TJ invited me to the movie premiere of The Gentleman Driver which is available now on Netflix and other on-demand video services. It was actually produced here in Austin, so obviously it already kicks butt. If you haven’t heard of the gentleman driver concept, you should look into it as it really makes for an interesting component to racing at that high of a level.
Death by a thousand pieces of VINYL WRAP
It’s the middle of the afternoon on a weekday, and my buddy CJ texts me… “Hey Dan, can you help me remove the wrap off of my Subaru.” Sure, no problem. I didn’t realize it had self-destructed into a thousand little pieces and it would take us over 7 hours! Viny Wraps suck. Removing them sucks more. Removing a wrap that’s all messed up sucks the most. My fingers still hurt.
How to – Ferrari 458 sounds INCREDIBLE for only $400
In this video I head over to my buddy Richard’s house to work on his Ferrari 458 Italia. He purchased an exhaust controller module from Forza Componenti for about $400. The module plugs in between the factory wiring harness and the exhaust valve solenoids. This allow you to manually open and close the exhaust valves through a remote control
When the factory exhaust valves are open, the 458 exhaust really sounds awesome. You get all the pops and crackling that a Ferrari should have instead of sounding like a Prius. Because the valves are now controlled with a remote, you can close the valves when you don’t want to upset your neighbors.
Total time was about 3 hours of work. We had to remove the wheels, diffuser, fender liners, and rear bumper just to gain access to the valves and solenoids. And a congratulations is in order for Richard as this was his first time ever working on a car! Woohoo!
You can find the controller here: http://forzacomponenti.com/
Richard bought the Model B4
I made a mistake on the Ball Joints Installation
So as it turns out, you DO need to put some grease on the ball joints on the Ferrari F430 when replacing them. I just missed that step in the service manual, but my wonderful viewers made comments asking why I wasn’t putting in grease. I was suspicious that you should add grease, but my old ball joints clearly had no grease.
I found the spot in the service manual that calls for Fiat Tutella Zeta 2 grease, which I could not find in the US, so I just ordered some synthetic grease that should do the job. I had to remove the control arms again, pop off the ball joint boots, apply the grease, then reinstall everything and torque it down.
Here’s the video of the ball joint installation: https://youtu.be/TuEO4mjfPig
Grease I used: https://amzn.to/2EdvNsG
Grease gun: https://amzn.to/2EeEUJO
Holy CRAP we got close – SUITE access baby!
Indycar will be at COTA March 22-24, so get tickets to Indycar at COTA here:
https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/cota/EN/link/promotion/home/400467810341e6e6a07837e0da44a8b31976c856
Or talk to my buddy Mason Smothermon:
512-655-6353
mason.smothermon@thecircuit.com
I got the hookup on suite access to the Indycar spring training session at the Circuit of the Americas thanks to my buddy Mason. Not only was the suite amazing with excellent views of the pits, but we also had paddock and even pit access! We walked right up to the pits and could literally chat with the teams! You simply cannot get this kind of access at F1 unless you’re willing to shell out some serious coin, or know somebody who knows somebody.
Now I can’t wait for Indycar to be at COTA next month! The action should be exciting, and it won’t be as stuffy as F1. This should be a blast!
Meg and Dan’s kitchen remodel is COMPLETED! **EPIC SAGA**
Revival Renovations
http://www.revivalrenos.com/
(512) 983-3507
Shenoy Granites
http://shenoygranite.com/
Austin: (512) 452-7900
Houston: (713) 466-7007
Maureen Stevens Styling & Design
http://maureenstevens.com/
512.364.4835
Is YOUR PPF installation CRAP?! How to tell.
How to replace the upper ball joints on a Ferrari F430 or 360
Ball Joints Kit – UBJ-360-K – https://bit.ly/2HyNFBM
Ball Joint extraction tool – UBJ-360-BRT – https://bit.ly/2sDNjQn
Hysol Glue – 184241 – https://bit.ly/2S2HFW4
Hysol Dispenser tool – 184241-T – https://bit.ly/2sDMvuH
In this video I will show how to replace the upper ball joints on a Ferrari F430 or 360. The parts were all supplied from Ricambi America through my partnership with them and are listed above. If you need to purchase Ferrari or Maserati Parts, please contact Ricambi America.
You will need to have some basic hand tools, floor jacks, c-clip pliers, a ball joint press, and an oven. Yes, you need to bake the ball joints to cure the Hysol glue once they are installed.
Ricambi America https://www.ricambiamerica.com
(336) 499.2500 USA
+44 (0) 1784 818 003 UK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricambiamerica/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RicambiAmerica/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RicambiAmerica
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGcr9gEauCMkoAKQiCjsGbg
Which is more comfortable – Lamborghini Huracan or Ferrari F430
How to DIY Maserati Granturismo Major Service and SAVE $2,000!
Most of the parts you will need to do a DIY major service can be purchased at Ricambi America (https://www.ricambiamerica.com/) or on Amazon. Links are below.
Maserati Granturismo Major Service Kit – GTSK1 – https://bit.ly/2GoakP5
Oil Filter Wrench – https://bit.ly/2t8XvAC
Belt Stretch tool – https://amzn.to/2GpOGdh
Coolant – https://amzn.to/2GdLwdi
Motul 600 Brake Fluid – https://amzn.to/2TAanLy
36MM Socket – https://amzn.to/2GnQ0O2
Breaker Bar – https://amzn.to/2HS1Dik
Motive Pressure Bleeder – https://amzn.to/2Tx8aR9
Brake Fluid Vacuum Pump – https://amzn.to/2WDMx3z
Scan Tool – https://amzn.to/2UNC1oL
5w-40 Synthetic Oil – https://amzn.to/2GqBGEm
