The two year anniversary

As I move into the third year of ownership of my Ferrari F355 it is once again time to step back and reflect on what has transpired in the previous 12 months.

You can revisit my musing at the one year anniversary here:

https://blog.lovethe355.com/2013/09/the-one-year-anniversary.html

So let’s get on with a wrap for the paper anniversary.

Costs

Maintenance costs for any sort of supercar are always going to exceed those of a ordinary road car. Now the most interesting thing this year is that I drove the F355 over 7,000 kilometres which was a 48% increase on what I did the previous year. This was directly reflected in a 48% increase in the amount of fuel I used, so no surprises there.

Interestingly, that usage is about 60% of the usage of my normal road car. Total maintenance costs for the Ferrari fell below $9,000 for the year which was about a 9% decrease over the year prior. That figure also included the cost of insurance which is the major running cost of the car. This year I switched insurers after shopping around (and going through some renewals dramas).

Over the twelve months I did not make any major improvements to the car, unlike the previous year, so the totals costs all up for everything associated with the car was just over $10,000 which was 40% less than the year before.

Travel

The car has now done about 12,500 kilometres since purchase, completing over 7,000 this year (a 48% increase over the previous year as mentioned). That averages out to 142 kilometres per week this year verses 100 the year prior.

This years learning’s

1. As last year, the number one thing you need to have with cars like these is a great mechanic and luckily Sal DiMauro from Racing Red is just that and his assistance in the prior year once again proved invaluable. Answering my questions during my panic with overfilling the car with oil was just one example of what a great job he does. So if you need Ferrari mechanic, Sal’s the man.

2. The car won’t dissolve when you take it out in the rain. Although driving in the wet is far from being the most pleasant experience with the F355, it doesn’t prevent the car from working! After a number of trips in the car this year in quite heavy rain I have shattered my preconception that it only works when the sun is out.

Low Points

1. Backing the car into a road sign and splitting the bumper.

2. Overfilling the oil level.

3. Insurance woes

4. The car getting over sprayed by a fire extinguisher.

High Points

1. Every day I get to see the car. Whether under a cover or from behind the wheel, I thank my lucky stars every time.

2. Finally taking the car onto the track.

3. Road to Sydney Cavalcade.

4. Ferrari Racing Days.

The year ahead

The end of this calendar year will be a major maintenance appointment for the car. It will the engine taken out and serviced and the timing belts replaced. This has always been a know quality with the F355 as it needs doing every 3 years or 15,000 kilometres. I will also probably take this as the opportunity to get the shock absorbers refurbished as they have been showing signs of wear. All this won’t be cheap but it needs to be done.

I see the car doing more kilometres given the number of outing that the Ferrari Club is undertaking. This is also in part due to my increased confidence with the car and the realisation that it isn’t going to ‘fall apart’ just by being driven long distances.

Summary

Owning a Ferrari F355 still challenges me but I am finally beginning to be more comfortable with driving it. I doubt whether I will ever be as casual about driving as I am with a normal road car but another year’s worth of driving the F355 has greatly increased the comfort levels.

I also think that ‘repairing’ the bumper that I cracked has overcome much of the fear I had about doing something ‘wrong’ to the car, simply because I DID something wrong if you know what I mean. Actually sanding, filling and painting the car has perhaps removed that ‘pristine’ misconception I had about the car. The difference this year is that rather paying someone to fix a problem (like the dent I previous put in my door) I had a go at fixing it myself. Although far from perfect, I was rather proud that it turned out as good as it did. Most importantly, I learnt a lot throughout the process.

I have been on so many amazing drives this year where it was simply a pleasure to put the roof down and just drive along. Doing so has allowed me to experience some great scenery as well as interact with some great people from the Club. That, above everything else, has made the previous twelve months ownership more than worthwhile and something I’m so glad has happened.

The final note is a thanks to anyone who reads or follows along with this blog and my YouTube channel.I need to get back to making more videos which I promise to do soon. Hope you have enjoyed another year of ‘entertainment’ and hope you’ll stay with me to see what transpires in the coming 12 months.

