You should look into some aftermarket hard tops for the F360. It would give it a sleeker look, and also save a ton of headaches with hydraulics and the roof being vandalized.
I’ve lived with a manual top on my MG for nearly thirty years. Seeing stuff like this makes me appreciate old-school simplicity even more. Man, those seats look good!
I had a 1960 MGA 1600 for many years and the manual convertible top always worked for me as long as I was willing to put it up or down. I think I replaced the fabric once and it was under $100. During the summer months, I basically just used a tonneau cover. I'm glad I didn't own a Ferrari. I could cheaply repair or replace everything on my own. British cars were rather common. Thankfully, no engine computers to deal with. Side-draft SUs were dead simple to adjust. I'm glad Sam is having so much fun replacing the top's hydraulic actuators. Who would have guessed the rubber seals would have deteriorated after ONLY 15 years or so. Hehe. What a money pit.
Sam have you looked into whether you can rebuild the cylinders yourself? I just did this job on my 996 cabrio. A fella on eBay sells o-ring replacements for a ton of cylinders. You usually need to remove a snap ring (possibly drill to get access to it), and then hook up some air to the hydraulic lines to blow out the internals. Then you're good to slide the new o-ring in. I rebuilt my hydraulic cylinders for $22 including both sides.
@@Samcrac O-rings: get Viton/FKM/FPM ones, they have better chemical and heat resistance (=should last longer), price difference is minimal compared to regular NBR
I’m honestly surprised we didn’t get a “ Now , Ferrari wants $10 000 for authentic prancing horse hair scrub brush to clean the leather , but I found the exact same Bosch brand at the auto parts store” I was really expecting this kind of satire from Sam
The other day I was in their online clothing store. They’ve got no problem charging like a thousand bucks for a ridiculous looking sweater. So it’s only a matter of time before that scrub brush with ball hair from Italian stallions shows up.
You need to take this repair all the way to your stepmoms bank account. I think she should make another guest appearance on here as you beg her for money.
@Samcrac The red fluid leaking from your system is the wrong fluid, that's probably why all the seals failed. you need to use the Febi Bilsten ZH-M clear hydraulic oil, the same used on Mercedes R129s.
If the welded brackets fail, you can carve them out of a block of steel using an angle grinder, dremel etc. I did similar brackets for the accelerator linkage in my 1928 Lea Francis and they turned out strong and looked good.
The moisturizer with dye in it reminds me of having to clean a $12 million house whose siding was all covered with concrete dust from the masons cutting up the stone for the patios etc. The boss told us to pressure wash it (which doesn't work and directly violates the manufacturer's warranty) so what I discovered worked was pour about 5 oz of paint in the bucket of soapy water and what that did was soak into the concrete dust in the pores of the wood siding and made it look great. The site boss was an a hole who thought he knew everything and saw me "what the F are you doing"? I said this takes the concrete dust away. WTF are you crazy? No, watch this, so I scrubbed and scrubbed with just soapy water and as soon as it dried? white dust in the pores of the wood. Now watch, I washed it with the paint water combo and it dried and looked perfect. He stormed off muttering under his breath "effing a hole".... Willis? if you're reading this, you know who you are! (biggest douchebag on earth).
Bravo for the weld save! That welder paid for itself three times over in that one repair. I also am a rank amateur welder, but if the situation is easy enough, it's not that hard.
@@MakeItWithCalvin I own that welder and a good welder, the tool even with a expert welder will often make a massive difference... the Porosity of the weld he made will let it fail in no time on such a small part with so much load
I did all 7 hydraulic cyls on my MB CLK. Only $1000 plus my labor. What a royal pain. Now it doesn’t work and says to take to repair shop. I am bummed but I’ve learned so much! Claus at Top Hydraulics did a great job, me, not so much
@@04dram04 I might be wrong on this so don't quote me, but by all accounts the folding roof system on the 360 was designed by BMW, and we all know how BMW love to design things so you have to pay more to get them fixed.
The thing I respect most about this channel is that you do the right thing economically so that's what you should do. If the likely future resale value warrants a frugal roof fix then go for it. Frankly, I don't think a typical Ferrari buyer would be impressed by a manual conversion.
It's not just the parts, it's the way they are made that mean you have to strip down parts to get to areas that need attention - they are a nightmare to work on.
