[Atul]

Hi All:

I am a new 550 owner. Just picked up the car ('99 550M, 35,800 miles, Red) last Thursday in London (actually, Penn - Buckinhamshire, UK) - and on Friday/Sat/Sunday put on 800 miles. Drove up to the Yorkshire dales on Friday morning (getting there in 4 hours; about 60 miles outside London one can really step on the gas on the M1). On Saturday did a 170 mile "ride" (the car is sort of like a Ducati, almost :-), driving on the A65 to Kendal and then on the A592, looping back to the A591 - great roads. I was able to keep up with a superbike for many miles in the hills actually before I thought discretion was the better part of valor :-). Back on Sunday from the Dales to Dover, where I park the car in a Friend's garage. Amazing car. My previous Ferrari was an '89 Mondial T 3.4 convertible that I had in Los Gatos california for the past 12 years. I now split my time between London (2 weeks) and India (5-6 weeks) but I suspect that my time spent in the UK will now dramatically rise :-).

Two questions:

1. The brakes, (330 MM front and 310 rear) seem a little small for a car that's reasonably heavy (though braking performance was not that bad on my 800 mile jaunt last weekend). While the Carbon brakes are a bit too steep, has anyone experimented with the larger Brembo brakes - apparently there are 355mm and 380 mm front and rear brake variants with either 4 or 6-pot calipers available from Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini Performance and Tuning parts by Performance Italia. I'm sure many owners have upgraded their brakes. Does one only require new pads to increase braking performance or do 14" or 15" disks and 6-pot calipers make a significant difference? Any advise will is appreciated.

2. COP ignition. I see from many posts (especially one by Taz) that the 575 has COP ignition (Motronic 7.1.1) that has many benefits. How complex is the move from the 550's 5.2 system to the 7.1.1 system - and how expensive is it (parts and labour). NOTE: I will not be doing the work myself (no time, and I don't know how to do it - though it will be great to find the time to learn!!). Has any 550 owner ever tried this? Any advise on whether this is necessary would be appreciated.

Another problem I had (which the dealer will look at) is wind noise at 70-80 MPH coming from the right (driver's side) window. Not sure if others have experienced this. I guess the solution is to put in some sort of sealant up where the glass meets the door?

Overall, the 550 is quite a stunning car to drive. One just wants to go on and on. Mine has the Capristo Stage 2 exhaust which sounds lovely outside the car but is not too loud when one is inside (though loud enough to keep the ride entertaining and engaging).

Next trip: Across Europe end-May. Why fly when one can drive (much more entertaining and fun and almost as fast, modulo cops and speed cameras).

-- Atul Saini
Fiorano Software, Inc. (atul@fiorano.com)

[tazandjan]

Atul- Welcome to Ferrari life. The brakes on the Maranellos (the 575M's are identical except for one rear piston size) have proven adequate, but upgrades do provide extra stopping power. If you have the standard 18" wheels, I am not certain the 380 mm rotors will fit, but the 355 mm rotors will. The Brembos have proven generally good, and the OEM brakes are Brembos, too. I have 396 mm Mov'its on my car and they barely make it inside the 19" wheels I have.

If you want a cheaper solution, Fiorano Handling Package pads provide extra stopping power, but they do squeal until bedded and occasionally even after bedding. I have a spare set if you are interested.

John Cribb (JCribb) has installed COP ignition on his 550 and several other Ferraris with outstanding results. You can search for his threads or send him a private message for more information. The system he put together has components that are probably superior to the OEM components on the 575M and do not require changing your Motronic 5.2 system. Search COP and you will get a bunch of hits.

The windows on the 550 are easily adjusted and you or your dealer should be able to adjust them to eliminate most of the leakage noise. I would not recommend using sealant. Just adjust the window for a tight seal. On a 550 the driver's side window opens much more frequently than the passenger side window and gets out of adjustment quicker. On the 575M, the window ECU is different and both driver side and passenger side windows go down when the remote is used to unlock the car.

