About F360Spider

F360Spider

I had a Buick Gran Sport 455 as a teenager to drive around. It was a very difficult car to drive, especially in snow. The front end was so heavy that the rear wheels would spin at idle. I got pretty good at driving it after a few months but really, it was a terrible car with awful handling characteristics. Of all the cars I've ever owned, the Buick was the absolute worst. It was fast though. I nearly killed myself many times in the car and wonder why I am here today.

F360Spider · ‎27-06-2021

Opel GT and the Ferrari 246GT Dino. That's what got me into Opels. Had a string of them back in the late 70's. Still can't afford a Dino though. Maybe someday. Until then, I'll just have to suffer with my gated 360 Spider. Gated Ferrari 360 Spider in Azzurro California / Crema

F360Spider · ‎31-05-2021

History making, maybe. Butt ugly, definitely.

F360Spider · ‎26-05-2021

He should wear gloves...

F360Spider · ‎21-05-2021

If it has more than two doors, it cannot be called sport anything. It's a family sedan if it has four doors.

F360Spider · ‎05-05-2021

It seems that barn finds and junkers are synonymous.

F360Spider · ‎04-05-2021

If for no other reason, I pick the BMW because it has two doors.

F360Spider · ‎23-04-2021

I remember when the Monte Carlo was first introduced. I found it to be a pleasing design that had a lot going for it. Then again, at the time, I thought the Ford Maverick was a good looking car. Still, the Monte Carlo had some nice features and smooth lines.

F360Spider · ‎21-04-2021

I feel kind of lucky that I live in a part of the country that has year round driving. Memphis has winters for sure, but they are quick and not too cold. Most days are just right for a nice drive. So because of the good weather, I don't have to park my convertible for months on end. Gated Ferrari 360 Spider in Azzurro California / Crema

F360Spider · ‎19-04-2021

The only one of the lot I'd like is the '70 Boss 302. The rest, meh.

F360Spider · ‎10-04-2021

Trucks for the common folk are silly and impractical. Why are they so freakin popular?

F360Spider · ‎08-04-2021

I seriously doubt the CO2 used is pulled from the air. It comes from a company like AirGas. They certainly aren't pulling the CO2 out of the atmosphere. So this process does contribute to the CO2 but most likely, the CO2 released from driving over to do the job contributed more pollution than the minor release of a few pounds of dry ice.

F360Spider · ‎08-04-2021

Given the choice of doing it myself with walnut husks or some other DIY media, or hiring an outsider to come and do it for me with dry ice, I would choose the DIY method every time. Sure, it's groovy technology but it requires a specialist with special equipment. No matter how careful they are, they could never be as careful as me, nor take the time required to do a bangup job. So great for commercial purposes but worthless to the DIY restorer.

F360Spider · ‎31-03-2021

Well, some decent pictures would have been nice.

F360Spider · ‎29-03-2021

I had a '73 long hooded, air-cooled 911 for 15 years. Paid $4000 for it in '86 and sold it for what I thought was a lot of money, $15k, in 2001. Overall, it was a pretty good car. Amazingly smooth shifting and good power. My car was the first year with the K-Jetronic system, which totally sucked. I swapped the K-Jetronic for dual Webers after about 5 years and was very satisfied with the new setup. I finally sold my car to a guy who tracked me down through my mechanic and made me an offer over the phone without even seeing it.

F360Spider · ‎26-03-2021

That was short. Must have almost missed the deadline.

F360Spider · ‎24-03-2021

Jeez, what a collection of junkers.

F360Spider · ‎18-03-2021

None of those cars toot my horn.

F360Spider · ‎18-03-2021

>> this meant the house often retained 22 percent of a deal What a freakin ripoff! I wouldn't pay 22 percent commission for anything. BAT is high too, but at least they have a maximum. Maybe some Amazon like genius will put an end to this robbery.

F360Spider · ‎12-03-2021

Some important tips I use to keep my sanity: 1. Keep tools and supplies separate. 2. Always clean up before and after a project. 3. Be mindful of the tools you are using and be sure to account for them before declaring the project finished. 4. Keep the floor spotless. Dropping a nut or screw on a dirty floor will be painful in many ways. Good luck!

F360Spider · ‎10-03-2021

Lost me about the third paragraph. Sorry, ranting about nothing is a waste of oxygen.