@@jonboy9912 You could apply that sentence to just about any car of the last 20yrs that have prefab outsourced parts fitted. Modern cars are sold once by the manufacturer that's all they need to do sell it, after the warranty period or what happens with a second owner is not their problem. All modern cars are put together with little consideration for anyone who might need to take it apart for a repair. Try pulling the dash out of any modern car because you need to replace an AC expansion valve buried deep under the dashboard, a $50 part and $1,500 to fit it.
@@glenmiller2433 I did just that job on my 2007 CLS and did it from under dashboard without stripping the whole thing. Modern cars suck and are getting worse. Just replaced parking brake handle on my 1999 SL a 10 minute job! Try beating that on the new model!!
This is why we follow your Channel . You're not afraid to get your hands dirty and to do a bit of welding when needed . Question...what was the "bit" on the drill you used to grind the weld job ? It looked very odd . Cheers/SRK
I repair old computer boards and the yellow capacitor is a tantalum...they fail in a shorted state. They also can explode. Now we have polymer caps... interested to see what you used as a replacement
@@Samcrac hey Sam, you should consult Rich also because his expertise could be an asset, just don't let him create jealousy. Ask your stepmom to help you finish... this project
What I like about this channel is that I've learned that this life isn't for me. I talked about this channel with my uncle, who used to be an auto body shop owner. He said even with all his resources, sometimes dealing with a salvage car still ended up not being worth it.
Wow, you just showed the lift so unceremoniously :D I thought you'd have a party to inaugurate the lift or something :) Can't wait for that ECU update! I still like your style and appreciate the jokes :D
If it could be made to convert to a manual top...for the size of it, absolutely...it is overly complicated to make such a small Convertible too electric/hydraulic anyway
both Samcrac Ferraris check exterior boxes for me. I daily drove the Green YJ Rio Grande Jeep for college+ years on 35s & love the green & khaki (not spice) soft top combo. two of the classiest rides ever is a ‘73 Mercedes-Benz 450SL & Porsche 911SC Cabriolet in light blue with the denim blue top. both make my sticker peck out & we’re lucky that they were ever a thing. somehow, Samcrac has achieved both of those combos (sans khaki Spyder top) with Ferrari 360s. amazing. way better than Ford Focus uploads
keep it an electric sunroof if ya can, change all the ''o''rings if you can, i replaced the roof on my XJS. not for the feint hearted but well worth the effort. the xjs self bleeds as you use it. another great video.
You're doing a fantastic job, but honestly, I couldn't be more bored of the ferrari videos. The reason as to why I liked your channel to begin with was that you worked on sports cars that were budget oriented. Like the RS 7 or the R8, budget sports cars. Even if you could find a cheap ferrari, all of the repairs and all of the maintenance is going to be expensive. And it's the type of car a regular person would rarely touch. So watching the repairs are less interesting, and this is also your second ferrari of the same model. Regards.
Solution, buy a 348 Spider. Manual top, manual steering, very little to go wrong, especially if you retrofit Euro seatbelts. Mine has been bulletproof for two year. I dont start it for a month sometimes. Fires up immediately every time.
The benefit of hydraulics in convertibles is that water is much less likely to damage the hydraulic stystem. The motors can placed out of the weather but the hydraulic pistons are typically in areas prone to exposure.
I'd like to see more attempts to disassemble and repair components of all kinds, including pumps and such, when replacements are ludicrously expensive, so I was glad to see the part get welded in. As for the top, it might be smarter to go manual, but for TH-cam viewers fixing it will be much more satisfying. Also much better if you ever want to sell it.
That is ridiculous "engineering" to raise and lower a ragtop. If the point was to make something as complex and convoluted as possible, they succeeded!
I repaired the locking cylinders on my SL600, super easy job. I bought the kits off Ebay and it worked perfectly, however, the seals were not regular O rings, they were hydraulic seals that applied additional sealing pressure because of the hydraulic pressure inside the seal. if you took a cross section the seals were ( shaped with the open area of the ( towards the hydro pressure, this caused them to seal tighter when in use. I've looked for the supplier and I do not see his products on Ebay any longer. Maybe he is only doing the repairs himself and no longer sells his parts. Sam, be happy with only 7 cylinders. I believe the 1994 SL600 has 14 cylinders of various sizes.
