My 60k-Mile Track Rental BAT Scud Project!

Figured it was time for a proper introduction now that I am (finally) a Ferrari owner! As the title implies, I took a chance on the high mileage “suspected” track rental 430 Scuderia that recently went through BAT, and figured I’d start a thread to chronicle my journey with the car. The history of this car is pretty interesting, and has been the subject of FChat commentary each time it has popped up for sale over the years, in large part due to the lengths to which prior owners (i.e., dealers) have gone to avoid any public/internet declarations that the car was a former track rental. So there is no confusion, yes, this was in fact the Las Vegas Exotics Racing 430 Scuderia that was part of their fleet for years! And, this part blows my mind, I am the first private owner! That’s right, this car has never been titled in the name of a private individual (who is not a dealer). How crazy is that? Because of its “colorful” past and extensive track usage, I thought it might be interesting to some to detail the condition of the car, what it needs, what it doesn’t need (yet!), and how it has held up!

I. History

Car started off life in Las Vegas at Exotics Racing. After several years and 38k miles, and one attempted sale on ebay, it went to North Carolina as Part of the Petty Experience Fleet (at that time Petty was affiliated with the Exotics Racing organization). I actually tracked down the former operations manager at Petty and he was unbelievably helpful, and accommodating in sharing info about the car. He actually sent me a video he had of him driving the car with an indicated 56,000 miles on the odometer! In other words, this car isn’t just a high mileage example, it has 60 freaking thousand miles of which the majority were on a track!!!!! He did put my mind at somewhat though by describing the very fastidious maintenance the cars received. There were no short cuts as they were well aware of the costs associated with down time and mechanical breakdowns (i.e., the cars got weekly oil changes, quarterly plug changes, monthly brake system overhauls, etc…). The entire fleet was sold in late 2015 after Petty ceased operations following an on-track fatality at the Disney operation. That is where the story gets interesting!

The Petty fleet was purchased as a package deal by a high end/exotic California dealer (and FChat member) and at this point the car had about 56,6xx miles. Although he tried to sell it a few times, apparently issues kept popping up that made marketing difficult, and it did not sell until it went to a New Jersey dealer via a Manheim Auction sale in December 2019 at 58,137 miles (with zero service records, one key, no tools, and no other books or papers whatsoever…in other words, a total “red flag” auction car). So how does a car with 56k miles only see 2,000 miles over the next 4 years? I got the answer after speaking with the owner/dealer and the shops that serviced the car. It appears the car was jump started backwards shortly after its acquisition, which set off a chain of events and tale of woe that was incredibly unfortunate for the dealer, but fortunate for me as the future owner. To make a long story short, the car spent time bouncing between several Ferrari dealers and three different independents that kept fixing stuff until it finally ran right. I was able to collect most of the big-ticket invoices from the shops that worked on the car, so at least it now has some documented history. When you add up the new F1 ECU, two new engine ECU’s (all of which were fried), new F1 actuator “kit” (actuator, pump, accumulator, etc…), and the rebuilt transmission and diff (together with an insane number of new hoses, o-rings, seals, sensors and other stuff like a Hill Eng. TOB), the bill came to over $42,000. That doesn’t include the cost of the full PPG repaint in the same color that became necessary after the removal of the clear bra and stripes pulled up the clear coat! The Car then got listed on BAT via an active BAT dealer who took the car on a dealer re-assignment from the New Jersey dealer, and I pulled the trigger at $118,500 after much detective work! So, with BAT fees I’m in it for $123,500.

II. Chapter 2

After “winning” the auction I was really nervous. I went way beyond what I told myself I should bid, but my heart was telling me to go for it. I love the color, I had a hunch it was largely sorted from a mechanical standpoint given its prior track history which should have exposed every known gremlin and weak spot, and I’m a sucker for “rare” cars that you don’t see every day (thus my 996 gt3, manual Gallardo, V8 swapped 944, and daily driver Cadillac ELR hybrid). Plus, I have also lusted after a Scud for years but never thought I’d own one as I like to drive my cars, and most Scuds on the market are high priced/low mileage examples that I would be foolish to track or drive the wheels off. I also love a good project, and really enjoy the DIY process and try to do as much as I can (or pay someone else to fix my mistakes when they occur!). I’m also pretty OCD and don’t trust others to be as careful as I am for the run of the mill stuff!

