Nasty rust on air box

Hi Doug,
Based on your photo, I would probably lean toward refinishing your part. It is originally a wrinkle painted finish on the upper section of the total piece (actually 2 separate pieces including the cover of the air filter) I have looked specifically at what would need to be done to refinish and it could be powder coated. However, as you were advised, you would need to remove the lower, bare aluminum piece that is held on with rivets to keep that section bare finish. If you choose to paint it, you would likely want to strip the older paint off and refinish with something like a VHT brand wrinkle paint. There are several DIY threads on here about using that type of paint. You could mask off the bare aluminum finish parts. If you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself, I’m sure a competent body shop could help.

 

A good rattle can effort would work wonders. Apply it just short of dripping after pre-warming the airbox in the oven. Apply warm paint and then let it bake in a warm oven. Multiple coats... at least two.

Glass bead prep (rust areas especially) and prime before the wrinkle.

I have yet to see a good powder coat in wrinkle. Maybe(?) they are better these days.

If memory serves, it is only held on with pop rivets. Easy to work on.

I used a 70% gloss powder on the outer air inlet box (no wrinkle) - perfect level of gloss to match OEM.

 

The Toolboxes I make for my submarine machine tool sets are black crinkle powder coated. They look virtually the same as the Testarossa air boxes. So the right powder coater can easily do these.

 

I just had mine redone last month. The place did the inside and outside. It looks great.

 

Sure, it’s a place in Atlanta—will look up the name again. They also did my cam covers in proper wrinkle red, which look amazing too.

 

Looks good. Was it powder or paint?

 

You're in VA, these guys powder coated my frame on the TR and did my airbox. The owner has an 89 TR if I recall correctly. Good dude, less than an hour from you and they work fast/reasonable. The wrinkle powder finish looks spot on correct.

https://www.ascoweb.com/

Hope this helps, mention that Cassidy recommended you, maybe you'll get a good deal even

 

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Any powder coater in any city can do this easily for $100. don't tell them it's for a ferrari. There is nothing special about our cars that make paying $2k for a replacement airbox lid a more worthwhile effort than just having it refinished.

 

Sorry for the delay—it looks like you’re all set with Cassidy’s place, but in case anyone else is interested, here is mine:

https://procryo.com/

 

Powder

 

Fight the urge to overdo it...

go get some black crinkle spray paint. Neutralize the rust. Put paint on with a fine brush and get out your hair dryer...

if you don’t like it, you’re out $30....

 

Yes the original was painted!

 

Excellent news... so glad. If you need a good all-purpose machinist, I have that covered locally too. Cutaway Creations used to be in Fairfax, VA. They recently moved to a huge facility in WV, not far from Summit Point Motorsports Park. They do all of the big, animated displays for SEMA and I've worked with them for years. They can do a lot of specialty one-off machine work and saved me a lot of headaches on my build.

Glad to help, I've gotten so much from this group. Maybe we can get the cars together at a show sometime this year!

 

It looks nice but not stock wrinkle in my opinion.

 

Multo bene. Congrats on a job well done, looks great! Look forward to seeing our cars together at an event one day


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Uh-oh....

now the rearmost section of the airbox assy needs fresh paint!