The above video is what I reckon is my best one for the year.

Rain, rain go away

Unlike most people I like rain. I think rainy days are much more unique than other days. Unlike most people again, I actually enjoy driving in the rain as I find it far more challenging. Driving in the rain also allows me to get ‘amongst it’ while remaining in a comfortable observation capsule.
One of the things that I did learn when I took my drive day in some Ferraris all that time ago was that driving an old convertible car in the rain is no fun. Why? Because over the years the folding roof tends to stretch and not fit so well, allowing a good deal of water inside. That water then causes the car to fog up and that is really no fun.
When I initially purchased my F355 I was completely rain adverse. I didn’t want the car to get wet at all. My major fear was that water would get into the engine electrics and cause a failure.

The reason for my paranoia, as you can see, is that the engine is pretty much exposed to the world. So to me, when it rained, then the engine would get soaked, which is never a good thing right? Silly I know as the rain DOES splash up from underneath after all on ALL cars.
This aversion to weather is a very common thing for most super car owners I have found, although I think most fear getting the car dirty than it not running, but no matter what the reason they avoid rain like the plague.
Early on with ownership, I’d wake up early and pensive for a drive and if I found the weather outside to be in the slightest moist I wouldn’t go out. However, there is an overriding need for the car to go out for a run at least once a week to give everything a work out. Failure to do this is asking for guaranteed mechanical and engine problems. So when it was raining on a weekend I wouldn’t go out but I’d then be forced to take the car for ‘maintenance’ spin during the week sometime (usually around midday) to satisfy this. Now playing chicken in the weekday traffic was many times more unnerving than taking the car out in the rain. Ah, the joys of owning a super car eh?
However, a few years in to ownership and having HAD to actually take the car out when it was raining has taught me that it won’t self destruct at the first sign of H2O. The exposed engine always gave me cause for concern but speaking with Sal from Racing Red I learned that the engine in the F355 is sealed pretty good. This also comes in handy after the fire extinguisher incident recently.
With that knowledge I can now happily (well almost) take the car out during inclement weather. I even did so recently on a trip into the country where the weather was particularly foul before the kick off and the car had to stand for a fair while in the pouring rain.
Of course, I’d prefer there to be no rain during my drives and it is not for the reasons you may think:
Reason 1 – Other people do REALLY STUPID things in the rain. They drive too fast, they drive outside their lane, they jump red lights, and so on. Not being on the road at the same time avoids this.
Reason 2 – Rain seems to magically cause potholes to open up and swallow wheels whole. Roads here are bad enough in the dry but in the wet what can look like just a puddle can if fact hide a wheel shattering pothole.
Reason 3 – The car does leak a little during showers. It is no where near as a bad as a convertible though.

The water gets in just where the window and the body meet and just where the angle of the body changes as illustrated above. That is, just above the mirror and just at the roof line. This probably has something to do with the rubber seal deteriorating somewhat over the years. It isn’t a huge issue but you can get a fair dribble, especially in heavy downpours so a rag is always something handy to have available in the cabin during these time (and of course, remember there is no glove box to put it in!).
Reason 4 – It does get dirty. if you allow the rain water to stand on the car after you have it back undercover you’ll be greeted with annoying dirty spots the next time you take it out. I have therefore learned that upon return to dry the car off as best as possible with a microfiber towel.
However, now when it rains on a weekend I no longer have any hesitation in taking the car out for a ‘maintenance’ run. I simply need to be more vigilant for the reasons above but experience has shown me that I and the car have nothing to fear from the weather. It is just a car after all and cars are deigned to go in the rain (well most cars anyway).
Avoiding taking the car out simply because it is damp should not be an excuse for giving the engine a work out as that’s far more important. In short, there is no need to fear the rain in a F355.

Three pointer

I am pleased to report that the F355 now has a fully verified 3 point alarm system. It took a few hours and a few hundred dollars to get sorted but in the end I am glad it is done.

Interestingly, one of things that we checked upon completion was the override code. Basically you switch the ignition on and off in accordance with the code and the alarm is disabled allowing you to start the car in event that you don’t have access to the fobs.

