My Aluminum 355 Paddles | FerrariChat
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My Aluminum 355 Paddles

Discussion in '348/355' started by ferrariby40, Jan 18, 2005.

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  1. ferrariby40

    ferrariby40 Rookie
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    Mar 17, 2004
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    Tim Haggard
    #1 ferrariby40, Jan 18, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I finally completed my 355 F1 Spyder aluminum paddles, footrest, brake, gas and passenger footrest. Man, it's a bear to get down there since I'm not very elastic. The paddles were done by using a fine grit sandpaper, it took a couple of hours to get all of the black paint off, but it really looks nice when you buff them out.
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  2. Modenafan

    Modenafan F1 World Champ
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    #2 Modenafan, Jan 18, 2005
    Got pictures?
     
  3. LetsJet

    LetsJet F1 Veteran
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    #3 LetsJet, Jan 18, 2005
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  4. Modenafan

    Modenafan F1 World Champ
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    #4 Modenafan, Jan 18, 2005
    Very cool! It's a great look.
     
  5. ferrariby40

    ferrariby40 Rookie
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    #5 ferrariby40, Jan 18, 2005
    I bought the pedals from Ultimate Pedals in Florida. I had Rob make them all with the F-horse placed somewhere on each pedal. The passenger footrest has the biggest horse in the center. I just took the paddles off and started sanding them. The paddles are somewhat soft, so I just took my time and paid close attention to the edges. Then I just rubbed out the scratches and put them back on. I thought I didn't have much to lose, I hated the pit-marks the black paint made and drove me crazy looking at them. Looks like they were made for the car and really stand out in person.
     
  6. Chiaro_Slag

    Chiaro_Slag F1 Veteran

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    #6 Chiaro_Slag, Jan 18, 2005
    That looks very nice!
     
  7. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

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    #7 Koby, Jan 19, 2005
    Nice work! Those would look great in a 360 with all of it's aluminum trim.
     
  8. ghost

    ghost F1 World Champ
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    #8 ghost, Jan 19, 2005
    Superb. Also love the blue trim around the seats.
     
  9. ze_shark

    ze_shark Formula 3

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    #9 ze_shark, Jan 19, 2005
    Very nice, been itching to find aluminium paddles, but if there's a reasonable DIY route, why not ...
    What grain of sand paper did you use ?
    Any difficulty in taking the paint out of the recesses on the underside ?
    Did you apply a matte clear coat afterwards ? Bare aluminium is going to get oxydized (moisture, sweat).
     
  10. ferrariby40

    ferrariby40 Rookie
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    #10 ferrariby40, Jan 20, 2005
    I used 800 grit paper, u can find it in Home Depot. The corners are the most time consuming, I folded the paper to get a secured edge and that seemed to work. As far as the oxidation, I didn't apply a clearcoat, but I haven't had any problems, I just wipe them off with a clean towel when I wash the car. A clearcoat wouldn't hurt. You could try some gunk paint remover to increase the process. I actually liked doing it by hand personally, I don't do enough hard labor anymore besides mowing my grass. Good Therapy...
     
  11. FerrariSlave

    FerrariSlave Guest

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    #11 FerrariSlave, Jan 21, 2005
    very nice, that 355 looks like it was a 2005 model year the leather looks perfect. I like it
     
  12. ze_shark

    ze_shark Formula 3

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    #12 ze_shark, Mar 25, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    After completing this little winter project, I can report that:
    - it's a real chore for a not-too-skilled DIY guy like me: the black paint underlayer is a POS to remove, the recess on the back side is a total pain and the 3D shape makes it very difficult to give a consistent brushed look
    - I started with 240 and finished with 600+water. Can't believe you can reasonably start from painted paddles with 800 paper
    - I strongly recommend to apply a clear top coat to avoid oxydation
    - the end result looks great in the car IMO (much better than when you hold the paddles in your hands)

    Still stunned that there's no aftermarket solution, the paint peels sooner or later on the edges so there's a healthy customer base.
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  13. yfc

    yfc Karting

    Dec 23, 2003
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    #13 yfc, Mar 26, 2005
    If you consider carbon instead of aluminium, see the following URL that I found the other day : http://www.macarbon.com/

    They propose a quite large range of products for Ferrari cars (paddle, gear knob, door sills, ...
     
  14. Valence

    Valence Formula Junior

    Jan 20, 2004
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    #14 Valence, Mar 31, 2005
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I really like what you guys did to these paddles. We make and sell carbon fiber paddles, and I wasn't going to post on this thread (since it's about a nice, do-it-yourself solution to the gummy black finish), but I saw the above link to our competitor, so I'll chime in.

    Our 355 paddles are modeled after the 360 paddles, which are superior in design to the 355 paddles. The tips are available in standard length, and also extended (1" longer) length.

    We're an F-chat sponsor, and our website is www.valenceusa.com
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