Proactive installation of metal dash vents?

I had RIZZO’s vents installed about a year ago. My dash leather was pulling loose at the vents and the plastic vents had popped loose. The R and R was $800 and the leather replacement was $1200. If you can avoid the leather replacement, you’ll save yourself $1200 or more.
There was no problem removing and replacing the dash. Everything still works after it was put back in place.


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I had the same problem. I used Rizzo's metal vents but don't think they would hold shrinking leather just by pressure alone if the leather is already pulled out of the dashboard vents.. The metal is held on with 3 bolts per vent piece and each vent spreads out to about a foot in length. I replaced the front panel of leather from the seam to the vents for 400. Then with relaxed supple leather you can wrap the insides and undersides of the vents openings in the Fiberglas dash body with the excess leather then install the vents and reinstall the dash. It would be a bummer to just replace the vents ( dash removal anyway) and leaving on the original leather and have it pull out from under the metal vents. The undersides of the vents are smooth. IF there was some teeth along the entire bottom edges of the vent that could pin down the original leather, you might be able to get away with it. My 0.02.

 

Where did you find the vents? Link?

 

PM Rizzo308 he is in Australia. For some reason he is on banned list but PM may still work though.

 

Someone here has his email. They are $270 US


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Inflation I guess. Worth every penny compared to the junk Ferrari put there.


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I will need to go through this exercise soon. I’ve got the metal vents. Here is my planned procedure:

1. Remove dash.
2. Apply copious amounts on leather conditioner, allow to sit for 24 hours.
3. Apply more conditioner, then stretch the leather gently (I only need 1/4 inch)
4. Glue down the leather to the dash, with the leather stretched slightly.
5. Bolt down the vents, pinching the leather and holding it taut.
6. Reinstall dash.

 

Let us know how it goes! My 360 is currently grounded with a flat tire, and it’s replacements unavailable, on national backorder.

I had been waiting for winter (SoCal rainy reason) to replace the dash vents with the metal ones I have standing by, but now I might tackle it in the next couple weeks.

 

What tire is on national back-order for 360? Tire rack has stock of most replacement sizes/ brands for your 360, deliverable to LA area. I just bought a set from them last week and there was no back-order on Michelin or other usual brands. Good luck.

 

Michelin Super Sport in 335/30/R19. I have NF2 wheels.

 

Non standard size I guess. Oh well. The joys abound

 

Non standard, but I can’t get enough of how mean that tire looks from behind
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Nice. Can it be plugged while waiting for back order? Bummer to be sitting around when could be driving.

 

If the backorder lasts long enough, yea I’ll take it in and see. But I also drove like five miles on it before realizing it was flat (facepalm). I’m guessing it’s not in the best of shape, so I wouldn’t want to drive it the way it wants to be driven.

And besides, an excuse to do the dashboard project!

 

I just did this, my leather had shrunk which broke the plastic bits. Upon closer inspection, it appears that the factory leather is only glued at the front and back edges, there was no evidence of any adhesive or foam in the middle or around the vents.
Anyway, the leather will not stretch on its own with just the vents. I use leather reek, which I soaked for about a week. The leather became super soft and very stretchable. Which allowed me to easily re-stretch the leather glue it into place and install the vents.
I'm happy with the results however the billet vents are not exactly the correct size, they seem to be a little bit short, and you have to drill out the holes a bit

 

Is this the stuff you used? Is 8oz enough?

Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil 8 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MELB0XO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WCRCHXSEH90B1Z9S57Q6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yes, if you're just doing the dash, 8 oz is probably enough. I highly recommend just buying the 32 oz kit with the pristine clean.
You'll use it for so many things, I did a week long treatment on all the leather in my car, came out like new.
I did film this process for my YouTube channel... It might be a few weeks before I edit the videos tho

 

Thanks. Overall my leather is in pretty excellent shape. I just have the one bubble you can see right in the middle, plus on the corner of the glove box. I’m thinking it’ll be pretty minimal stretching needed. But I dunno. Looking forward to your YouTube video
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Based on the photo, any tips on how to fix the leather, or what to ask an upholsterer to do?

Naively, I would think that it could just be re-stretched/re-glued/re-stapled in a few spots to make it taut once again, and not have to replace the leather itself, but I dunno?
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The leather is glued to 3mm sponge then glued to the dash. Your problem is the same as every other dash the sponge has broken down and disintegrated the only way to fix it is to remove the leather. If it has not dried out and gone hard you can replace the sponge and you may be ok.

 

The car I just bought had both a failed headliner and dash vents cracked.
I was expecting to find the foam under both, but mine only had it on the headliner.
The dash was bare leather glued and stapled at the front and rear edges only. The leather had slightly shrunk, cracking the vents. I restored the leather with leatherique both top and underside, which made it very pliable and stretchable again(otherwise, it would not have been able to stretch). I then use the metal vents to pull it back into place and glued the leather around the vent holes
with contact cement.
Because the weather was not glued from the factory over the majority of dash, it made it very easy to stretch it back into its original place

 

You could pull the wideshield to access the vents. Cost you a new windshield seal but certainly can access the vents then....