Ferrari F430 Spider audio upgrade.
 

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums here.
I just purchased a Ferrari F430 Spider and the stock audio system is beyond terrible.

I'm Looking at replacing the headunit, replacing the stock mids and tweets with good components in the original factory location ( 5.5" in bottom door \ tweeter in upper door)

And im looking at getting a custom sealed enclosure made for one or maybe 2 8" subs behind the seats. All with preferably 1 amp driving the whole system as there is not much space in these vehicles.

Any suggestions on a good shop or installer? Number 1 sound came highly reccomended and George seems very knowladgeable, but the ballparked $5-$6000 and a week to do the work. Based on other installs ive had done this sounded high and I wont be willing to part with the car for that long.

Hopefully I can negoitiate him down but if not any other suggestions>?
Aside from the space issues it seems to be a fairly straighforward install, i dont want to over pay just because of the horse on the hood if you know what I mean.

Thanks in advance for the replys everyone!:)

By the way im in Toronto .

Just thought i should add.

Sounds pretty cool bro! That does seem a little crazy tho. Price wise. Im not gunna suggest anyone because i dont trust anyone enough. But good luck! Ps i think u should post pics

Check out Selective Sound in Mississauga. Davis does VERY good work, very knowledgeable and he is a forum sponsor.

Call around to get references before you pay anyone to touch that car.

The only person I would suggest to touch that car is a shop out of Quebec - Central Station Customs his name is Don.

Yeah make sure you get installers with references that have done high end vehicles like ferrari, lambo ect... And make sure they show you there work before any hands go on the car... Better to be safe then sorry with a vehicle like that parts don't come cheap to replace if damaged.

Goodluck!

Absolutely. I just got a ton of emails from George at number1sound, they've done lambos, corvette zr1s, aston martins and porsches and the pics of the installs are very clean. Definitely great work. But the more I do the math the more the price seems almost double what it should be . Were only talking a single din head unit , 1 set of components ,a sub, enclosure and an amp. There's no way it should be 5k++.

Ill call selective sound today to see what they say.

How much are they charging you for install o.O

Roundabout price for a pretty decent setup;
Deck - $200
Component speakers - $200-$400
Subs + box - $300-$800
Amp + wiring - $300'ish-$1000
Install - ?

Probably won't put you up at competition level but it'll sure as hell impress your friends and be a sick sounding (and looking) ride. I've done all my own installations so I'm not sure on the prices on that and I can see paying more for the extra special care but over $4000 for an install still seems pretty steep.

Reality is the quote process goes like this:

Deck - $$$$
Speakers - $$$
Amp - $$$
Sub - $$$$
Install - $$$$

Total = $$$$

Ferrari (or any exotic) = Total x2 for PITA factor. It's just reality.

Yeah i have no desire to be at competition level. Lol

Just want a good system I can enjoy with the top down..

I was hoping i could get it all done for about 3-4k All in.

^^^ Dukk is right ^^^ ....most of the time:cheeky4: I kid :D
If George has the credentials, then ask him to do it in a two week-3 days spans.

Are these cars very difficult to take a part?

IMO, the more expensive or exotic the car, the bigger pain, and the more care has to be taken. Newer European cars are quite over engineered in some cases and use many hidden fasteners.

$3-4000 seems reasonable for some decent gear and quality install. You get what you pay for in most cases.

There's also the risk factor that drives the price up. Big risks taking on a project car like this if you mess anything up. Price is not unreasonable. If you can afford a 430, you should be carrying around $5-$10K in your pocket. So I'm surprised you're miffed at the price.

What I drive or own doesn't give you the right to comment on on what I should carry in my pocket. Nor should it dictate that I pay more than another individual for the same service just because I own something expensive. Maybe you should keep in mind that perhaps I didn't achieve what I achieved today by spending money frivilously. And while I do believe you get what you pay for, and it goes without saying that I wouldn't compormise quality workmanship to save a dollar, I will still make sure i'm getting a fair deal.

Truth be told, I am fairly mechanically inclined and do have a modest background in audio that would allow me to take this project on myself, I am limited by time so for that reason I opted to pay someone to do the job for me.

You make one point, the high risk factor when it comes to cost of replacement parts on these vehicles IS a valid reason to consider charging more and making sure you take extra time. However the wiring, head unit, door assembly , and general set up of a ferrari f430 is extremely simple. They are closer to go carts than a mainstream vehicle, and a volkswagen Jetta has more complexities when it comes to installing audio than an F430.

I came on this site to ask an opinion on whether or not the afformentioned price I was quoted was reasonable. I appreciate many of the responses the community has provided as they are assisting me in making a decision. Please refrain however from commenting on "what I should be carrying in my wallet" because quitefrankly it's none of your damn business.

