? for F40 owners : F40 in town ...

They're really good actually. I've driven all of the ones I've driven in traffic.

They have only a few potential problems... ones that I as a mechanic have fixed several times..

Driving slowly can encourage the brakes to glaze and/or oxidise the surface, meaning when you really need them, they can feel dead requiring huge pedal pressure to stop. This is very common and many F40 owners think their brakes are bad because of this simple thing. Pads do need to be a little warmed to have proper bite.

Also, they tend to foul spark plugs during the warm up cycle, if not cleared regularly.

Gearbox is fine. Just needs fresh/good oil.

Clutch weight is no problem.

Make sure your tyres are no more than 5 years old or there abouts. They get hard and become treacherous. New std tyres can transform the car beyond belief.

 

the brakes are never good, I'm swapping mine for F50 brakes then I'll redo the master cylinder. The suspension is race car hard. Front end doesnt scrape too bad though. Not too much of a pain in traffic

 

For town driving, you could source some street only pads, and change them for the open roads/track if it bothers you. Of course, getting wheels off F40 for a pad change is a hassle. The brake discs and pads must be warmed, and the only way is to use them, they soon cool down too, so city braking is always going to be below par. Std pad compound is Pagid 4-2-1, and they do go off with age regardless of use. You'd also be surpised how much old hard tyres affect the braking feel.

Oil consumption is not an issue. In most cases it's fine to go with the recommended shell/agip oil for the car, but I prefer Castrol products FWIW. Their range is wide, easy to access and fairly priced.

BUT, driving an F40 around town, is like taking a greyhound for a walk on a leash...... it'll end up hating you, and may even bite.

 

My experience with the F40 in in city driving is that it is perfectly manageable if you keep the revs under 3,500. Above that number you get the boost coming on and the beast emerges, even for that second or so until you get off the gas. If you mix sudden boost pressure with cold tires and the tiniest amount of steering input, you are asking to see the rear end come around real suddenly and there you are looking directly at oncoming traffic!

The brakes require firm pressure when they are cold and they are always cold in slow city driving. The brake cooling ducts in the F40 are really efficient and were designed to deal with ludicrous speed. It's really hard to get the brakes to overheat, so you have to learn to lean on the brakes in city driving. The cold brakes are usuallly accompanied by a terrible squeal and it certainly draws attention.

All that notwithstanding, an F40 moving slowly through city streets is like a shark lazily swimming around until it spots its intended victim, when it moves in at blinding speed to devour the unsuspecting meal.

 

LOL Not unless you plan on remaking the movie RENDEVOUZ in Paris in your F40

 

I gave a friend of mine a ride in my F40 today. After several aggressive runs into and out of triple figures I thought I would try a hard full stop from up high. It took lots of pedal effort but stopped great. My friend mentioned she smelled brakes while we were sitting at the light and I said "Yea, that's great! If we hadn't had the harnesses on we would have went thru the windshield!" No hint of locking, just solid stopping. After the high speed runs and stops, the ride was compared to a roller coaster. I don't think I have ever seen her smile that big before!

As far as drivability goes, it drives like a 348 below 3500 rpm. After that you need to be mindful of how much throttle you use. You can cruise along quietly all day long and never see 4000 rpm or push the throttle down and break loose the rear tires.
No matter how you drive it, it will always give you 100% feel of the road...

 

Well said. I would like to post actual instances to why this is so true but will refrain.

 

I seriously hate you all....all i can think about is what it must be like to own an F40. And let me tell you, the picture in my head is that its probably pretty cool, lol. Oh well I guess video games will have to do till I get the hell out of school and make a name for myself. Wait when's that inheritance coming, haha??

Mark

 

My f40 is pretty easy to drive in traffic. It's very docile below 4000 rpm so it's pretty easy to be safe. it's very predictable.

I don't find the brakes to be a problem as I tend to give people more room when I'm in the F40. Some people slow down to try to get you to pass them ...

Problems occur with every day hazards though. You have to be careful at all driveway entrances. the front spoiler is fairly low but the front overhang is quite long so it scrapes if you don't come in at an angle.

Also if you have any speedbumps beware....

Simon

 

My F40 drives great around town. My only complaint is the cargo space when I take it to the hardware store. You get funny looks with a couple 2x4s sticking out a partially rolled up passenger window...

 

I thought I was the only one with squealing brakes. I just had the disc's machined and put in new pads, all round. So I'm hoping that will help with the squeal problems. Driving an F40 in traffic is like driving a BOXER in traffic. I don't think the cars were built for that really. On the open road...................
now your talking.

 

1500 miles in 20 hrs,the snow slowed me down and the many fuel stops.
Roland
F40LM

 

Suspension is not too stiff. I find my car enjoyable on all types of roads. Excellent feed back through the wheel. I've never hit a pothole or any road grade changes that have caused any uncomfortable kick-back. IMO this is not an issue.