Piercemotorsports to prepare Ferrari F430 for Daytona

[JPierce]

I cant lay it back like I do in the 996's and 997's where I bend the middle of the hoop off plane to lay it back---they want all the bends on the same plane. Since it's a mid-engine and aluminum frame with fuel cells where the kickers would normally terminate, the kickers are going to be very close to vertical to keep them in the drivers area/bulkhead (which means it's getting a pettybar) so the more upright I can make it, the better/more angle I can get on the kickers...It's kind of a give and take and while most shops seem to take months, this cage/car will be off to the body shop midweek...

Edited January 5, 2010 by Guest

[JPierce]

I'll have to check the post time since my last one, but I just did my personal best time on the "X" and gusset's . It's Sunday 12 noon---I'm going home early today!!! On a side note---can I get a real quick check from the Fabricators out there---am I gonna' go to hell for Mig welding the cage in a Ferrari??!!...

[JPierce]

It's tricky with the mid-engine car/rear bulkhead...We moved the "X" up higher in the car to allow access to the engine hatch, and with the bulkhead we can't get a great angle on the kickers so they get moved down. The harness bar is actually going to go through the rear kickers and then turn back into the X!

[JPierce]

This is a car we're building in the other bay at the same time---sure like to be able to do that cage in this car, but it won't fit!!! What a pain...

[JPierce]

Harness bar!!! Another harness bar and a diagonal (that probably isn't doing much) and the back half will be done...

[kbrew8991]

keep those updates coming - and as a Ferrari and mid-engine layout fan I know what car I'll be cheering for now

[JPierce]

Ok-back half is done except for welding/ drilling out holes in the harness bar to weld in some threaded sleeves for eyebolts. We made a diagonal, but it's pretty redundant so we'll see...

[JPierce]

Slowly but surely---we got harness mount threaded sleeves welded in the cage (2 hours worth of work!)

We're removing the single airjack that ferrari uses (bolts to the nosecone of the transmission and destroys said trans when car goes offtrack and the jack hits the ground!) and going to two airjacks at a safer location---using the daytona prototype airjacks (the teams spares...)

The front airjacks are bolted to the weak aluminum box section in the front and flex nearly 1/2" when used so we made a brace to add some support...

[JPierce]

The engine cover is accessed through the rear firewall cover located inside the car. Whenever anyone needs to work on the front of the engine they inevitably end up crushing the center console with their knees. We've built some support under there!!! It really is the little things...

[JPierce]

Airjack cans/mounts---after removing 35% of the material---they're at a more reasonable weight...

[JPierce]

Airjacks are mounted!!!

[JPierce]

Busy day---we got two boxster specs in for cages and what not---but we kick those things out like pizza so it wont effect the Rolex car...

We did get the a-pillars/roof spreader and a roof diagonal fit in the car though---hopefully more pics/progress tomorrow.

[wlfpkrcn1]

Are you guys working or watching T&S for the Roar before the 24?

[JPierce]

Yeah I've got an ST class car the #86 Royal Purple Prey racing Boxster and I think an SRT that may show up tomorrow---in GS I've got a handful of 997's that I did small things for...This Ferrari should test next week at Fontana and then get bodywork/wrapped/transported to Daytona...

[JPierce]

Pettybar and support---starting to look like a cage. After we finish the sleeves it's time to pull it all apart, finish welding the areas we couldn't get to---paint everything and re-install so we can finish up the doorbars---once it's installed you'll need a sawzall and an allen wrench to get the cage out!!!

[richard migliori]

Jim, Looking very nicely done! Enjoyed all the pics, thanks.

 

 

Richard

[JPierce]

Got the cage out---what a pain!!! Welds pull stuff...Finished up the welding and started painting.

[JPierce]

I forgot how low this car sits!!! It's 3 1/2" off the ground at the rear airjacks and 2 1/2" at the front!

[JPierce]

D$mn that's red!

[JPierce]

Painted and re-assembled back in the car---now we start the door bars/dash bar and then we'll paint/touch-up what's left. We used red on the back portion of the cage---because the owner wanted it---but put semi-flat black out the front of the car because I can't stand glare/distractions. The door bars we'll be T183 semi metallic gun metal gray (my favorite) which makes the welds pop!

[FasTom]

Hey J,

 

Check those center lock hubs.

 

I don't think they are legal in Grand Am GT

[JPierce]

Thanks Tom---aren't you supposed to be at Daytona today with a Cobalt?? I mentioned the brakes/hubs were getting changed for legal parts in the beginning of the thread, but thanks for reminding me--- I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached right now!

[JPierce]

Couple of up and coming Piercemotorsports hotshoes!!

[JPierce]

This here's' your basic Ferrari F430 rear crash bar/airjack relocation kit with integrated wing supports/hood pin mounts/quick release rear bumper provisions---should be able to find it at Kragen/Pep Boys in about a month, special order of course, for $3995 unpainted and about $35 more painted...Of course you can pre-order them directly from us for a substantial discount...

[JPierce]

Almost done now---the back sections are painted and installed...tomorrow we weld up nascar bars, paint them and touch up the interior, install the aluminum rear bulkhead/window and then it's off to get body work for 3 days---then back here for headers/exhaust/flatbottom---then wrapped, tuned, then suspension/brakes get swapped---then testing at Cal Speedway---then finally off to Daytona...holy smokes!!!!!