[550JM]

Hi Atul, and welcome to Flife.
Congratulations on the car, we'd love to see pics!
About your questions I am sure the 550/575 experts will soon chime in!
The one to talk to about anything 550/575 is Tazandjan. He's our ultimate expert, our living 550/575 bible so to speak. I know he's upgraded the brakes on his 575 so I am sure he can help. Cribbj has done the COP. Ignition conversion, look for the thread in the 550 section.
About the wind noise, that's common for the 550. You don't need sealant but an experienced Ferrari tech to adjust the windows. You'll have to do that every year or so, it will come back after a while...
As a fellow 550 owner and Ducati freak, I know what you mean! Isn't it a great car to drive?!

About this forum; you have joined a great and very friendly group, I'm sure you will like it here!

Enjoy the car in good health!

[550JM]

Taz- you win, you beat me to it my friend!

[Barry]

Atul
As usual I cannot add any wisdom to Terry's previous comments, though congrats on your 550 and welcome to Ferrari Life. Feel free to post a few pics of your new toy if you have some.

[tazandjan]

Jeroen- We both said the same thing, so at least we are consistent.

I should have added that when Ferrari brought out the 575M HGTC, the 398 mm CCM front brakes would not fit in the optional 19" modular front wheels. So Ferrari brought out a modified wheel that fits around those huge brakes.

[Atul]

Taz - thanks for the quick turnaround on my questions. I guess I'll first have to move to the 19" rims of the 575 before a brake upgrade but may try the FHP Pads before that. The brakes are reasonably OK for now since I don't plan on tracking the car too much in the near future.

On your brakes, do you use 398mm rotors both front and rear, or just front? Is there any specific recommendation for front/rear rotor sizes or ratios? Wasn't really sure, since the OEM rotors are 330 mm front and 310 rear - the rear's always seem a little smaller. I guess because more of the stopping power always comes from the front rotors (as in a bike..)

About the Window adjustment - how exactly is this done? I suppose on has to adjust this electronically via a computer? I suppose the dealer should know this; I'll have to find an expert. The main dealer (H.R. Owen) is right next to my flat in london so that should help I guess!

I will check the COP posts as well, though before that I've simply got to do a UK --> Germany --> UK drive

[Atul]

Jeroen, Barry: Thanks for the warm welcome. I did take some snaps and will post them up soon. I had to take off Monday early morning for Dubai (where it is now 3 am) so I'll get to the pics perhaps later this week.

I must say that the car has a lovely feel to it and makes one want to drive one's pants off. I'm glad I decided on a manual. The other option was a 2003 575M which was also very good but I guess that will come in the future.

Ciao,

-- Atul

[Atul]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

Jeroen- We both said the same thing, so at least we are consistent.

I should have added that when Ferrari brought out the 575M HGTC, the 398 mm CCM front brakes would not fit in the optional 19" modular front wheels. So Ferrari brought out a modified wheel that fits around those huge brakes.

Taz - are your Mov'its CCM brakes or steel? Any special benefits of the Mov'its over the Brembos? Checking for the future!

Cheers,

-- Atul

[cribbj]

Hello Atul & welcome!

Here's the thread about my COP conversion for the 550: COP Conversion for the 550. It's a good conversion and cleans up the engine bay nicely. Not only is it a more contemporary solution, it's also a cheaper alternative than replacing the OEM HT leads.

Once you've had a read, feel free to fire off any questions.

[tazandjan]

Atul- No, the window adjustment is purely mechanical. I will see if I can dig up any info on the job, which has been covered in the past. The 575M mechanism is very close and the workshop manual for the 575M is more inclusive on details like that than the 550's.

I have 396 mm CERs on the front with 6 piston calipers, and will have 362 mm rotors on the rear with four piston calipers. The 575M HGTC has 398 mm F and 360 mm R. A good Brembo mix would probably be 380 mm F and 355 R, although all 380 mm will work fine, too, with 6 piston calipers in the front and 4 piston in the rear to even out the force.