When we tried the code that was provided it turned out not to work. Luckily, after some further examination of the alarm we found the working code. This means that the details that have been provided with the car since the day it was installed have been incorrect. Thus, if any of the previous owners had needed to start the car without the fob they would have been dead in the water!

This experience has highlighted another learning experience when it comes to buying a super car. You need to firstly check exactly what the alarm does to disable the car as many insurers want three point alarms. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, you need to check you have all the documentation about the alarm, especially if it is after market.

Most super cars build after the year 2000 have factory three point alarms, so that makes things easier, however if you have or desire one prior to 2000 then you really need to do you homework.

So, the long and short of it is that I am a few hundred dollars poorer but I have a car that is more secure and more complaint with what insurance companies request. Downside is I have found an alternate that doesn’t car about the alarm being three point or not. However, having a three point alarm and a known override code does remove any future worries (in that respect at least) when it comes to insurance.

Now all I have to do is pony up the money to pay for the insurance. Ouch.

Eye candy

One of the advantages of being a Club member is that you do occasionally get the opportunity to attend a Ferrari event.

So it was this weekend when FMS opened its doors. This is always too good an opportunity to pass up as you get to see some really cool things like:

A Testarossa engine being worked on,

A 458 Speciale,

An F12 (although not my colour if I’m honest)

A 550 Spider.

A 430,

A 458 (I really like the rims on this one!)

and basically everything else they have in the show room.

The other benefit is great coffee and pastries, so a great time all round if I’m honest. What else could you ask for?

Where there is smoke

So I took a trip with the Club to a location about three hours from the city. The drive there was a bit bumpy but it was good to let the car stretch its legs a bit.

Stayed at local accommodation overnight (car parked right outside the room) with plans to head back the following day after breakfast. However, at about 3am I heard all this shouting and wasn’t sure whether I was having a dream or not. Unfortunately, when I emerged later in morning I found my car covered with what appeared to be some form of powder.

Turns out that someone had discharged a powder fire extinguisher over a Ferrari two cars along from mine. The overspray had covered the car next to me as well as mine (although less so). The powder in the extinguisher was ammonia phosphate which is really not something you want sprayed on your car.

The best I could do when I discovered this was to wash it all off using a fire hose and a microfiber towel (leant to me by another Club member). I made sure I went over the car a number of times with the hose and the towel until everything was removed.

I wasn’t too concerned with the paintwork because because it was merely overspray and secondly I am pretty confident that the Permoanon I have on the paintwork provides excellent protection. Still, having what are nasty chemicals on the paintwork for five or so hours along with damp overnight conditions is really something you want to avoid and there is always that worry in the back of your mind.

My concern driving back was, had any of the overspray gotten into the engine? My assumption was that, hopefully it would have been burnt off, shaken loose and blown away during the 3 hour drive back. The 355 has its vitals pretty well sealed so I don’t think I have to worry there.

I checked the paintwork again carefully upon return and can’t see any ill effects but I’ll give it a good wash as soon as possible to ensure any remnants are removed. The car needs a good clean after a country drive anyway.

Hopefully the other Ferrari that was directly sprayed also shows no ill effects but it is disappointing when things like this happen. The positive is that it could have obviously been a lot worse, so small mercies there. But this sort of incident, although rare, is part and parcel of being an owner because not everyone admires the car regretfully.

A bit of weather

My previous post on Permanon vs Nanloex showed the sheeting capabilities of both sealants but flooding the surface is a bit of an extreme test. The above is the results of some light rain on the same panel.

As you can hopefully see, there is a not an apparent difference between the two coatings as there was in the previous test.

Like I said previously, the next test is to clean the surface with the Nanolex cleaner BUT THEN use Permanon and see if that results in any differences. I doubt it but I’ll let you know what I find.

Nanolex vs Permanon

So back to my car detailing research.

A while back a professional detailer put me onto using Permanon and it has proved to be fantastic! I really like how you simply mix it with water, spray in on and them wipe it off to leave a brilliant shine.

