I recently found a company that makes just the replacement "R" and "Auto" buttons out of a silicone rubber. These are near identical replicas. If you are interested I can share the contact info I used when purchasing mine. Below is an image of the replicas. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Our new reproduction switches are available. These are not silcone rubber, they are injection molded, rigid plastic which will never fail. Information here: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/reproduction-r-auto-and-l-c-buttons-to-replace-rubber-version-for-f430-599.592710/ Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
These buttons do not look correct. Font seems ok but lettering seems to be embedded into the rubber and not smooth like OEM
John - correct. Not to mention the R and AUTO are in the wrong place. User emailed me a little while ago saying he wanted to purchase ours - clearly this is a commercial post and he is the seller
The font is embossed about 0.5mm on the surface of the buttons which is the main deviation from the OEM ones.
The silicone rubber design was abandoned and changed for a reason - they fail and will fail over and over again. A permanent solution is injection molded, rigid plastic which is exactly what we now produce.
It's a common misconception that silicone rubber fails during prolonged use or exposure to heat. In fact, the material is resilient, proven by its extensive use to make kitchen accessories as well as common outdoor sealants, and remains to be the primary material used in many car gaskets. Having studies Materials Engineering in college I was able to gain access to the lab equipment at my alma mater and test the material that the OEM buttons are made from, and confirmed that they are not silicone, but rather another rubber.
That's untrue. They are silicone rubber and coatings don't stick to them. They changed for a reason. Clearly you are making these and shilling the forum.
The base material in the OEM buttons are not silicone, which is where the deterioration due to exposure occurs, the thin silicone coating on top as a result will be affected by the base falling apart.
RDMDesign needs to 1) change his username to a non-business name, and 2) stop promoting the actitivites of his own businesses/investments. Procedural ban issued and notice to contact [email protected] to change his username sent.