In general the Mov'Its are higher quality than the Brembos, and the solid carbon silicon carbide CER rotors just do not wear much. Unfortunately, they are very, very expensive and the Mov'It steel brakes and Brembos work just as well for a street car, and the Brembos are readily available. I have waited 18 months for my rear Mov'Its. Mov'It has big projects for Porsche and Lotus at the moment, so things slowed down a bit.

[JazzyO]

Atul - congrats on a great car. Personally, I have not seen the need to upgrade the brakes except when I track the car.

Onno

[Atul]

Originally Posted by JazzyO

Atul - congrats on a great car. Personally, I have not seen the need to upgrade the brakes except when I track the car.

Onno

Onno - I agree. The issue is, I do plan to track the car at some point, ideally in the summer but I'll be super careful and simply brake early if I'm on the stock brakes. They do seem adequate for normal street use and touring but I suspect even moderate hard braking will lead to problems.

As Taz has said, moving to the Pagid pads (from the FHP) is a good short-term solution so I might do that in the near future.

Taz - thanks for he update on the MovIT brakes and the picture as well. Do the Steel Brembo's (380 mm, 19" wheels) work well on track at all, or are they strictly for "better street use"?

Obviously, the Carbon brakes are the way to go ultimately but that looks like a longer-term project. Just to know, what is the cost of the MovIT brakes in the U.S. (where I suspect they will be cheaper than buying them in the U.K.)? 398mm may be too large, so perhaps 380 mm front (6 piston calipers) and 360 rear (4 piston calipers) should be appropriate? It will be good to know costs for longer-term planning.

Taz - I am presuming you've tracked your 575 and do so on a regular basis. What's the wear been like on the MovIt's with 'normal' (i.e. "I don't intend to be Ayrton Senna") track use?

Thanks again, guys. I'll try to get the pics up by tomorrow. Taking a flight in a few hours now...

-- Atul

[Atul]

Originally Posted by cribbj

Hello Atul & welcome!

Here's the thread about my COP conversion for the 550: COP Conversion for the 550. It's a good conversion and cleans up the engine bay nicely. Not only is it a more contemporary solution, it's also a cheaper alternative than replacing the OEM HT leads.

Once you've had a read, feel free to fire off any questions.

John - thanks for the link. I checked it out. This is clearly not work I can do myself. Is this sort of conversion something that a Ferrari tech can handle on a routine basis, assuming he uses the appropriate 575 parts? I see that you've mixed and matched various parts. It will be good to know for the future. For now, I'm focusing on driving the car and thinking of a wheel + brake upgrade in the coming months.

Thanks,

-- Atul

[tazandjan]

Atul- I do not track my 575 at all and the Mov'It brakes are probably as cheap in the UK as in the US, since you are part of the EU, but smart enough not to adopt the euro. A British friend has a set on the front of his 456M, just like mine. Price for front and rear would be about $20-25K. There is a Mov'It UK distributor.

Do not buy OEM Brembo CCMs for track use. The rotors wear very quickly on the track and cost ~$8K each to replace.

There are two types of Brembo kits, one of which is heavier duty and used by Challenge racers, among others. They cost a bit more than the street upgrades. Either would work fine for occasional tracking and replacement rotors and pads will not eat your lunch when replaced.

Send me a private message if you are interested in a take-off set of the FHP pads. Many American owners ordered FHP and could not stand the squealing because they had not bedded the brakes. So they swapped out the pads almost as soon as they received the car. I have a set of those with factory wires. Same pads for the FHP 550s and 575s. Not too useful once I bought the CERs. My car has the FHP.

[Atul]

Taz,

Thanks for the update. Looks like the CCM's are way too expensive for track use with all that rotor-wear, so the way to go is the 'heavier duty' Brembos. I know that the 355 Challenge cars use 14" Brembos (likely the heavier duty ones as you've noted) on 18" wheels, so these should fit the 18" stock wheels on the 550. Something to be looked at later this summer, before which there's plenty of driving/touring to be done!

If you have a link to the appropriate heavier-duty Brembos, that would be appreciated.

I am interested in the FHP pads and will send you a private message on that topic.

Another question: does the move to 19" wheels improve the handling on the 550 at all? As a general rule, lower profile tires do have some positive affect I guess. What's the experience been?

