Dash Panel Air Vent Replacement on 328

Due to years of exposure to the sun, it is time to replace the rubber dash panel air vents in the 1986 328. I have tried to search this subject on this site, but I have not had any luck. Has anyone replaced their dash panel vents recently and can you please provide some insight on how they are connected? Thanks. Scott

 

Rubber? They are hard plastic. You are speaking of the round ones in the center/top of the dash? They simply pull straight out. You can order replacements from the usual sources...

 

davehanda,
You're behind, was talking with Dave of Ricambi, the round vents are now NLA. Also no longer show up on the Ferrari.uk site. There may be still a few out there sitting on somebody's shelf tho.

Stand by,
I'm looking into making them.

 

Actually, they are not the hard plastic ones in the middle of the dash. These are the rubber ones in the front left and right corners up by the window.

Scott

 

Verrell - Ya know, it occured to me after our conversation... I used to have an old Alfa with remarkably similar vents. It was something like an 88 Spider Quad. I wonder if Alfa vents would be close enough that a new bezel would make them fit?

They looked just like these:

http://www.international-auto.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=2641&posid=1174357

http://www.international-auto.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=2641&posid=886078

Thoughts?

 

Can also check with the usual used parts houses, like T.Rutland's and such...

 

They're hard to find, and snap very easily. I've broken 2 round ones so far, and can't find another

Verell, if you make them do something about the brittle pins that hold the blades to the body

 

Scott,
Those curved vents in the window corners are hard plastic as well. Haven't looked at their availability, but have a NOS L & R pair safely stored away for when they go NLA.

Reminds me, I ought to make me a pair as I managed to crack both of mine with the window sun screen. Then I'd have the dubious pleasure of pulling the entire padded dash to replace them...

 

Replacement corner vents are tough to find. Last year I recovered my dash and of course broke the plastic retaining pins in the process of trying to remove these vents, before pulling out the dash covering. The plastic pins are retained by metal clips on the back side and are properly removed only after the crash pad is out of the car.

I managed to secure a couple of used replacements from T. Rutlands but they weren't cheap. One of the replacements had all four pins intact, the other only had three pins. I fashioned a piece of stainless steel wire to hold the vent down where the missing pin was and the end result is really undetectable from the outside.

I talked to Bill at GT Car Parts at this time and while he didn't have any replacements, he was considering having some metal replacements made. You might want to check with him and see if he ever sourced some replacements.

Bill

 

That's one of the only pieces I haven't been able to find yet. Luckily my center round ones are all in great shape. Those little kidney shaped ones though are not.

 

Thanks for all the responses. I will have to look again when I get home, because I swear mine our rubber. They might not be the original ones. Scott