Where do you stop? When to draw the line?

Gah! Tell me about it! I was fine trying to re-wrap interior bits. I refinished SOME of my interior bits np np... the vents were a bit beyond me, so it was "sticky no more" to the rescue! Headliner I was fine with. Re-wiring and some of the random electricals I've been messing with have been fun. But the painting TOTALLY intimidates me. I must admit I've had some heavy help on this front. Paintings is one area I feel WAY out of my league with. ><

...but learning fast! ;-)

 

Nice call! I sooooo over looked that initially. It wasn't until I read some threads here were some folks rewired the lights to make them all functional. As it is right now, you are spot on! Two of the inner lights aren't even wired up! I need to try and find those threads where others re-worked these lights. Now who was that? Off of the top of my head, I wanna say it was Nightlife, but not really sure. I'll do the search after some sleep. Coming up on 3 am on a Friday, so between the wine and the hour, it's getting messy here in front of the PC screen. ><

 

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback! I can't tell you how much I struggled with the decisions of "back to the original two-tone look" vs the "full gloss" look. It seriously kept me up at nights! Now that I'm looking at the early results, I'm really happy with the direction.

I'm SOOOOOOO hoping to have it all ready for SOME event in the near future. I've been wanting to pop in to random event for quite some time now, but I must admit... I've had the car for two years, but there were too many "issues" that needed correcting that I couldn't bring myself to show up for any events with a sad car. Yes... I'm in that category of folks that got a "bargain" Ferrari on the purchase price, only to have the wake up call shortly thereafter of the other issues. However, like I stated before, I really can't complain. I now KNOW this car FAR better than any other car I've had in the past. It was a pricey lesson, but the result is that I feel a FAR stronger connection to this car now that I EVER have in the past.

As for the FCA Fall Run, I SERIOUSLY need to hit up WDR328 with a PM or an email and join the FCA officially. Honestly, this has been on my "to do" list for about a year now. I actually popped in at the event a few weeks back at the Cooper Clinic to try and chat with some of the members, but the heat got to me to fast. TRScotty was the only person I ended up talking with for a bit. I hope to catch him again next weekend at the East Texas gtg... anyway, is WDR328 the best contact for local FCA stuffs? I'm just now FINALLY feeling that car will be in a state I can show up to a cars & coffee or any other random event and be proud!

P.S. Oh oh! Post #250! I'm Formula Junior now! Wooooooooooo!

Seriously, car was (cosmetically) in pretty rough shape, but it turning out very VERY well. The entire experience has be oh so satisfying!

Again... thanks all for the comments and the feedback!

 

Ok, got it changed in my book for the 28th. Thanks for the heads up!

 

Lol! True that! I just wasn't sure of the real name. Thanks for that!

Heh, I bet! It wasn't really my original plan. It was just supposed to be a simple respray, a spot repair on the bumper, and get the friggin' wheels corrected. Once the scope started expanding, I just couldn't stop!

 

First off, apologies to all...

Gah! I'm in serious pain that I've let this thread lie dormant for so long... I mean... as my own personal project wound down, I hopped jobs and got really slack about updating threads as my life got so crazy busy in other areas, and I just got negligent... sorry all. Now I'm WAY behind, I feel that I owe the Brotherhood TONS! Because I feel they gave me TONS (and tons, and tons) to get this project done... I'm looking at you Ernie, Pap, Miltonian, Plugzit, FBB, No Doubt, Dave Helms, Brian Crandall... FFS, HUGE contributions one and all... the rest of you know who you are that have contributed. So I more or less completed this project, and I've been enjoying the Ferrari driving experience (well, from the 348 perspective you nay-sayers!) regularly since wrapping this project up a few years back. I think I chalked things up as "complete" (but not really) in fall of 2010... we all know of course these things are never really "done," especially with the older cars.

