My 355 mini-Restoration story | Page 11 | FerrariChat
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My 355 mini-Restoration story

Discussion in '348/355' started by treedee3d, Oct 20, 2011.

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  1. Extreme

    Extreme F1 Rookie

    May 26, 2010
    2,515
    Northern Utah
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    Erick
    #251 Extreme, Feb 24, 2012
    I would dare bet that for $65k from a dealer the 355 wouldn't be anywhere near as nice as the OP will be when he's done. His car will have brand new everything, well almost.

    I am also a fan of the OEM rear grill vs challenge although I like them both.
     
  2. yronZFF

    yronZFF Formula Junior
    Owner

    Dec 21, 2009
    749
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    Ron
    #252 yronZFF, Feb 24, 2012
    I think you're crazily unique ... and I mean that in a good way! ;)
     
  3. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
    3,726
    Montreal
    Full Name:
    Fab
    #253 treedee3d, Feb 25, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    So I read so about so many methods and so many ways to fix the sticky interior and I decided to conduct my own experiment. After getting a quote from Stickynomore, I honestly tought it was way overpriced and exaggerated.....However, after going through the process, I must say I am deeply humbled and sending the parts to Stickynomore is probably worth every penny. This is a long tedious and frustrating process. I have put in about 40 hours on the sticky process alone. If you eliminate the fact that I was testing several methods, following my guide here will take at least 30 hours of your time excluding the removal + reinstallation in the car so put a lot of time aside if you plan on doing this.

    First off I tested with different methods of cleaning off the gooey black residue and I must tell you that windex, denatured alcohol, brake fluid and soot cleaners alone just don't work.

    The absolute best way to clean is to spray on the easy off and let it sit for a long time, sometimes even overnight. the next day, spray some more easy off and scrub off with a plastic brush or toothbrush for the vents or a coarse steel wool followed by a medium steel wool.

    It's also a good idea to get some brake fluid in a spray bottle and spray some on the parts as you are scrubbing. Once you're done scrubbing, wipe off with a cloth and it will turn very black. Wipe off completely and inspect the part.....if you still see residue, spray some more easy off and scrub again....repeat the procedure until it's all clean.

    Once it looks good enough, spray some more easy off all over and rinse off the part under hot water. Once it's rinsed off, spray some windex all over it and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Rinse off under hot water again and let it dry.

    I tried all kinds of different methods including the dishwasher and the method above is what worked best for me.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: This method does not apply to the buttons and switches, I was too afraid to take them apart and putting easy off on the markings erases them so I actually sat in front of the TV with q-tips and cleaned them off by avoiding the marking and keeping it clean by applying rubbing alcohol on it several times during the process. This was the toughest part: sitting there dipping the q-tip in easy off and brake fluid and cleaning each switch....

    I also rubbed them carefully with steel wool, and removed some of the sticky stuff with my nails and sometimes an exacto knife using very little pressure. Each switch requires about 75 minutes to clean......

    It also does not apply to the instrument cluster cover if you leave the lights in it as I did (I was afraid to dismantle the lights and be unable to put them back so I covered them with tape while I cleaned and painted that part)

    I also ordered the HVAC panel from Ricambi and followed the instructions on ricambiamerica.com to dissasemble and re-assemble the hvac module. It was not too difficult but it requires a lot of cleaning. Mine also had several cracks and was in pretty bad shape so I glued it with "the last glue" which turns white when it dries so I ended up covering the panel with tape and painting the sides and it came out perfect.
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  4. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
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    Fab
    #254 treedee3d, Feb 25, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    As you can also see in the photo above, the ashtray housing was cracked and I fixed it with "the last glue"

    More photos of cleaning:
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  5. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
    3,726
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    Fab
    #255 treedee3d, Feb 25, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Once everything was finally clean, it was time to paint....

    My main objective was to achieve a consistent finish all over the interior plastic. Because the finish on the HVAC panel replacement cannot be changed, I decided to try and match it as close as possible. When you receive the panel, the holes are cut out of it but the circles are still on it so I took that circle as a template for the finish I wanted to achieve.

    I tested several products and finishes and I also performed a visual test in artifical light, natural light, scratch resistance test and heat test to see which one was the best.

