Sticky buttons and non-climated controlled garage

I don't know if "inevitable" is appropriate, but I have seen posts in this and other forums of stickiness on all cars, all climates. Even have seen that Ricambi has seen stickiness on brand-new, in-the-box Ferrari parts ... they send them to Sticky No More to get refinished. This sticky problem seems pervasive to all Ferrari's, all models that used that rubberized coating. And, not that it is a great comfort, sticky seems to be contagious to Porsche, Lambos and other marques that coat their switches and other components.

I would not let the high likelihood of having or getting sticky bits dissuade you from making your purchase. And, if your selected car has sticky parts, evaluate the extent of the problem. Some people have stated the problem can be so severe that touching the part leaves black goo on their fingers. Others only note they feel a bit sticky. In any case, the rubberized coating will show marks and scratches ... e.g., on my car the steering column shroud had lots of marring around the ignition switch where it is easy to hit with the ignition key. If the car you want to buy has a severe sticky situation, adjust your asking price to cover the cost / effort to make them better.

The good news, is that you can DIY the parts to get the coating off should they become sticky ... or in my case, just marred and looking ugly. I have heard of people use everything from bison urine to oven cleaner in an attempt to dissolve the sticky coating. I used denatured alcohol, a sponge, some metal polish to re-finish the plastic and a final application of plastic restorer to preserve the plastic ... that and a bit of elbow grease. I have been very satisfied with the results I have achieved on my own. Or, you can send the parts to Sticky No More and have them refinish the parts. I understand they do a very good job, but they are very proud of the their work and charge accordingly.

Regards,

Steve

 

Swap them out with carbon fiber parts. Updates the look and never gets sticky.

 

Climate controlled garage vs not probably won't make a big difference. Some combination of heat, humidity, age, or cleaning agents seems to make the plastic turn soft and tacky.

 

+1; Assume the worst, hope for the best, but be willing to deal with this and all other 430 issues. All cars have their own set of issues. Dont get me started on the women metaphors it makes me sound sexist.

The issue with using Bison urine is the Bison itself. They are large animals requiring quite a bit of food and even more maintenance than a Ferrari, kind of defeating the benefit. Their bathroom... ...uuhm... "aim" is not very accurate for the smaller buttons and such.

Many DIYs here on de-stickying, here is mine:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430/391833-diy-sticky-interior-repair-using-degreaser-elbow-grease.html

...or just send to Sticky No More (aka SNM)

 

Actually, I think "inevitable" IS appropriate. Except for that, Steve has summarized the situation well and I think his advice is very solid.

P.S. I used Stickynomore and have been more than satisfied.