This past week, I took the F40 to Watkins Glen for the FCA National Meet. It was a wonderful event, and the track portion at Watkins Glen was marvellous. Meeting many ferrari owners was a real pleasure, and the variety of cars and organization was first rate.

The best story of the week for me personally was the events surrounding my Coppa Bella evaluation. For those that don't know what this is, the Coppa Bella Macchina is a competition where cars that scored 95 and above in the Concours are put through a more rigorous examination to make sure that the car is 100% operational...if something doesn't work, seat belt/light/cigarette lighter etc, the test allows you 1 hour to fix the problem, or you fail. If the car doesn't run correctly, or leaks fluids etc, you fail unless it can be corrected in 1 hour.

The test includes a driving portion, and this is where it got interesting for me ! The static portion of the test went fine, and nothing failed, so off I went with the evaluator on the driving portion. We start out going up a hill, and the car bogs down and seems down on power (remember I mentioned this a few months back but it had disappeared...problem decides to rear itself again at THIS exact moment.) Car feels like its running on 1 bank (4 cyl) and the instructor says " I think we should head back"...I asked him if I had an hour to get it sorted thinking it might just be an ECU issue that will reset itself. He says "you have 1 hour".

Well, as I pulled into the eval are, as luck would have it the service team from Continental Ferrari was standing there. Scott Wallace is the Service Manager, and Tod Ruoti is the Chief Technician over there and 1 of a handful of Ferrari Master Technicians in NA. I have to tell you, these guys attacked the problem with a zeal and enthusiasm that was something to see. They quickly determined that the right bank was down, checked relays/fuses, swapped ECU's...one F40 owner (Gerald John) even ran up to his room to get the Service Manual ! Through all of this, the evaluator was calling off 5 min increments of time. With about 10 mins of time left, they pulled the front engine cover from behind the seats ! The tech was looking at wiring diagrams, and traced a connector that sits at the back of the engine that comes from the fuel pump relay and goes into the fuel pump. It sits it a deep little well that is prone to collecting water. Tod disconnected it, sprayed the area with silicone spray, roughed up the connector ends and put it back together....fired up the engine and holy smokes ! RAN LIKE A PEACH ! The evaluator says "ok, button it up, lets go for a ride !"

In short, car ran great on the trip and the problem has been fixed. When I got back, some people in the eval area started clapping...it was pretty funny, but also really amazing to me to see such spirit and comraderie at the event. I tried to offer the guys from Continental a token of my appreciation, but they were not having it at all.

I can't say enough about how Scott and Tod tackled this issue. They took it on like it was there own personal mission to get it running correctly. They never gave up, even when time was getting tight, and their technical prowess around the car was something to see. I can't thank them enough for everything, and the car is running like a monster. Thanks Scott, thanks Tod....it was great meeting all the gang from Continental Ferrari in Chicago.

Jas

For me, it was definitely the best part of the week.

 

Great story Jas, hope all is well.

Josh.

 

Great story. Continental Ferrari sounds like a first class crew!

 

Great story! It was probably a highlight for them to work on an F40 under time constraints as well; akin to being on a pit crew for a race team. I'm sure they were as giddy as you afterwards!

 

wow... Im sure for the techs that was a dream... Im sure any ferrari tech is one because of their love for the car, and the chance to work and problem shoot a F40 in such a situation was probably a dream come true for them! How did the rest of the eval go?

 

Went great Clark....copped the Coppa Bella Macchina, and also won the Platino (platinum) Award in the Concours. Great turnout of cars, really creamy stuff.

 

You know it's funny, this reminds of one of the horseless carriage guys that came to pickup the turbo when we sold it. He was talking about how P-car owners are so arrogant and all that, and that Ferrari owners tend to be real down to earth and passionate ect and really close nit.

I have really started to notice that the Ferrari guys LOVE Ferrari. Obviously celebs and flashy people are exceptions, but most people with seem to just love these cars. I have never felt so part of a car company as I have since we got the 599. I am really hoping to ship the car down to PB this winter for the Breakers event as it's hard meeting Ferrari guys in ohio. There is just something about Ferrari and it's history and everything that I just love being a part of even if it's in a small way. Looking at the book they gave us with pictures of the 599 being built is just so exciting. These cars are really more than cars, it's really just the pinnacle of automotive brands in my opinion. I love hearing stories like this thanks for sharing.

 

I have met a lot of passionate Porsche guys as well...heck you only have to take a look around on this board. I must admit though, once I entered the Ferrari world, I was on the lookout for the prototype arrogant F-car owner...I have yet to find him/her. Almost everyone I have met at events and meets around the country has been first rate and enthusiastic....maybe those are the only type that show up at events.

