Hi guys, I tried refinishing the center part of my console by the gearshift and it came out like crap. I have to try again see if I do better next time. In the meantime since I couldn't stand to see it like that, I ordered a new gearshift console part from Ricambi. It looks great! I was thinking of trying the refinishing again and the selling my almost new part on ebay, but now I'm thinking I should go for it and get the ashtray and the vertical piece where the AC trim is from Ricambi as well. So If I do get the ashtray and ac trim (~$700 total plus the gearshift trim), how long can I expect it to last before it gets sticky again? Thanks, -Eric
From my experience, in a not very very humid environment, in a Spider, always parked in the shade: about a year. jay
Here is what I found out recently... My car bought in October and was 8 years old had NO sticky console pieces at all. Everything looked like new. I have only used lightly damp with water micro fiber towel to wipe off the interior pieces since I have gotten it. No problems..I took my car to the Reading Concours a month ago and it sat outside in the sun for 8 hours during the show.--I now have 2 spots starting to bubble up. Just from that one day in the sun. Sun is your console's enemy!!! I would say to answer your question it is a matter of what you use to clean it and how long it gets direct sun exposure.... Clean with water only and lock it up in the garage away from the sun---Should last 20 years!!!
thanks guys. Not to reassuring, if I bring it to work, I have to park it in the sun. Granted I would have the targa top on. Hmmm... I'll try refinishing it again before I splurge.
keep a white towel over the console while parked..... as far as your ashtray---- i didnt replace, what i did was peel the old paint off [ and i mean peel- mine peeled right off ] then sand lightly with a fine sand paper, then spray with a flat black paint - looks brand new !!!
You mean your 355 is no longer ultra perfect ???? I powder coated my ashtray 'satin' black Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looks good!! I go on vacation the second week of July and my plan is to redo all the interior pieces---strip them and repaint with flat black, so I don;t have to worry about it anymore...
I just refinished my console along with replacing the power window switch plates. Looks like new. The bonnet also had to be replaced around the steering column. Some parts were beyond gooey and actually had a dripping appearance. Have had mine since 99. It did not get super sticky until this last 3 years. Windex definitely played a role in accelerating the deteriorating plastics. The vehicle has spent most of it's life in Florida. Just shipped it up north and plan to leave it there. If parked outside the cover goes on. I am hoping that the replacement parts are not ancient inventory and the compounds are stable through recent technology. UV inhibitors are relativiely expensive but inexpensive in relationship to replacing these affected parts.
Acetone works well for prep, getting the sticky off your fingers and interior components. Use very little with light pressure. A car dealer buddy said that automotive paint stores have a particular solvent and paint for parts such as these.
so what happened to me is that I used lacquer thiner based on one of huskers old posts and the top layer definitely came off easily, but beneath it, there was still a smushy, non rigid plastic layer made extra gooey by being in the lacquer thiner. My fatal flaw was trying trying to scrape this off, I didn't do a good job and created some a few small scratches. I thought I'd paint over them thinking that since I was using textured paint that would fill in the scratches, but it didn't. So basically, I need to sand the whole thing down to bare plastic and paint again. I'll try it this weekend. The new stuff sure is nice though while it lasts...
Let me know---I go on vacation July 7--July 15--no kids and nothing to do but sit at home and enter cars in the registry... Then my second vacation in Aug--Going with the girl to Nebraska for a week..
This was the first thing I fixed when I bought my '98 Berlinetta. As stated in many, many posts here and elsewhere, any number of solvents will get the majority of the sticky stuff off. You WILL have to sand them next to get a smooth texture before you refinish the pieces. I next used a plastic primer (so I wouldn't have to worry about the paint peeling off of the plastic later), and then painted using a satin finish black $3 spraypaint in 10 or more "partial" coats. This, while initially (that is, on the first coat or two) NOT providing full paint coverage, eventually led to a nice "pebbled" appearance entirely in keeping with the look and character of the car. I did this with ALL the console and door pieces which had that sticky coating... yes, even the switches. (For the switches, I taped off the "label" section carefully, trimming with a razor even more carefully, before spraying them.) Now I have a beautiful interior with an interior which has none of that sticky stuff when you touch or operate things you touch or operate in a car. Even better, I don't have to explain this issue to any new passengers who ride in the car for the first time, 'cuz I don't know about you guys out there, but I found that aspect of Ferrari ownership kind of embarassing! The only thing I have'nt redone yet, and still don't know if I will, is the dash vents. They are not nearly as easy to remove for refinishing, and are not something I or my passengers typically handle. Anyway, now I can park in the sun worry-free. Added bonus: total cost $100 including a new AC panel overlay from Ricambi! John
Same here, first thing I did to the car. Stripped and painted everything, spray on plasti-dip coating. Looks mint, should survive the sun too. And as mentioned above, costs under $100 including the overlay.
hmm can't find it. I can find the actual plate for $330: http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=200440 so I'm still not sure what you guys are talking about as an overlay. I'm sure I'm being dense I didn't know about plasti-dip though, that is a cool product. I need to go find some and I'll try spraying the pieces with that when I sand them down.
Eric - The 'overlay' they're discussing is a 355-only product. The 348 brotherhood is fortunate enough to not have that crappy AC instrument face. (We get the joy of an obscenely poorly built AC control unit -- but at least it doesn't get sticky) http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=261153
Mine are a little tacky. I am surprised that as bad as everything else was the vents are not bad. Have not tried to remove one (yet). Acetone is the best solvent for cleaning the goo off the surface. Do Not Scrape! If you rub the parts long enough you will not have anything left! Even though I used all the Ricambi replacement parts the switches etc were still gummy. The Acetone on a paper towel did the trick(I tried many other solvents that we have at the lab at work). Undoubtedly the process will have to be repeated over time but at this point they look great and are not sticky. The door handles came out phenomenal.
Have tried to search for door handle removal threads, but come up short.. Can they be taken off without removing the door panels? I'll try the acetone as solvent for the other parts.