F430 Scuderia Part 2 of Roll Bar and Fire Suppression
#1
06-23-2010, 03:54 PM
F430 Scuderia Part 2 of Roll Bar and Fire Suppression
We appreciate the comments re: our recent post (https://teamspeed.com/forums/458-430...ppression.html ) concerning a recent F430 project we completed here at Ai. We thought it easiest to cover the fire suppression system via separate thread. Please reference the thread listed above for more detail on the roll bar itself.
In an effort to add an additional level of on-track safety and protection on this Scuderia, our next step was to fit an on-board fire suppression system. The car came with the OEM manually activated bottle from OMP. However, the vehicle owner was (understandably), interested in a more "immediate" solution in case of trouble.
So, we chose a Spa 4L bottle arrangement. The idea here, as with the roll bar, was to respect the interior trim and design aesthetic of the Scuderia as much as possible. There's a limit to what's possible (it is a big red bottle), but we made every effort to make things as painless as possible re: interior trim.
The Spa system we chose is an FIA approved unit made for 2 and 4 door chassis. There is a smaller system available for single-seaters, but we wanted a system that could handle the cabin and the engine bay, in terms of volume.
The trick was to locate 3 nozzles in the engine bay, and 3 in the main cabin cleanly. The engine bay was straight forward, but the cabin was a bit more difficult, requiring some special interior work at the a-pillars. This is best described on our Site, here: :: Ai Design.
The bottle itself was mounted on a special bracket that we fabricated and covered in alcantara. The bracket was attached to the car at the OEM locations that previously secured the cargo net along the firewall. So, if the customer wants to remove the system someday, or has to service it (once every few years, this is necessary), this can be done without there being "new" holes in the trim.
Probably the most difficult part of the fire suppression system was controlling it. The client requested a 2-step system, so that it's not possible to activate the system accidentally. We mulled this over a bit, and our final design features a "pod" mounted along the center console. This pod houses 3 things, 1) a battery cutoff switch, 2) a t-handle to activate the fire system, and 3) a switch to deactivate the seat-belt warning system.
To prevent accidental use of the fire suppression system, the pod has a removable front plate, basically. The driver pulls a lock pin from the face of the pod, which allows for access to the various switches. We finished the face of the switch panel in carbon fiber, and we trimmed it in a matching alcantara/red-stitch that we think respects the car's OEM finishes.
Finally, a small thing perhaps when compared to this other more involved work, but we fitted a special pod for a Valentine One/Blinder system. We often locate the V1 or Passport 9500ci displays in the rear view mirror on Ferrari, but this particular client prefers the display closer to the instrument cluster. We reordered some of the blank switches in the left side panel, and fitted the V1 power/mute button in that location, where it's easier to control from the driver position.
We were very pleased to have gotten a chance to stretch our wings a bit on this particular project (thanks goes to the client, of course). We hope you enjoy the shots.
Thanks.
In an effort to add an additional level of on-track safety and protection on this Scuderia, our next step was to fit an on-board fire suppression system. The car came with the OEM manually activated bottle from OMP. However, the vehicle owner was (understandably), interested in a more "immediate" solution in case of trouble.
So, we chose a Spa 4L bottle arrangement. The idea here, as with the roll bar, was to respect the interior trim and design aesthetic of the Scuderia as much as possible. There's a limit to what's possible (it is a big red bottle), but we made every effort to make things as painless as possible re: interior trim.
The Spa system we chose is an FIA approved unit made for 2 and 4 door chassis. There is a smaller system available for single-seaters, but we wanted a system that could handle the cabin and the engine bay, in terms of volume.
The trick was to locate 3 nozzles in the engine bay, and 3 in the main cabin cleanly. The engine bay was straight forward, but the cabin was a bit more difficult, requiring some special interior work at the a-pillars. This is best described on our Site, here: :: Ai Design.
The bottle itself was mounted on a special bracket that we fabricated and covered in alcantara. The bracket was attached to the car at the OEM locations that previously secured the cargo net along the firewall. So, if the customer wants to remove the system someday, or has to service it (once every few years, this is necessary), this can be done without there being "new" holes in the trim.
Probably the most difficult part of the fire suppression system was controlling it. The client requested a 2-step system, so that it's not possible to activate the system accidentally. We mulled this over a bit, and our final design features a "pod" mounted along the center console. This pod houses 3 things, 1) a battery cutoff switch, 2) a t-handle to activate the fire system, and 3) a switch to deactivate the seat-belt warning system.
To prevent accidental use of the fire suppression system, the pod has a removable front plate, basically. The driver pulls a lock pin from the face of the pod, which allows for access to the various switches. We finished the face of the switch panel in carbon fiber, and we trimmed it in a matching alcantara/red-stitch that we think respects the car's OEM finishes.
Finally, a small thing perhaps when compared to this other more involved work, but we fitted a special pod for a Valentine One/Blinder system. We often locate the V1 or Passport 9500ci displays in the rear view mirror on Ferrari, but this particular client prefers the display closer to the instrument cluster. We reordered some of the blank switches in the left side panel, and fitted the V1 power/mute button in that location, where it's easier to control from the driver position.
We were very pleased to have gotten a chance to stretch our wings a bit on this particular project (thanks goes to the client, of course). We hope you enjoy the shots.
Thanks.
#9
06-26-2010, 03:25 PM
As I said before, this is the nicest aftermarket fire supression and roll system I have seen for a car that exists on both the track and street. Your craftmenship and true-to-OEM finish are awe worthy. This setup is right up my alley.
When (if) the day comes, I know where I will take my business. Bravo!
When (if) the day comes, I know where I will take my business. Bravo!
Last edited by HarveyMushman; 06-27-2010 at 09:39 PM.