At 15:00, You ask the question I was thinking, years ago I had a Fiat 2000 with a NICE manual top system. I would convert it to manual or weld a top on the thing and make it a coupe.
I had the same issue with my old SL a few years back; unfortunately once ONE of those pistons fail you really should have them all fixed, otherwise you will be back with fluid leaking on your seats in no time.,
I’ve worked in many auto parts and also car dealers. I would always tell my customers to never jump start cars with computers. Remember, when voltage goes up amperage goes down. When voltage goes down amperage goes up. Trying to start with a weak battery you amperage goes up and you can fry computers. They’re not designed to work with lower voltage.
How long after applying the leather conditioner dye is it safe for sitting? Like if you put blue dye on the seat will it be able to run off onto say the shorts you are wearing in the video? Just curious how long after will the conditioner dye is safe to not transfer. My Audi terracotta seats could probably use a coat.
Very nice on the lift! Yay you! Congratulations! As far as how far to go with the repairs, I have no idea. I think the market is softening a little bit. But, you never know. Good luck.
Hi sam as a form gm and porsche tech the reason why you dont jump start modern cars is defo not a old wifes tale, we blew a ecu & bms (battery managment system on a part exchanged bmw 1 series and a c350cdi mercedes jumping them from the batteries & it's why most european cars have jump terminals in various places under the bonnet. at best you blow a code or cheapish relay but at worst thousands wort of damage, best thing to do is remove batteries and leave them all on a smart charger or use the kill switches alot of exotic cars have some the factory and then a smart charger onto the battery (that what we did with all 80 cars we kept in stock at the dealership) hope this helps
Sam, if you are allready working on the car, try to take it as close as possible to 100%. You wont loose money. You allready are a winner. Great video. You can service all those pistons and still get profit of the car. Keep doing what you are doing.👌
Once I had a similar problem with an Audi and the explanation I was told there is a preference for hydraulic is related to noise. Workable one, would make less noise then electric... But since then, I opted out convertibles... Not to mention the extra weight those parts add on the sports car. 😀
Two points Sam, firstly replace the seals yourself and pay peanuts for the repair, I just did the identical job in a Benz with the hydraulic rams in situ. The other point is what kills them, it’s not the mileage, but the lack of use. When you take them apart you’ll see hard brittle seals, the hydraulic fluid is mixed with oil and they separate when not in use for prolonged periods, damaging the seals……
Experience with old hydraulics has taught me that if you fix one leak, the next weakest part will leak soon after, even the parts that feel good. It's a chain reaction of one after the other till all the old parts are replaced. Just fix everything. I'd even find new hoses, and put all new hoses in. Any hydraulic shop should be able to crimp up new hoses for you. I'd see about getting the seal kits and doing them yourself. It's likely that you couldn't do the latch yourself as it required a bit of machining, but the others should be possible.
Clyde's leather reconditioning balm is incredible stuff, I've used it on a few cars, but the best result was on my sister's Subaru, 2 days work but the results were incredible, Rj in Oz
You asked why they use hydraulics in the first place. I think it is for the 'feel' of it: less noise and more smoothened movement. With electronic actuation you tend to see vibrations while moving. Same thing with the earliest electronic power steering. But is it worth the complexity? Obviously not in the long run...
You always keep it real. I love your videos. Fun to watch, well narrated and honest work. Very entertaining. Good luck on all the projects. Stay safe brother man. Cheers.
I definitely learned something in this video. Just like I did in school. Basically, things that I may find interesting but will never use in real life... or if I do, I'll have to look it up again because it will be so far from now I'll have forgotten the details. Thanks for the schooling Sam! 😁
i said this in the first video when you started a vehicle thats been sitting and the seals of have been dried ,, as i see the seals are failing on other parts of the car as well,
Please bring it back to glory I've been watching religiously since the first video and look forward to every update I'd love an Indepth with however deep you want to go with this and sure everyone else will too
Holla at the Car Ninja, and do a manual top. Love to see you sporting the wings shirt again Sam. So you going to race between blue car and green car, and see which one's faster? Closed course obviously.
I love your channel Sam!!! So, a thought about the convertible top... I'd be willing or happy, if this was my ride, to remove the convertible top completely!!! However, my idea would require a "removable hard-top"...Does anyone make a hard-top for this spider? Would be really cool!!!
