Cold weather prep? | FerrariChat

Cold weather prep?

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by Themaven, Apr 4, 2020.

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  1. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    I am moving my Maranello north, to Scotland, while my daughter goes to university there for four years. The car is a 2004 gated 575 with Fiorano Handling Pack (and Tubi back boxes).

    I have found a good storage near the airport, and the idea is my wife and I will fly, pick it up, and drive it every time we visit my daughter’s college, 90 minutes away on good, empty roads. We will also go on occasional tours of the Highlands.

    Altogether better territory for the car than central London where it has been based for the 5 years I have owned it.

    My question is: to date the car has been used only for fair weather blasts. Scottish weather is cool and damp. We won’t drive it in snow, or on salted winter roads. Are there any preps anyone can recommend for mixed and chilly damp driving conditions? For example: all season tyres like CrossClimates? It is on good MPSS currently. What about extra underbody protection? (It has a clear film on the front half). Any other suggestions?

    I am looking forward to the car’s move as we will enjoy it a lot more. Probably six long weekend blasts a year on great roads, more than it has been getting in London where I am spoiled with my other Ferraris plus cars to review for my magazines. And it sure beats a rental car.
     
  2. chris_columbia

    chris_columbia Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 5, 2008
    814
    Columbia MD
    Full Name:
    Chris
    My 456 has been a delight to drive in sub-freezing temps. Turn key, start car, drive. Heater is blowing warm air within 3 minutes. No difference between driving at 25C or -10C that I notice other than tires don't grip as well when cold. These 455/550/575 are very modern cars. Bigger issue is probably the sitting for months between your visits; definitely need to either disconnect battery or keep it on a charger.
     
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  3. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    Darius- She will likely be fine as long as the battery stays up. I drove my 575M in cold temperatures with no problems on MPSS and MPS4S tires. Just need to take it really easy until the tires warm and still relatively easy even after that.

    How will you get her serviced in Scotland?
     
  4. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
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    Darius
    Thank you Chris. The storage has carcoons and trickle chargers, and I have trickle charged it to date as I only drive it a few times a year.
     
  5. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
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    Darius
    That's good to know, Taz. I suspect cold wet roads won't be ideal for the handling. Already, she skips over changes in road surface or manhole covers mid corner when pushing along. But that's just life. You don't think all season tyres will improve things?

    There is a good Ferrari dealer in Scotland, Graypaul, for the annuals (and I will ask the local club for any Indy recommendations). I will get my long term shop, Joe Macari in London, to do the five year belt change major before it goes up there. Any additional service advice welcome.
     
  6. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    Darius- I would never put all season tires on a Ferrari. Best option is a set of summer tires for most of the year and a set of winter tires when things look really grim. If things are that grim, though, I would not be on the road with a steel chassis Ferrari.
     
  7. NE550

    NE550 Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2017
    409
    Omaha, NE
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Darius, I'd agree w/ Taz on avoiding all seasons. You said you won't be driving it on salted (I.e., snowy/icy) roads, and I'm guessing you're likely not going to be flogging it around northern Scotland roads, anyway, like you're at the Nurburgring. So any quality 300-400 UTQG-rated "summer" tire with decent wet traction, like MPS4S or equivalent, should be fine for your purposes. During periods of storage, keep it on a CTEK-type charger, keep the petrol tank full (with appropriate fuel preservative added), keep the tires aired up to 40-44 psi or so between visits (then let out air to recommenced psi when you want to drive it), place a few "sticky" mouse traps around the car, and you should be good to go. Sounds like a great part of the world to enjoy a Maranello!
     
  8. AVIMAX

    AVIMAX Formula Junior

    Aug 5, 2014
    686
    Toronto
    Full Name:
    Ryan
    I am not a fan of all season tires, but I did find my 550, when the temperature gets close to 0c and the roads are wet, the car is more enjoyable with some all seasons. The previous owner of my car ran Continental DWS. They were pretty good for the cold wet days. I’ve since changed to Michelin Pilot Super Sport but they get too hard when the temperature drops, the traction control kicks in with the slightest press of the throttle and becomes annoying (550 traction control is very intrusive at slower speeds, maybe the 575 is better). I’m not sure how cold it will be where you will be driving, but If I were going to use my 550 in temperatures regularly around 5c and below, even if avoiding snow, I would by a set of Sottozeros.
     
  9. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
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    Ryan- The 575M ASR is much less intrusive than the 550's due to the digital throttle and more advanced ABS/ASR software.
     
  10. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
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    Wise words thank you. I intend to drive it march to October only up there. So, cool and damp, but not icy or snowy or salted or gritted.
     
