| Author | Message | ||
| Dave Goldman (Dave328)
New member Username: Dave328 Post Number: 21 Registered: 11-2002 |
Sean, That is the first CF F355 top I've seen. One word: SUHWEEEEEEEET! Dave | ||
| Mark Collins (Markcollins)
Junior Member Username: Markcollins Post Number: 57 Registered: 7-2002 |
Eric I have to admit it was already painted when I bought the car. It was done by a Ferrari Dealer although I don't think that always infers a quality job! | ||
| mike 308 (Concorde)
Junior Member Username: Concorde Post Number: 58 Registered: 8-2002 |
Both Mike's and Paul's 308's really look sharp! | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3718 Registered: 2-2001 |
Mike you have the best of both worlds. Nice conversion and done well. | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Intermediate Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 1041 Registered: 7-2001 |
My top is painted and I have had any problems. When it's off the car I keep it behind the seat with the cover over it. There are some spots starting to wear where the cover wraps around the edges, but it is a simple touch up. Now I just need some spare louvers so I can copy Mikes GTB conversion! | ||
| Raleigh Smith (288gto)
Junior Member Username: 288gto Post Number: 54 Registered: 10-2002 |
Sloan83QV, that has to be the best looking 308 I have seen. No offense to anyone elses 308, but that car is striking. I really like the 360 wheels. Raleigh | ||
| Eric Vartanian (Evartanian)
Junior Member Username: Evartanian Post Number: 62 Registered: 3-2002 |
Nevermind Sean, I found pics of the car at the website. Thanks. | ||
| Eric Vartanian (Evartanian)
Junior Member Username: Evartanian Post Number: 61 Registered: 3-2002 |
I am just curious, but is it safe to assume that on the factory painted tops the surface is metal, perhaps aluminum or steel? If anyone knows or has a factory painted top, please enlighten us. And, do they pretty much look the same as a standard top that was painted later, could you still see the seams as on Mark's car. (Though Mark, please don't take that the wrong way, your top looks awsome and if I could have mine look that way, I would.) Mark, two questions...I am wondering if, other than sanding down the texture, there was any other details involved in the process (I'm no expert at body work so I am not sure if sanding is all it needs or if some kind of base needs to be applied to make it "smooth")...just curious. Also, if you wouldn't mind mentioning, where did you get your top painted--a normal body shop or perhaps a Ferrari specialist. Sean, I am wondering if you might have a few more pictures of the car with the carbon top from afar showing the whole car. Eric | ||
| Sean Harris (Sharris)
New member Username: Sharris Post Number: 11 Registered: 3-2002 |
Here is the carbon roof on a '99 355   | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Junior Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 123 Registered: 8-2002 |
Magoo and Dave: Yes, those quarter windows were redone to give it more of a GTB/GTS hybrid look. I like it a lot, and it does get some double-takes from folks who know Ferraris. You can see close-ups of the molding (it wasn't just simply cutting out some of the louvers) at www.mlcpartners.com/ferrari/308GTSB/ For Magoo who likes the fully louvered quarters, I still have my originals... these were taken off a neighbor's totalled QV. Same with the top... I still have my original black targa top also. I can go back to "concours" if desired pretty quickly. Mike | ||
| Craig Williams (Craigw)
New member Username: Craigw Post Number: 27 Registered: 4-2002 |
I had my 348 roof colour coded. As far as I'm aware you need to put some kind of lacquer/laminate on the roof to make it smooth then spray paint as normal. You need to be very careful with the screws that hold the seatbacks on (I was told to remove them) Instead I put small sticky pads over them to prevent any scratches. One came loose and the inevitable happened, one day I slipped with the roof & put a huge scratch into it. Its now redone & looks great. | ||
| Mark Collins (Markcollins)
Junior Member Username: Markcollins Post Number: 56 Registered: 7-2002 |
Clark Carbon roof now that would be nice if it reduced the weight, what a handful trying to do it on your own particularly as you have to turn it around to store it behind the seats. Handling is an issue with a painted roof particularly when you store it behind the seats, I'm 6 feet tall so Seat is quite far back and although I always put the cover over the roof panel there is a scuff mark where the seat rubs against it. I believe the top is not metal but either glass fibre or plastic of some sort. The grain is embossed into the surface and needs to be sanded to get the right result for painting | ||
| Clark Wilcox (Cwilcox)
New member Username: Cwilcox Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2002 |
