Dave, we have to talk, your car has issues

President Regan famously said "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" If you are a Ferrair owner the thirteen most terrifying words are “This is Chris from Ferrari service we need to talk about your car.” The sparkplugs and new O2 sensor fixed the car but only for about 30 minutes then the rough idle came back. Barb and I were getting ready to go pick up the car when Chris called and suggested we hold off.

I stopped by the service center on Thursday morning to drop off the binder with the car’s service history. It’s a pretty impressive binder. On the way there I made a detour through RTGT to take a look at a 430 they have. I have decided I will get another Ferrari. I doubt it will be immediately after I sell the 355 but fairly soon. The 430 they have is interesting because it has sport seats, big sport seats, which make the car much more comfortable for someone my size. The car is in beautiful shape. I also sat in a 575. I did not like it so much. Not that there was anything wrong with it but it felt too soft, especially after climbing out of the 430. Steve suggested we take the 430 for a drive but I know exactly where that will end.

At the service center I talked with Chris and Matt, the technician who is working on my car, about the next steps. Both think the timing is off in the car. The compression on one bank of cylinders is higher, by between one and two bars than the compression on the set that was running lean. When we compared the compression test that Dick at ATD had done to the current test there was a big difference. This is odd because, I believe, the car has always had the rough idle, and if it and the low compression is caused by timing Dick would have caught it during his compression check.

As I have only a fuzzy idea of what is involved in a compression check I decided to do a bit of research. Compression checks test the amount of compression in each cylinder when the piston is at the top of its stroke. Air is pulled in as the piston goes down and compressed as it comes up. To test compression the spark plug is removed and a device to test pressure is put in its place. The engine is turned over and the device records the pressure. Dick’s results show most pistons compressing to around 225 PSI with just a few % variance between the highest and lowest. RTGTs test show a 10% variance between one bank and the other with readings similar among cylinders in each bank.

The 225 PSI number threw me. The engine has 11 to 1 compression. Meaning the piston squashes the air to an 11th of its original volume. Why isn’t the compression 161.6, 11 times atmospheric pressure? The answer turned out to be pretty obvious, when you compress gas it heats up, tries to expand, and causes higher pressure.

So, what next? The engine comes out. To check timing on a 355 the motor comes out. Yes, I know that is silly but that’s the way it is. Matt’s worry is the belt has skipped or the device that keeps the timing set has failed. With the engine out the belt service I thought as about 9000 miles way happens next week. This is essentially the nightmare scenario I was trying to avoid by carefully researching and buying what I believed to be a solid well maintained Ferrari.

Know what, I am not alarmed, upset, or the least bit worried about the prospect of the engine coming out. In addition to buying a Ferrari, driving it on a track, valet parking it, taking it apart and all the other goofy stuff I did I have learned something. I determine how I react to things. I can choose to get upset, to get mad, to be happy, or to not have any emotional response at all. I get to decide. This is not a find the silver lining or look for the good in the bad idea. As an independent actor I determine my reaction to events and further do not need to justify that reaction with any set of validating circumstances. Is it unfortunate the Ferrari’s engine comes out, sure, am I sad, mad, or losing any sleep over it no.

Track Day Video

By George I think I did it.

Cheers

8 Sparkplugs and some O2 Sensors - Priceless

Ok I have been unable to post my track day videos. Too bad because if I may be blunt, I drove pretty well. I wish I had some video from the 911. I am still regretting describing the cars handling as resembling a bathtub turned upside down and placed on a waterbed. The 911 absolutely came alive on the track. I have spent the past few days looking at 911 track cars and considering big brake kits for the car.

On Monday the Ferrari went back to RTGT. When it was going through tech inspection at the track the guys noticed it was dropping a cylinder at idle. I took this to mean one of the cylinders was not firing correctly. It smoothed out once it got some gas but hey it’s a Ferrari so it goes in the shop. I drove my Chevy Tahoe for over a year with one of the spark plugs totally disconnected. Never noticed. Anyway, today they called, I need eight new spark plugs and new front O2 sensors. Whew, how bad can that be? $1500. As I am selling the car to my Dad it needs to be perfect, if not I will (rightly) never hear the end of it, so I am getting eight new plugs and some new O2 sensors.

Honestly, I don’t begrudge the expense. It’s a great car. It was super fun. Not regular fun but super fun to drive on the track last Monday and I have had a wonderful year with the car and only spent around $3500 on totally necessary maintenance items. During Monday’s track day there was a F40, F50 and Enzo in attendance. When I dropped the car of at the shop all three were in. If they were not owned by the fellow who owns the dealership I would be willing to bet the repair bill would be higher than $1500

Ferrari Track Day #3

Second Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo Ferrari Track day. That’s a mouthful, try saying that five times fast. Better yet, try it after an absolutely beautiful day of driving at the track. It is a good bet today was my last track day with the 355. A week or so ago I called Dad and told him I was planning on offering the car for sale on the 16th of this month and decide if he wanted it. I took him about 5 seconds. I am really glad the car is going to Dad. He will have a great time with it and be a great next steward for the car. When I told him I was doing another track day he told me to drive slow, be gentle with the brakes and not bring the RPMs over 4000.