F360Spider · ‎09-03-2021

I had an Army green 2006 Rubicon 2 door that was difficult to drive, unstable at any speed, noisy and overall a rather poor example of automotive engineering. That said, it was extremely popular and people would come up to the car and gawk at it all the time. When I put the car up for sale, it took all of six days from the time the ad hit the Autotrader until it left my garage. The buyer drove all the way from Pensacola (500 miles) to buy it sight unseen. There's a market for these cars and I don't understand it.

F360Spider · ‎08-03-2021

I started working on bicycles, then motorcycles before I had a car. My father taught me the basics but he wasn't interested in anything with an engine so I was on my own pretty quickly. Skills I've gathered over the years have turned me into a general fix it guy. I'll tackle anything from the HVAC system to dish washers and laundry equipment to electrical in the house. Over the years, I've saved many thousands repairing things that would have just been discarded or required a costly service call. Like the other commenters, the first thing I do when beset with a fix it job is search YouTube for the video. There's always at least one. A goldmine of DIY advice.

F360Spider · ‎27-02-2021

I keep an OBDII reader in the glove box of my Ferrari 360. I can attach it to the port blindfolded now. The 360 has a tempermental electrical system that can throw codes for no reason, or to indicate a major problem. Many don't even cause a CEL. I typically check for codes each time I get gas just to be sure nothing is going Tango Uniform. While the 360 comes with a tool kit from the factory, no one in their right mind would use those tools to actually work on the car. They are poor quality and have some sort of mystical air that requires them to be sold with the vehicle unused. Ferrari's are an odd lot. Gated Ferrari 360 Spider in Azzurro California / Crema

F360Spider · ‎13-02-2021

I have a 2006 Honda CR-V and checked Amazon for a price and it was less than $200. For an OEM unit, ten times as much. So for people not in California, this is a lot less an issue.

F360Spider · ‎05-02-2021

A fool and his high horsepower car are soon crashed.

F360Spider · ‎04-02-2021

My favorite fasteners are Torx. They never strip.

F360Spider · ‎03-02-2021

Well, that article just wasted five minutes of my life. The author is trying to create some sort of controversy where none exists. I've never heard any car enthusiast, regardless of how "old" they are talk like that. Jeez.

F360Spider · ‎27-01-2021

All those cars except the Chrysler are fantastic looking. I liked them all.

F360Spider · ‎26-01-2021

The reason why Saturn died is obvious. They are the most extremely boring cars ever built. Only Casper Milktoast would want one and even then, it's probably just a meh.

F360Spider · ‎20-01-2021

The Cadillac XLR is the closest thing to a Corvette they've produced. Many folks think the car is a winner.

F360Spider · ‎19-01-2021

If I could only pick one, it would be the '69 Vette convertible. Classic American Muscle. No other comments needed.

F360Spider · ‎17-01-2021

Another negative about doing body work first is that once the body is perfect, you have to be extremely careful with whatever subsequent thing needs doing. Just dropping a single metal part on the surface would cause severe anguish and rework. I've found the best upgrade that an old car can have is replacing the windshield. The difference is astounding. Your old beater is suddenly transformed into a shiny masterpiece. Even if the rest of the car is horrible on the outside, your view while driving is going to be outstanding. Oh, replace that worn mirror while your at it. Cheap and effective.

F360Spider · ‎15-01-2021

I was beset with the shipping issue when I purchased my 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider. The selling broker offered to "ship it for free" using a service I would have no control over. I decided to make an adventure out of the process instead. I opted to rent a UHaul car trailer and a truck and tow it back myself. I'm kind of **bleep** about controlling things so this was the best option for me. The UHaul thing is a bit painful in that they only will rent a trailer for specific cars and oddly, my 360 was on the list. The loading process was a bit scary as the car is very low but the folks at UHaul actually knew what they were doing and I had my car loaded safely in about an hour. The trip back was uneventful and I managed to drive the 700 miles in a day and a half. Unloading was super easy. All in all, a fun adventure.

F360Spider · ‎12-01-2021

I have a 2001 Ferrari 360 with the Bosch Motronic M7 system. Lots of opportunities abound for changing the ECU mapping and all that. I wouldn't touch the ECU program with a ten meter cattle prod. The car is best left stock. That said, there are lots of other opportunities to at least return a car to original specs without resorting to damning the ECU to eternal hell with a ECU tune. Bosch components have a lot of leeway between new condition and throwing trouble codes, in which time they can cause all sorts of havoc with power and smoothness. For common cars, it's a good idea to replace EVERY electrical box on the car when they reach about 15 years of age. For cars like the Ferrari 360, replacing a single box like a throttle body can cost as much as every single one on a Corvette or Porsche so the alternative to gang replacement is to test components to see what their state is. I've been working on a testing suite for the 360 that can characterize the Bosch components and determine where they are on the failure curve. By replacing only the components that show degraded performance, returning the car to original specs can be a lot less expensive. Here's a video I made a while ago of gen 0 of the tester for Bosch throttle bodies. https://youtu.be/kPD8buqUzmQ

F360Spider · ‎09-01-2021

That horrible 1966 Ford Mustang Mustero should be compacted into a cube and sent off to be made into washing machines and refrigerators.