So what did I get? I’ll be honest…in its current condition this is not a car many of the pickier F-Chatters would even consider. It is definitely a little rough around the edges and if you are not a diy kind of guy, the car would be super expensive to bring back to tip-top condition. But, and this is a big but, if you like me and enjoy the diy process, there is nothing on this car that is beyond repair or which will be super expensive to address, which makes me pretty happy! Plus, its a scud for the price of a really nice 430! Here is the breakdown:

Exterior: The exterior condition greatly exceeded my expectations. The repaint was VERY good. There is very little overspray I could find, zero clear coat runs, zero “trash” in the paint, very little orange peel, almost no rock chips, no tape lines, and only a few little “dust nubbins” I could find even under fluorescent lights. After seeing the car, I’d much rather have it in its current repainted condition than with an original finish that was all rashed and dinged up from track use. There are some wear areas/heat damage on the rear carbon diffuser that will likely require professional attention, but 95% of the diffuser is in great shape (including the fins). Headlights are perfect, so I suspect they were replaced at some point. There is a fair amount of the characteristic flat black paint peeling at the rear hatch and door jambs (front boot is good), but I can take care of that. Engine carbon fiber is aftermarket but is high quality and shows no signs of yellowing (yet). Air boxes and manifolds are yellowing but not horrible. Manifolds are missing the emblems (wish I could find a used set that was at least close to the correct 6.25” length, but I’m probably going to have to buy new!). Wheels were repainted black and show no wear or rash at all. Calipers were refinished at some point and definitely got a “ten foot” paint job. There is zero evidence of body damage, no dings, and my Petty contact confirmed that the car had never had an accident at least as of the time it left their charge.

Interior: The interior was about was I was expecting. In short, its had a rough life, and you can tell that the car has had more strangers with untoward intentions darken its doors than a Nevada brothel! The car was optioned with full leather and yellow stitching, and although its not in great condition, leather is pretty forgiving and I believe I’ll be able to bring it back to life with my leatherique and repair/re-dye kits to address some scuffs, wear, and creases. The technical fabric areas look perfect. There are lots of missing/mismatched fasteners, missing plugs and caps here and there, lots of rattles and squeaks, and lots of “sticky” surfaces (not as much as I was expecting but some of it is very bad!). Reverse and “auto” buttons are beyond repair (replacements are incoming). Headliner is falling down, interior rubber door seals are rough (already bought replacements), rubber dead pedal insert is missing (just bought a new one), and the interior grigio corsa paint on the parts that would normally be covered by carpeting in an f430 is rough and will probably need some paint work. Dash will need to come out to install new defroster vents that are broken. One of the ac vents has broken clips and features the silver instead of black inner trim ring. There are lots of other little interior issues but nothing I can’t/won’t take care of.