Thanks!

-- Atul

[Atul]

Taz:

I've found some nice sites with Brembo brake upgrades specifically for the 550:

Ferrari 550 Maranello 09/96 > / Big Brake Conversion Kits / Euro Performance Car Parts

Damax has developed something that matches what I'm looking for: Ferrari 550/575 Front Brake Upgrade » Damax.co.uk (street use but with the occasional track day).

So there are some good options going forward. But starting with the FHP pads seems to be the proper thing I guess!

-- Atul

[cribbj]

Originally Posted by Atul

John - thanks for the link. I checked it out. This is clearly not work I can do myself. Is this sort of conversion something that a Ferrari tech can handle on a routine basis, assuming he uses the appropriate 575 parts? I see that you've mixed and matched various parts. It will be good to know for the future. For now, I'm focusing on driving the car and thinking of a wheel + brake upgrade in the coming months.

Thanks,

-- Atul

Atul, 575 parts will not work on the 550 - the valve covers between the 575 and 550 are completely different and the 575 coils will not fit the 550 valve covers. Pity, because that would have been the preferred solution.

The key to doing the 550 conversion are the harnesses. The bike coils can be purchased from eBay. I have the harnesses fabbed up by a professional harness builder, and with these, plus the coils, plus a good read of the COP thread, I would think a competent Ferrari tech should be able to remove the old system and put on the new one without too much drama.

Just as an example, Ferraridriver and I, working together, pulled off his old system and installed the new one in about 3 hours, and we're not Ferrari techs. So I would think a competent tech should be able to do it in about the same time or less

BTW, where are you located? It would be good if you'd fill out more of your profile, and let us know a little more about yourself?

[tazandjan]

Atul- You asked about wear on the Mov'It rotors and it is just about non-existent, even when tracking the car. A 911 Turbo set up for the track put 3500 track miles on a set of CERs and there was no measurable wear. He had to replace the front pads, but the rears were only half worn. Tough brakes. Mov'It does make steel kits for Maranellos that do not require the long wait of the custom CER rears for mine. They have a 370x6 and a 342x4 set-up that goes under the OEM 18" wheels.

http://www.movitbrakes.com/en/bremsa...550-maranello/

[Atul]

Originally Posted by cribbj

....
The key to doing the 550 conversion are the harnesses. The bike coils can be purchased from eBay. I have the harnesses fabbed up by a professional harness builder, and with these, plus the coils, plus a good read of the COP thread, I would think a competent Ferrari tech should be able to remove the old system and put on the new one without too much drama.

Just as an example, Ferraridriver and I, working together, pulled off his old system and installed the new one in about 3 hours, and we're not Ferrari techs. So I would think a competent tech should be able to do it in about the same time or less

BTW, where are you located? It would be good if you'd fill out more of your profile, and let us know a little more about yourself?

John - I did not know it's that simple. I've read the thread again and clearly this modification is the way to go. But first I thought I'd drive around a bit more and experiment with the FHP pads and perhaps upgraded brakes and also the 19" modular wheels of the 575. This conversion is definitely something to do in the future.

Are you now having the harnesses manufactured to sell as a 'kit'? I guess you can include the coils (which worked for you - I believe they are from the Hyabusa sport bike?) as well, together with an instruction manual with pictures (from the thread). That way, Ferrari tech's in other countries can do the swap more easily.

I updated my profile today - it should show up now. I currently live in Bangalore, India with a flat in London as well. The 550 is in London (wouldn't make sense to drive it in India - though there are a bunch of exotic cars here now, all puttering around at 30 MPH :-). I've got offices in Palo Alto, London, Singapore, Tokyo and India (and soon, Dubai), so I spend about 50% of my time traveling.

Pictures - I took a bunch of them on my iPhone 4 but for some reason they are not downloading onto my machine! I will post some others taken my my nephew the day I picked up the car.

I do like your COP conversion kit. Please send me a PM with the costs of the harness (and ideally, the coils as well - these should simply be included in the kit!).

-- Atul