Supercar Fest 2023

Another strong start to the season of car show, with a second appearance at Supercar Fest at Sywell. Very similar to last year, with plenty of variety from my lowly Ferrari 360 all the way up to a Koenigsegg Regera, and everything in between. And of course it wouldn’t be an event for me without some sort of mishap: once again the F1 system threw a hissy-fit and left us stranded on a roundabout!

Annual Service & Pending Exhaust Fix

A little later than I would have likedpartly due to my own procrastination earlier in the year and not scheduling it soonerbut my 360 has made it through its annual service without too much headache: the exhaust bracket is not loose but cracked and there is a slight coolant leak. The first I had asked to be looked at and sorted if possible, and the second is possibly due to the water pump and for now is just a something to keep an eye on (but let’s not leave it too long, right?). Oh, and I need to be harder on my braking as the front discs are looking a little rusted, also the under-tray is showing its age so we’ll have to keep an eye out for one.

All-in-all not as bad as it could have been (or has been in the past) but a few items to slowly fix. The exhaust was, and still it, top of the list as unfortunately they couldn’t fix it yesterday partly because they were swamped with many other cars in and out or the workshop and partly because they are only set up for MIG welding, and it was recommended that I have the bracket TIG welded as it would result in a stronger join. I agreed but as this is then out-sourced I now have a month wait until I can be seen.

So for the next few weeks, in between the car shows that are lined up, there’s a little TLC to be paid and hopefully the rest of the summer is smooth sailing driving.

Slowly Waking After a Long Winter

It’s been awhile since there was any Ferrari related activity herethat’s not to say the 360 has sat doing nothing but rather that it’s not gone far or anywhere interesting (unless you count the occasional trip to the golf club or the supermarket). It was out-and-about at the beginning of April for an MOT, which it passed without any issues, and it made a beer run over the Easter weekend in-between all of the non-Ferrari related gardening activities. All that said, May is looking father full with an event planned almost every weekend, so let’s keep hoping for the weather to stay nice 🙂

British Grand Prix

What a Grand Prix! It’s been a few years since I last attended one so this was a great event to get back in to the swing of things. Firstly, it’s great to hear that both Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon are okay after their first corner crashes. Secondly, it’s fantastic that Carlos Sainz scores his first win, and for Ferrari at that. Beyond that there wasn’t too much else that happened off the track—I didn’t see any supercars, let alone any other Ferrari’s en route or in the car park. Perhaps I just missed the memo about Supercar Parking and was in the wrong place. Maybe next time.

Another Ferrari Owners’ Day

For the second Saturday in succession I have found myself at Sywell Aerodrome with my 360; this time though it’s all about Ferrari’s, with the second National Ferrari Owners’ Day, organised by the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain. It has been pretty much the same as last year: a large Ferrari-only parking area, a separate area for those participating in the runway experience (this year I was in group 4, so had to wait until 3:15 for my slot), a hanger full of items part of the Silverstone Auction, and of course: an small air display!

Supercar Fest

A slightly late start to the year, but this was partly due to waiting on parts from Italy and partly due to finally getting our driveway redone—now at least the car is in probably the best condition that it’s been in years (owing to the engine rebuild and finally ticking off every advisory on the MOT), in addition we can now fit our three cars off the road on our drive. With all that said, let’s get into the first car show of the year: Supercar Fest.

She’s Home Again

Following the timing belt disaster at Silverstone back in September, I finally have my 360 back—all fixed, and then some! For a brief breakdown: complete service including timing belt, head gasket, water manifold gaskets, complete set of intake and exhaust values for the right-hand cylinder bank, and numerous seals for the clutch release bearing. This last set of items have remedied the occasional low pressure in the F1 system, so hopefully no more not-going-in-to-gear after sitting at traffic lights or a roundabout.

I cannot thank the guys at RNR Performance Cars enough, for diagnosing the issue while they were at a race weekend and then recovering my Ferrari from Silverstone back to their base in Kent. They have been upfront and accurate with their estimates, so although it has cost a small fortune, I’ve not been blind-sided with any surprises. I definitely recommend them and will look to use their services again in the future.

Ferrari Racing Days

Another September, another Ferrari Racing Days at Silverstone, and although it is 4 years since the my last attendance I wasn’t initially expecting to make this one. Previous commitments, one by one, started to disappear and so with less than a week to go I went in search of the promo code that was giving free entrance to Ferrari owners and requested a couple of tickets. That being said, it wouldn’t be a proper Ferrari day out without some sort of mishap.

Summer Garden Party

Not a huge update today: just a few photographs from the Summer Garden Party and Concours for the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain. Thankfully the rain held off for most of the day—it started as we arrived at Rushton Hall and stopped no more than an hour later, and although the sun stayed hidden (more or less until we left) it did stay dry.