maroli

Interesting. People who own Scuds and don't track them say they've been highly reliable other than PITA sticky buttons and fogging headlights.

Jrtaylor9

I had no problem with mine and tracked it a half dozen times; not a lot but some. Man, it was a blast on track.

maroli

Did you (dare) own it off-warranty? Or were you always covered?

ipse dixit

No, the Aprila RSV4 1100

RossP

The 991.2 GT3 with a manual gearbox is one of those cars that Porsche nailed just about perfectly. Having also driven the F430 I would pick the GT3 every time.

josephvman

The manual gearbox fetish for F430's is interesting to me, since I sold those cars when they were new and manuals made up only around 5% of the orders. It's not that they were rare then, it's just that nobody wanted that car with a manual. Our clients could pick the transmission they wanted and rarely picked the manual box. I personally love manual gearboxes and probably won't buy a car without one (unless it was a 458 Speciale), but the manual in the F430 isn't really all that great. The shifts are heavy and kind of slow, the clutch feel isn't great, and the engine spins and drops revs very quickly. The combination makes for a car that isn't easy to drive fast and smoothly. They also seem to go through throwout bearings at a high rate and require the maintenance you'd expect from a 15 year old Ferrari, particularly when they've been through owners who have deferred maintenance or had them serviced by less than qualified techs. The F1 system isn't perfect, and has its own quirks and maintenance issues, but driven hard and fast it's well-suited to the car, even if the low speed around town manners are a little jerky. The fact that it's in the conversation with a newish Porsche model says a lot for the F430 however, even if it's not a particularly fair comparison. In racing form the F430GT was a tank of a race car and the most reliable Ferrari we ever campaigned, with multiple LeMans class wins and podiums, wins at Sebring, Petit LeMans and ALMS championships.

Jrtaylor9

No wty

fskof

No, the Lambo is when you go out to the bars and get wasted and you wake up the next morning in bed with a fat girl and you don’t remember anything that happened.

catdog2

Thank you for your perspective but as things change and evolve and you reach a point where a quiet robotic Tesla model 3P is faster to 80mph than anything out there and perfect dual clutch transmissions make shifting ever so seamless, that's when you step back and ask yourself what is the fun of driving a sports car all about....

and it is in answering this exact question that you find the manual F430 is the perfect answer today.

it has close to 500hp, normally aspirated, screaming engine with redline of 8500rpm, super sharp throttle response that no current Maclaren, Lamborghini or even Porsche short of a Carrera GT can match, a flat-plane crank V8 with quick rev acceleration and deceleration and an honest gated shifter with a personality that needs to be warm to give you its best and THAT my friend, wrapped in a sexy body, good basic ergonomics, and a sophisticated suspension and e-diff with wide spectrum response range is what makes the manual F430 the cat's meow at this point in time...

it's reliable, doesn't require engine out service, has been well vetted and has simple maintenance issues, most of which are result of the exciting but outdated F1 transmission... all non issues in the manual version. Like a fine wine, the manual F430 has reached its peak today and that's why they are going for over $230-240k on BAT....

So to help the OP, I would say, if you want a good solid happy fun and satisfying experience go for the GT3, but if you want to have a religious experience on every drive and thank The Creator for being alive as you execute a perfect 2nd-3rd gear at 8500 rpm with the screaming Ferrari V8 in a tunnel somewhere then you should go for the F430 ....

Pretty simple really.. I would pick my F430 over my 19 3RS, even though it's my favorite 911 out of 7 I've had the chance to own/drive over the years...

catdog2

Perhaps some of these videos may help OP in decision...




and a great video by the F430's designer ...

Shark

I looked at a lot of options and bought a well used ‘05 Ford GT for well back of $200k. It oozes special (and a little power steering fluid when I bought it.....LOL).

NO way would I buy a 430 over a modern GT3. Unless it is a Scuderia, it’s just not much fun to drive.

hf1

I drove a F430 F-1 and a 986 Boxster S with race suspension at the Barcelona F1 track. The F430 made OK engine noises but otherwise felt like a pig in comparison. Spent the rest of the day in the Boxster. Chassis/suspension wise the F430 is inferior to ANY Porsche GT car, and it's not even close. If the 991.2 GT3 is too refined and too modern, then for raw fun and "sweaty palms" weekend enjoyment 996 GT3 >> F430, hands down, and you don't even have to do auto-to-manual hack job on it.. The only advantage F430 has over any Porsche GT car is in terms of ego stroke and cars and coffee. That said, opinions are like a$$holes -- everyone's got one.

catdog2

I agree with your last sentence...
we all come with a point of view and interpret the same events and cars in different ways...

ipse dixit

The 430 is the epitome of that old saying, "Don't ever meet your heroes, cuz you'll be disappointed"

pinmaniac

I have a F430 and a 991.1 GT3RS. My F430 has the F1 transmission and I love it. With the proper throttle application it can be as smooth or harsh as you want. I'm sure the manual is great as well. Headers are a must on the F430. If you end up with the Ferrari do your self a favor and call Steve at Mase Engineering in Jacksonville, FL. He will give you the low down on which headers to install and when they are being installed you can mail him your ecu for a documented 25-30hp gain.