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Former 2007 F430 owner here. The exhaust manifolds are subject to cracking and the issue is the precats are contained in the manifold assembly. What happens is the cat material breaks up and gets ingested into the crankcase and that can lead to catastrophic engine failure. The gen 2 manifolds are better but can still crack. My solution was to install stainless headers with a precat bypass. I also added a tuned exhaust system as I wasn't happy with the stock silencer or tips. Fabspeed, Tubi, and Capristo make quality headers and exhaust systems. I went with Fabspeed. The engine has timing chains as mentioned and with proper care can go 80 to 100K miles without an engine out servicing. Oil changes are done from underneath. There is a large panel for aero purposes that has to come off before you can get to anything. The oil filter uses crush washers so care must be taken on remove and install. Brake pad replacement is super easy. The clutch if F1 trans must be measured before you buy. 80% or better life left is what you'll want to look for. A clutch replacement can run from $6K to $10K. Check for coolant leaks. My car had coolant seeping from the water pump weep hole. That emptied my wallet to the tune of $5K parts and labour. The water pump and oil pump share the same housing and pump shaft.
As for driving, it is a wonderful car to drive. I had the Daytona seats and the adjustments were very good for my 6' long legged frame. Very comfortable on long trips and enough room in the boot for a weekend bag or two. The Becker radio sucks as do the subwoofers. I replaced mine with an Alpine unit. The window rocker switches are prone to breakage and the R and AUTO buttons can turn to goo if you're in a hot climate. The other switches and buttons can get gooey as well. It has to do with the coating on them.
I kept the car for two years and put a little over 5K miles on it. It had just over 8K when I bought it in 2014. I would still have it except my area has little to no support for exotics. I used an independent shop in Panama City but that entailed a 1.5 hour drive or tow. The shop would send an enclosed trailer so that was nice. I traded it for a 2016 Jaguar F-Type R convertible and just recently traded the Jag for a 2017 Charger Hellcat. Three two seaters wasn't cutting it and I wasn't going to give up the Vettes.
Good luck in your search and have the car checked by a certified Ferrari tech. A PPI is a must with these cars.
Former 2007 F430 owner here. The exhaust manifolds are subject to cracking and the issue is the precats are contained in the manifold assembly. What happens is the cat material breaks up and gets ingested into the crankcase and that can lead to catastrophic engine failure. The gen 2 manifolds are better but can still crack. My solution was to install stainless headers with a precat bypass. I also added a tuned exhaust system as I wasn't happy with the stock silencer or tips. Fabspeed, Tubi, and Capristo make quality headers and exhaust systems. I went with Fabspeed. The engine has timing chains as mentioned and with proper care can go 80 to 100K miles without an engine out servicing. Oil changes are done from underneath. There is a large panel for aero purposes that has to come off before you can get to anything. The oil filter uses crush washers so care must be taken on remove and install. Brake pad replacement is super easy. The clutch if F1 trans must be measured before you buy. 80% or better life left is what you'll want to look for. A clutch replacement can run from $6K to $10K. Check for coolant leaks. My car had coolant seeping from the water pump weep hole. That emptied my wallet to the tune of $5K parts and labour. The water pump and oil pump share the same housing and pump shaft.
As for driving, it is a wonderful car to drive. I had the Daytona seats and the adjustments were very good for my 6' long legged frame. Very comfortable on long trips and enough room in the boot for a weekend bag or two. The Becker radio sucks as do the subwoofers. I replaced mine with an Alpine unit. The window rocker switches are prone to breakage and the R and AUTO buttons can turn to goo if you're in a hot climate. The other switches and buttons can get gooey as well. It has to do with the coating on them.
I kept the car for two years and put a little over 5K miles on it. It had just over 8K when I bought it in 2014. I would still have it except my area has little to no support for exotics. I used an independent shop in Panama City but that entailed a 1.5 hour drive or tow. The shop would send an enclosed trailer so that was nice. I traded it for a 2016 Jaguar F-Type R convertible and just recently traded the Jag for a 2017 Charger Hellcat. Three two seaters wasn't cutting it and I wasn't going to give up the Vettes.
Good luck in your search and have the car checked by a certified Ferrari tech. A PPI is a must with these cars.
Thank you! This is the type of info I'm looking for.
Thank you! This is the type of info I'm looking for.
His write up confirms why I chose a Gallardo over a Ferrari. His car had 13K miles when he got rid of it and he had $5k in service and who knows how much that exhaust system cost.
I got my 2004 Gallardo with 9800 miles on it and it is just under 60k miles now.
Car has had 2 electronic issues, both were about $1800 to fix between computer replacements and other fixes.
Clutch was replaced once for $7000.
A/C compressor locked up and that was $2500
So that is about $13k in service in 10 years of owning and putting 50k miles on it. Not saying that is great but comparatively...
