Ferrari Mailing List: Re: VSC, etc.

[Rick Lindsay (richardolindsay]

Hi Matt,

Nice to hear from you. Before commenting within your note, here is some info of Matt-specific interest: Ed Helsing is about to change the cam belts on your-my-Dave's-my-Ed's Mondial QV. Although it has few miles since the last change, its overdue in time. He's having it done professionally. 

Now for words within your prose...

> Regarding your Shadow, back in 2000 when I decided to buy a Shadow I

> was over-ruled by my wife who decided they looked "too old."

> Instead we bought a 20,000 series Spur. Ironically when we picked

> up the Spur when we purchased it, there was a 1979 or 1980 Wraith II

> (LWB version of the Shadow) and my wife commented "Wow, that's pretty,

> why aren't we getting that?"

With no disrespect intended, this typifies how irrational our hobby is. My wife's most often heard quote is, "Oh no; Another old junk car."

> Anyhow, on the Spur, I take it it is different than the Shadow. I think

> the electric actuators in the climate control flaps are pretty much the

> same on your Shadow as they were on my Spur (and later on my Turbo R),

> but my question is what tells the motors to adjust flaps? 

On the old '69 Shadow, there are no automatic systems beyond:

1. Coolant thermostat

2. Oil pressure limit bypass valve (Like THAT is needed!)

3. A/C compressor cycling based upon the temperature control setting.

All the other HVAC stuff is manually controlled by switches. It is the electric version of levers and cables.

> On my Spur I had an ECU for the climate control fail and the only

> way to really fix it was to replace the ECU (cost close to $700 at the

> time).

Yikes! Similar to the 348 MAF - except that the car won't run with a bad MAF.

> Likewise when the cruise control on the same car went out I had to

> replace that ECU at over $600.

My old '69 Shadow has an analog cruise control. It's called, 'my right foot'. :-P

> Later on my Turbo R the ECU on the cruise control was faulty but I

> never dropped the cash to replace that. I think that since I had the

> Spur a few outfits have offered to repair those types of ECU on the

> RR/B cars.

There is a small repair/refurbishing community, made viable by easy access via the internet. I have rebuilt a couple of the actuators. They're small motors, clock works, and multiple contacts. All are easily cleaned, lubed and put back in operation.

> Just some commentary/discussion points on the whole thing.
>
> As you know, we have a Tesla Model S now, and I anticipate that we will

> keep the car very very long term. Down the road sometime I suspect

> we will have to replace the battery pack which will probably be at the

> value of a used Accord...

But you knew that going in so you budgeted it into the price of the car. No worries. 

> ...The one thing I do worry about long-term is the adjustable air suspension

> (maybe someday I'll wish I'd gone with a conventional suspension in the car).

Again, that is probably a serviceable system.

> I guess SOMEDAY the electronics in the car will fail, and hopefully there

> will be replacement parts available. I personally believe that Tesla as a company will remain in existence

> long term, but if they look like they're going to fail in the future you can

> bet I'll be looking for totaled cars or surplus spare parts for the ECUs,

> LCD displays, etc that might someday fail in our car.

Exactly. TRutlands makes an entire business of that. How many Teslas have been made, and since the company is healthy, how many more will they make? I imagine their numbers are somewhere between the mainstream industry and the exotics. Parts should be no problem over the next decade or two. After that, the car is probably un-restorable like most other use-and-discard modern cars. Same with my Cayman.

> -Matt
> '85 euro 308
> etc

Heck yea!

-rick