De-Yellowing My 612

I have an 07 612 HGTS; Grigio Sillverstone with Aluminum painted Calipers. It also came with the Yellow SF badges. And, being a US-Spec vehicle, you know about the lights.

After careful consideration, I decided to make 3 minor exterior changes to the car to make it look more consistent and what I believe to be a proper Ferrari:
1) Replaced side and rear lights with Dark Lights
2) Replace Yellow Wheel Center Caps with Ferrari factory carbon ones
3) Replace Yellow SF Shields with carbon ones

My reason for changes:
1) Tone down all the required US Spec lights - especially the front yellowish side lights
2) Yellow caps drown-out the aluminum calipers - carbon is better, albeit more expensive
3) Enough of the bright yellow SF Shields! They distract from the rest of the car and, IMO, are not appropriate; they are supposed to be on factory race cars - not production cars. I also feel those shields look ridiculous on GT cars. However, cars with factory shields have an indentation in the body; so, you cannot eliminate them - you have to replace them. The carbon shields seemed like the right compromise and go well with the body color.

My two previous Ferraris were a 328 GTS and 512 BBi Boxer - neither had shields.

I've attached before & after pics. Some of you may not agree, but I like the new look. I especially like the way the aluminum calipers now pop into view. The shop told me comments from other customers were positive.

Let me know your thoughts...
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Good questions: Calipers are Stock, according to the build sheet. Not sure about the wheels; that is how I got the car used.

 

LOL - That IS the person I got those dark lights from, BTW. I contacted him, after he purchased regular lights for his.

Good memory on your part.

Yes, those are the factory HGTS wheels; I'm just not sure if they came originally painted matte black or not.

 

Very nice 612.

The carbon centers are from Ferrari and can be had at most Ferrari dealers. They are also sold via eBay as well. They are twice as expensive as the other centers that Ferrari offers in various colors. I believe they retail around $400-450 USD.

Ferrari also makes those dark shields; but, they are extremely difficult to find and are expensive. I spoke with a 599 owner at a recent Euro show at the BMW factory, who managed to find them and install on his car. Thankfully, there is a gentleman who makes an even nicer version of the shields at a much lower price point. Those are the ones I acquired; as have others. Here is the link in FChat:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/ferrari-parts-collectibles/455497-ferrari-scuderia-fender-shields-badges-enamel-carbon-fiber.html

Cheers!

 

Thanks, Terry.

I guess the previous owner had them painted, and I kind of like the matte black with that body color; so, no complaints from me. Of course, they are susceptible to scratches from rocks (etc), and need the occasional touch-ups.

I'm trying to warm up to the Challenge wheels, but I just can't imagine a Ferrari without a 5-point star-design type wheel. I may go to larger wheels / tires some day, but I'll probably pick a traditional 5-point star design used on other cars, such as the 458.

 

Silver wheels are nice. However, I'm having a tough time with Challenge wheels. To me, a Ferrari without a 5-point star wheel just too much for me.