Sticky Button Repair - Trofeo Imports - Huntington Beach | FerrariChat

Sticky Button Repair - Trofeo Imports - Huntington Beach

Discussion in 'California (Southern)' started by DiamondDog, Sep 21, 2024.

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  1. DiamondDog

    DiamondDog Formula 3
    Owner

    Aug 29, 2021
    1,462
    Orange County, CA
    For those of you looking for sticky button repair including the disassembly and install, I highly recommend Trofeo

    They took over the operation that used to do it in HB. I toured it and saw that its a full operation for the sticky buttons. I think StickyRX is great, but they were expensive and didn't install or disassemble.

    All of my buttons for the windows got sticky as well as the plastic piece around the buttons. I replaced the trim piece with Carbon Fiber (From Exotic Ca Gear) and the refinished the window buttons and the 3 circle buttons on the bridge. They also refinanced the plastic trim piece without me asking in case I wanted to use it later.

    They also colored the split in my dash where the leather was pulling away. The leather repair to cover the exposed blonde wood was going to be 4k from the upholstery shop This is a bad aid fix, but almost no cost and I doubt anyone would notice the leather pull except me. I asked Ferrari of Newport to do this and they said they couldn't as a side note.

    Buttons turned out great as you can see and match OEM finish

    Ben is the owner and personally works on the cars. Very accessible and nice as well as his really nice wife Kristy

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    Willl, m5guy, rob5819 and 1 other person like this.
  2. F458Spider

    F458Spider Karting

    Apr 12, 2015
    193
    My dealer shipped them my 458 parts this past Friday. Will send photos when I get car back.
     
  3. Dseig001

    Dseig001 Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 21, 2017
    407
    They did my f12 and it turned out beautiful!
     
    DiamondDog likes this.
  4. F458Spider

    F458Spider Karting

    Apr 12, 2015
    193
    UPDATE:
    Well I was told in early Dec it was a two week turnaround. They shipped the parts to them on Dec 11. The parts are finally to arrive this coming week. Even if you adjust for the holidays it was more than two weeks. So don’t assume this is a faster alternative if that’s how they sell you on it. Also they were supposed to ship the parts back two day air and mistakenly shipped ground. They better be high quality because otherwise I’m going to be really upset that my dealer convinced me to go this route.
     
  5. DiamondDog

    DiamondDog Formula 3
    Owner

    Aug 29, 2021
    1,462
    Orange County, CA
    Ferrari world is painful for everything when it comes to turn ar und. You most likely would have had longer lead times and I know a much higher price with the competition. Not sure as your dealer may have marked up. Anyway. Here is sticky RX lead times for context from their website
     

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  6. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California
    #6 rzundel, Jan 19, 2025
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2025
    Hey guys I would like to offer you another perspective. Yes there are alternatives to StickyRX, but if you are like me and want it done right, there is no better company than StickyRX for the job? They set the high watermark and no one comes close. Dave’s facility is state of the art. Built specifically for delivering the highest quality product on the planet. It gives Elon Musk’s SpaceX manufacturing line a run for its money. No joke! He runs a lean production facility similar to top manufacturers. Why am I telling you this? Because anyone else you use will be substandard. There is no way to expect the same guy who disassembles your car to also deliver the same quality product that StickyRX does. This is not their specialty. They don’t have the same equipment and process that StickyRX has perfected. How do I know this? I am a 2 time customer of StickyRX. They have done both my Ferrari and Maserati. I’m as OCD as it gets. Except for Dave, owner of StickyRX. Both times I have received my parts back better than new. And Dave does everything he can to turn around the job as quickly as he can without compromising quality. Their work is consistent every time. All part of the lean production process that Dave has built his business on. Look for yourself at the quality of this finish on my car StickyRX just did for me. Judge for yourself.

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  7. DiamondDog

    DiamondDog Formula 3
    Owner

    Aug 29, 2021
    1,462
    Orange County, CA
    Why does one place have to be bad for the other place to be good? Why can't there be multiple places that are good? Have you visited the place I referenced? I have. I doubt you have, have used them, know their process, etc and communicate they are substandard. What data do you have to support this?

    I was shown a complete refinishing production line, paint booths, employees, etc. Specific to refinishing buttons. This is not just a guy that pulls out buttons and goes through an incomplete process. Having a West Coast llocation that also can pull out and reinstall buttons on exotics makes them different than a lot of other places. Their turnaround time at this point in time is more competitive and their lewd times seem shorter.