Thanks.

Have you ever eaten a plate of spaghetti? If so you have seen an example of the wiring in most exotics - although it's been a while since I crawled into one so they may be better these days.

I agree on the hidden/impossible fastener part. Sometimes it is truely impressive how hard they make it to disassemble something simple.

And many glue the damned carpet to the floor. Lookin at you Porsche.. :sly:


But most often the true challenge is the owner. I don't mean to imply the OP here is a douche but unfortunately many of his exotic driving brethren are. The only owners that are worse are Corvette and entry level Mercedes (go figure - figure they got a real prize there) owners. I turn that business away.

Equipment aside, the install cost on a Exotic is extremly high. The parts are more expensive the car is harder to work on, the last two ferraris I did we closed the shop for a few days and had no other installs in the bay, the install must meet the quality of the car and that reflects in the cost. If im working on a Kia im not going to charge the same as a Ferrari. And with out knowing on what kind of equimpent is being used I cannot comment on the price.

First, this makes no sense.
Any smart business individual knows this............ you WILL pay more for anything as the risk increases. The risks in touching a 430 are much greater then a Civic. Thus you pay more. If you can't deal with that simple fact of life, then don't buy a 430. Buy a Civic. :dunno:



Listen, I don't care really to get into a pissing match with you. But I will make a few points..............

A. I find it oddly touching how quickly you get defensive about your wallet............ and totally miss the point.

B. The point is about you being a cheap bastard in affording a 430 (congrats BTW!) and yet insulting the masses about paying a fair $5K to $6K because in YOUR past experience, this seems high. You qualified your position in making this statement and not JUST outwardly asking for people's opinion. $5K to $6k is a drop in a bucket really for good workmanship in a car like this.......... which if you had such past experiences like you state, since you are such a successful and non-frivolous kind of guy, you would already know. Thus the reason for my response such as it is.

C. More importantly, and I guess really what my point should have eluded to is this............... George has to make money too and pay the bills. He wants to be successful just like you. And an install in a 430 should be reflective of the car and not a hack and slash like you'd find in a Lada(no offense to Lada owners!!) for $500. Your comments/experience doesn't add up as far as I'm concerned. That's a fair statement I think.


Anyways, sorry if I've offended you in any way. That was not really the intent. All I really wanted to point out in layman's terms is you sound like a cheap bastard driving a car your can't afford with how you came across with what you posted. Regardless, George is a good guy and he can be trusted.

Or go see Frankie at 20hz ?!?!

George and his installers do great work and take there time, i had my deck installed there because oem was a single din but had a factory cage installed so it had to be removed which involved removing entire dash and cutting but they did a great job

Just call davis at selective sound and get the job done right for this vehicle.

check your pm's mr ferrari

They added price could be the wiring harness for the vehicle !, some GM vehicles are like 150 for a harness, let-a-loan , a Ferrari wiring harness could be like $500-$800

Huh. the guy comes here for advice, gets called out for not saying how much he carries in mis wallet and then called a cheap bastard. And we wonder why there aren't more new members...
I don't own a Ferrari and I have no idea who this guy is but I am 100% on board with his replies. It's none of our business how much he makes and therefore how he chooses to afford luxuries such as the car. This is supposed to be about car audio, not lifestyle choices. I didn't read any posts asking for our financial advice over and above what he considered a fair price for the install.

Thanks man. I only came to the forum for advice on the price of the install.
Quickly it became more about the type of vehicle and what I should be carrying around in my wallet instead of discussing the actual project itself. Thanks to those who gave me insight and advice, it's much appreciated.

Junk, I'm not even going to comment, because your in the wrong, and unfortunately my time is worth more to me than spending it on this forum responding to your ridiculous comments.

Anyways, Gabby Tabangi from Tabangi electronics is going ahead with the install for me. Going with a new HU, Rockford t3 components, A Rockford T 600.4 Amp, a fibreglass 8 inch box made for the vehicle, loaded with a kicker 8" comp shallow sub. Total cost of parts and labor including sealing and deadening the doors, $3000.00. He also has experience with these cars as hes done many vehicles for Ferrari of Ontario due to their past proximity.

Cool good luck post pics asap! I would like to see

Good for you ferrarif430.

I do not post much, but I believe ferrarif430 should have listed the components he was installing, and then some members could have given their opinions on the install cost. But the amount of judging that actually happened was over the top.

ferrarif430, you just need to remember that your car will require extra care, and more time than the standard install. But it looks like you found a guy who has worked on cars similar to yours, so you should be in good hands.

Hopefully your not looking for an incredible amount of bass because the output of a 8" kicker comp that is shallow is pretty weak