Mechanical: I think I got lucky here (thanks in no small part to the fact that it was used hard but maintained, and all the recent f1 repairs). I’ve put 200 miles on the car (in mostly 100 plus Arizona temps), and the car has not run hot, has no leaks, no service lights, no cel’s, no weird sounds (except “rumbly" radiator fans), shifts great, and it passed emissions easily. The Girodisc rotors have some life left but pads are toast (just ordered new front and rears). AC does not blow cold and I’m hoping it just needs a recharge but I suspect it may be more than that as the records show a recharge a few years ago. Radiator fans may need to be replaced as the whole car vibrates when they kick on. Oil pressure at hot idle seems a little low but I have nothing to compare it to (no warning lights or anything like that, maybe an oil change will help as I don’t know how old the oil is…could be pretty old). Much of the heat shielding in the engine bay looks pretty hammered, so that stuff is on the list for replacement. No weird suspension noises so I would be surprised if it does not already have a bunch of the Hill Engineering stuff but I have not yet confirmed. Need to check motor mounts but no obvious problems I can tell, and its possible the headers have been replaced as it definitely has aftermarket “heat blankets” which appear to be Capistro (white fabric with buttons, will have to investigate that further when I pull the undertrays next week). The rear muffler has a few little dents, and one pipe was apparently the subject of a weld repair in the past. Getting a bit of white dust so the muffler is probably due for a replacement. Valves are very obviously operational though! Plugs and coils were done at 57k miles so that is taken care of. I just replaced the autozone battery as I wanted to start off on the right foot with a known solid battery to eliminate that from the equation when problems arise, and just installed a hardwired battery tender in the area behind the driver’s seat. Air filters were dirty and were replaced on the first night of ownership. I have the oil change kit (with the new screen and o-rings), gear oil change kit, coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid as I’m going to diy the major service except for the f1 bleed stuff which I will let my shop handle (along with a thorough mechanical Post-purchase inspection). Cars pulls hard with no misses, knocks, bad ticks, or flat spots. Car is certainly not factory fresh but compression and leakdown numbers were good per pics on BAT, there is 80% clutch left, and I am happy! Car may blow up next week but based on what I’m seeing now, I’d say the reports of Ferrari fragility (at least with respect to its engines), are exaggerated. If there was an example out there that was not destined to see its 10th birthday, it would have been this one!

Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post. I’m excited to learn and hopefully share on this forum! Initial driving impressions are very positive (car is fast and shifts are straight up bonkers!) but I’m still learning the f1 quirks and nuances, and have yet to push it very hard. One thing that surprised me is just how raw the car is in every possible metric! People speak of the mezger engine gt3’s as being raw or “analog” but man, my 3 prior gt3’s seem “soft” and cushy compared to this sucker, which is a good thing (but I definitely get why this car is not for everyone!). More to come as I dig in further and put on more (s)miles! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Good for you!! Enjoy!!
Thanks for sharing in detail.

 

Thanks. Great write up. Amazing how after 60k mostly track miles the engine still runs great and produces those compression / leakdown numbers. Look forward to hearing more as you get more time with it.

 

I love this thread, thanks for sharing and please keep us update. Very cool project.

 

Congrats! i saw this sell on BAT. I think you paid fair value. And now you can drive and enjoy the car. Keep us updated, and enjoy!

 

Also, just curious why the trans had been replaced so many times (Or rebuilt)? And how do you like the car compared to your GT3's? Do you miss shifting gears (manual clutch) ?

Im looking at 360 CS/430 SCUD or GT3 for my next track car. That is why im asking.

 

This has the potential to be a great on-going saga. Post pics and descriptions as you work on the Scud.

 

Thanks for all the kind words guys. As for why the tranny had been replaced so many times I really don’t know (I don’t have any records from its time as a rental). However, I do know that the last time was opened up it was in California about 2000 miles ago and it was probably related to a bad throwout bearing that was not caught in time based on the records I have seen. I’ll be sure to document my progress here!

 

Great write up, thanks for sharing, subscribed

 

This is the one that got away, glad it is in good hands

 

Fantastic write up! Enjoy!

 

Jbrauer, it’s hard to compare the two platforms at this point for a few reasons: 1) I’m so new to the Ferrari and still learning Its idiosyncrasies; 2) the two platforms are so very different; and 3) my car is probably not the best measuring stick right now because I have a lot to sort. I can say this much right now: 1) at least on the street and in a straight line the scud is significantly quicker than any 996/997 generation Gt3 I have ever driven, including two different 4.0’s that I have seat time in. It also feels similar to my buddies 991.1 in terms of speed but the scud feels just a touch quicker. And yes, at this point I do kind of miss rowing gears but only because the F1 system is so new to me and I’m still learning it. But I still have my 996 GT3 and gated gallardo for when that urge strikes LOL! I’m really enjoying this new experience so far.

 

Great write up. I think that you have a good car there - it's something you can just enjoy without worrying about it too much.

 

Thank you for writing this up!