However, I wondered how different a product like Nanolex was? Well, here’s a very interesting video comparison I did on the same panel, washed and clayed prior to using each product. On the left hand side of the panel I used Nanolex and on the right Permanon. Here’s what happening when you hose it down:

<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nP4GUxLcD_4/U8tnY-_G8KI/AAAAAAAARhA/1_loFXWXHno/video49deb95f35be%25255B47%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('46b0e011-f492-488d-8b98-fec6086cddf4'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "

http://www.youtube.com/v/Gi6vjWKQNRA?hl=en&hd=1“;” alt=””>

As you can see, the water does shed from the Permanon coated part of the paintwork but it doesn’t do that nearly as fast as the Nanolex.

So although it may look like the Nanolex wins hands down there are a few other considerations here.

Firstly, the Nanolex process involved using a Nanolex surface cleaner and then Paint & Alloy Sealant Premium. This means more time is required as well as more product and cleaning material. It isn’t a lot more but it is extra.

The Nanolex items seem not be be as eco-friendly and are certainly more flammable. Also, the Nanolex instructions also state:

“Allow the sealant to cure for a minimum of 2 hours before driving or getting wet.”

Finally, Nanolex only appears to be for paint whereas the Permanon can go on everything. I also haven’t done a price comparison here either yet.

So, I think the next step is to try the Nanolex surface cleaner with the Permanon to see whether that makes any difference (I doubt it, but worth testing).

My thinking is that once you clean the car you should protect the paintwork with Nanolex and then use Permanon over everything including the paintwork. Again, something to test on another panel on the car next time it gets washed.

I’m leaving the panel you see above coated with both sealants to see how they fair over time. I’ll work my way around the remaining panels on the car trying different combinations as part of my ongoing investigations. I’ll also do some more reading on the suppliers web site to see if I can work out what they exactly do and why the results vary.

Stay tuned for more detailing experiments.

Read the fine print

I have been chasing down a solution to my insurance dilemma this week and made a few discoveries.

Firstly, Sal from Racing Red indicated that contrary to what I thought, my existing alarm is not a 3 point alarm because if it was trying to start the car wouldn’t even allow it to crank if it indeed had a 3 point immobilization alarm. Damm! Mine certainly has ignition and cranks if the alarm is not disabled. So the only thing that must be disabled is the fuel pump.

Luckily, he was able to provide me with the name of someone who deals with my aftermarket alarm. A quick conversation with him revealed that he needs to come out to check out exactly how everything is configured. There is a chance that it has not been configured right and can be fixed easily, so I have booked him in to have a closer look this coming week.

I also believe I have done the insurance people an injustice by not fully comprehending their policy. They in fact did not say they wouldn’t insure the car. What they actually specified is that they just won’t insure it against theft until the alarm is verified as 3 point. Thus, even if I can’t get the alarm fixed prior to renewal I can at least have it insured again all other maladies except theft. It pays to read what the offering says and not get too hysterical about it eh?

That however hasn’t prevented me from shopping around a few other providers just to see what is on offer. Always good to get a comparison.

I know that, failing all other options, I can get standard comprehensive insurance from NRMA just like my normal car. Down side is that it will be $500 – $800 more expensive but at least I know I have that available if really needed.

So, I’m still looking to get the question of the configuration of my alarm sorted and once again thanks to Sal for pointing me in the right direction there. I also appreciate now that I overlooked that my current insurer will still insure me, just not for theft until the alarm is verified as 3 point. Finally, I’m still pursuing other insurance options just what to see if on offer.

Hopefully, next week I’ll have some positive news to report about the alarm, which will then put the insurance question to bed for another year.

Insurance woes

As I have said many times, it is not buying an exotic car that is the challenge it is keeping it that can really stress you out. A great example is keeping it insured.

Just before purchasing the F355 I did the rounds of preferred exotic car insurers but discovered, much to my horror, that one of the limitations was the car needed to live in its own secured garage. This was a problem for me since I didn’t have such accommodations.

Luckily, I was able to find an insurer who would provide coverage for my situation. Thus, I could purchase the car.Ah, serenity now.