If you do come down to PB in Jan, we'll have to meet up. Bring your 599 for sure. It is a great time man, and the track cars that show up span the decades.

 

Great story Jas! By coincidence, I was talking to my wife about getting a 430 Spyder last night and she shot me down like I was a duck flying through the crosshairs of your crazy machine gun. She is sitting right behind me looking at rugs on her computer and I told her about your story and got no response at all! Can you believe it, not even your story can break through the great wall of "you don't need a Ferrari".

 

For me it has been the opposite... outside of Ferrari owners at concourses and track events... the ones I have met out and about... have for the most part been pretty arrogant... but I think the same goes for porsche owners on a smaller scale. Im sure the horseless carriage guy just for whatever reason probably deals with more of the arrogant porsche owners and the more personable ferrari owners. (probably not to hard to deduce why really when you think about it) Ferrari's stir an emotion most Porsches can't, but sadly a good bit of ferrari owners dont buy their car for said reason. I sit on the board of my local PCA region, and I have already made life long friendships... I have also been to a few Potomac region Ferrari Club meets... I didn't get the same feel as I do at a PCA meet... but you know why? It has nothing to do with Ferrari owners being more or less arrogant that Pcar owners... it had to do with the fact that I went with an arrogant Ferrari Owner, and therefore I didn't get to meet or be around the personable members. In the end I think each make has its own scale of arrogant owners... thats just a fact... we drive expensive and desired automobiles, whose ownership puts you in a social caste wether you like it or not... I think the take home message is that in their respective worlds (ferrari world / porsche world) at meets, concourses, or track events... those owners are your passionate ones... not the ones you come across at starbucks (for the most part)

 

Has she seen or sat in one ? She needs to be introduced to one at a meet or something...once she sees the passion that it evokes, she will understand.

It reminds me of what my wife said to me early on in our marriage...we went to a car meet, and she said "there really are a lot of crazy people like you out there..." It was a revelation to her, and she has become a car nut herself. There is hope my friend, stay the course and she will realize how much it means to you. Fake depression, do whatever you have to do...

 

Well I agree with you, but I think the difference comes from the volume of cars Porsche sells. Car enthusiasts makeup a much smaller portion of Porsche owners in my opinion than Ferrari owners. Most people who own used Ferraris in my experience love Ferraris. There are so many more porsches out there that there is just more arrogant owners. For the most part I think aside from flashy people, you have to be pretty serious about cars to spend Ferrari money on a car. Porsches are I think mostly bought as daily drivers, where Ferraris tend to be garage queens, and people who buy a car to look at it tend to care about it more than those who drive them every day like they are nothing. I could be wrong, and I wasn't trying to state fact, it's just my experiences. Keep in mind Porsches were my first love, and I thought Ferraris were pansy cars for the rich for years. One of my best friends in the world, who is more of a brother from another mother so to speak, was met through Porsches and actually through this very forum!

Jas you live in kentucky right? How far away are you from say cinci?

 

I agree completely, while I don't have a wife my dad basically felt the same way. He doesn't like sports cars really and he never really liked my Turbo, it rode too hard for him and he just prefers an SL600 type car. When we went to our dealer and he drove a 430 though all of a suddenly he understood why I was so hooked on Ferrari. He saw the romance of it all and when talking to the owner of our dealer he really began to understand what the Ferrari experience was all about. I'm not trying tout Ferrari as better or anything, it's just different. The Porsche's are made to be driven and they are some of the best cars money can buy, but Ferraris have this whole other aspect to them aside from their obvious driving qualities. I always wanted to drive the Porsche I never cared about miles or anything like that, but with the Ferrari just knowing its tucked away in the Garage puts a big smile on my face. Maybe I don't have enough miles on the car yet, but I am so nervous driving the damn thing it kind of takes some of the fun away. Let me put it this way, the 599 is the first car I have ever taken the cover off of and washed again just because I wanted to wash a clean car lol.

Seriously though take her to a ferrari challenge or something, hopefully your dealer will have a car or get a buddy to take her out, it may just change her mind. Ferraris are like women, they can just seduce you in ways you'll never expect.

 

Great story, there's no question that Continental is the #1 F-car dealer in Chicago.

As for Ferrari vs Porsche owners being arrogant, in my experience the arrogant Ferrari owners are the ones who daily drive a '94 civic just so they can tell everyone they own a Ferrari...usually a 308 , the big money guys with the big deal cars are usually always very nice and down to earth and from what I understand, Jas is no exception.

 

Great story Jas! I was hoping for a link to a vid of these guys thrashing away at your priceless beauty.

Congrats on winning the crown. Big props to Continental Ferrari!