    I sprayed all 5 finishes I wanted to test on a piece of plexiglas and labelled each one. I then put heat on each one with a heat gun for 30 seconds, I gently rubbed it 12 times back and forth with the tip of a scissor and, in the end, I came to a conclusion: The krylon outdoor textured finish had the best texture, durability and strength. However, it was a little too shiny so I decided I would spray it on all the parts and then use the SEM trim black for the final coat which dulls it and flattens it out.

    You can see on my test board where I painted a triangle of SEM right on top of the krylon texture finish and the circle looks identical.

    For the aluminium ashtray cover, I had it sanblasted and coated with a chromate primer before painting.

    I also tested the SEM primers and plastic adhesion promoters. I followed the instructions and timing perfectly and the parts never became dry and kept being sticky even overnight so I decided not to prime the parts and spray the krylon texture directly on top of all the plastics.
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  6. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
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    Fab
    #256 treedee3d, Feb 25, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Using the krylon/sem combination, the parts turned out great......can't wait to get them installed in the car!!!

    The switches and buttons did not look great so I decided to spray some clear on them. If you decide to do the same, make sure the clear is not lacquer as it will fade in the sun....get a real clear coat in the can (more expensive but much better)
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  7. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
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    Fab
    #257 treedee3d, Feb 25, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  8. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
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    Fab
    #258 treedee3d, Feb 26, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  9. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
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    Fab
    #259 treedee3d, Feb 26, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I am not good with car audio setups and my knowledge is very limited so I got to work on installing the wiring for my new speakers.

    I brought a label maker to mark everything and make sure the signal correctly goes from the radio to the left and right crossover box and then to the speakers by carefully labeling the negative and positive ends to make sure all 4 speakers work properly.

    I had no way to test this since the battery is disconnected so I want to make sure it's right before I install the dash back into the car

    The Ferrari speaker wiring setup basically sends 1+ & 1- signal to the tweeter in the dash. From there another joint is created and sends the sound to the woofer in the door. That wiring configuration didn't work with my new speakers that require the sound to go into the crossovers and then to each speaker so I had to open up both tweeter connections and pass new wires for the woofers.

    It's all done and looks neat now ready for re-assembly of the interior
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  10. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
    3,726
    Montreal
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    Fab
    #260 treedee3d, Feb 26, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    More parts got assembled today such as the headlights, doors, rear grille and lights, spider roof (which required some hammering....I was holding my breath as this was going on....

    Other finishing touches will be installed such as skid plates, euro directional lights.

    Some touch ups had to be done to avoid seeing some of the red overspray, some gaskets and filler strips were also replaced with new ones

    This car is starting to look so GOOD!!!!!!
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  11. 'Da Wolf

    'Da Wolf Formula Junior

    Jun 25, 2009
    696
    Sadly not California
    #261 'Da Wolf, Feb 26, 2012
    This is looking as amazing as I knew it would. You showed great patience and thoroughness with all the switches and inside parts. You should be very proud, this will be a masterpiece of a 355 when its all complete.
     
  12. rajat.narang23

    rajat.narang23 Rookie

    Mar 16, 2010
    14
    Halifax, N.S.
    Full Name:
    Rajat
    #262 rajat.narang23, Feb 26, 2012
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2012
    Bonjour, my fellow Canuck!
    Fantastic thread! Has become my morning ritual opening it and checking for any updates :p

    Upgrading the speakers was a good idea! The OEM audio system is definitely whimpy. This is how the OE speaker in a 328GTS looks like.
    [​IMG]

    Note the OE midbass below - Made in Italy by Autosonic (http://www.askgroup.it/int/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=39&Itemid=54).

    As you can see.. the speaker surround didn't seem to have withstood the test of time.
    [​IMG]

    Compare this with an aftermarket Midbass -
    [​IMG]

    Installed!!!
    [​IMG] [​IMG]


    What are you doing as far as upgrading the Stereo system (the player) is concerned?
    No plans to install any amplifiers or anything. Right?


    EDIT - Doesn't look like I can post pics!
     
  13. Eric360

    Eric360 Formula 3

    Jan 11, 2010
    1,428
    San Francisco, CA
    Full Name:
    Eric
    #263 Eric360, Feb 26, 2012
    Wow! This is really taking shape. It's exciting to watch it's progress. Can't wait to see the finished car.
     
  14. White Knight

    White Knight Formula 3

    Aug 22, 2011
    1,531
    Ogden, UT
    Full Name:
    Todd S.
    #264 White Knight, Feb 26, 2012
    Absolutely! Looks great!
     
