Our cheap Coupe GT to do list

[Gp79]

You need to stop spending on the Mas and get yourself a decent mower!

and decent motorbike!

 

[Matt82]

New subframes were available or worth considering one from a dry state in USA to ensure rot free.
They seem to rot from the inside out so can appear ok until holes appear. I replaced my front subframe with new after similar issues, (Blasted and powder coated rear) have a search as posted it all in here a few years ago

brake pipes can be easily made up and there was a rear shock on ebay for not much.

keep us posted

View attachment 77214
View attachment 77215

Thanks, great advice. I’ll check out your thread.

Out of interest has anyone removed the skyhook shocks and replace with the fixed rate ‘standard’ ones?
As our car is manual, the only thing the sport button does is stiffen the shocks, so we never push the button! Just a thought from me that it would probably be cost neutral to replace all 4 shocks with new standard ones, then sell the 3 good skyhook ones. Rather than buying one used replacement.
Presumably it would throw up a suspension fault on the dash?

 

[CatmanV2]

As our car is manual, the only thing the sport button does is stiffen the shocks

It should sharpen the throttle response as well, I thought

C

 

[Mr S]

Larini UK sells a box of tricks to remove the Skyhook error light on the dash, but its ~£500, which seems a little steep. However, without stripping one down and looking at it, its difficult to know what it actually is.
Forum buy to strip it down, and reproduce maybe......

 

[FIFTY]

It should sharpen the throttle response as well, I thought

C

Nope only stiffens the shocks

I have heard mixed reviews about the DBW for the manual 4200. Some say great some say the throttle becomes unmanageable for road driving

I have an FD ECM that I don't even use might put it up for sale

@Matt82 your local specialist can turn off the skyhook using SD3. You will be charged an hour's labour

 

[jasst]

Thanks, great advice. I’ll check out your thread.

Out of interest has anyone removed the skyhook shocks and replace with the fixed rate ‘standard’ ones?
As our car is manual, the only thing the sport button does is stiffen the shocks, so we never push the button! Just a thought from me that it would probably be cost neutral to replace all 4 shocks with new standard ones, then sell the 3 good skyhook ones. Rather than buying one used replacement.
Presumably it would throw up a suspension fault on the dash?

@TimR is your man for that.

 

[Matt82]

It should sharpen the throttle response as well, I thought

C

My Granturismo sport button used to sharpen up the throttle, doesn’t do it on the 4200.
To be honest I think the 4200 could do with a bit quicker response on the throttle, heel and toe just results in tapping the floppy bit at the top of the travel.

 

[CatmanV2]

I'm sure it used to on mine, but reading the manual it appears not. How odd!

C

 

[Matt82]

Looks like changing to standard shocks could be an option then. I like the thought, as the car has done 75k miles, of changing all four for new, rather than replacing the one leaking item with a used replacement.

I don’t think replacing all four with new skyhook ones at £3500 is a sensible option!
I’ll hold off on any purchase, until I have explored all avenues

 

[Matt82]

@TimR is your man for that.

For changing the shocks? It would be great to hear from someone that’s done it

 

[Twinspark]

We’ve just had a thread on it, KW Coilovers are the cheapest for around £2k (2.5 with VAT)

I ordered a set and the ETA is 8 weeks, they’re all built to order for the 4200.

 

[philw696]

Looks like changing to standard shocks could be an option then. I like the thought, as the car has done 75k miles, of changing all four for new, rather than replacing the one leaking item with a used replacement.

I don’t think replacing all four with new skyhook ones at £3500 is a sensible option!
I’ll hold off on any purchase, until I have explored all avenues

Greg at Premier Performance Parts was refurbishing them at one point.
I had my rears refurbished in New Zealand after one sprung a leak in the shipping container cost was £300 each.
The were always rebuildable after that and future refurb would be a lot cheaper.

 

[Twinspark]

Greg at Premier Performance Parts was refurbishing them at one point.
I had my rears refurbished in New Zealand after one sprung a leak in the shipping container cost was £300 each.
The were always rebuildable after that and future refurb would be a lot cheaper.

Its good if that’s the case. I’ve read that Skyhook dampers were not able to be rebuilt.

 

[philw696]

Its good if that’s the case. I’ve read that Skyhook dampers were not able to be rebuilt.

They certainly can be and our man in Auckland NZ did all the ones for us when I worked for Maserati and also did Ferrari's too.
It's the machining that takes the time but as I saw once done future maintenance is easy.

 

[Matt82]

We’ve just had a thread on it, KW Coilovers are the cheapest for around £2k (2.5 with VAT)

I ordered a set and the ETA is 8 weeks, they’re all built to order for the 4200.

I was thinking more in terms of OEM fit standard shocks like the ones attached, but the KW coilover is another good avenue, thanks

 

[Matt82]

Greg at Premier Performance Parts was refurbishing them at one point.
I had my rears refurbished in New Zealand after one sprung a leak in the shipping container cost was £300 each.
The were always rebuildable after that and future refurb would be a lot cheaper.

Is it this company? I’ll give them a call Monday if so

Account Suspended

 

[Navcorr]

They certainly can be and our man in Auckland NZ did all the ones for us when I worked for Maserati and also did Ferrari's too.
It's the machining that takes the time but as I saw once done future maintenance is easy.

Think it involved machining a new end cap. PPCP would refurb a batch at a time and then offer an exchange service - but this hasn't been advertised for a few years now. At least the page on the website disappeared some time ago. Might be worth asking though.

 

[philw696]

Is it this company? I’ll give them a call Monday if so

Account Suspended

Yes this is the company and Greg was a sponsor on here a very nice helpful guy.

 

[Matt82]

Since spoken with Greg at Premier Performance Cars, unfortunately he can’t offer the shock refurb service anymore. The engineering company that did the machining work went bust and, to make matters worse, he had a batch of shocks with them at the time, which he couldn’t get back

 

[Twinspark]

Since spoken with Greg at Premier Performance Cars, unfortunately he can’t offer the shock refurb service anymore. The engineering company that did the machining work went bust and, to make matters worse, he had a batch of shocks with them at the time, which he couldn’t get back

Wow now that’s really something, I guess they might be one of the many affected from the COVID lockdowns, sucks that he couldn’t get the shocks back.

If its of any help, I got my KW coilovers from Balance Motorsport, nice guy and the price was the cheapest that I found. Still haven’t received mine as they’re made to order.