430 has chain drive on cams, no belt engine out service. To me, The automatic, E gear is not what I would buy. Make sure you get a percentage reading on the clutch. This shows wear on the clutch. The E gear system is a manual transmission that has computer controlled hydraulic systems that do the actual gear change and also control the clutch movement. New clutch is $7,000- $ 12,000 at dealer. You can change the clutch yourself, but then you must trailer the car to a dealer to set up the clutch values in the ecu for the clutch to work correctly.
Also, the exhaust manifolds are a well known problem with cracking. Look for white powder coming out from the exhaust manifolds insulation covers. There is an updated mark 2 manifold from the factory, but they still have a cracking problem. Most people install aftermarket manifolds, but, $$$. The ceramic carbon brakes, if equipped will cost around $20,000 to rebuild if the dealer does it.
Super nice car, but expensive to service. Also, $100,000 for a ten year old car. But it’s a FERRARI. If you have your eyes open, do it!
serious question.. why can Ferrari not figure out how to make exhaust manifolds? Wasn't this an issue way back on the 355 as well?
His write up confirms why I chose a Gallardo over a Ferrari. His car had 13K miles when he got rid of it and he had $5k in service and who knows how much that exhaust system cost.
I got my 2004 Gallardo with 9800 miles on it and it is just under 60k miles now.
Car has had 2 electronic issues, both were about $1800 to fix between computer replacements and other fixes.
Clutch was replaced once for $7000.
A/C compressor locked up and that was $2500
So that is about $13k in service in 10 years of owning and putting 50k miles on it. Not saying that is great but comparatively...
The exhaust system was $7K. It wasn't something I had to do but I wanted peace of mind over the stock manifolds and was disappointed in the sound of the stock system. I did take a serious look at the Gallardos and can appreciate the added reliability of the Audi based V10. I won't own another exotic until I'm in an area that can support it since there are so many proprietary software systems these days. The next one will have 12 cyl.
The exhaust system was $7K. It wasn't something I had to do but I wanted peace of mind over the stock manifolds and was disappointed in the sound of the stock system. I did take a serious look at the Gallardos and can appreciate the added reliability of the Audi based V10. I won't own another exotic until I'm in an area that can support it since there are so many proprietary software systems these days. The next one will have 12 cyl.
Is that the aftermarket exhaust price with install or just for the part?
The exhaust system was $7K. It wasn't something I had to do but I wanted peace of mind over the stock manifolds and was disappointed in the sound of the stock system. I did take a serious look at the Gallardos and can appreciate the added reliability of the Audi based V10. I won't own another exotic until I'm in an area that can support it since there are so many proprietary software systems these days. The next one will have 12 cyl.
i am sure the 430 was fun to drive. the Gallardo feels a little heavy but becomes a much funner car if you remove the awd system did on mine many years ago. I think that is one of the biggest advantages of the 430 is the car feel.
I was at Bill Kay Chevrolet and the 2008 F430 was sitting on the showroom floor and looked great if you get a chance you need to see that one in person.
After owning several vettes, porsches and Dodge Vipers, I decided to step into the Ferrari world a year ago. Mine is a 2007 F430. I did a lot of research on these and everything that has already been mentioned is true. Skip the 360 and get into the 430. No belt change. The F1 Ediff tranny is nice but are notorious for going through clutches. PPI on mine revealed clutch wear at 40% with 16,000 miles. Currently has 18,400 and going strong. I belong to the Ferrarichat forum and there are several guys that are getting 30,000+ miles on a clutch. It all depends on how you drive them. As for the cracking exhaust manifolds, I went ahead and put aftermarket headers with heat blankets on for good measure. There have been some documented cases where pieces of the pre-cat that is built into the OEM manifolds getting sucked up into the exhaust valves and trashing the motor when the manifold cracks. A $30,000 rebuild. $5K for headers and blankets seems like cheap insurance. Maintenance on these aren't bad. They recommend an annual which basically is just replacing all the fluids (engine oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid flush, radiator flush every two years), hydraulic and power steering fluid level check, belt check, ball joint and engine mount check, air filter check, etc. I can do an annual myself for around $400. Take to a Ferrari mechanic and it'll cost you around $1k. The only thing they can do that I cant' is check the parameters and clutch wear, which takes an SD3 or Leonardo diagnostic computer system (which will run you at least $20K if you bought one yourself). But if you haven't done anything with the F1 like bleed the system, there's really no need for the diagnostic and I can easily see the clutch plates through an inspection port to check for clutch wear.
Fun car to drive and you definitely get lots of looks in it!
Last edited by caymangone; 07-19-2018 at 08:45 AM.
