Anyone wonder what Ferrari F1 secrets McLaren obtained that warranted their record breaking $100 Million Dollar fine?

If you've been following the forums, you know that there were multiple 'secrets' in the documentation, and you'll also know that unless you have an F1 development budget, most of the secrets won't be of any help with your 914.

However... there was one secret over looked that is applicable to our 914s even if you are on a most modest budget... It's an alternative to using pure nitrogen in your tires. It turns out that many other professional race teams use this 'Secret Ferrari F1 Tire gas', and the best part is you can make it at home.

What you'll need:

Nitrogen (N2)
Click to view attachment
Oxygen (O2)
Click to view attachment
Argon (Ar)
Click to view attachment



First thing to do is find a welding shop in your area, they can sell you the gases you need. Don't tell them what you are buying it for. If they ask if you are making 'Ferrari tire gas' pretend you don't know what they are talking about. Tell them you are using the nitrogen to run air tools at the track, Argon for your Mig, and your grandmother is coming home from the hospital and is on Oxygen therapy. If they don't belive you, and start asking questions, run for the door immediately and find another welding shop.

Once you find a source for the gas, also pick up an empty tank to hold your 'Ferrari tire gas'

Now mix the ingredients together in this proportion:
N2 78%
O2 21%
Ar 1%

click here for more info on how to do this.

When your done, you'll have a close approximation of 'Ferrari Tire Gas'. The actual formula that Ferrari uses is more complex, here are their actual components & % mixture:

Nitrogen, N2 78.08
Oxygen, O2 20.95
Argon, Ar 0.93
Carbon dioxide, CO2 0.033
Neon, Ne 0.0018
Helium, He 0.00052
Methane, CH4 0.0002
Krypton, Kr 0.00011
Nitrogen(I) oxide, N2O 0.00005
Hydrogen, H2 0.00005
Xenon, Xe 0.0000087
Ozone, O3 0.000001

NOTE 1: This formula supports combustion. DO NOT SMOKE AROUND IT.

NOTE 2: Be sure to completely empty your tires before changing over!! Best if you make an adapter for your vacuum cleaner to get ALL the old stuff out. Most F1 teams did not do this last time they ran Indy, and you know what happened with their tires there.

Once your tires are empty (really empty, remember Indy). Use the 'Ferrari Tire Gas' to fill your tires. Start at the pressure you've been using. At the track keep temps across the tread and adjust pressure as usual. For street driving, watch tread wear and adjust accordingly. At the right pressure you'll see better tire wear as well as MPG.

It's just amazing how many race teams are using this on a regular basis. There are also persistent rumors that most of the top European manufacturers also use this mixture at very specific pressues during ISO performance tests to 'enhance' their test results. Note that the published performance results *do not* mention this. So all you conspiracy theorists, explain to me why if it's not a secret, why it's not openly listed in test results by the top manufactures of exotics in Europe???

Using the 'bird board' scale, producing 'Ferrari Tire Gas' is difficulty 6.754 out of 10. If you don't want to take this on, I had my 'production system' setup & running (mostly Craigs list & Harbor Freight items). I want to give back to the club. If you ship me your airtank, I'll fill it for 1/2 the price of the cheapest nitrogen you can get in your area. Only catch is you have to pay the shipping both ways plus a $10 handling fee.

I take PayPal. Please respond here if interested. If I get enough responses, I have to rebuild my production shed that mysteriously exploded then melted last week.

Cheers!

Funny guy. In diving, we call that gas Nitrox 21.

Reminds me of a french electopop band and the new macbook. Can't think why.

I've used the same formula for years - except mine naturally has a higher percentage of methane......

It'd be even higher if your compressor was located in Coalinga or Gilroy...

--DD

northern Cal joke? Garlic or somethin?

I must have missed... the point of doing something like this. Especially in a street car.

If you put enough Helium in your tires, can you make your car fly???

No, but you will need to watch your tire pressure constantly.

Looks a lot like the chemical composition of regular air

If you want to go to a really high end mix you can drop the oxygen down to 14% and CO2 up to 4.4% if you just capture what you exhale. You do have to be careful though, with that little oxygen breathing it for too long can be life threatening. I'm sure the "lean" mixture is worth it though, just don't lock yourself in the trunk with a leaky spare

Anyone jump in here, but I believe there is an enormous number of street cars that use secret 'Ferrari Tire Gas'

Alright I get it. haha There's one minute of my life I'll ever get back.

OK, I thing 04/01 is officially getting old on the boards...

(always wanted to use this emoticon)

I want to do this the right way and to the correct formula, but am having trouble finding a supplier for the Xenon. Anybody got one?

Also I doubt Ferrari uses regular air in their tires. Kinda makes the joke lame.

wait.......what? I thought that was the whole point of the joke if the formula was real, how exactly would that be a joke?

Knock it off you whiney basta*ds

This was a good April Fools joke. It had a number of us trying to figure how this special formula would work. And the lead=in (Ferrari Secrets) was especially good. Then when we did figure our the "secret formula...

Get over yourselves and admit this was a good one.

And while your up, try to get a sense of humor

Nice job

liked it, good work.

The local country radio station had an april fool's day show where the host said the old $5 bills would no longer be honored after today. All kinds of people called in saying they had called there bank, and accused him of providing erroneous info.

great day to have fun people who take everything too seriously.

Jim

Kinda reminds me of the Oxygen Dihydride scare we had last year, I'm sure you all realize how dangerous this stuff is....thousands are killed by it every year.....and the stuff is damn near everywhere.....inhalation has been known to kill a man in seconds....

Yes, yes Oxygen Dihydride ... good ol' HOH ..... WC Fields said it best, "HOH, never touch it. Fish fuch in it."