Ferrari 458 alcantara dash panel recover project

On this thread, I'm going to detail a project that I'm undertaking on my 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia. Specifically, changing my dash board over to black Alcantara from leather.

So here is the back story on this.

My car came spec'd with a super nice Nero leather & alcantara interior. Very nice combination to be sure; the original buyer even paid a bit extra to have the steering wheel done in Alcantara also, which I thought was a very nice touch.

The very first 458 I ever saw up close was a Speciale - which had a beautiful Alcantara interior that included the dashboard as I recall. On my car, the dash is leather. No real problem there. However, what is a problem is the lighter charcoal stitching that reflects in the windshield like a hologram. Not the end of the world, but I definitely would prefer dark stitching and also that the dashboard be Alcantara.

Now, normally, I wouldn't start changing the interior on a Ferrari too much, but then a bird got involved...

After having the car only three days, I was driving over to pickup my girlfriend from Yoga and a bird nailed me as I was coming down the street - almost square on the Ferrari logo at the front of the hood. Ugh. Okay, so I pull over at the gas station and cleaned everything up; I figured that was the end of it.

However, while sitting outside Yoga waiting for my girlfriend, the sun was shining on the dashboard and I happened to notice what appeared to be a sort of small white streak. When I went to brush it off, the color sort of opened up and came off. Whoa. Initially, I thought perhaps the dash had been repaired by a previous owner or that maybe there was some sort of defect in the hide which prevented the color to properly adhere or something. However, after thinking back over the day and remembering the bird incident, I slowly came to the conclusion that the most logical explanation was that somehow, someway, a small droplet of water+bird droppings could have ended up being flung up onto the dash board as I was walking around cleaning everything up at the gas station. It certainly seems like a long shot - especially given that the location of the mark is well up under the glass of the dashboard - but since it occurred on the same day and around the same time, I think it only makes sense that the two events could be related. The only other possibility is a defect in the leather hide, but I think that's a less likely possibility.

Anyway, whatever the cause, the end result was that my dash had a spot where the color had come off (I'll post a photo as soon as I have a second to snap one).

So how to repair this? Initially, I decided I could attempt to match it using a leather repair kit or something. However, after spending several days researching my options, I finally came to the conclusion that any sort of color matching or touchup attempt would probably never be perfect.

I rolled options around in my head for several days and then finally thought to myself, "what the heck"... I'll just buy some Alcantara or micro suede off eBay and glue it down over the center area of the dash board and call that "race ready".

So the next step was learning all about Alcantara vs. micro suede. After quite a bit of reading and searching on google, I came to the conclusion micro suede was largely a copy of Alcantara. Alcantara is sort of a brand; the real thing is made in Italy. Micro suede is basically an off brand or perhaps an Asian replica. It may be just as good - I'm not sure. However, in reading over some forums and talking with people, the impression I got was that Alcantara was maybe slightly better quality and also more fade resistant to UV light. And of course, when you plan to use something on your dashboard, that's pretty important. Also, just because this is a Ferrari and not a Honda, I decided to spend the extra money and get actual Alcantara.

The catch is that you can't just walk down to the local fabric store and buy a yard of Alcantara, because it's only sold via authorized dealers. A few google searches later and I found a list of Alcantara dealers worldwide - two in the USA. I contacted both of the US dealers and was most impressed with my communications with a Gulf Fabrics, Inc of Tampa, FL.

I dealt with Dedo over there and he was super helpful. They were kind enough to send me several samples of the Alcantara, so that I could confirm which color I needed. I'll attach a couple of photos - showing the black colors sent. From darkest to lightest they are:

1. Jet Black # 9040
2. Anthracite #9002
3. DA charcoal #9052

Dedo also informed me that Alcantara comes in two varieties: panel and cover.

Panel is a bit more flexible, while cover has a woven backing layer on it, which makes it a bit stronger and less malleable. For covering a dash, the panel is definitely the way to go, especially if you need to wrap it around edges, etc. Cover is probably stronger for like a roof, where it doesn't need to do as much twisting and turning - and also where you might want some additional durability.

