Took the car out for drive as normal recently but 10-15 minutes into the drive, while climbing a hill, I lose power and get the ‘5-8 Slow Down’ light flashing at me. In a few seconds the fault cleared and car carried on without an issue.
Here’s a little video of that trip.
My first fear was that the thermocouple ECU on the other cylinder bank was failing however even I spoke with Sal from Racing Red he thought it may have been a fouled spark plug and not to worry too much unless it reoccurs.
With a little trepidation I took the car about the following week with someone else along for the right, everything went fine until we returned home and garaged the car. While parking it seemed to bang its nose more than it usually does, which I thought strange.
During the week I measured the clearance on both sides of the car and found the drivers side to be about 25mm lower than the passengers side. Hmmm…I have a weekend drive day with the Ferrari Club of Australia next weekend. Hmmm.. what’s the best option here?
When you drive a bright red sports car you stand out no matter where you are. When your drive a bright red Ferrari you stand out even more. So, what’s the only way not to stand out? Be part of a crowd of bright red Ferraris like below.
Ferrari Club Australia (FCA) NSW division organized a drive morning from the old toll gates on the F3 to Mangrove Dam on the central coast.
About 25 Ferraris of all makes and models assembled for the drive up and back, starting along the old Pacific Highway.
It was my first ‘drive day’ event with the club and I had a blast. The car performed flawlessly and the route made it really worthwhile. Probably the most enjoyable part was doing with a group of enthusiasts, who all love their cars just as much as I do. Finished off with a great brunch at the Corrugated Cafe, an excellent way to spend a Sunday morning.
I’ll have to add this trip to my list and do it again! Thanks FCA.
Another wonderful sunny day for a drive and a good excuse to once again go topless!
Here are some promised photos of the roof.
To remove the hard roof you need to firstly open the holding clips at top of the windscreen on the drivers and passengers side. The clips are shown in the above photo.
Once the clips have been opened you can remove the roof and stow it behind the seats. The roof is heavier and more cumbersome that it looks so be careful when positioning it behind the seats. You’ll generally need to spin it around so the large positioning spikes can be inserted in the holding holes behind the seat as shown above and below.
Once the roof is in place the seats can be returned to their upright position and you are ready to go.
As I have said before, having the wind in your hair and experiencing more than a million square kilometres of blue sky is what these cars are all about. However, keep in mind that if you want to put the roof back on (if it starts raining for example) you’ll have to pull over and man handle it back into place. All that can take a few minutes to achieve so heed the weather well before you elect to go top down.
The car has been running well over the past few week. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t been as kind being wet regularly. However, recently there was a break in the weather that allowed me to go ‘top down’ for the duration. Now a Ferrari F355 Berlinetta is the model with a solid roof like so:
Having a solid roof makes the car stiffer since there are two connections (roof and floor) between the front steering and the power in the rear (engine). To the purists this makes the car much better for driving which is what Enzo Ferrari was all about. When looking for a vehicle I did try and find a Berlinetta, however they are hard to come by. Obviously owners love them (as you would expect). The next type of Ferrari F355 is the Spider (or convertible) like so:
Purists will claim that removing the roof makes the car more likely to warp thus affecting performance and handling. To compensate for this, manufactures add more strengthening elements in the floor. Along with the mechanics for the folding roof, this adds additional weight and weight is the major component that reduces performance. Even though a Spider does allow you to enjoy millions of free cubic metres sky when you are driving I do feel the car isn’t as pretty as the other models. Someone once describe the convertible Ferrari F355 to me a bit like a flat bed truck in appearance. Not nice, but there is a certain element of truth there. The other issue with any convertible (reinforced to me after a drive day) is that over time the roof starts to leak. As the fabric and mechanics of the roof age the sealing ability tends to suffer. So while the sun shines, convertibles are great, but when it rains? Not so much. Maybe this is why most Ferrari F355s for sale are convertibles. Coincidence? I think not. Finally there is the Ferrari F335 GTS which has a detachable roof like so:
The detachable roof is a single component that unclips and can then be placed behind the seats.
As you can see in the above image (of Top Gear UK’s Jeremy Clarkson with his Ferrari F355) the detachable roof is not really something you can quickly put up and down. It is much heavier and more cumbersome than it looks. To stow it easily you really need two people and somewhere that you can have both doors wide open, however the locating the roof behind the seats is quite simple to position. Interestingly, I couldn’t find any images on the Internet that shows the roof operation and stowing in more detail, so I’ll add that to the list of shots for next time. So the Ferrari F355 GTS is probably the best compromise between the Berlinetta and the Spider. It doesn’t provide the stiffness of the Berlinetta but it does provide access to the million cubic metres of sky when the weather is good. Driving without the roof is a very different experience I will admit. Firstly, you seem to be looking over the windscreen (even though your aren’t) but it certainly does have the feel of being a convertible. The best part is that you get to experience more of the glorious sound of the engine as it growls along. That said, it is still possible to have a conversation with the passenger with out shouting. Once you drive with the top down on a nice day you begin to understand why people prefer convertibles. However, if it starts raining along the way then you’ll realise why they may not be such a good idea. Ying and yang and all that. Even though I initially wanted a Berlinetta for the ‘pure’ driving experience I am glad that I instead went the GTS route, for there is simply nothing like driving a car like this with the wind in your hair, the growl of the engine in your ears and the unrestricted vistas. It is pure magic.