Could be an idea to change the hydraulic actuators with electrical linear ones, and get someone that can program an Arduino computer to write some code to convert it. Could make for a kit you can sell.
I just repaired a 2007 Pontiac G6 GT Convertible that had almost the exact same hydraulic system on it. I was fortunate to find one in a wrecking yard and pilfered the entire system for about $130. Would have cost similar to yours to repair. Doubt you can find a Ferrari in the pickyourpart though. :) BTW I have a bunch of extra parts left over if anyone else is working on a Pontiac
You should look into some aftermarket hard tops for the F360. It would give it a sleeker look, and also save a ton of headaches with hydraulics and the roof being vandalized.
That sounds like a cool alternative. Or, could he do a full hardtop conversion?
@@mildmanneredthinkingman9323 there are probably removable hard tops available in carbon fiber for the F360.
Yup, CF removable hardtop, do it.
This will be a godsend if there's a kit out there for this!!!! :O
@@RogerM88 That honestly sounds best, save weight and if it clips in and out of place it could be an awesome corvette style convertible.
I’ve lived with a manual top on my MG for nearly thirty years. Seeing stuff like this makes me appreciate old-school simplicity even more. Man, those seats look good!
I loved my B.
BINGO OLD MGB DRIVER HERE , BEST CAR I OWNED , I LOVED THAT CAR AND THE MEMORIES THAT GO WITH IT.
Our wedding car. 1966 mgb, restored by my dad and my godfather. British Racing Green.
I had a 1960 MGA 1600 for many years and the manual convertible top always worked for me as long as I was willing to put it up or down. I think I replaced the fabric once and it was under $100. During the summer months, I basically just used a tonneau cover. I'm glad I didn't own a Ferrari. I could cheaply repair or replace everything on my own. British cars were rather common. Thankfully, no engine computers to deal with. Side-draft SUs were dead simple to adjust.
I'm glad Sam is having so much fun replacing the top's hydraulic actuators. Who would have guessed the rubber seals would have deteriorated after ONLY 15 years or so. Hehe. What a money pit.
Same here, my MR2 Spyders top is 22 yrs old and manual. Works perfect.
Sam have you looked into whether you can rebuild the cylinders yourself? I just did this job on my 996 cabrio. A fella on eBay sells o-ring replacements for a ton of cylinders. You usually need to remove a snap ring (possibly drill to get access to it), and then hook up some air to the hydraulic lines to blow out the internals. Then you're good to slide the new o-ring in. I rebuilt my hydraulic cylinders for $22 including both sides.
i thought the same thing after the first video saying $200+ to rebuild and replace a few o-rings....
did this too on my 996, same thought, a couple of o-rings, maybe some nylon backing washers, just a few bucks in parts
same thoughts here, the seals are unlikely to be specifically for these rams, just some careful measurements required
Good idea, I'll look into it
@@Samcrac O-rings: get Viton/FKM/FPM ones, they have better chemical and heat resistance (=should last longer), price difference is minimal compared to regular NBR
16:30 You answered your own question right after you posed it. The benefit is that they keep the dealerships happy for the work needed to fix them!
I’m honestly surprised we didn’t get a “ Now , Ferrari wants $10 000 for authentic prancing horse hair scrub brush to clean the leather , but I found the exact same Bosch brand at the auto parts store”
I was really expecting this kind of satire from Sam
😅
Yes, but Bosch only uses standing in the stall old nag horse hair for their brush. ;-)
The other day I was in their online clothing store. They’ve got no problem charging like a thousand bucks for a ridiculous looking sweater. So it’s only a matter of time before that scrub brush with ball hair from Italian stallions shows up.
99% chance those last two pistons in the engine area will fail when all the others are no longer leaking
When all pressure reliefs are eliminated - only then you put them under test... and then some random hose will blow.
Yeah, replace them all at once. Don't nickel and dime yourself to death.
I'd say 99.99%.
This trash bucket will forever be in a state of perpetual failure.
Yep. Patch repairs are not the same as fixing a problem and the resale price should reflect that big difference.
You need to take this repair all the way to your stepmoms bank account. I think she should make another guest appearance on here as you beg her for money.
She's got previous history when it comes to step sons lol
TH-cam threatened to demoneytise if his step mom appears again.