    I think Stickyrx does a great job from the reviews. I think there is enough demand for multiple businesses to play and do a good job in this space and was simply pointing out an alternative.
     
    Cool1g likes this.
  8. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California

    No disrespect to your post. And I don’t dispute it’s ok to have options. I’m a West coast guy. What I’m saying is that Dave at StickyRX has spent years perfecting his process. I can say with confidence that no one else has the level of quality control and precision that StickyRX produces. There are certain grades of quality and StickyRX ranks on top. I will share a YouTube link below (one of many that was sent to me) that gives you a little insight into their work. I’m curious, does your referenced shop do laser etching on the buttons or use decals like everyone else? Just one area that StickyRX has perfected. Hey it’s great that there are alternatives. I’m just saying for those who demand consistent perfection there is only one place who has earned this reputation. StickyRX.

     
    BillyB1221 likes this.
  9. DiamondDog

    DiamondDog Formula 3
    Owner

    Aug 29, 2021
    1,462
    Orange County, CA
    Yes, they do laser etching. Mine are laser etched and not decals

    I think we are better off aligning that we should be upset with Ferrari for having this known issue on cars that cost as much as a house. This and their **** leather installs.
     
    BillyB1221 likes this.
  10. dq driver

    dq driver Rookie

    Feb 22, 2022
    35
    The Peninsula
    Full Name:
    Michael L
    Very informative, thanks for sharing!
     
  11. BillyB1221

    BillyB1221 Rookie

    Jul 7, 2015
    18
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Billy Ray
    Awesome, I will be driving down the street in HB and paying Trofeo a visit since it’s in my backyard! Ferrari 550.
     
  12. DiamondDog

    DiamondDog Formula 3
    Owner

    Aug 29, 2021
    1,462
    Orange County, CA
    Ben is the owner and Kristi his wife runs the office.
     
  13. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California
    Do us a favor and get some good photos of his sticky button operation. I have tried to do some research on Trofeo and even their own website has no mention of sticky button repair. Not saying they don’t do the work, but doesn’t appear to be their area of focus. Yes there are alternatives to StickyRX. Some people elect to DIY. I just want the viewers of this thread who might be researching options to understand, like with everything, there are variations of quality. Do your own research and you will find that StickyRX is the best at what they do.
     
    BillyB1221 likes this.
  14. SDSferrari

    SDSferrari Karting

    Apr 2, 2014
    115
    Southern California
    I have a 2010 458 Italia that I keep in pristine condition. Many of the parts with the soft touch coating began to get sticky in 2023 so I began researching where to have EVERY part with the soft touch coating refinished. I will be keeping my 458 forever, and only wanted to go through the hassle and expense of removing all the parts and having them refinished once. I narrowed my choices to Trofeo Imports and StickyRX. Trofeo was local, and I was invited by the owner at that time to visit the shop so he could show me the refinishing process. During the tour, he stated that he didn't take the coating completely off every part, and that each part was inspected to determine whether the button/switch would be taken down to the bare material. He used the analogy that you don't always need to take the paint down to the bare metal to repaint a car, and you don't always need to remove the coating to the bare plastic for each button/switch. I don't have any experience in either area, but it raised questions to me about the consistency and longevity of the finish of all the buttons/switches since the process was not going to be the same for all parts. Trofeo was considerably less expensive and the turn around time was much faster than StickyRX. But for me, reputation and quality was more important, so I chose to use StickyRX. The finish of the buttons looks amazing and the white icons really pop which enhances the look of the entire dash. Depending on your budget, timeframe, and the level of care you desire for your Ferrari, StickyRX may not make sense for everybody, but it was the right decision for me and I am very happy with the results.
     
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  15. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California
    Thank you for validating everything I mentioned above about there are differences in quality! I’m happy to hear you are equally happy with the result of StickyRX. They are the leader for a reason!
     
    SDSferrari likes this.
  16. v35

    v35 Karting

    May 15, 2013
    223
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Aaron

    Which shop in Socal did you have remove and replace all your parts? Did they store your car while you waited for StickyRX to turnaround your parts and for how long? Looking to start the process and trust StickyRX but need recommendations on who to have R&R the pieces and store the car while StickyRX does their thing..
     
  17. v35

    v35 Karting

    May 15, 2013
    223
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Aaron
    Which shop in Socal did you have remove and replace all your parts? Did they store your car while you waited for StickyRX to turnaround your parts and for how long? Looking to start the process and trust StickyRX but need recommendations on who to have R&R the pieces and store the car while StickyRX does their thing..
     
