Hey All, For some time - like since I bought the car - I have wanted to do a removable top refinish in the GTB-look. This was because I was shopping for a 355 GTB, saw a 348 TS SS, wanted a 348 TB SS, but couldn't find one available. My car was an opportunistic buy off eBay and you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Still that GTB look enticed me. Bruce's top is this way and it made my envy worse. Well, here is the fruit of my new project. An early leather strap removable top in the GTB finish. It still needs the underside upholstery, which I should have this week. Matching crema Altcantera. Should be nice. For now, here's the sort of finished product. I need to add some black silicone sealer in between the weather stripping later in case the car gets wet. Right. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Post a nice side shot when you can, Vince. It'd be nice to get the full effect. And show off that headliner when you get it installed. Should look great in that interior.
I would also like to do this at some point. Question for you. How did you go about finding a shop to do this ? Did you take it to a Ferrari place or would any body shop do it ? I don't have a Ferrari place anywhere near me, so was thinking of taking it to the local body shop. Should I be concerned about the shops ability to match the paint color ? Or is that a non issue ?
The f dealer just sends the roof panels out to their preferred body shop. Any competent body shop can refinish these panels. As for color....depends on what color you are matching, how much sun fade there is in your paint and the competency of the body shop painter. The paint suppliers and some body shops have scanners to custom mix the paint batch for each specific job but not all body shops bother to do this and just use the oem paint code.....hence you see cars going down the road with one door refinished/the color being totally off.
Gotcha. Thanks. My car is black so I would assume it's not a big deal to match it. (It looks pretty good with just the Matt black but does look 10 times better finished in color). When the warm weather returns I'll take it over and see what they say.
Looks great, IMO the F355 GTS really needs the painted top. You get the look of two different cars in one. Same to your 348TS... looks great with a matching top, even though that was never officially offered.
I actually like the 348 top in textured flat but I'd like to see more pics of Vince's car to see how it changes the overall look of the car.
Here is the final finished product. Smoothed and painted removable top, circa 1989 model (has straps instead of latches). Recovered headliner pieces in Alcantera tan suede with insulation. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Okay, I think I like it slicked up and painted like the body, although I don't think it makes a ton of difference to my eye. I know they're supposed to be textured black so that's what I expect to see on a 348, meaning anything else draws the eye to it instead of just blending in. But overall I like it. Thanks for the pics. My guess on cost is $2500, including the top. But I'm guessing at 50% of what I normally would because it sounds like you got a deal.
