it, so I tried not to bring up the topic of the extra luggage I have come to the conclusion that the memories made when using the car outweigh any wear and tear, which really is par for the course, but I do like to keep it in good condition as much as possible.
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Part 2 | France | Lac d'Auzon Temple
France this year was just a stopover to Switzerland so was a full day of motorway driving beckoned, or at least that was the plan. We try to limit driving to seven hours as a day with a stop in-between purely to keep things more interesting so a stop for lunch at the hotel we'd return to for our final night seemed like a good idea, as it appeared to have a nice outside brasserie area for casual dining. Somehow we ended up in the main restaurant for one of their tasting menus and several hours later we still had six hours of driving left. This tends to happen a lot with us!

I was parked next to a British 911 SC Targa which looked great. The hotel also wanted me to park outside so they could take some photos to use in their literature. The staff were very good and kept hold of some additional luggage for us until we returned in a couple of week.
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Part 3 | Switzerland | Canton of Solothurn
Moving on to Switzerland for a few days we had a couple of days around Solothurn and Lucerne exploring and were very lucky with the weather which was bright with temperatures nearing 40 degrees. Being honest during midday it was a little out of my comfort zone for exploring!

Saw a Fiat 500 Riva. We both really like them.
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Part 4 | Switzerland | Canton of Uri
Moving on to the Canton of Uri to a hotel we'd dined at a couple of years ago and planned to return to, to stay. It was to be a base for driving various passes in the area. Hotel Stern und Post was one of the last outposts in the area before the Alps and also the post office for people living in the mountains. It has been restored to be historically sympathetic and contains items from its past. The two chaps who manage it went out of their way to ensure we were comfortable.

The view from our room was superb.

One of my favourite things to do is just driving around seeing random new places and stopping for a drink.

We did a bit of walking in the area and it's interesting to see the landscape when it's not all snow-covered.

Driving the passes was the main event for me. We drove the Furka, Grimsel, Gotthard, and some others that I forget. I had to baby the car a little bit as by now both mounts had failed and the engine movement would affect the balance of the car when downshifting, but regardless of that it was a fantastic time with some of the best driving of my life to date. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

One of the several incredible experiences from the trip was visiting the Rhône Glacier, and not only visiting but actually walking underneath it in tunnels the land owner has carved out to facilitate walkways. It was a surreal experience going from the high external temps to an iridescent blue underworld close to freezing hearing only the water drips of the melting glacier.

N.B. Separate paragraphs related to different photos or groups of photos.
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Part 5 | Italy | Lake Como
The roads around Como were pretty interesting in that in places there was barely room for one average car. Despite checking beforehand the route and hotel on Street View, when we finally got there it was apparent there was no way the car would get through their ridiculously narrow entrance, and there wasn't anywhere close by to park. We had to forget the booking and wing it. It was nearly 10pm at this point but we managed to find somewhere in Nesso which even closer to the water. Superb.

"Nesso is located on the Como-side shore of lake Como, along the road which leads from Como to Bellagio. The town’s historical centre stands on the point in which the two torrents: Tuf and Nosè, unite and form a waterfall that takes the name from the Nesso Ravine, diving into the waters of the Lario. Nesso has Celtic origins; the Romans conquered it in 196 BC; the people of Como destroyed it when it aligned itself with Milan during the 10 year war."

The water was balmy and fantastic for a midnight swim to work off dinner.

Bellagio is a good place to visit; there are plenty of restaurants to choose from and its reasonably lively in the evening.

We visited the gardens of Villa Melzi which turned out to be more of a spectacle than the villa itself. The villa was built during the First Italian Republic, founded by Napoleon.

The orangery had quite a few important historic items from the time of the republic, including some linked directly to Napoleon. I was surprised by the lack of security.
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Part 6 | Italy | South Tuscany
I love Tuscany. I could move there tomorrow. The surface condition of some roads leaves a little to be desired, but really who cares smile

- We stayed in a really nice historical property once the property of the Knights of the Order of Malta. The breakfast very good, too.

- Cue wine, cheese, and general exploring. By week two I've usually long forgotten work and happy to sink into a more laid back pace.

- Jeroboam's on sale. I figured I could fit three behind the seats.

- There is an amazing place to stay in Montepulciano: it's a palace rented out complete with all of its regal appointments. It's not fantastically opulent but quite unique regardless.

- More wine, cheese, and general exploring. Getting a bit fat now!

- We hired a little RIB on lake Trasimeno. I have an ICC but these places never ask for one

- I guess the boats aren't powerful enough to get into any real trouble on a lake.

-The lake is quite large and we explored a couple of its islands. One of them has a restaurant.