After owning several vettes, porsches and Dodge Vipers, I decided to step into the Ferrari world a year ago. Mine is a 2007 F430. I did a lot of research on these and everything that has already been mentioned is true. Skip the 360 and get into the 430. No belt change. The F1 Ediff tranny is nice but are notorious for going through clutches. PPI on mine revealed clutch wear at 40% with 16,000 miles. Currently has 18,400 and going strong. I belong to the Ferrarichat forum and there are several guys that are getting 30,000+ miles on a clutch. It all depends on how you drive them. As for the cracking exhaust manifolds, I went ahead and put aftermarket headers with heat blankets on for good measure. There have been some documented cases where pieces of the pre-cat that is built into the OEM manifolds getting sucked up into the exhaust valves and trashing the motor when the manifold cracks. A $30,000 rebuild. $5K for headers and blankets seems like cheap insurance. Maintenance on these aren't bad. They recommend an annual which basically is just replacing all the fluids (engine oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid flush, radiator flush every two years), hydraulic and power steering fluid level check, belt check, ball joint and engine mount check, air filter check, etc. I can do an annual myself for around $400. Take to a Ferrari mechanic and it'll cost you around $1k. The only thing they can do that I cant' is check the parameters and clutch wear, which takes an SD3 or Leonardo diagnostic computer system (which will run you at least $20K if you bought one yourself). But if you haven't done anything with the F1 like bleed the system, there's really no need for the diagnostic and I can easily see the clutch plates through an inspection port to check for clutch wear.
Fun car to drive and you definitely get lots of looks in it!
Nice car. There are days that I miss having mine. If you decide to upgrade the horns to proper air horns Ricambi sells a nice kit. The front bumper cap has to come off to get the trumpets in a good location. I put mine just behind the grill openings. Everything plugs into existing wiring. I mounted the compressor to the non-movable portion of the steering rack. All that was required for access was removing the carpeted piece at the firewall and installing a new styrofoam cover. The factory horns are weak.
Nice car. There are days that I miss having mine. If you decide to upgrade the horns to proper air horns Ricambi sells a nice kit. The front bumper cap has to come off to get the trumpets in a good location. I put mine just behind the grill openings. Everything plugs into existing wiring. I mounted the compressor to the non-movable portion of the steering rack. All that was required for access was removing the carpeted piece at the firewall and installing a new styrofoam cover. The factory horns are weak.
You had a nice one too. Black would have been my other choice in color. Thanks for the upgrade idea. Honestly in our neck of the woods, we don't use horns. We just use hand gestures out the window! I know what you mean about not having a good Ferrari tech anywhere nearby. That's the only thing I'm leery about if something goes wrong that's beyond what I can do, which in all likelihood would be any issues with the Ediff or tranny. Everything else is pretty straightforward and having a lift and an on-line source for parts like Recambi is a plus. Like you, I have a good tech that I've talked to several times but he's a good 2 1/2 hours away. He does have an enclosed trailer and would come down and pick up the car for a fee so there is a little comfort there I guess. The Ferrari techs will tell you not to be afraid to drive these. The general consensus among the techs is the more you drive them, the more reliable they become. They've had more issues with garage queens over the one's that are driven regularly. I get this one out once a weekend weather permitting. Since getting the '17 GS CE a few months ago though, I'm not driving the Ferrari as much! Both are fun cars in their own rights!
I owned a '05 F430 in 2008 after owning many Corvettes. It was the most exciting car I had ever driven at that time. It blew me away in every respect, especially the paddle shift which was unique at the time. The unbelievable handling, the sound of the exhaust, the styling including the see thru engine cover were just like nothing I had ever experienced before. All the car magazines proclaimed the F 430 the gold standard for all sports cars to emulate. I didn't think I could top that experience.
Fast forward to late 2014. I saw my first C7 Z06 in person. It was stunning. I immediately ordered one and eventually took delivery at NCM. The car was thrilling to see when I picked up at NCM and drove it through the Kentucky countryside.We came back home by way of The Tail of The Dragon in East Tennessee.What an experience! I tracked it at Chevy Dealers Track days at Charlotte Motor Speedway both on the road Course and drag strip and at the end of a great day I was impressed beyond all expectations about the capabilities and power of the Z06. I love the PDR and the ability to evaluate your track performance on the free Cosworth software.I really appreciate the Ron Fellows Spring Mountain Driving experience which polished up my rusty track skills. I love the many compliments I get on the car, especially from millennials.
In conclusion the F430 is a fantastic car, but the Z06 surpasses it with more power, better handling due to the Performance Track Management/magnetic shock system [licensed to Ferrari btw],the upgraded interior and electronics and the ability to build a uniquely individual Z06 with all the treatment options for the wheels,stripes,vents,mirrors,hood and roof.
Combine that with relatively inexpensive parts,2,700 Chevy dealers for service, the ease you can set this car up for track days,and that a used one is $65-75K with some warranty I think the C7 Z06 far exceeds the aging F430.
Buying a street twitchy F430 Scuderia may by the ultimate aspiration for some, but the Z06 is the better choice for a modern sports car.
07-03-2018, 05:30 PM