  18. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California
    I had the dealer do the work. They stored it for me. It all worked out great.
     
  19. SDSferrari

    SDSferrari Karting

    Apr 2, 2014
    115
    Southern California

    I had RMT Motorsports in Yorba Linda remove and replace the parts. Dave at StickyRX and I worked out an arrangement months before my parts were to be send in that he would reserve a spot for my parts to be refinished in the future and would call me two weeks before he wanted the parts sent in. This was the first time he did this, and I was the guinea pig, so I'm not sure if that process is still in place. This was done in an effort to reduce the time my car was inoperable and had to be stored at RMT. I can't remember exactly how long my car was stored at RMT, but somewhere between 4 to 6 weeks. And there was a charge for storage. I also got a quote from my dealer that does all the maintenance, and the dealers price was about 25% to 33% higher than RMT to remove and replace. RMT did an excellent job with the removing and replacing, even eliminating an annoying rattle I had in the dash for years.
     
  20. v35

    v35 Karting

    May 15, 2013
    223
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Aaron
    Thanks the responses guys. I saw a sticky RX and a sticky no more car in person and the stickyRX (in my opinion) is the way to go with the laser etching. I could feel the thin stickers on the sticky no more cars and I wouldn’t be able to deal with that.
     
  21. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California
    I’m glad to hear others validate what I said about StickyRX. There are a lot of options but only one leader! Don’t compromise!
     
  22. SDSferrari

    SDSferrari Karting

    Apr 2, 2014
    115
    Southern California

    I'm a firm believer in.......You get what you pay for.
     
  23. F458Spider

    F458Spider Karting

    Apr 12, 2015
    193
    Keep in mind that Trofeo tries to keep the underlying light colored or white plastic so it looks OEM. They will remove the coating and use lasers, but they don’t always lay down new white unless absolutely necessary. They way the car maintains its OEM-like status. But yes if you want every button to pop bright white then maybe StickyRX is way to go. Trofeo does high quality work. Also, they do a lot of work for the dealers, so they have higher volume and therefore lower prices. If you compare the prices I think the StickyRX air condition console is almost double the cost. And I didn’t want to risk months of wait. Over the holidays I had to wait 4 weeks. I’ll post a full review with photos soon. There was one button that had an issue and they are going to redo it. Great quality and service.
     
  24. rzundel

    rzundel Formula Junior

    Dec 30, 2006
    531
    Southern California
    #24 rzundel, Feb 17, 2025
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2025
    Please allow me to pump the breaks for a second because I want to make sure that people who are reading this thread to research for their own project, won’t get confused. We keep talking apples and oranges here. There is only one true and tested leader in this refinishing space and this is StickyRX. They have earned this reputation global after perfecting their craft and delivering consistent quality for years. Then there is everyone else. I use the word substandard because it is. No one refinishes to the high standard as StickyRx. As far as the comment made above that other people’s prices are lower due to volume, This has nothing to do with volume. No one comes close to delivering the volume of StickyRX. This is their specialty and do more volume than anyone with their global presence. They aren’t a body or repair shop doing this as a side hustle. StickyRX prices are determined by the quality and amount of work they spend on each piece. You get what you pay for. Please take a minute and watch this video. Don’t be confused. There is one dominant leader in this space and it’s StickyRX. Then there is everyone else.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/vmJaDL4i7e8?si=T8LTzmHVbwTRXRYl
     
  25. BillyB1221

    BillyB1221 Rookie

    Jul 7, 2015
    18
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Billy Ray
    Ok, update for you guys. After watching and researching every sticky button video that could find, decided to do it myself with Isopropyl Alcohol. Came out beautiful with no plastic painting or Plasti Dip needed on my parts. I just needed to do ashtray, steering column, 2 map switches and the glove box button. Being a plastic engineer in college and working with many chemicals including MEKP(acetone) I thought to be careful with these expensive parts. You don’t want to eat the plastic. I thought the neutrogena wipes took too much scrubbing , oven cleaner too caustic, then the various hydrocarbon liquids could do the job, but eat the plastic if not careful. I didn’t bother with the lotion, even though I saw one good video with a good result. The place in Huntington Beach does work on exotic cars, but they send the sticky parts out to the old owner of Exotic Specialty services who moved to North Carolina. I found a receipt for my other interior parts were done by sticky be gone with great results on those parts. A great flat black paint I have used on other cars is SEM Laundau Black. Also painters touch 2X. Good luck.
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