To make the day interesting and to put less strain on the 355 I decided to bring the 911 and drive it for half the sessions. My first session in the Ferrari was so bad that I apologized to Tony (my driving instructor) for my crummy lines, clumsy foot work, and general incompetence. My second session was much better. I drove the car well, but even better I learned a lot and became much more comfortable with some sections of the track that had caused me trouble in the past. As always the Ferrari was fast, smooth, and graceful around the track.

The Tonkin Ferrari track day started with a parade lap and as Barb had brought the 911 out she and I took the Ferrari around the track on the parade laps. The Pro Drive folks put me in the “C” group. The group for those of us who have had enough time on the track to drive solo, thanks Pro Drive for your confidence but I still want in instructor. I had hoped to get to drive with Tony again and asked if he could ride with me. The long and short of it was I ended up in the “B” group riding with Tony. The Parade laps were fast enough to be fun and give Barb a chance to experience the track at a good clip.

For me the most interesting part of the day was the switch from the 355 to the 911. I think both Tony and I were concerned. I have never driven the 911 on the track and have had several interesting experiences with the track tires when they are cold. The car was fantastic, with one or two outrageous flaws. Which in my reckoning only add to its allure. Super balance, super grip. More grip and better balance than my 355. Yes you read that right. My 18 year old, 80,000 mile 911 felt better through the corners than my 10 year old 29,000 mile Ferrari. This has to be the corner balancing, suspension work and track tires. Now the problems, it has no power and the brakes faded after just a few laps but even with faded brakes and low power the 911 was more fun on the track than the Ferrari. I can’t believe I wrote that but it’s true. If I were doing another track day tomorrow I would bring the Porsche.

I am going to talk with the Rothsport guys about bigger sway bars and bigger brakes for the 911. Yes, I know I said I was no longer happy with the 911’s performance. I was wrong, I take it back.

I will post a video tomorrow or the next day.

The long way home

I took the long way home tonight. For me the long way home involves heading in exactly the opposite direction I would usually go. Drive through what I would politely call a seedy industrial area, some would say it is in transition as it now has a vegan strip club. Follow Highway 30 along the Columbia River for a few miles then turn south and head up into the hills to Skyline Boulevard. There are many good roads up to Skyline, all have fantastic turns and are beautiful drives.

Skyline is a fantastic road. The scenery is nice with good views into the valley and over Portland. The speed limit is 40 MPH which is fast enough. Going 50 seems too fast, reckless, 47 is about perfect. You know that feeling when you go around a turn and the car leans to the outside as weight transfers to the outside wheels? The Ferrari does not deliver it. I can feel the car load up on the outside wheels but the car does not lean. It stays absolutely flat. Driving it on roads where the turns are spaced tightly is a joy. Without the body of the car rolling from side to side the transitions between the corners feel crisper.

I have not driven the car much since the wine county trip Barb and I took a month or so ago. I was a passenger when Dad drove it through the wine country but that does not count. I felt out of practice driving it today. My shifts were of, going in and out of the powerband. Further my shifts were too slow and I did a bad job of matching the rpms to speed. All my drives in the Porsche have made me lazy. In the 911 I just need to be near the next gear, it shifts easily and will forgive all but the worst baubles.

My time with the car is about up. I am pretty sure Dad will be the next steward of the car. If you had asked me a few months ago and really pressed for the truth I would have told you I was keeping the car. Who cares about the expense, the limited opportunities to really drive it and the inconvenience of finding a place to park it? Who cares that my plan was only to keep it for one year. It is fantastic, everything I thought a Ferrari would be and more. Barb has not problem with me keeping it, she likes having the car. We can sell the Porsche and easily afford the Ferrari. I am OK with selling the car. I had a conversation with a fellow who owns several Ferraris. I told him I was thinking about getting another but did not want to sell the 355.

“Why” he asked. “You will get the new one and never drive the older car again.”

I don’t want to get another Ferrari right away. I think I will pursue my idea of a track car for a few months.

On a completely different note. A car load of young women whooped at me while I was driving the car home tonight. All I can say is thank you.

Back to School = No more driving the Ferrari to work

Yesterday was the last day of summer vacation for my children. In addition to making it a hectic day filled with last minute back to school activities it was also the last week day in my year with the Ferrari that I could use the Ferrari as my exclusive daily driver. I have not been driving the car much recently. With the date for selling it rapidly approaching I have not wanted to spend much time in it. Maybe if I don’t drive it I will forget how nice it is. Driving the car to work, during rush hour, parking it until driving home, in rush hour, is not the best way to appreciate a Ferrari, or any sports car.

I am ready to sell it. I have one track day scheduled for mid September. My plan is to put the car up for sale after the track day. I am no longer worried about the car selling or recouping my investment. I may lose a bit I may not. Either way the experience of owning and driving the car was worth it.

It is a bit too early for looking back and critiquing how I could have had a better year with a Ferrari but one thing is clear. If I had to do it over I would drive the car more.