@@gedd6750 as they should. That step mom stuff was really cringe 😬
@@ThatONEdaddy69 Her head game is cringe 😬
She's probably stuck somewhere in a dryer
Go all the way Sam! Best content you’ve had in a long long time.
16:40 hydraulically operated convertible tops are far more quieter than their electronic counterparts.
And more expensive. 🤑
@@crazyman8472 Bentley owners don't care, except for Hoovie.
When they work. 😄
"Super-reliable... For at least 6 to 12 months." LOL That's a great line!
I thought he was going to say 6 to 10 years
He meant 6 to 12 weeks 85 % of Ferrari don’t drive them till the warranty expires
@Samcrac The red fluid leaking from your system is the wrong fluid, that's probably why all the seals failed. you need to use the Febi Bilsten ZH-M clear hydraulic oil, the same used on Mercedes R129s.
If the welded brackets fail, you can carve them out of a block of steel using an angle grinder, dremel etc. I did similar brackets for the accelerator linkage in my 1928 Lea Francis and they turned out strong and looked good.
The moisturizer with dye in it reminds me of having to clean a $12 million house whose siding was all covered with concrete dust from the masons cutting up the stone for the patios etc. The boss told us to pressure wash it (which doesn't work and directly violates the manufacturer's warranty) so what I discovered worked was pour about 5 oz of paint in the bucket of soapy water and what that did was soak into the concrete dust in the pores of the wood siding and made it look great.
The site boss was an a hole who thought he knew everything and saw me "what the F are you doing"? I said this takes the concrete dust away. WTF are you crazy? No, watch this, so I scrubbed and scrubbed with just soapy water and as soon as it dried? white dust in the pores of the wood. Now watch, I washed it with the paint water combo and it dried and looked perfect.
He stormed off muttering under his breath "effing a hole"....
Willis? if you're reading this, you know who you are! (biggest douchebag on earth).
Haha that's awesome 😅. Way to put that d-bag in his place. F U Willis! 😂
Great Job Sam, the seats are amazing, and the welds look pretty good. Keep up the great work!
Bravo for the weld save! That welder paid for itself three times over in that one repair. I also am a rank amateur welder, but if the situation is easy enough, it's not that hard.
them welds sucked, Flux Core welder should never have been used, $40 could have gotten them welded right at any muffler shop...
Practice is key! That said knowing your limits is key 😎👍.
@@MakeItWithCalvin I own that welder and a good welder, the tool even with a expert welder will often make a massive difference... the Porosity of the weld he made will let it fail in no time on such a small part with so much load
I love the way you approach things..problem solving, practical, methodical but always aware of the costs. Makes riveting viewing.
Nice to watch your journey of car repairs, keep up the good work.
I did all 7 hydraulic cyls on my MB CLK. Only $1000 plus my labor. What a royal pain. Now it doesn’t work and says to take to repair shop. I am bummed but I’ve learned so much! Claus at Top Hydraulics did a great job, me, not so much
You’d think they could do this with electric motors these days. Either way I would still repair it correctly if it was me.
With brushless motors having no maintenance and super quiet, it seems like an easy switch to a modern solution.
But then the dealers would lose so much money, from not repairing the systems.
@@04dram04 I might be wrong on this so don't quote me, but by all accounts the folding roof system on the 360 was designed by BMW, and we all know how BMW love to design things so you have to pay more to get them fixed.
Electric motors not complicated or expensive enough for Ferrari
It could due to the amount of torque needed to keep the roof in place when the car is at Vmax?
You are amazing….I just found your site a week ago been bing watching ever since, your the man!
The thing I respect most about this channel is that you do the right thing economically so that's what you should do. If the likely future resale value warrants a frugal roof fix then go for it. Frankly, I don't think a typical Ferrari buyer would be impressed by a manual conversion.
Can you tell me who did the repairs on the pistons for you. I have one failing on my 430
Parts for a Ferrari are expensive? Who knew? :D
It's not just the parts, it's the way they are made that mean you have to strip down parts to get to areas that need attention - they are a nightmare to work on.
@@jonboy9912 You could apply that sentence to just about any car of the last 20yrs that have prefab outsourced parts fitted. Modern cars are sold once by the manufacturer that's all they need to do sell it, after the warranty period or what happens with a second owner is not their problem. All modern cars are put together with little consideration for anyone who might need to take it apart for a repair. Try pulling the dash out of any modern car because you need to replace an AC expansion valve buried deep under the dashboard, a $50 part and $1,500 to fit it.
