Hello all, I have been searching threw FChat to see what is know about the Option on the F355 called Fiorano Handling Package (FHP), NOT to be confused with the F355 Serie Fiorano cars which were the last 100 or so car off the assembly line. I am talking about USA cars and not the ROW. Is this info printed anywhere on a late model F355 brochure or advertisement in the F355 Challenge outline book? Fiorano Handling Package (F355) Uprated Suspension ECU and Geometry Upgraded Brakes (Red Calipers w/ crossdrilled rotors) Quicker Turning Steering Rack My question is did the FHP come as an option in both F1 and 6 Speed type Berlinetta? When did this Option actually start to be offered 97 thru 99? I am aware that most cars built in 99 were Spiders fitted with the F1 trans but, I am not interested at all in the Spider type F355, only Berlinetta. Ciao, SRR
All the Serie Fiorano cars supposedly came with the Fiorano handling package, but haven't heard of any regular 355 with it.. I am sure there are some out there, but don't know which ones..
I have heard good things about the handling of the fioranos, but after having looked at one, I came to the conclusion that if you really care about how the car handles, a fiorano spider is not the way to go. The brake upgrade is worthless (red paint plus holes in the rotors). The suspension upgrades are not going to hide the reduced chassis stiffness you get in the GTS and spider. And the steering rack is not the problem with the 355, it's too much boost. There was actually an early option for manual steering, and that would be worth it. If you really want a drivers 355, get a berlinetta and go with aftermarket springs and the Moton damper kit. You will have a much better handling car than a fiorano.
I have a 355 GTS F1 -99 without the FHP and I used to drive a 355 GTS F1 -98 with the FHP. I think the difference were quite large especially the steering and suspension setup. The brakes were about the same only it took some time to get them warm enough due to the race pads. Since I didnt find any way to upgrade my new 355 with original parts, I went with new stiffer springs and a little more aggressive chassis setting. I am now about where my old 355 were except I am still missing the quicker steering. If anyone can figure out what it would take to install the FHP steering I would definitely try finding the correct parts and make the upgrade.
For what its worth I looked at purchasing a GTB with the Fiorano HP, it was a 98 (?) 6spd stick shift. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I called up and enquired about this gorgeous yellow 1995 355...... I was told it had the optional Fiorana package and kevlar race seats fitted at the factory when the car was built. It was also documented in all the paper work/service history provided with the car. I didnt realise you could get the FHP back then. I thought it was only on the later 355's? http://www.carpoint.com.au/used-car/FERRARI/F355/Queensland/csn1668065.aspx
Well.....I would love to buy it. Not going to pay $165K for it though. Its ex-UK. But the cocksmokers NEVER called me back!! They were working out a deal and were supposed to call me back. Why should I chase them for the car. They have had the car there for around 3 years now and it has not sold. They are keen to sell it they told me, but they never called me back to finish the deal. This was 2-3 weeks ago now. F*K EM I say!
Yep, that would piss me off also, had it happen when I was shopping for my first Ferrari except it was to my face, the guy (not worthy of the title sales person) simply looked at me and walked away, couldn't even be bothered taking me to where the car was stored, and this was at a dealership. I do really like the car in that add though, I might call them and tell them to call you with a crazy deal to make up for not calling sooner......
*** em, even if they did make me a sweet deal......why should I give them my business? They lose!! But it really IS a nice looking car.
The Fiorano Handling Package also had the thicker Challenge Anti Roll Bar. My car has The FHP. I belive USA got the Fiorano series, but we in Europe got the FHP option.
TRUE! USA F355 Series Fiorano, was '99 spider only. I set up several U.S. F355's and F550's to the Fiorano spec. and beyond, long before the option was available in the states. The reason the option wasn't available in the U.S. was due to the vehicles not being homologated for import to the U.S. with the Fiorano components installed.
