After searching the archives..I decided to ask: Where is a good source for skid plates for my 355? I know that Hill Engineering makes them, but I was hoping to locate a source in the US & am leaning toward some type of delrin/nylon material...and lastly, I prefer those plates that have chamfered edges. TIA, Jati
Hill sells great stuff and is a pleasure to deal with. JRV sells them also. I may get banned for mentioning his "name". Sorry- can't post a link. Just PM me.
If any product you desire for your F-Car happens to be available from Paul Hill, I'd recommend buying it there. He makes first class stuff.
I got mine, color black, bevelled edge.....complete, including installation for only $200 Costa at [email protected]
I wrote this previously: >BTW, have you installed skid plates on your car yet? I bought a set from IFS, and LOVE them. Makes my life much less stressful. If you've ever scraped the front end of your car, you'll know what I mean -- under the "nostrils", there is a pair of black fiberglass undertrays with semi-circular leading edges. On most front-end scrapes, it's this black undertray that takes the hit, and NOT the painted surface on the bottom of the "nostrils". It usually gets scraped and chipped and hit, but not really that big of a deal, right? After all, who's going to see it, way down there on the bottom of the front of the car? Check out these pics to get a better understanding of just what the heck I'm talking about: http://www.photoaccess.com/share/guest.jsp?ID=AB806926154&cb=PA Anyway, in the fall, while leaving a gas station, I drove over the filling lid for their underground storage tank -- those things that look like minature manhole covers. At this particular station, the lid protrudes fairly significantly up from the ground. At just the right height, at just the right angle, it caught the leading edge of this undertray, and caused a tear in it. Not a big deal? Well, this tear also happened in the front bumper cover... up and around the driving light and the turn signal. D'Oh. And I had the entire front end repainted and applied the 3M plastic film to it... so what do I do to prevent the next scrape? Scrapes HAPPEN, after all -- I use my car pretty damn frequently, and sometimes it just can't be avoided. I've seen other owners make skid plates out of plywood, out of lexan, and out of aluminum. Well, John Tirrell, of Independent Ferrari Service in South Easton, MA, had some customers who were complaining of this problem. He's also concerned about scraping his personal 355 Challenge. One customer came in with a well-used 355 Challenge, and it had a pair of ratty looking plywood screwed into the bottom. John decided he could do better. He ended up having a machine shop make a pair of skid plates out of aircraft nylon -- flexible, with a high degree of "lubricity". The front/leading edge is beveled, to help avoid situations where the plates catch. The plates are machined to match up to, and cover, the factory undertray pieces, EXACTLY. Installation requires a drill and a screwdriver, taking even mechanically challenged nincompoops like me only a few minutes to put on. Here's the procedure: fit plate over undertray piece; drill holes in the undertray, using the plate as a guide; screw it in. Voila -- now your 355 has added protection against scraping, not to mention the ugly situation I face, where the scraping causes a lot more damage. He ordered a run of a dozen pair, and is selling them to his customers for $125 (I dimly recall). ___________ vty, --Dennis
Shouldn't you be trying to convince your buddy Darth not to sell his Maranello???? I'm thinking an exhaust system is what I need: the increased rumble may stimulate blood-flow. Is it really worth $4k for a Capristo? we'll see.... huge bummer: the last few days I've been sick as a dog: can't drive the new toy. Talk about deprivation!!!! Oh...and hey: should this be in 'modern'?? wow...my first time calling-out an improperly placed thread. Savor the moment......warm, fuzzy....no wait: I'd just passed gas. nevermind.
I am not gonna convince Darth of anything in that regard. His car is cursed, IMO. As for your exhaust, may I recommend the Cargraphic/Fuchs system instead? Less expensive, richer sound on the Modena than the Capristo, and less gratuitously loud just for the sake of being loud, IMO. Oh...and get well!
Dennis, THANKS! Just called John and got the last set (he will have more made). I have been looking for this design for the past month. Ferrari of Seattle used to carry something like this, but quit. While the metal ones are nice, I don't like seeing the shiney aluminum from underneath, and feel the nylon will have more "give" than the metal variants. John had some nice anecdotes on Charlize as well... Regards, Dave
I think you will like them. I ordered a set from John at IFS based on an earlier F Chat thread. They are bigger than I thought more protection) , slippery like eel snot and are easy to install. John is a nice guy to boot.
Got mine from Hill and another set (Delrin) from Beverly Hills Motors, I think that second one is correct. Great stuff from both places. Stan
Well, here it is three days later and my skid plates arrived...anxious, I unpacked them and quickly jacked up the car and installed them. As Dennis said, this is about as easy as it comes. Carefully line them up, mark the four holes, drill (9/64") holes, and screw into place. Took me all of 30 minutes from start to finish, including set up, take down and clean up. I'm happy!! Merry Christmas all!
I've only had my 355 for about one week now...but just about everytime I'm out & about...I find myself thanking the inventor of those skid pads!!!!!!! Probably the best money you can spend on your F-car!!