Smacks chops....... GIALLO

 

It's a car most would overlook but there is a selection of guys that know how to work on cars or are mor concerned about trailer queen but the drive and the love of the car.

 

Awesome! I look forward to the continuation of this story.

 

While not a Scud, I have an 09 F430 and an 04 996 GT3. They are very different cars. The "older" GT3 actually feels more refined. It has that German "exactness" to it. The Ferrari feels more of an event to drive. Don't know if that's because of the very loud Fabspeed X pipe I have on it vs my OEM Porsche exhaust or if it's the fact that no-one gives my dark blue GT3 a second look where the Ferrari involves me being filmed by teenagers on their mobile phone no matter where I go. There is no being anonymous in a Ferrari. For example yesterday I went to the Cars and Coffee at Fabspeed in Pennsylvania. This involved about 40 to 50 miles on the NJ and PA turnpikes. I think there were at least 10 people who pulled next to my car with their cellphones out the window filming. I was a very responsible driver with my 13 year old son and was just keeping up with traffic )) in the right lane most of the time.

I know you asked about tracking the car, but unless you are buying a track only car, you need to keep what I mention above in mind. So if you want everyone looking at you as you drive, get the Ferrari. If you want to be able to drive to the Ice cream parlor without making it on to someone's Instagram, get the Porsche. Or buy both and use the GT3 for "Bad Hair days" when you don't want anyone looking at you!!!

 

Very well said, appreciate your input. I currently have a 1985 308 GTB. Coming from a 991 Turbo S and 1985 Carrera. The 308 gets attention, something i wasn't used to in the Porsche. And most of the time, the attention is unwanted.

 

Corey I definitely concur with everything you said. The 996 gt3 is very undervalued from my perspective. Definitely not “fast” by today’s standards (at least on the street) but it is a very very special car. And I do love that 99% of folks assume it’s just a regular 996 with a body kit, which is just fine with me, and one reason I will never sell it (I’ve made that mistake twice and always regret it). It’s just see easy to drive and useable and garners very little attention except from true gear heads. And I get the attention thing. Below is a pic of my other Italian. I’ll probably sell it now that the scud is here but that thing probably gets more attention than a Ferrari where I live. It’s manual, yellow, lowered, rwd, with an sl wing and it has an amazing rsc titanium exhaust that just screams. I’m going to miss it dearly!
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Great thread! Curious, how was your experience with BaT as a buyer. Did they provide some guidance after the sale or do they just put you in touch with the seller and disappear?

 

And here is the obligatory pic of the Gt3. Did with this what I plan to do with the scud. Bought a high mileage heavily tracked car and then put about $25k into it (gearbox rebuild, shorter ring and pinion, seats, lwfw, clutch, etc, etc.)
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Regarding my BAT experience, they were exceedingly “hands off”. Never heard from them once. They just charged the cc they had on file to take their fee and that was it! Seller emailed me and we worked out the details. I understand BAT will only get involved after the auction if you don’t pay and then you get a lifetime ban LOL

 

Congratulations. Just for fun, keep a clipboard with a running list of the various projects you want to accomplish. Then, as you address each item on your list, cross the project off. I have often used such a system, and it's great to see the progress I am making by noting the number of crossed out items.

I hope your endeavor to address the many repair items you have described brings significant satisfaction..

Good luck.

 

Congrats and I love threads like these, will be following with interest!

 

Interesting GT3... You have a carbon fiber center console, but a leather shifter and handbrake. You also have the lower console storage area with the original radio which is interesting. Did yours come that way? I added mine so I had a place for the climate controls when I added the PCM2 instead of the CDR220 radio. Is yours the original steering wheel? It looks like leather not Alcantara. I removed my Alcantara wheel because it got dirty easily.

Did your seats come with the car? I have the same ones but in Leather with the embossed Porsche logo. I love the seats the most in mine, while they don't recline, once you are in them, you feel like part of the car. I have had them since the car was new, I hate the Porsche "sports" seats that are standard in the GT3 they are not comfortable at all. I had them in my C2 996 and in my boxster and when I saw I could change them for the GT3, it was a no brainer.

Cheers,
Corey