In comparing the color samples to my car (which has a Nero interior), it was pretty clear that Ferrari was using Jet Black #9050 - although I'll tell you, the Anthracite is a very close match in some lights. Either way, the dash has to be the darkest of the options available, so that makes my choice pretty easy: Jet black it is.

I'll interject here that I originally I was going to farm this job out and only handle the installation and removal of components myself. I actually contacted a couple of upholstery companies; but in the end I decided that I could handle the entire project myself. I will say, however, that of the companies I did consider for this job, a firm called CoachTrim (coachtrim.net) stood out; if I did have someone work on my interior, I think that's the company I'd go with.

For now, here are a few pictures of the samples that Gulf Fabrics sent. I'll follow up with additional photos on this thread as I progress with this modification to my car.

Stay tuned!

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I've put several hundred miles on the car and definitely loving that steering wheel for sure

Ray

 

Okay, so my donor dash binnacle arrived today. Attached are some photos of tonight's progress.

I decided to start with the dash part over the instrument panel, because it's easier to remove from the car. It's also smaller. Once I recover this part with Alcantara, then I'll move onto the large panel over the passenger side of the dash. I need to do both parts of the dash, so I figured I'd start here and cut my teeth on something other than the actual interior panels from my personal 458. This panel came from a wrecked car; as you can see, it's in pretty bad shape. That's okay, though, because I am mainly interested in the substructure here and only really need the leather so I can examine the stitching and perhaps use it as my template for laying out the Alcantara.

Tomorrow, I'm going to order up 2 yards of black Alcantara. I'm also going to drag out my treadle sewing machine and get it working; not sure if I'll use that or do this by hand. I've been researching how to sew french seams, so I will probably do a little practice sewing to get back into the swing of things. I also need to locate the proper thread.

Anyway, it's coming along.

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Spent a few hours with some mineral spirits last night and was able to clean things up quite a bit. There seems to be a layer of adhesive that I want to remove. I still have a little bit of additional clean up to do, but so far it's looking pretty good.

Right now, I'm ordering up the Alcantara and researching what thread will work best. Things seem to be leaning towards polyester thread, although nylon has also been mentioned. I'm about to call a thread supply company to see what they have. I'm also going to cut apart the stitching on the leather cover and see how big it is, so that I can figure out the exact size that Ferrari uses.

Also trying to decide if I need to put any foam between the panel and the alcantara. Ferrari uses a foam; not sure if that's there just to give the dash a slight bit of cushion or if it's there for some other reasons, such as to allow the leather to expand or contract very slightly without rippling or something.

Also going to have to evaluate adhesives.

Anyway, here is the current state of the panel.

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Doing some research on threads here. Here is a good link:

Polyester Thread Information

I just ordered the Alcantara (2 yards); should be here soon. In speaking with Gulf Fabrics, they said most people use 92 size thread for automotive stuff. I just measured the thread on the dash and it's about .025" so that would tend to fall into line with the 92 size. Based on what I have read above - as well as in speaking with a few different upholstery places - I think polyester thread is the best choice.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

okay, the thread has been purchased!

After some further research this afternoon, I narrowed it down to two possible threads for the dashboard - #92 bonded polyester or PTFE thread.

Bonded polyester would probably be fine, but the PTFE was 10 times the cost, so why not go with the best? It's sold under the brand name "Tenara" thread.

Here's a link:

Sewing Thread for Outdoor Applications | Gore

The stuff I ordered is approximately equivalent to size 138 polyester thread, so it should be very nice looking and also nearly indestructible. The last thing I want is a stitch popping or weakening with age, so I think the extra few bucks is money well spent for this particular project.

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Hey, thanks very much! And nice job on your dash there.

I really appreciate all the information. I'll tell ya, I wasn't sure 92 or 138 was the right choice. I went with 138 because it was only slightly larger and because I wanted the additional strength. I agree that bonded polyester is the best choice over nylon. The specific thread I opted for is called Tenara and is made by Gore; it's a PTFE thread which sounds very durable. Originally, I wanted to use Kevlar thread, but it only comes in yellow from what I can see.

Thanks also for the information on the adhesive and foam. I've used Weldwood in the past on different projects with good success, but I was not aware they had something specific for trim or interiors. I'll definitely check into that further. I am also going to contact 3M and look into some of their products as well.

