348: Roof Painted

I've contacted a couple of good body shops about painting the top on my 355. They both said that, even after sanding smooth the textured top, the grain could pop up again and they couldn't guarantee the work.

Anybody had a problem with the grain reappearing???

 

Believe they sand and paint it. Yes I am beginning to see some pitting and air bubbles appearing on the roof, seen under fluorescent light.

 

How long ago was it painted??

 

Less than a year ago.

 

Yup. Top was sanded, filled, faired, and sprayed in Glasurit by a very reputable local shop in October of '05. Grain started popping back out in Feb. of this year. Took it back; they resanded and shot another couple of color coats and refinished. It's now mid-May and the grain is reappearing ever-so-slightly - again.

I think it's something I'm just gonna have to learn to live with. The top is rarely on the car, anyway.

Jimbo

 

Hey Mike that looks much cleaner. If I were keeping mine I'd do it in a heart beat. I only bought it to onsell. I think It looks so much better but would it affect the sale price, and which way. Mike D.
Oh, and are the gutters still black? (bad eyes)

 

Mike looks great just becareful of seats rubbing when you need to stow the roof.

 

Hi guys, this is a bit of an old thread but just stumbled across it. Thought I'd post up because I saw people having snags with the grain coming through on their colour coded roof. I've had my roof painted by a Ferrari Approved bodyshop over here in the UK called Chartwells (they're actually approved by Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, McLaren, Mercedes Benz, Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche so fairly well respected). They use a special primer prior to painting to stop the grain coming back, they also guarantee the work so they must be fairly sure it works, if not they'll be doing mine quite regularly . If any UK guys are having snags maybe worth giving them a bell.

(I'll whisper the last bit so our friends across the pond don't hear but set me back £500)

 

Looks great!

Feels like having a new car again!

 

Got to confess, this is my second time around. Had it colour coded 18 months ago but 'saved' £150 by getting it done at a normal body shop, not the Ferrari approved place. Within 6 months you could see the texture a little but, as per places on this thread, it was not guaranteed.

Spoke to my local Ferrari Main Dealer who explained why the grain shows back through (not correctly prepping the plastic panel or not using the correct primer, nagging suspician they use more than one coat of it....) I asked if it would be totally guaranteed against the grain showing through again, they said "Obviously, we guarantee all our work." So I can't really loose, if it comes back I'll just get it redone each year with my annual Got a nagging suspician this place knows what it's talking about though, not many places over here approved by McLaren.....

As an aside, do people still see the colour coded sills in the same way? Over in the UK as the 348 is just starting to be seen more in terms of being a classic, some people are starting to go back to black sills. I've still got them black and a couple of owners have said they're changing back after seeing mine. Even a GTC owner commented that he wished they had been black on a GTC so he could put them back to black. Maybe it just dates the car but for a model being seen more in classic terms, I don't think that's such a bad thing.

p.s. Earlier when someone said that they were colour coded on Euro models that's not true, only the GTB/GTS/Spider/GTC were colour coded sills from the factory, none of the roofs were over here, even the GTS had the black plastic.

 

I LOVE IT! Way to go.

 

Look beautiful as well as the 360 wheels, although I would shave off about 10mm on the back to proper fit.

P.S.
I hope i am not derailing your thread !

 

Guys, thread is from 2006, just noticed owners on it saying about grain showing through on the colour coded roofs. Been told how the legit Ferrari body shops get round this so just thought I'd tag it on the end of this in case any that had said they had problems were still subscribed.

 

If anyone needs a spare roof to have painted I have one from a 355 here in the UK that is surplus to requirments. Drop me a PM if interested.

 

Looks Great!!!!!!!
Bertil

 

Looking at the OP first pics, I have to say I like it BOTH ways (top and lowers).

I have been toying with having the rear deck panel in front of the louvers painted to match too.. Were any that way from the factory?

 

Yep, GTB/GTS.

 

Absolutely. My car is the same as yours, colour coded (red of course) with 355 wheels AND the rear engine panel done as well (aka GTS/GTB) which I highly recommend just to finish it off. There are no glare issues at all and I'm sure it was just a cosmetic thing to begin with.

I see you also have the Chrome Cavalino at the rear (normally black) and hopefully should have one at the front as well then its a perfect looking 348 (at least for me). The dressup takes years of the age of the car and no surprise Ferrari did to the GTS and GTB in the end. Its such an improvement !

 

One word of advise for any who have or want to colour code the roof..!

Be VERY VERY careful how you store it behind the seats...........!!!!!??????

The seats do not line up flush with the roof when its in place. The 'inner' side of the back sections of the seats will be closer to the stored roof panel than the outer edges. Make sure you have a good fingers width between the roof panel and that inner part of the back of the seat AFTER YOU SIT IN IT. When you get in and lean back the seats will flex and if you don't allow enough room they will rub against the roof panel and mark your paint.

This will also hapen even if you have the roof panel cover on. The inner material lining of the vinyl cover acts like sandpaper and will readily wear a mark into the roof during a drive if your seat is touching..!!!!!!

 

Red, sorry, as I said this isn't my car, mine's still got the black sills, just resurrected the thread from years back due to seeing people had snags with the roof grain coming through. I actually keep the sills black because I don't want the car to look any younger. I like her to look her age and as she gets older, I want that even more.

Regarding the roof marking, I use a different option. If I want to look like a TB I have the red colour coded roof on, if I want to go out without it on I go for a different option. Folds up small and fits nicely on the parcel shelf. In the UK it's a brave man that goes out without his roof altogether!
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Aaaahhhh you lucky bastard...

I've been looking for one of those for ages even just a frame.....! There was even talk of an OEM but yes the perfect answer to the roof problem. Get to keep that extra leg room too when you have the roof off !

 

I agree completely with Pete. My 348 TS still has the black sills, and I will not change that. Since I like to dress the lady according to circumstances I have a color matched rooftop, an original black and the folding top.

 

I believe there was one type knocked up by Ferrari North America, it has catches basically the same as the standard targa and is a bit bulkier than the one I have. The one I have is held in by the action of opening it and locking it open and is a bit more light weight. Totally waterproof though, have had it out in the rain to check, and fits nicely on the parcel shelf. Also good for 100mph. Think it was made by a dutch company, but couldn't track that down. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

p.s. Took me ages to find one that the owner was willing to part with.

 

Yeah well done... I'll just have to keeeeee p looking !