@@glenmiller2433 I did just that job on my 2007 CLS and did it from under dashboard without stripping the whole thing. Modern cars suck and are getting worse. Just replaced parking brake handle on my 1999 SL a 10 minute job! Try beating that on the new model!!
Of course go manual. Fix the few items that really need it, and drive and enjoy it. Enjoying the channel. Tks for sharing.
Remove ALL of them, get them ALL repaired. Then that way, you know that your hydraulic system for the roof is all good. Or go manual.
Absolutely, I told Sam this would happen, maybe he should read more of our comments
easier said than done, when it costs so much for each one.
@@04dram04 he’s got the money
This is why we follow your Channel . You're not afraid to get your hands dirty and to do a bit of welding when needed . Question...what was the "bit" on the drill you used to grind the weld job ? It looked very odd . Cheers/SRK
Please label these videos PART 1, PART 2, PART 3... I am so freaking confused which one follows the first one.
I repair old computer boards and the yellow capacitor is a tantalum...they fail in a shorted state. They also can explode. Now we have polymer caps... interested to see what you used as a replacement
Please tell me the company you sent the hydraulic cylinder to. I have a Mercedes that needs the same one rebuilt.
Cabriolet Hydraulics
@@Samcrac Thanks!
@@Samcrac hey Sam, you should consult Rich also because his expertise could be an asset, just don't let him create jealousy. Ask your stepmom to help you finish... this project
What I like about this channel is that I've learned that this life isn't for me.
I talked about this channel with my uncle, who used to be an auto body shop owner. He said even with all his resources, sometimes dealing with a salvage car still ended up not being worth it.
Grinding and paint makes me the welder I ain't!
Great content and kind comments to help each other.
Great the way you are not afraid to try and learn.
I'd definitely go Manual top, just one less headache overall. Love the shirt BTW 👍
Really dig you working on these 360s I have one and I am taking your advice! 👍
Go with a manual top. You just spent the money on the important hydraulics, the Bendpack! Congrats!
@15:05 go for aftermarket carbon fiber hardtop if you had enough dealing with those leaky hydraulic pistons😅
Keep going all the way!! You done lots of the hard work. She’s worth it!
Take this car all the way!! Great content and now you have the green as reference what can go wrong!
This man has balls 🤣 Working on a failed Ferrari ECU at home 😳👏👏
yes - it's the ECU that has the brains.
Great video. I just wish you could do longer videos. Your very good at explaining things. Need more of it. 💪
It's always nice to have a working model so you have something to compare it to :)
I only have manual soft tops, or t-tops. Keep it simple, light, and as computer free as possible IMHO.
Wow, you just showed the lift so unceremoniously :D I thought you'd have a party to inaugurate the lift or something :)
Can't wait for that ECU update!
I still like your style and appreciate the jokes :D
Yeah man what's up with that where is your party the Lift the lift lift lift!!!!!!! it's been forever coming
@13:08 The thermometer in the background showing over 100 degrees F (38C) in the shade?! Ouch!
If it could be made to convert to a manual top...for the size of it, absolutely...it is overly complicated to make such a small Convertible too electric/hydraulic anyway
Great videos!! I really appreciate your Frugal approach to fixing these exotic cars. Keep up the good work 👍🏼
Made my day seeing your lift installed
both Samcrac Ferraris check exterior boxes for me. I daily drove the Green YJ Rio Grande Jeep for college+ years on 35s & love the green & khaki (not spice) soft top combo. two of the classiest rides ever is a ‘73 Mercedes-Benz 450SL & Porsche 911SC Cabriolet in light blue with the denim blue top. both make my sticker peck out & we’re lucky that they were ever a thing. somehow, Samcrac has achieved both of those combos (sans khaki Spyder top) with Ferrari 360s. amazing. way better than Ford Focus uploads
Great job, I'm interested in seeing the extra work, that has to be done.
keep it an electric sunroof if ya can, change all the ''o''rings if you can, i replaced the roof on my XJS. not for the feint hearted but well worth the effort. the xjs self bleeds as you use it. another great video.