I've upgrade my car with some of the Fiorano parts. I've changed the steering rack and pas pump (pump is required). The steering is now alot more postive on the car and I'm really glad I did it even though the cost is quite high. I did learn a lesson with the s/rack though, we changed the rack and pump on my car and after the work was done I was cleaning up the old rack and found that the part number on the rack was actually a Fiorano rack - *****!!! My car is a late 98 car with F1 so it either had the rack on it originally or it had been changed previously in the past - if I had known a change of the pas pump would have been all that was required. So spare rack for LHD available but in UK. I've also changed to the Fiorano anti roll bars - hugh difference !!! well worth doing. When you change to these r/bars you also need to change the bushes to the Fiorano red type bushes, the cost for these was approx $1000 from ferrari - too much, so I managed to find some universal pu bushes for the rear for $40 and they are fine, for the front I found some NOS at half the price, basically the diameter of the bars is bigger and the bushes are stiffer, it's also worth knowing that the challenge bushes are hard white bushes and the Fiorano items are hard Red rubber. For the brakes I have an AP front brake conversion which is stunning. Suspension is my next mod but haven't quite decided which option to go for although it will not be original fiorano items as I feel I can do something better. Hope that helps.
Fantastic, this is really great news! Finally someone shows up that has actually done this I am planning for winter activities in the garage and upgrading with a few FHP parts would be a great project. Questions that remains are have you written down the parts number of the standard parts and FHP parts. I have tried to locate a source for this but not found one. At eurospares you can search for parts but I havent found any FHP specific parts numbers at all. I am specifically interested in the steering rack/pump and the anti roll bars. Can you please help us with these parts numbers?
Here are the part numbers for the Fiorano items. Note how they all start with 17 at the beginning : Pas pump - 177696 LHD S/Rack - 176036 Front Sway bar - 176031 Front Bushes 178510 - expensive !! Rear Sway bar - 176032 Rear Bushes 178509 - expensive !! For the rear bushes we found a universal pu bush which fitted fine - from memory this was 19mm - I'll check from where and post later. For the front I was lucky...... Basically the sway bars are much stronger and have a thicker diameter Bushes can be replicated in pu with a larger diameter so my advice is only buy original ones if you really have too
This thread rocks. I am absolutely doing sways, and probably the steering too (hopefully just the pump). I think I am going to get the Motons. I also am going to have the front ride height dropped a smidge and hopefully have the car corner balanced and realigned. Looks like Santa is going to be busy this winter!
Absolutely fantastic! I didnt know that the parts in the FHP were indeed challenge parts. I had the impression they were somewhere in between standard and challenge. The first thing will be to figure out what steering rack I have. I have a very late -99 so maybe am lucky too About the pump: Can someone explain how the pump itself can change the steering. I thought it was the rack or maybe some ECU that did the trick
You could also look at changing the drop links on the car (2 front and 2 rear) to Challenge ones, and then get it corner balanced, the parts are not cheap but apparently this is also a great transformation to do. I've held off taking the plunge as the parts are rose jointed and the last road car I had with rose joints wasn't so pleasant to drive.
These parts are actually Fiorano Challenge parts (end of an era). My car is late 98 so with a 99 car you could be lucky. The pump looks exactly the same it just has a different manufacturers and Ferrari part numbers on it but it is higher pressure unit. It could be worth trying to buy it direct from Luk rather than Ferrari, I don't think it's listed in their catalogue but I can crawl under my car if it helps for their part number (may save some cost - kick myself for not writing it down before it was fitted :-( ). Both the rack and pump are mechanical, no electronics involved. Can post a couple of pics but not sure how to do it in thread.
Now when I know that it is challenge parts I did som research on the sway bars. I have come to the conclusion that the original are (0.875") 22 mm in front and (0.669") 17 mm at the rear. The Challenge parts should be (0.748") 19 mm resp (0.945") 24 mm. This would give a wheel rate change in the front from 96.5 lb/in to 131 lb/in and at the rear from 35 lb/in to 54 lb/in. I will probably try to find some one twho can build me challenge spec bar this winter and se how that turns out. Finally all the peaces fall in to place
Wait, do you have the numbers right? The bar in the front is dropping in size (22 to 19 mm). If that is correct, then the new bars would add significant oversteer. Off to research drop links, but can someone tell me why they would make the car (1) better and (2) why it would make it brutal on the street?
Sorry, but all of those PN's are for the CH.....some of the FHP parts were nothing more than a put on of existing CH parts. Ricambi can give you some of the FHP PN's....but NO ONE to date can give you all the PN's, unless of course you own one of these cars and can physically verify numbers. Have yet to identify the ECU used in the Fiorano. Still not sure about the shock ecu used in the Fiorano's updated suspension....