I have no direct experience with the 355 GTS top, but was told by a dealer that a 355 unpainted top consists of vinyl over metal. To paint the top the vinyl is sanded off and the newly exposed metal is painted, resulting in a top essentially identical to a factory painted top. An earlier post indicates that 308/328 GTS tops consist of fiberglass rather than vinyl over metal -- either the dealer was wrong (very possible), or the 355 tops differ from the 308/328 tops. Surely someone here can give a definitive answer. That Ferrari makes unpainted tops would seem to indicate that painted tops are prone to getting scratched due to handling and storage -- is this an issue in practice? Unpainted tops are also a visual cue to distinguish GTS's from Berlinettas, but the discontinuity introduced by an unpainted top seems to break up the lines of a 355 more so than a 308/328 due to the latter having an unpainted rear support and black louvres. This is presumably why many (most?) 355 GTS tops are painted. The same dealer told me that carbon fiber tops were a factory option on '98 and '99 355 GTS's. Are these tops noticeably lighter than the standard tops? Is the carbon fiber visible on the exterior? Does the interior differ from a standard top, or is it also visibly carbon fiber? A closeup picture of a carbon fiber top would be helpful. | ||
| Mark Collins (Markcollins)
Junior Member Username: Markcollins Post Number: 55 Registered: 7-2002 |
Eric Some pics of my F355 at http://www.collinsclan.co.uk/roof/index.html and a couple more at http://www.collinsclan.co.uk/355/355.html | ||
| Eric Vartanian (Evartanian)
Junior Member Username: Evartanian Post Number: 60 Registered: 3-2002 |
Thanks for the feedback so far everyone, as well as for the pictures--beauty cars! My main concern was how the body shop would deal with not only the textured surface of the top, but also painting on that material. Though the shop that the car is currently at has had some minimal Ferrari experience, I doubt they have ever painted a top, so I was wondering how this might normally be done. I have yet to mention anything to them on painting the top though, so I am not sure as to what they might think of it either--perhaps they already know of a solution or it might be a foriegn idea (let's not hope the latter). Lastly, I'm wondering if anyone might have more pictures to post of cars with painted tops, specifically of F355's, but more than happy to see other targa's. Eric | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3704 Registered: 2-2001 |
Tommy, They never did unless you had a black car. | ||
| Erik R. Jonsson (Gamester)
Junior Member Username: Gamester Post Number: 207 Registered: 11-2000 |
Those paint jobs sure make the lines flow nicely! | ||
| Dr Tommy Cosgrove (Vwalfa4re)
Member Username: Vwalfa4re Post Number: 438 Registered: 5-2001 |
I was unaware that the factory ever painted any of the tops on the 308 series the same color as the body. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3698 Registered: 2-2001 |
Also guys just a little insurance. As I said before a little "flex agent" in the paint will help against those accidental knocks and hits and be less likely to chip. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3696 Registered: 2-2001 |
Mike don't take this the wrong way but I like the 1/4 glass window louvers because they look more exotic. Your top conversion looks great. | ||
| Dave328GTB (Hardtop)
Member Username: Hardtop Post Number: 325 Registered: 1-2002 |
Mike, I see you also changed the rear quarter window louvres to GTB style. That's unusual! Dave | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Junior Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 122 Registered: 8-2002 |
I had mine done a couple of months ago. The "grain" was molded into the fiberglass (no real vinyl on the top). The body shop sanded it smooth and painted it. I keep a pair of cheap cotton gloves handy just to keep fingerprints off of it when I'm handling it.  | ||
| Paul Sloan (Sloan83qv)
Member Username: Sloan83qv Post Number: 421 Registered: 3-2001 |
Eric, Had mine done 2 years ago and there is nothing special involved, just find a good body shop and nothing more is needed, no special paint just good prep work and spray. Paul  | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3684 Registered: 2-2001 |
I have not done one but on the basis of what I have seen on the 308s I would lightly sand the top with a 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Then using the body matching paint I would use a flex agent in it to make the paint more chip proof and make it adhere better. | ||
| Eric Vartanian (Evartanian)
Junior Member Username: Evartanian Post Number: 59 Registered: 3-2002 |
I know this has come up in various other posts. Though I have searched the archives and found some info, I am not satisfied with what I've found. I have been thinking about this a lot for a long time and finally decided to post. The car in question is an F355 GTS. I know the factory produced some GTS models with body color tops, and I am very aware that many people later have chosen to have their top painted the same color as the body to match. I am wondering what painting the top would involve--I am not worried about how to match the color, but rather how it will be done--as far as dealing with the texture of the targa surface and painting on that material. Does the top get sanded or re-surfaced somehow? Does the paint ever chip easily because the top gets moved around alot, etc.? Is the same kind of paint used on the top as was used on the rest of the body or the kind on the fiberglass panels? If you either have personal experience or some kind of knowledge on this process-problems, difficulties-I would appreciate the help. Or if you might remember a particular thread that might be relevent to my inquiries, perhaps you could sent me in that direction. Thanks, Eric |