  15. sevminasyan

    sevminasyan Formula 3

    Jun 24, 2008
    1,156
    Glendale, CA
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    Steve
    #265 sevminasyan, Feb 26, 2012
    Good Job. This is not the mini-restoration you were talking about when you starting this whole thing, did you? :)
    BTW dont forget to paint the black stripe on the rear bumper where you have the oval openings above the exhaust pipes. Not sure if its painted or not but thought I should point it out.
     
  16. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
    3,726
    Montreal
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    Fab
    #266 treedee3d, Feb 26, 2012
    Indeed it's not what I intended when I started out...I emailed the moderator asking to possibly change the title but received no response.

    As for the rear bumper, I am aware of the black stripe and I intend to have it done. However, taping a straight line in that deep concave area is extremely difficult and making it look good is almost impossible.

    I will get a matte black vinyl stripe custom made to that exact size and put it in there, it will look a lot better than trying to paint it
     
  17. F-Nut

    F-Nut Karting

    Nov 30, 2008
    206
    Farmington, MI
    Full Name:
    Bill
    #267 F-Nut, Feb 26, 2012
    How did you keep the white symbols so crisp on the switches? How did you mask them off?
     
  18. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
    3,726
    Montreal
    Full Name:
    Fab
    #268 treedee3d, Feb 26, 2012
    I didn't mask them...I simply was very careful applying the easy off with a q-tip and I avoided that recessed area. I also made sure it always remained clean by cleaning that area with rubbing alcohol every few minutes to make sure...
     
  19. Extreme

    Extreme F1 Rookie

    May 26, 2010
    2,515
    Northern Utah
    Full Name:
    Erick
    #269 Extreme, Feb 26, 2012
    Wow! You sure have incredible patience, 75 min a switch.
    All the work is looking fantastic.
    I love the red.
     
  20. godabitibi

    godabitibi F1 Veteran

    Jan 11, 2012
    6,329
    Papineauville, Quebec
    Full Name:
    Claude Laforest
    #270 godabitibi, Feb 26, 2012
    I just read the entire thread and you did a super job. Lots of patience and skills to do all that stuff. I hope to see you and the car someday. Great thread!
     
  21. YellowF50

    YellowF50 Formula Junior

    Feb 15, 2007
    839
    UK
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    K B
    #271 YellowF50, Feb 26, 2012
    Me too, just found this thread and spent the past few hours taking it all in.

    Love your mini project. I bet your friends love your name on their cell phone and hearing you say I could do with a hand " it'll take like 10 mins , honestly".

    But hey, if you're going to do something you might as well do it right and only once. Good on you !

    And I'm sure you will of enjoyed this part of ownership just as much when she's back on the road. Won't be long now, your on the home straight, just don't start cutting corners now.

    Enjoy !
     
  22. treedee3d

    treedee3d F1 Rookie

    Apr 1, 2011
    3,726
    Montreal
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    Fab
    #272 treedee3d, Feb 26, 2012
    Thank you all for the encouragements....please keep checking the thread for more updates. I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Sharing the experience on Fchat has been incredible as well as the feedback and encouragement from all of you.

    I created an fchat account and started this thread for fun and to get advice from other 355 owners but it turns out that I've created one of the most popular threads ever in this category and is now close to 25,000 views. I am very proud of the car but also so proud of this thread. I hope all of you who are dreaming of owning your own cavallino will use me as your inspiration.
     
  23. jimmym

    jimmym Formula 3

    Sep 30, 2008
    1,990
    Northeast U.S.
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    Jim
    #273 jimmym, Feb 26, 2012
    Car is coming along great. Keep up the good work.



    Jimmy
     
  24. lucky73

    lucky73 Formula Junior

    Mar 13, 2008
    257
    #274 lucky73, Feb 27, 2012
    One thing is missing from the estimates and actual expense calculation - you need to tally up your own hours on a weekly basis. Though you may not be billing yourself for the work you've done on the car it might help future renovators budget more accurately either the cost of items you did yourself or the additional, both time and money, cost of having those items completed. Just a thought as I sit here drinking coffee in pacheights and reading your weekly update. This is like a ritual!
     
  25. lucky73

    lucky73 Formula Junior

    Mar 13, 2008
    257
    #275 lucky73, Feb 27, 2012
    Anyone else notice the crazy vw in the background? I'm a vw guy too, have an r32 at home.
     
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