- There was an abandoned palace on one of the islands and exploring abandoned places is my kind of thing - I used to indulge in urbex years ago.
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- Sod's law that the engine mounts gave up the ghost part way through the trip - they were on my winter list! One first and then the other, evident by a slight increase in vibration then later perceptible movement of the engine under load which made driving the car as intended pretty difficult due to weight sift at corner entry, and due to my mechanical sympathy: ultimately impossible smile Having diagnosed the issue I ordered a pair of new mounts from C.D.P. S.p.A. and booked in the car to have them fitted.

- Testarossa engine out for a belt service. Good to see the technician using a dial gauge - actually I was pretty impressed with their approach to work. Much less "in out" than here in the UK.

- Loads of 500's in the wild, much to my OH's delight.

- I spotted this car looking rather forlorn in a side garage. I thought it looked like an older BMW but I'm not entirely sure.

- We like to visit fattorias to taste local produce though some of the farm tracks need negotiating carefully in a low car.

- Sulphur springs were quite a sight, and smell. The mud is supposedly very good for the skin but with an ambient temperature of 38 degrees and a water temperature of 48 degrees, on this occasion we left the locals to it and had a beer instead.

- Exploring towns and villages.
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- The driving was fantastic; the scenery, the weather, the roads, the lack of traffic, and shared enthusiasm for the car. Extremely memorable.
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Part 7 | Italy | Mont Blanc
On the route back we stopped by Mont Blanc. The weather turned pretty miserable by this point but the scenery was great.
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Part 8 | Home via Lac d'Auzon Temple
I don't know exactly where this was but on the route back through France, close to the Swiss border, there was a cable car from the Autoroute services. The building at the top looks pretty uninspiring but inside was a very warming restaurant with a view back over Mont Blanc.

That's about it. This time we didn't get too drunk on the final night and miss our train. Must be getting old!

Given the trip was also a bit of a shakedown for the car I have a few things to address and things to change. More on that later.
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I'm quite behind on updates as I've been busy, but in summary: after the road trip there were a few things I wanted to address.

Engine mounts
Some photos of the engine mounts that have been replaced. The old ones were absolutely shot.

New exhaust fabrication
The previous exhaust I'd made was nearly whisper quiet with the standard manifolds and cats, but as I came to find out, too loud at low RPM with the Capristo manifolds and cats. This was a silenced X-pipe so I cannot imagine how awful an un-silenced version must be for regular use.

- I had to find a solution - cue more cutting, measuring, and welding!

- I wanted to retain the X-Pipe because it sounds good, but add a silencer like the IPE and Kline system. I'm viewing this as a test because if I like how it turns out I will buy the Inconel Kline system. I started with two large radius U bends in 2.5" stainless. The radius was too large so I cut them in half and welded them back together.

- I then cut off the ends of the modified U bends and welded the two together.

- I've cut up my original F430 tailpipes to make use of the valves and the various bends.

- Photo to show the finished valved X-Pipe section. I also cut up my previous exhaust to use the bends to the cats.

- I need to upload some more photos, but I used the standard F430 silencer but modified to remove the heavy heat shielding and mounting flange. I have replaced the mounting flange with quick release V Clamps.

Heat management
After a few good runs through the Alps and in 40 degree ambient temps through Italy I had noticed that the car suffered from heat soak if driven at slower speeds for a short period after a blast - this is when the engine bay does not have the benefit of the various air feeds. The main cause will be the air box, which despite having two cold air feeds, is mounted directly in front of the exhaust silencer, and on top of the cats. Not ideal.

- I've insulated the air box with Thermo Tec Heat Barrier. It's not cheap for what it is but makes a decent difference.

- The top of the engine lid used to get very hot above the exhaust, so I've added Heat Barrier directly above the silencer.

- The visible parts of the cats glow cherry red after a good blast, and despite having Capristo blankets fitted - which do a good job - there was room for improvement. I have applied heat wrap over the Capristo blankets which has worked a treat: I can now hold the cats after a good drive.

- Cats and finished rear exhaust lower section wrapped.

- New rear exhaust lower section installed. I'm really pleased with how this turned out: I designed it to be removable in-situ without the need to remove under trays or move the cats.

New exhaust mounting system
I have taken the opportunity to simplify and lighten v1 of my mounting system. The premise is to make the rear most mount more sturdy and do away with the cat mounts on each side. This is the same approach used on the Scuderia.

- I've used three Powerflex poly isolators and some custom made hangars that were originally designed for the rear of a Metro!

- Mounting assembly completed and the first of three mounting rods.

- The assembly incorporates mounts for a Nimbus heat shield that I made to protect the isolators.

- View from the rear - the arms on each side are movement limiters to prevent lateral movement in the exhaust during hard cornering.

- Here are the three mounting bars I fabricated - one for the X-Pipe section and two for the silencer - one on each side. The total weight is less than that of the old version.

- Now I've done away with the cat mounts - a la Scuderia - I could swap all of the rear gearbox mounting studs for the plain bolts from a Scuderia. I could also replace the heavy U clamps with Mikalor clamps, saving more weight.

Weight savings to follow in a future update, and more adventures with the car.
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