You're doing a fantastic job, but honestly, I couldn't be more bored of the ferrari videos. The reason as to why I liked your channel to begin with was that you worked on sports cars that were budget oriented. Like the RS 7 or the R8, budget sports cars. Even if you could find a cheap ferrari, all of the repairs and all of the maintenance is going to be expensive. And it's the type of car a regular person would rarely touch. So watching the repairs are less interesting, and this is also your second ferrari of the same model. Regards.
Solution, buy a 348 Spider. Manual top, manual steering, very little to go wrong, especially if you retrofit Euro seatbelts. Mine has been bulletproof for two year. I dont start it for a month sometimes. Fires up immediately every time.
Another great video of an unfinished project.
Glad you enjoyed it
The benefit of hydraulics in convertibles is that water is much less likely to damage the hydraulic stystem. The motors can placed out of the weather but the hydraulic pistons are typically in areas prone to exposure.
Literally to the 1% who's reading this, God bless you, and may your dreams come true, stay safe and have a wonderful day.
That leather renovation kit looked great - not seen it in the UK.
Manual soft-top.
I'd like to see more attempts to disassemble and repair components of all kinds, including pumps and such, when replacements are ludicrously expensive, so I was glad to see the part get welded in. As for the top, it might be smarter to go manual, but for TH-cam viewers fixing it will be much more satisfying. Also much better if you ever want to sell it.
That is ridiculous "engineering" to raise and lower a ragtop. If the point was to make something as complex and convoluted as possible, they succeeded!
I love watching you fixing these exotics. I would not consider this for myself. Quite content to see what is involved in fixing these cars.
I repaired the locking cylinders on my SL600, super easy job. I bought the kits off Ebay and it worked perfectly, however, the seals were not regular O rings, they were hydraulic seals that applied additional sealing pressure because of the hydraulic pressure inside the seal. if you took a cross section the seals were ( shaped with the open area of the ( towards the hydro pressure, this caused them to seal tighter when in use. I've looked for the supplier and I do not see his products on Ebay any longer. Maybe he is only doing the repairs himself and no longer sells his parts. Sam, be happy with only 7 cylinders. I believe the 1994 SL600 has 14 cylinders of various sizes.
At 15:00, You ask the question I was thinking, years ago I had a Fiat 2000 with a NICE manual top system. I would convert it to manual or weld a top on the thing and make it a coupe.
I had the same issue with my old SL a few years back; unfortunately once ONE of those pistons fail you really should have them all fixed, otherwise you will be back with fluid leaking on your seats in no time.,
I’ve worked in many auto parts and also car dealers. I would always tell my customers to never jump start cars with computers. Remember, when voltage goes up amperage goes down. When voltage goes down amperage goes up. Trying to start with a weak battery you amperage goes up and you can fry computers. They’re not designed to work with lower voltage.
How long after applying the leather conditioner dye is it safe for sitting? Like if you put blue dye on the seat will it be able to run off onto say the shorts you are wearing in the video? Just curious how long after will the conditioner dye is safe to not transfer. My Audi terracotta seats could probably use a coat.
Very nice on the lift! Yay you! Congratulations!
As far as how far to go with the repairs, I have no idea. I think the market is softening a little bit. But, you never know. Good luck.
Hi sam as a form gm and porsche tech the reason why you dont jump start modern cars is defo not a old wifes tale, we blew a ecu & bms (battery managment system on a part exchanged bmw 1 series and a c350cdi mercedes jumping them from the batteries & it's why most european cars have jump terminals in various places under the bonnet.
at best you blow a code or cheapish relay but at worst thousands wort of damage, best thing to do is remove batteries and leave them all on a smart charger or use the kill switches alot of exotic cars have some the factory and then a smart charger onto the battery (that what we did with all 80 cars we kept in stock at the dealership) hope this helps
Sam, if you are allready working on the car, try to take it as close as possible to 100%. You wont loose money. You allready are a winner. Great video. You can service all those pistons and still get profit of the car. Keep doing what you are doing.👌
Once I had a similar problem with an Audi and the explanation I was told there is a preference for hydraulic is related to noise. Workable one, would make less noise then electric... But since then, I opted out convertibles... Not to mention the extra weight those parts add on the sports car. 😀
Hi from the UK, I'd like to see it repaired properly working the way it should!
