Ferrari Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle

Ferrari 458 Italia to be Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle

In hastily pulled together announcement Luca di Montezemolo revealed today that the Ferrari 458 Italia and all new Ferraris will be Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles. The announcement comes as a shock from the marquee known for making high powered, gas guzzling, sports cars for the rich and famous. Ferraris Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle or PZEV claim rests on the limited usage Ferraris receive. According to di Montezemolo Ferraris are driven an average of just under 3400KM (2112 miles) per year and consume a scant 151 gallons of petrol in the process. Compare this to a hybrid like the Toyota Prius. The average Prius consumes over 260 gallons of petrol per year. A whopping 58% more than the Ferrari. “Ferrari will be known not only for exciting sports car but also as a leader in green technology” thundered di Montezemolo when a reporter for Autoweek questioned Ferraris math.

In a related story an official at Lamborghini, speaking on the condition of anonymity suggested that Lamborghini had been working on similar technology for some time and had been in negotiations with the governments of California, Oregon, and Maine to allow Lamborghini to test market a PZEV Lamborghini in those states. The hold up appears to the colors Lamborghinis are available in. Apparently some bureaucrats in state office considered the colors themselves to constitute an emission even if the car was not running.

Sold.

I have been remiss in my posting. I apologize. It took a few tries but the car has sold. After installing the new clutch I put about 100 miles on the car then started to think about how to store it for the winter. I looked into storage facilities and talked to a few clients who have warehouses. Barb was very understanding and told me if I could not find a home for it for the winter she would park outside.

Deep down I knew it was time for the car to go. I sent an email to Steve at Ron Tonkin and Joe at Gran Prix to see if they were interested in selling the car. Joe responded in about five minutes that they would be interested in selling the car. I never heard from Tonkin.

About two weeks after sending the email I dropped the car off at Gran Prix. After signing a few papers Barb picked me up and we drove out of the dealership, past the Ferrari. That would be the last time either of us would see it. I was sad to leave the car. Not too sad but I did miss it.

The missing the car passed quickly. Honestly. After a few days I no longer thought about the car. It took about a week but Joe had an offer on the car for 50,000. I passed. I hoped the car would sell for between 55,000 and 60,000. Nothing happened for about two weeks then Joe called to say the car had sold for around 60,000.

Fantastic.

It was Monday when Joe and I talked. The car was due to ship to the new owner on Thursday. A day or two later I called Kevin to let him know the car was sold. Literally two minutes later Joe emailed letting me know the deal had fallen through. Oh well. There would be other buyers.

A week or so later and the deal was back on. Same buyer. Same price. This time he had put down a big chunk of change. I called Kevin to let him know the deal was back on. After I talked with Kevin. Joe waited about five minutes to call and say the deal was off.

It was Kevin’s fault. Car jinx. I decided I would not discuss selling the car with Kevin until Joe called and let me know I could pick up my check.

After a couple weeks of no activity I began to consider trading the Ferrari for a Porsche. Eventually, I will get another fun car and I think it will be a 911 of some sort. I resisted the urge to call Joe and say “lets trade it on a 911 turbo or a RSR replica.” Another week went by then I received a call that the car was sold. Gran Prix expected the money in a day or so then the car would be shipped to Texas.

The amount was less than I had hoped for but fair.

I did not call Kevin. Two days later Eric at Gran Prix called to let me know they had my check. I loaded the original muffler, solid rear grill, and miscelanous Ferrari parts I had around the house into the truck drove to GP dropped them off and picked up my check for 49,000. I didn’t think to take a look at the car when I was there.

So that’s it. The car has sold.

View Inside Catalytic Converter

When I was putting the car back together I took these pictures of the inside of the 355s cats. I did not know what the inside of a catalytic converter looked like and thought they were interesting.

Thanks Brian

A bit over a week ago I received an email from the previous custodian of the 355. Brian. If you recall when I bought the car people kept saying "You bought Brian's car." Brian had the original muffler and solid rear grill which were gathering dust in his garage and he wanted them to gather dust in my garage.

Glad to have them.

I don't think I would put either back on the car. The Tubi sounds great and the Challenge grill looks better than the solid grill but a future owner might want to put them on or just have them.

Clutch is in

I picked up the flywheel at ATD last Friday. The machine shop determined it did not need to be truned, just roughed up a bit. Good news. There is not a bunch of extra material on a Ferrari flywheel and truning it would have reduced its life.

Saturday morning I started to put the clutch back together. First step was to assemble the clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel. I checked my repair manual with said to tighten the boltes to daNM 1.3? Found an online calculator and torqued the bolts appropriately. Requied getting a different torque wrench because the one I had would not reach that torqure setting.

I used my very heavy, very nicley made Hill clutch alignment tool. It worked great and I am glad I had it but I think the folks at Ricambi should rent them. What do I do with it now?

To make a long story short the car went back together very easily. I spent about seven hours bolting various peices back on. I could have done it more quickly but I spent over an hour on the exhaust and bumper. I wanted them to be perfectly aligned.

Verdict, clutch install on a 355 is simple. Glad I did it.

A Friend Indeed - And a GT3!!

Brad Boxberger, the fellow who offered to trade me the Kingdom of Scottsdale for my Ferrari, sent me a note about A Friend Indeed. Given our last names I would hazard to guess that Brad and I are related in some way. I have no stake in this offer other than to help a good cause and hopefully win a GT3.

Below is the note from Brad.

Cheers.

David

















My name is Brad Boxberger and I established A Friend Indeed in 2003. A Friend Indeed is a non profit organization which serves individuals, families, and entities in low to moderate economic communities through repair and construction assistance. As much as feasibly possible, A Friend Indeed utilizes volunteers and contractors who contribute their time, products, and services to those less fortunate. Many projects require funding beyond what is donated to the cause. Our organization helps secure the funding and work force to help complete these tasks. A Friend Indeed at times will partner with other relief organizations to accomplish these goals.

Roger Penske, CEO of Penske Automotive Group, has kindly helped secure a 2010 Porsche GT3 for raffle to aid in our organization’s funding. This car is being built in Germany especially for A Friend Indeed. Raffle tickets are being sold for $85 each. This is a great car for a great cause!

Please visit our web site at http://www.afriendindeed.cc/

Here you can see examples of our how our organization has lent a helping hand making lives more livable with home repair and construction services to many around the country. The current economy is a challenge for all of us, however, those in crisis are in dire need of our help. On our web site you can obtain the rules and regulations for the raffle as well as purchase your tickets through a secure site. You may also access our contact information with any questions or to donate your time, financial support, or services to aid in continuing this wonderful outreach to those in need of our help.

Please pass this information along to friends, family, and colleagues you feel would find our organization, as well as this raffle opportunity, of interest.

With great appreciation,

Brad BoxbergerPresident & CEO