To answer some of your questions:

I was quoted prices for Alcantara that were up around what you are estimating. However, Gulf fabrics was much more reasonable and seemed much easier to do business with. I selected the panel weight Alcantara, since I think it will conform to the curves and bends of the dash more readily. It was $108/yard as I remember. I ordered 2 yards, so I'll have some extra to practice with, etc.

The sewing machine I'm going to use for this is a 1910 Singer model 66 red eye (I'm cleaning her up right now; photo below). It's an older machine, but many people say they sew as well or better than anything you can buy in today's market. It's built like a tank and can handle leather, so I think the Alcantara will be no problem for it. I've purchased some 22/140 needles that will fit in a "home sewing machine", so I think I'm good there - as this appears to be the size needle required to sew the 138 size thread. I'm also going to modify the machine with a roller/trolly foot, which I think will improve feeding the material while sewing. I'm also going to make a magnetic hem guide for the machine.

I'll practice doing some French seams before tackling the Alcantara. We'll all see how this turns out soon

Thank you again for all the great information; I'll check out your thread on the 360 dashboard update later tonight

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks! Yeah, the little Singer is nice. I bought it used for $40 and have been slowly restoring it. I'm going to have to re-wire the electrical motor and make a few modifications to it, then it will be off to the races

Ray

 

I believe I may be paying wholesale prices - but I will certainly confirm everything on Monday with a call to the company. The company I'm dealing with, Gulf Fabrics, is one of only two authorized Alcantara distributors listed for the United States at the Alcantara website in Italy.

The other company, Lindsey+Hall, quoted me $178 per yard - although I don't know if that was for panel weight or cover weight.

Unless the information on the Alcantara website is out of date, I don't think Re-Originals is an authorized distributor. So perhaps Re-Originals is buying Alcantara from one of the US distributors I'm dealing with myself and simply marking it up for the retail customers?

Let me know if you have any further information and I will do the same, after I make a couple of phone calls on Monday.

Either way, thanks for the heads up! It never hurts to double check stuff

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I definitely will. Thanks very much!

Ray

 

Hi Corsican -

Just to follow up on the Alcantara. I spoke with my contact over at Gulf Fabrics just now; he confirmed that the material I purchased is authentic Alcantara, the same stuff you find in all your European cars, such as Porsches, Ferraris, etc. and that it comes direct from Alcantara in Italy.

I mentioned that I had been quoted a higher price from Lindsey+Hall. He said they sell to Lindsey+Hall as well as other wholesalers - so that probably explains that. I didn't specifically ask about the company you do business with, but my bet is that at some point Gulf Fabrics was probably involved in the supply chain.

The impression I got was that Gulf Fabrics was the main distributor for Alcantara into the United States and then it fans out from there to other companies dealing in Alcantara.

Anyway, the person I deal with at Gulf Fabrics is named Dedo. He's been super helpful from start to finish; really easy to deal with.

Ray

 

The Tenara 138 thread has arrived!

I have to say, it's a pretty decent match for the factory thread. The Tenara 138 is every so slightly thinner though (maybe by .004" or so).

I am also going to get a sample of Bonded Polyester thread in size #207 and see how that looks (and whether or not I can even sew with it on my machine).

I'm thinking what I might do is use the Tenara 138 for the main joining stitch and then use the slightly larger Bonded Polyester (in size 207) for the two outside stitches that complete the french seam.

Anyway, attached are some photos showing the Tenara #138 thread relative to the Ferrari factory red stitching on my donor dashboard leather.

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ha, thanks! But that's actually Ferrari stitching in red. Look closely and you can see the black Tenara thread there for comparison.

Couldn't say on Re-originals. All I can say is that it's always best to go as close to the source as possible. As far as I can tell, Gulf Fabrics gets their alcantara directly from the company itself in Italy.

Ray

 

After a little research, I decided to buy some 1/8" thick Volara closed cell automotive upholstery foam for evaluation as far as use on the dashboard (under the Alcantara). From what I have read on-line, it sounds pretty good. Here are some photos of it.

I'll see how it compares to the stuff Ferrari uses, once it arrives, and report back.

I'm also in the process of looking at some different threads, as well as making a few upgrades/modifications to my sewing machine.

Ray
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login