Two points Sam, firstly replace the seals yourself and pay peanuts for the repair, I just did the identical job in a Benz with the hydraulic rams in situ.
The other point is what kills them, it’s not the mileage, but the lack of use.
When you take them apart you’ll see hard brittle seals, the hydraulic fluid is mixed with oil and they separate when not in use for prolonged periods, damaging the seals……
Experience with old hydraulics has taught me that if you fix one leak, the next weakest part will leak soon after, even the parts that feel good. It's a chain reaction of one after the other till all the old parts are replaced. Just fix everything. I'd even find new hoses, and put all new hoses in. Any hydraulic shop should be able to crimp up new hoses for you.
I'd see about getting the seal kits and doing them yourself. It's likely that you couldn't do the latch yourself as it required a bit of machining, but the others should be possible.
Clyde's leather reconditioning balm is incredible stuff, I've used it on a few cars, but the best result was on my sister's Subaru, 2 days work but the results were incredible, Rj in Oz
Where do you get this stuff in Oz? Want to give it a go on my BMW seats, looks like good stuff.
I loved the subtle reference to the lift, especially after all the crap everyone gives you about not having one! Cracked me up.
Is it possible to activate by pneumatics rather than oil. A little leaking air is no problem.
You asked why they use hydraulics in the first place. I think it is for the 'feel' of it: less noise and more smoothened movement. With electronic actuation you tend to see vibrations while moving. Same thing with the earliest electronic power steering.
But is it worth the complexity? Obviously not in the long run...
a LIFT!!!! WOW!!! you should have a video by itself to talk about it! All your subscribers were waiting for it for years!
You always keep it real. I love your videos. Fun to watch, well narrated and honest work. Very entertaining. Good luck on all the projects. Stay safe brother man. Cheers.
You mentioned Legit street cars, I need you to take it that far. Take this all the way man.
those quick connections are life savers for any convertible, saves so much money
Could you tell me who offered the repair service for the top cylinders?
Love you you just snuck the lift in. As for the top, make it a manual.
I definitely learned something in this video. Just like I did in school. Basically, things that I may find interesting but will never use in real life... or if I do, I'll have to look it up again because it will be so far from now I'll have forgotten the details. Thanks for the schooling Sam! 😁
i said this in the first video when you started a vehicle thats been sitting and the seals of have been dried ,, as i see the seals are failing on other parts of the car as well,
Take the build all the way!! You’re into it now so don’t give up.! Please keep the original paint Be worth more to someone that way.
Please bring it back to glory I've been watching religiously since the first video and look forward to every update I'd love an Indepth with however deep you want to go with this and sure everyone else will too
Isn’t there a kit for thise actuators online? To restore it yourself?
Holla at the Car Ninja, and do a manual top. Love to see you sporting the wings shirt again Sam. So you going to race between blue car and green car, and see which one's faster? Closed course obviously.
Great video as usual! Probably can drop the restaurant background music though!
I am excited about the Ferrari build and can’t wait for the update on your long term cars.
I love your channel Sam!!! So, a thought about the convertible top... I'd be willing or happy, if this was my ride, to remove the convertible top completely!!! However, my idea would require a "removable hard-top"...Does anyone make a hard-top for this spider? Would be really cool!!!
Could be an idea to change the hydraulic actuators with electrical linear ones, and get someone that can program an Arduino computer to write some code to convert it. Could make for a kit you can sell.
Sam love everything you do. I would get rid of all the cylinders and the plumbing and do a manual convertible top
I used to live in N Florida, Is that thermometer accurate? Damn 102F
Keep truckin’ on that top Sam! You’ve come this far!
You have a lot of patience, that is for sure. Thanks for bringing so nice content. 👍
Great stuff really enjoying this like the step by step method
You ever see how the top works on a current-gen Miata? One hand, flip latch, pull back- bam, top is down. That fast. It’s brilliant really.
#samcrac what did you use to clean up the mold ? Please and thanx
I just repaired a 2007 Pontiac G6 GT Convertible that had almost the exact same hydraulic system on it. I was fortunate to find one in a wrecking yard and pilfered the entire system for about $130. Would have cost similar to yours to repair. Doubt you can find a Ferrari in the pickyourpart though. :) BTW I have a bunch of extra parts left over if anyone else is working on a Pontiac