  11. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
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    Thank you Dave. Yes, I am looking forward to it. It's not as good as having the car in Monaco or Siena (or probably Nebraska) but certainly better than London and region, where it barely gets the chance to bare its chest. Scotland is beautiful and the roads are stunning, but there can be constant streams of traffic and lots of speed cameras - although when you get beyond Loch Ness to the far north, out of the August season there's nobody much there at all, and it's just the rain and storms to deal with. On a sunny day though...long sweeping roads, long sweeping views, welcoming hostelries at the end of the day.

    I have never driven the 575 up there from here (driven numerous other cars) because it's a day each way of pain on rubbish motorways. I guess the US equivalent would be 8 hours on the NJ Turnpike.

    And for once there is an unbreakable financial justification. Of course it's not sensible to go and buy a Ferrari to park at an airport in Scotland in order to visit your daughter 4-6 times a year. But, I have the car already. Selling it post COVID is not an option. Storage there is cheaper than storage here. Rental car costs would add to the bill otherwise. So I will actually save money by driving a 575 instead of a Hertz Hyundai.
     
  12. AVIMAX

    AVIMAX Formula Junior

    Aug 5, 2014
    686
    Toronto
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    Ryan
    March to October, then summer tires. I thought it was over the winter during school for your daughter.
     
  13. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
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    Winter in Scotland can last 11 months a year. But the snow/ice part is over by March usually. Different definition of winter to Toronto. Cold wet drizzle can be year round.
     
  14. NE550

    NE550 Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2017
    409
    Omaha, NE
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    Dave
    Darius, makes total sense to me. I'd love to tour Scotland in a Ferrari someday. Bucket list item I guess, but sounds just wonderful rain or shine.

    Last time I was up there was early 1989, but only saw northern Scotland from the cockpit of a US Navy F-14 Tomcat. We did a three month North Atlantic deployment culminating in a NATO exercise up north of the arctic circle in Norway. But on the way up we did some low level flying through the Scottish highlands and tangled up a bit with RAF Tornados and Phantoms. Great fun and ever since visiting Scotland -- on the ground -- has been a dream. Love to book a red stag hunt there someday.
     
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  15. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 19, 2008
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    Dave- I was flying F-111Fs out of Lakenheath in 1989, with lots of low levels and range work in Scotland. Both your aircraft and mine were TF-30 powered with swing wings and are now retired. The good old days before most of them became beer cans.
     
  16. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

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    That is just extremely cool. It must have been astonishing, and something we mere mortals can only dream of. 1989 - thank you and Taz for playing your part in upholding the free world.

    If ever you do go back, this time at ground level, let me know. I am a non exec on the board of a hospitality group that includes the best hotel in the Highlands, which also has fantastic stalking of stag on its estate. The Harry Potter and Highlander cast stayed there. And it’s in the heart of perfect driving territory (on the planned itineraries for my university visits).
     
  17. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
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    One further question: no need for extra underbody protection? It will inevitably see plenty of rain, though not grit/salt/ice.

    My UK Testarossa, which when I bought it had been driven (but also stored) in the wet was pristine on top, and rusted like an old Fiat on the exhaust, suspension components, etc.
     
  18. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,984
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    Darius- No worries about the exhaust, it is stainless steel, and the chassis should be fine if no salt is involved. Running her through a car wash with a chassis spray would probably help, and you also have fiber panels over much of the underbody.
     
  19. NE550

    NE550 Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2017
    409
    Omaha, NE
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    Dave
    Amen brother! Good old day, indeed! We have the SAC Museum here near Omaha (I'm on the museum board), with an awesome F-111A and a crew capsule on display. https://sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/aircraft/fb-111a-aardvark/

    Always loved the Aardvark. Awesome machines. It didn't happen very often, but I do remember chasing a down a few 'Varks playing "orange air" SU-24s as blue force BARCAP fighters during Red Flag at Nellis. Think it was mid-year 1988 timeframe, Anyway if we were slick (no drop tanks or stores except for a TACTS pod), wings back, full burner, pointed downhill, it was not easy but with the right intercept geometry and good GCI (our AWG-9 radar sucked looking down over land) we could catch you guys down on the deck and get close enough to take a rear quarter winder shot (forward quarter looking down against the hot desert wasn't happening). Of course by then we'd be bingo fuel state and have to head back to Nellis. Great training!

    Ah yes, them's was the days, my friend!
     
  20. NE550

    NE550 Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2017
    409
    Omaha, NE
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Hey, it was my pleasure, Darius. Oh, to be 25 again...I'd do it all over again! Young and dumb back then. Nothing's changed other than the young part.

    Will definitely connect if there's an opportunity to visit Scotland, thank you! Would love to see that part of the world and explore those famous Scottish roads in a Ferrari. What a trip!
     
  21. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
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    Ok good to know, thank you.
     
  22. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

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    For sure! Though on your last tour you didn't risk getting stuck behind a bunch of caravans...
     
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