Great Thread! Thanks for sharing...I'm missing my black 348 now :)
Just got off the phone with Al. I just can't make up my mind as to stripe or no stripe and which mettallic shade to use. I keep changing my mind every few hours. So.... I've just told him to do whatever he wants to the 348. He'll decide: Wether to put a stripe on or not If there is a stripe, he'll choose the stripe colours He'll also select which metalic colour paint to use (99% sure it won't be a Ferrari colour) He may change the shape to adapt it to the lines of the 348 He's given me a quote for removing the stripe at a later date and it's so cheap, having a stripe doesn't bother me. Final decision will be his though. Guess I'll find out in 4 weeks what it'll look like. Day 23 Al says..... "All of the remedial stoppering & priming blocked down. Masking removed & fully cleaned off. I'll be doing the final primer coats over the weekend (Wet on Wet)." Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I've been debating whether to put a stripe on the car or not and also which metallic black paint to use. I had a chat with Al yesterday about it and asked him the price of removing the stripe at a later stage. It was such a reasonable price that I might as well get the stripe done. I've only had the existing stripe for just under 9 months so I guess I still haven't got it out of my system. I'm leaving it up to Al to decide the colours and he'll adapt the Scuderia stripe for the 348's lines. I know the "purists" will say it's sacrilegious, but then they think all Ferrari's should be red. Choosing the body colour is a bigger problem. It was Nero metallica (metallic black) although in bright sunlight it looks dark grey. Al has suggested another black used by a different manufacturer. It looks like flat/gloss black for a few feet away, but is actually metallic. Looking forward to seeing what colours Al ends up using. Just received the latest pics. Rocky is looking good!!! :thumbsup: Still stunned with the amount of work Al's done to it. I didn't think he was going to be this thorough. I've received 139 pictures from him so far. Day 24 Al says...... "The wet on wet primer is on (3 coats). Basically the reason for using this is that it: has a sheen to it which enables a good double check of the shape & if anything has been missed, it gives an excellent 'intermediate' bond between the high build primer & the colour. This will now be blocked down with 400grade dry cut sandpaper & then 600. The car has also had another guide coat (2nd set of pics). Hopefully you can see with these that it is beginning to look quite 'sharp' now." Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
VERY cool he is sending you all those pics and keeping you up to date with progress! I see paint on it now. Pappy is starting to lick his chops!
Day 25 Al says... "Door frames & hinges prepped, all cleaned down & wet on wet primed & guide coated." Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well... it was decision time yesterday. I finally had to decide which colour the car is to be painted in. The car was in metallic black, which as my wife says in sunlight looked like a black t-shirt that had been washed a few times and lost it's hue. I was in abit of a dilemna as this was teh only right hand drive metallic black GTB in the UK. I talked to a few people about it.Al who's painting the car and Dave who'll be doing the detailing. I've decided to change the colour to flat black so it will now be the only flat black GTB in the UK. I still have a few days to decide on the stripe. If we go ahead the proposed colours will be a titanium coloured stripe with a platinum edging. Here's some pictures that made me choose flat black. Cuneos 355 (everytime I see those pictures it blows me away!!!!), JRS's 355 challenge and a 911 that Dave has worked on recently. By the way... what about shields??? Should I put them on the car? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Al also sent me the two windscreen vents which need refurbishing. I decided to get them done as I noticed a small scratch on one of them and it bugged me!!! Imagine my suprise when I opened the evelope and saw the condition of them. Yuk!!!! They are now currently on the way to Robbie at www.stickynomore.com. Here's what they looked like. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
So in the UK, does flat black mean pure black w/ clearcoat? Here "flat black" is a dull, matte finish, sort of a primer look. Just curious. BTW thanks for the compliment, Sy! The car does all the work, I just push the button.
Solid / flat / gloss black It's all the same here. It has that mirror effect. by the way, i'd just like to thank everyone for their support and comments. it's very much appreciated and more meaningful especially when I get crap like below elsewhere about the stuff I post up about my 348.
Whew when I heard flat, I thought with out shine. I think everyone heard me shout NOOOOOO! Glad to hear it is w/o metallic flake, that wil look great. I say Shields, that color against the black will look great, but only if the shields are not the cheap resin stick on type. This thread is like the Truman Show a movie made a few years back with Jim Carrey that followed Carrey's character around as he lived his live, much like this thread. I have to admit that I am hooked on this thread.....
That's good to hear. In the US flat is the opposite of gloss, without shine. I think a flat black paint job wouldn't do your 348 justice at all. Too bad you're changing your stock color. The metallic is rare and I think it looks great. Good luck either way! And definitely do the stripes!!!!!!
Definetly the metal ones. Only thing is, the calipers are red so the yellow shields may look out of place???? Just received an email that the glass has arrived at the Ferrari dealership. Both the front and rear screens and the surrounding trims. on a side note, I did contact Pilkington Glass to see if they could make up some copies. I got the following reply: "Although we specialise in low volume production of specialist glasses I do not think we can make this part. From memory it is an extreamly difficult shape, and may be outside the capabilities of our furnaces" Looks like the only option for the rear glass is OEM at £1,600 here in the UK.
That black is beautiful and the same colour I would have chosen mate! Cuneo's 355 is probably my FAV 355!! It looks so awesome in those pics! Id put shields on mate, they look cool!
Day 26 So far the 348 had had the followong coats: 1 coat of edge primer 3 coats of high build primer 3 coats of wet on wet primer All that's left is: 3 -4 coats of colour (hopefully monday) 6 coats of lacquer Then it's all done and finished Al says.... The wet on wet is all blocked & the edges/body lines all done. A few little bits of stopper to do & seal the rear buttresses & he'll be ready for paint! (Oh & a good clean down after de-masking). . Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Wow, thanks Pap, I am honored! Your 348 ain't too bad either!!!! Sy, we're all dying here, tell Al to hurry his a$$ up and work this weekend, we need to see results!
