Questions about dash bubble repair | FerrariChat

Questions about dash bubble repair

Discussion in '360/430' started by Husker, May 8, 2022.

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  1. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    So my defroster vents have suddenly become loose and I've got a 5 inch bubble. I have already researched this topic but I have a couple of questions:

    If you reinstall with new, metal defrost vents, do these vents actually kind of "pin" the leather down to keep it stretched long term? Am I understanding that right? Is that part of their function?

    I am not sure why I would need new leather. The leather looks fine. It just appears that it needs new glue underneath and then to install those vents to keep the leather stretched.

    Am I misunderstanding something here?
     
  2. Sj_engr

    Sj_engr Formula 3

    Sep 15, 2020
    1,280
    San Jose
    Full Name:
    dc
    Big question is are you going to take the dash out yourself? Metal vents w proper hardware should hold given leather is already 10+ years old.
     
  3. Extreme1

    Extreme1 Formula 3

    Jun 27, 2017
    1,212
    Santa Clarita, CA
    I replaced my dash leather and vents from Rizzo. The metal vents are very sturdy and they mount with bolts, nuts and large area washers on the bottom of the dash. They will trap the leather so it won’t pull away from the defroster area.

    The stock plastic vents are garbage and just mount with push pins on the plastic vent. As the leather ages and shrinks, the push pins pop loose and it all comes apart.

    Get the vents from Rizzo, you won’t be disappointed. You will only need to replace the leather if it’s shrank too much. Mine had.


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    Husker likes this.
  4. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    Not no but h*** no. :D
     
  5. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    I have these vents from the previous owner, but I don’t have the bolts, nuts, etc. Does anyone have a link to Rizzo?
     
  6. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere

    Great info! Did you also glue the leather for extra insurance, or do the metal vents do the whole job?
     
  7. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    Looks like Rizzo got banned. Anyone happen to know his contact info?
     
  8. ItalGerBrit

    ItalGerBrit Formula Junior

    Mar 15, 2016
    804
    S La
    Use a common socket flat head bolt. I had to shorten mine for the dash to fully seat fully. I was able to stretch the original leather back forward but now it is starting to pull away at the A/C vents. Time to stretch the front.
     
  9. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    So there a threaded metal bolt will seat where the plastic push pin holes are? Or do you flip the dash over and thread a nut I assume, then fasten it all down?

    Can you explain a bit how you went about stretching the leather? Did you also apply some glue?
     
  10. Extreme1

    Extreme1 Formula 3

    Jun 27, 2017
    1,212
    Santa Clarita, CA
    Yes, the guy that replaced the leather on the front portion of the dash, glued the leather back down under the dash. The vents will hold it in place.

    If your leather has shrunk, don’t shortcut. Just have it redone, so you won’t be doing this again in a couple years. If it’s close, be sure you paint inside the defroster area with some black spray paint so you won’t see the yellow insides of the dash through the windshield when it’s all done.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  11. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    Thinking out loud here...I am sure it has to have shrunk a tiny bit for the vents to be "loose". That has just occurred recently. So, once I remove the dash, I am wondering about some leather moisturizer, some sort of stretching jig overnight, to pre-stretch the leather a bit, and then fasten everything down? What about a staple gun to get everything tamped down where the vents are going to cover the leather, with the idea being that both the staples and the vents are securing the keeping the leather taut?

    Who is better to hire for the job of removing the dash, a quality body shop, or an independent mechanic? Better to pay someone to come to my garage to do it I assume? 3-4 hours labor to take it off, the same to put it back?
     
  12. ItalGerBrit

    ItalGerBrit Formula Junior

    Mar 15, 2016
    804
    S La
    We talked a bit about this a couple of years ago. I I were you, I would pull the dash myself. There are many, many posts about how to do it and it is not very hard. If you are a big guy, it might be tough because you are working in a cramped space. I removed the seats to get at it. The Shop manual explains how to do it. I might be able to dig up the photos of how I pulled and stretched the leather back forward, in, over and under the vent holes. The front of the dash is now just starting to pull away from the air bag panel so I will pull the dash again and try to restretch the leather the way I did it before. I used very short upholstery tacks and hope that they will hold up. The vents do most of the work holding down the front leather.
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  13. Snapshift

    Snapshift Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    May 31, 2020
    715
    Centralia IL
    Full Name:
    Lyle D. Pahnke
    I recently had this done and my friends at Ferrari FXS documented it well with the attached video. We had the leather panel replaced and glued down and splayed it out on the backside of the fiberglass vents. This was on a F430. I used Rizzo's aluminum vents and he suggested painting the heads of the enclosed socket head screws with flat black paint as corrosion eventually shows. The bolts went through the holes on the fiberglass panel where the pins had been previously. We use fender washers and nylon lock nuts to hold it down snugly. I would not depend on the vent hold the leather in place after stretching it. I would replace the leather allowing it to be fully relaxed, then glue it down and splayed it out through the vents on the underside as you can see in the video. Hope this helps.
     
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  14. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,788
    western hemisphere
    This is great info. Thank you. My leather is only slightly shrunk as far as I can tell, so I don’t see any reason it can’t be conditioned and stretched but a few millimeters. How would a fellow go about getting new leather with all that cool stitching?
     
  15. ItalGerBrit

    ItalGerBrit Formula Junior

    Mar 15, 2016
    804
    S La
    Correction. The rear of my dash, cockpit side is slightly pulling. Front side secured by Rizzo metal vents is just fine. Why was Rizzo 360 banned?
     
  16. Snapshift

    Snapshift Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    May 31, 2020
    715
    Centralia IL
    Full Name:
    Lyle D. Pahnke
    What I did was take the removed dash in my car to a leather specialist in Salem IL noted in video in comments. After he removed and restitched/ glued all new matching leather in place, I transported it back to Ferrari FXS to reinstall the repaired dash. The Ferrari dealer was impressed with the repair. If there is no local leather upholsterer in your area,You could ship it to him in Salem and get it shipped back, then reinstalled. He is familiar with the Ferrari Leather and orders highest quality stuff. He replaced my headliner that fell down. The workmanship shows. https://www.facebook.com/leadfootcustomupholstery.
     

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