Fast forward two years and now my insurance on the F355 is once again up for renewal. However, this time it turns out the the current insurer is getting out of the business so I need to apply for cover with a new firm.

I dutifully complete all the forms only to discover that I can’t be insured unless I can confirm the car has an alarm that auto activates and disables the car in three ways!

Now this is a problem, because, being a second hand car and having been through a number of different owners, I have no history on the after market alarm system that is installed in the car. I certainly know that it auto arms as I discovered a few days after purchase, however how can I ‘prove’ that it disables the car in 3 ways?

I understand the requirement from the insurance company and I understand it is totally their prerogative to insure me BUT given the fact that this is a used car how do I go about proving it conforms with their requirements? Surely, they have come across this situation before and can give me some options?

I am pretty sure it does meet the requirements but again, no proof, no insurance, which leaves me probably with the need to search for an insurance alternative. This again will no doubt raise the issue about housing the car in a fully locked garage, once again limiting my options and most likely significantly raising the cost of insuring the F355.

Luckily, I still have some time before the existing insurance expires but I’ll need to get onto it quick smart and start finding out what is available.

This is certainly one of the major learnings I have had about the car. Unless you have a lock up garage in which to store the car your insurance options are somewhat limited, which is somewhat of a pain for those of us who can’t afford a freestanding house (which on average in Sydney at the moment, is far more expensive than a Ferrari!).

So, one of the things you NEED to check before you go out and buy the car of your dreams, is to check how much it will cost to insure in the location where you plan for it live. You may find the results of this somewhat tougher than you think as I have!

Final coat

After the last repair episode I had applied the first coat of paint to the injury.

I now applied a second coat of paint, waited a week and then applied a coat of clear coat to the area. I found that the clear coat did cause some of the second coat to come off which was a concern.

I made sure that injury had a good coat (perhaps a little too generous with that upon reflection) of clear as well as applying it over some other minor scuffs in the area.

You can see the final before and after shots above. Although far from prefect I am very pleased with what I have been able to achieve having no knowledge at all of how to fix this issue at the start.

With that in mind, here are my learnings:

1. Beware where you reverse so this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the first place. A little bit of caution on my part initially would have avoided this whole thing.

2. Mask the area off using masking tape.

3. Sand back the affected area using 300 – 600 grit sandpaper. 1200 grit will work but you’ll spend a lot more time sanding if you do. You will also probably get better results if you use a machine but you’ll need to be very careful about not taking off too much but I think a machine sander will provider a much smoother overall finish that by hand.

4. Fill the crack. No matter how small it looks you should fill it. I think resin is a better bet however that will generally leave a bulge which needs more sanding back. A filler, like bog, will probably be easier to apply and leave a flatter finished surface resulting in less sanding later. If you do use resin DON’T use the nozzle from the applicator but use a skewer stick to apply the resin into the locations you want. A toothpick is too small for the job in my experience.

5. Clean and sand back before every coat. This ensure a good bonding surface for the next layer.

6. Allow the layer you apply to thoroughly dry. In my case I learnt to leave it at least 7 days!

7. Less is more. You can apply too much paint, too much clear coat and sand too much. If it looks like it is enough then walk away, you can add more later if need be.

8. Be patient. This process will take a while given the need to have everything dry properly.

So where to from here? I’ll touch up a few areas, especially the edges of the repair, and apply clear coat to a few additional spots I painted last week under the car for completeness. I think the final stage of the repair would be to give the area a good polish using a rotary polisher. That should remove some of the bumps I can see in the paint repair as well as blend it a bit better. This doesn’t have to be done immediately as I want to get a dual action rotary polisher but practice doing paint correction on another car before I take the polisher to the F355.

The other job I’ll now look at doing is repairing the other scratches and chips the car has (mainly underneath the front bumper). No need for sanding there. All I should have to do is clean, paint and then apply clear coat. Easy!

Now there are still some hairline cracks in the rear bumper but for the time being I am going to leave those as I don’t think they are worth trying to fix at this stage. Maybe down the track after the area has been polished I will re-evaluate. So all in all a good learning experience and a good (if somewhat imperfect) result.