This review is part of a number of different drives available in and around Sydney. You can view and comment on them all at : http://www.lovethe355.com/355/drives
Length – 70.4 kms
Time – 70 mins (approx)
General Description
Start at Pennant Hills and head towards Dural. Continue along Cattai Ridge Road and then towards Windsor. Return along Windsor and then along the M2, finally back on Pennant Hills Road to Pennant Hills.
Positives
There is generally not a lot of traffic on the back roads out to Windsor. Cattai Ridge Road has some good bends and a generally good surface. In some places the speed limit is 80 kmph. The return trip along Windsor Road has a great surface, is wide and has a limit of 80 kmphs. Plenty of nice bush scenery and away from the city traffic out to Windsor. The return trip along Windsor Road and the M2 will generally allow you to stretch the performance of your vehicle.
Negatives
Part of road from Maraylya to Windsor has a below average surface but it isn’t an extensive stretch. The road through Dural and along Cattai Ridge Road is only a single lane and there are limited places to overtake if necessary. This means that you get held up behind a slower car for an extended period during some of the route.
A significant portion of the road through Dural and the first half of Cattai Ridge Road is 60 kmph.
There is currently a significant amount of road work being carried out along the M2 which could mean delays, poor road surface and reduced speeds while this is being completed. The M2 is also a toll road.
Fuel
There are places to fill up at Dural and along Windsor road if necessary
Cautions
– There are some tight bends along as it crosses Cattai Creek. The road also narrows here so ensure that travel is at the appropriate speed.
Feedback
if you have any feedback or suggestions about this trip please contact me via director@ciaops.com.
Part of the enjoyment of owning a vehicle is being able to drive it but not just on ordinary roads and in congested streets. If you enjoy your cars then you also enjoy taking it for a good drive. Somewhere that has good roads, straights, corners, great vistas and so on.
This can be a challenge in a major city like Sydney but what I thought I’d start doing is putting together a list of Great Drives of Sydney and posting them on www.lovethe355.com. I’d also initially detail them here on the blog but hopefully improve the information on each over time. I’d also love to see other drivers provide their feedback and suggestions, which I’ll add to the site over time.
Start at the beginning of the F3 at Wahroonga in Sydney’s north. Follow the freeway north until you cross the Hawkesbury River. Turn off the freeway and loop back towards Brooklyn taking the old Pacific Highway. Continue past Brooklyn along the old Pacific Highway south. Travel through Berowra and Cowan and re-join the freeway heading south just after Berowra. Continue back along the F3 south until you reach Wahroonga again.
Positives
Taking the freeway to start with allows a good warm up of the car as well travelling at the maximum speed limit currently in the state (110 kph). The return trip via the Pacific Highway is generally done on a two lane stretch of road which helps negotiate cyclist or slower vehicles if encountered. The road from Brooklyn back to the old F3 tollgates has some nice bends and is generally free of major traffic and has a limit of 80 kph most of the way.
Negatives
The recommended travel route is along the old Pacific Highway is from Brooklyn to Berowra (i.e north to south) rather than the reserve. The reason for this is to avoid cyclists who generally travel south to north (i.e. towards Brooklyn). However, beware of cyclists, especially in the singly lane sections of road.
The travel through the built up area of Berowra is limited 60 kphs, however increases to 80 kphs just before the turn off back to freeway.
Fuel
The only place to refuel is at Berowra just before returning to the freeway. The service stations are on the other side (western side) of the road so you will need to cross over and cross back if needed. These service stations are usually not generally as busy as what you normally find so make a good place to stop.
2. Apart from service station fair there are also a number of shops on the other side (western) side of the road as you enter Berowra. There is a parking station on the south bound (eastern) side that you could use.
Cautions
– The Pacific Highway is used frequently by large groups of cyclists, which may be travelling in groups at times.
– The commencement and end of the F3 at Wahroonga is 80 kph. Keep to these limits as police speed enforcement in the area is high in both directions. This means don’t accelerate to 110 kph until you see the signs north bound, and south bound ensure you reduce speed to 80 kph when you see the signs.
– From the Brooklyn turn off north bound to the start of the dual carriage way on the old Pacific Highway is 60 kph.
– A regular speed enforcement zone is just as you approach the old toll gates on the F3 on the old Pacific Highway heading south.
– The speed limit decreases from 80 kph to 60 kph through Cowan on the old Pacific Highway.
– The speed limit through Berowra decreases from 80 kph to 60 kph on the old Pacific Highway.
Love the F355 