F360Spider · ‎01-01-2021

As a self employed person, I've found that the only way to successfully complete a large project is to work on it every day. It doesn't matter what is done, just get something done and be sure to do it every single day. Skipping a day means skipping a week and then a month. It doesn't matter what kind of project it is. Just keep working on it and eventually, like magic, it will get completed.

F360Spider · ‎28-12-2020

And... 2021 won't miss 'em either.

F360Spider · ‎22-12-2020

I've never found Lambo's to be compelling. Ferrari's on the other hand, are magical.

F360Spider · ‎18-12-2020

Winter checklist for my daily driver: 1. Is car still in the driveway? 2. Drive it.

F360Spider · ‎16-12-2020

What are they trying to do? Tie with Tesla for the ugliest car possible? This new "Mustang" looks like a faked up Model 3. Just another future trash can made in China.

F360Spider · ‎15-12-2020

I know more than I ever want to know about carburetors. I was hooked on fuel injection on my first equipped car, a 1973 911 with K-Jetronic. A horrible system but leaps ahead of a carburator. My current fun car has the much more advanced Motronic system that is a fine piece of engineering. The parts are easy to test and replace and they have very long and robust lives. Carbs can find their place in the museum! I hope to never have another carbureted car. Well, maybe a nice vintage Vette...

F360Spider · ‎11-12-2020

Kit built cars never draw anything but ridicule.

F360Spider · ‎03-12-2020

The easiest and most useful upgrade to virtually any classic older than 10 years is to replace as many bulbs as possible with LED's. They last forever, give off virtually no heat and use very little power. It's also a very satisfying upgrade.

F360Spider · ‎27-11-2020

Living in a place where the sun is extremely hot and weather humid, black cars are uncomfortable and at times, painful. I'd opt for a whited out version instead. On a personal note, I really don't see the desire for blacked out cars. They look like a blank spot. Hardly groovy, at least to me.

F360Spider · ‎21-11-2020

Buying a 30 plus year old turbo powered car would be a nightmare. The only car on that list I'd even contemplate is the Vette. The rest are destined to be washing machines.

F360Spider · ‎20-11-2020

Back when I was a teen, my brother and I were rummaging through a graveyard of abandoned cars looking for a window motor for my girlfriend's (and future wife) car. We found one and my brother went about extracting it as I wandered about looking for other treasures. Unfortunately, he didn't release the tension on the counter weight spring and when he removed the motor, the mechanism sprang shut, trapping his hand in the machinery. I was on the other side of the graveyard when I heard his scream. It took over an hour to extract his hand from the door. On the way to the emergency room, my brother decided he was going to live and that the incredible looking injury with an exciting amount of blood was just lost surface skin. Good lesson there. There still is some anger left in dead cars. When pulling parts from a junked car, always be wary of it trying to bite you.

F360Spider · ‎19-11-2020

I had a really nice GMC pickup for years that I used for "industrial" activities but as the years went on, I found myself driving the truck less and less. Eventually, I decided to let it go to another owner. To replace the "industrial" capacity of my former truck, I had an aluminum trailer built with an 8x5' bed. The trailer is actually a far better hauler than the truck. The bed is down very low. It has a loading ramp and the trailer, topping out at 400lbs (with a 3500 lb. load capacity!), is easy to park and store at my house. Recently, I had to pick up a pallet of windows from the local big box store and having the trailer as opposed to the pickup with its high bed, was a far better choice. I tow my trailer with a Honda CR-V. Great combo.

F360Spider · ‎18-11-2020

I'm sure everyone knows that the supposed Ferrari in the original film was in fact a fake.

F360Spider · ‎17-11-2020

Take a vehicle that's essentially unstable, add a huge engine and let an untrained populace buy it. What could go wrong? I had a 2006 Rubicon. It was probably the worst handling vehicle I have ever driven. Great attention grabber but that's about it. Just driving it on wet roads was extremely challenging. The suspension is too stiff. The tires have way too much tread and the geometry spells spin and roll. I'll pass.