I, for one, love my 348... and as it was a bit of a "father and son" project, and the "father" in this case passed away recently, I can't see myself parting with this car in the foreseeable future. I know there are the nay-sayers out there when it comes to 348s... This car to me, now, is a not only a connection to my childhood, but to my recently departed father. I might be temped to trade it in for an F-40/Miura/dreamcar-of-choice... (of course those are all way beyond my means, but you all get my drift) but when I think of the satisfaction the entire experience brought to me, and the reconciliation and re-connection for me, that this car was the root of a repair after a long standing "distancing" from my dad, especially when the reconciliation was done during this "quasi-restoration." Well... (absolutely no thanks to Mr. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, you can suck it here... but to the brotherhood, much love to you all, and then some!), the bottom line is I love these cars, even though I still feel like a complete noob compared to Ernie, Plugzit, Pap, FBB, Ace, Mike, etc... etc...

In any case, this car has not only been a fun project since I've obtained a problematic example in 2008... (which has been very solid for a few years now!) it has re-defined my life, and gave a foundation to re-establish a troubled relationship with an estranged father, and to make relationships solid again in time. Now that things have run their course, I can say that. I just want to give a shout out to the Brotherhood for helping us 348 wannabe slackers for giving us the help, and info, and data we were so innocently asking for to simply try and keep out heads above water (*glare* I'm looking at you Luca).

Now what we actually DO with that info is another story... Heh, seriously though, it's been a rough summer, and a fairly recent quasi-restoration had re-ignited a relation between an estranged father and son, and in his final months it has been a true invigoration! Had a certain Ferrari NOT been involved... it would have been a non event, and it pains me to think how that might have played out. It's strange to put such esteem on an inanimate object, but suddenly I'm able to process the past 15 years of my life, when it comes to family and parents, in such a positive light... and the "lowly" 348 was at the heart of it all. Mr. Enzo, and Mr. di Montezemolo, I seriously respect all the efforts put out on all Ferrari cars, but for this one night, in a slightly wobbly state when reflecting back on recent years, it has ONLY been the 348 that has had life altering effects in my life. Please don't minimize my life experience by chatting up the details of losing an illegal street race that you SOOOO had the advantage on...

Well, enough drunken confessions for one night. Thanks for any/all that actually read this... <3

 

Oh! And Andrew... the all gloss on the door sills has been mixed. It looked SOOOOO good early on, and did for a while after! But it scuffed quickly. 8(

Those aftermarket carbon fiber sills are looking better with each passing day! Then again... paint isn't THAT expensive. Dilemma: respray for the sills annually, or replace with proper CF replacement? Then how often is the touch-up there? I have no idea... 8/

 

Apologies all for reviving old dead threads... just got back from reviewing old home videos, where this restoration project was highly under way. Just had to comment on my own thread. **sheepish**

 

thanks guys... much appreciated.

Moiluck, good eye! Honestly, going back and looking at the photos, I soooo see what you mean. At the time... it never registered. A bit of bad lighting to be honest. In the flesh, the real item just has what looks like a primer/metallic coloration to those parts. Somehow when I took the photo with a cheap phone camera... I'm guessing that the white floor reflected back in just an awkward way. I've done a bit of customizing on this car (for better or worse... but, hey... I like it) but definitely haven't changed too much under the cosmetics... well... except for the aftermarket cats. And some electronics upgrades. And some interior tweaking. And some seating changes. And some wiring stuffs. And the "hidden fuse" for the A/C. And some battery cable changes. And leaving the front trunk lining out for easy access to A/C components... I'm in Texas after all. HOT summers here! Ok, can I withdraw the comments? definitely lots of unseen and hidden questions. All for personal comfort or satisfaction. I wanted to put the effort in to make things better... for me. I don't think others outside of the brotherhood would understand.

 

Yes! Exactly! Lots to be said for those that hold on to the cars for the long haul. I'm still amazed by a recent FORZA story about a 308GT4 that was up to 220,000 miles on it.

YOU sir, I salute! THAT is serious dedication! And a HUGE comment on daily driver reliability if you step up to that challenge.