FIX THAT "STICKY" 348/355 INTERIOR!!!

I am sure that this posting is probably very "old news" to many of you who are long-time FerrariChat members, however, I would like to mention the absolutely incredible work that 285ferrari (Robbie) performs on those horrible 348/355 interior parts for the newer members - like myself.

While my 1998 F355 Berlinetta was almost perfect, it had several of these interior problems - the worst being the AC Control Panel and the two side AC vents. I was initially resigned to a possible replacement of the entire unit (at approximately $1850.00) or trying to install an overlay from Ricambi, along with ordering two new AC vents. While I've done a lot of both mechanical and interior work on my Ferraris, I was hesitant to install the Ricambi overlay as I knew that lining-up all the illuminated indicators, smoothing out the bubbles, etc.. would be difficult, at best! Just as I was going to "man-up" and order/install them, as luck would have it, I saw a listing on eBay by 285ferrari (Robbie) for a reconditioned AC Control Unit. A couple of e-mails later, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and my Control Unit and the AC vents were on the way to him.

I just received the Control Unit and AC vents back from Robbie today. I first have to admit that I should probably be the "Anal Retentive" poster boy - it really takes a lot to impress me. However, I was absolutely AMAZED at the fantastic job he did - the AC Control Unit and AC vents looked as good, or better, than new! Any 348/355 owners who have this problem - save yourself a tremendous amount of money, time and hassle and send your interior parts to 285ferrari (Robbie) for R/R. I really can't rate his workmanship and abilities highly enough! I can promise you that if you utilize him for an interior parts R/R, you won't be disappointed! I know many of you are probably saying that "well, I'll just do it myself". I initially thought the same way. However, once I removed one of the AC vents and used several solvents to try to remove the sticky "goo", I realized how messy and time-consuming this was going to be. Moreover, I'm sure he has "trade secrets" with respect to the correct solvent to use to remove the aforementioned "goo" without damaging the underlying plastic. I found all the solvents I tried left a white film on the plastic (indicating a softening and color-bleaching of the plastic). Also, trying to locate the correct color paint/plastic dye that will adhere to the plastic parts on a long-term basis, I sure, would be problematic. So call me a "wimp", I sent my parts to 285ferrari (Robbie). YOU SHOULD TOO!!!

I have attached two photographs of my AC control unit before and after R/R, so you can judge for yourself. This is the first time I have posted with .jpeg attachments, so I hope there are no problems. Please note that I'm reluctant to give out 285ferrari (Robbie's) address and phone number, so it is probably best for those of you that are interested to PM him.

P.S. This has NOT been a paid advertisement for the Committee to elect Robbie for Concourse Champion.
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Hey Jimmie:
Believe it or not, I used a thin stainless steel laboratory weighing spatula. But you can use a small regular head screwdriver with a thin blade having a width of approximately 1/4 inch. Although there are a total of three (3) plastic clips, you only really need to be concerned with the top and bottom one. The best way to access the top clip is to orient the slats in the AC vent in a downwards manner. If you look carefully with a flashlight you can just see the top plastic clip in the first slat/slot opening. Insert a small screwdriver into the slat/slot and just catch the "lip" of the clip. Gently push down and the clip will release from its metal tab catch inserted into the AC vent opening surround. Once you release the top tab the whole top of the unit can be gently angled outwards from the top. Once it did this, I oriented the very bottom slat/slot in a upwards manner so that I could gain access to the bottom clip (the clip is reversed so you'll need to lift up with the screw driver blade to release the clip). Once released, the entire AC duct unit just pulled right-out. Describing it actually takes much longer than to do it! Two tips: (i) if you use a screw driver wrap the blade in masking tape in case you "slip" and (ii) the clips only need to be pushed a small amount to get them to release - go slowly and don't be afraid to apply a little gentle pressure, their reasonably heavy-duty clips. When you replace the AC vents, I found I had to actually use a tool to get the top clip to engage its metal tab. Good luck.

 

Check-out:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132564

But remember, there is more to the R/R than just applying the overlay (e.g., color-matching the knobs, switches, etc.) I really like to do my own work, but in this case, I'm glad I let 285ferrari (Robbie) have at-it! He sent me .jpegs of his work and I decided that it was worth the comparatively small price to get an absolutely first-class job on a highly visible and very expensive part! It's your call.