Does anyone out there have an estimate of the repair cost to fix the dash leather pulling away from the windshield area from the sun ? Is this something the Ferrari dealer should attempt or a upolstery shop . Any info & advice greatly needed
The dash needs to come out first and I would by all means use a very good Ferrari shop to do that. The dash will need to be recovered and that part of the job needs to be done by a very good leather upholsterer. It looks simple but to get the leather to fit all the contours well and get all the seams and stitching right takes someone really good. Do not forget, unlike the seats every minute you sit in the car you will be looking at it, don't cut corners.
Mitchell- Way too expensive. $500-1000 to remove and replace the dash and $500-1000 to recover. Brian can tell me if I am wrong, but mine is being recovered as we speak. Consider having the dash recovered in really high quality vinyl, and there will be no further problems with shrinkage. Especially easy if the dash is black, because it is really easy to match the rest of the black leather parts. There are some beautiful reupholstery jobs in the 456/550/575M Forum that cost $5000, and that included a a bunch more than just the dash. Taz Terry Phillips
Maybe in New Mexico but not Northern California. I bet at least $1500 here to recover and what is your labor rate there? I'm not R+Ring a 575 dash for $1000, not at 140 per hr.
Thats what I was thinking too. I am considering taking my perfectly good 328 dash out to have redone in leather and he is going the other way. Terry, we have a 19 year old TR with a perfect dash. It easy, I never put any of that leather treatment crap on it and I ALWAYS use a sunshield when it is parked outdoors. No one likes using the sunshields because it doesn't look cool but it will keep the dash looking like new.
Agreed. Sunshields in Fcars are the equivalent of a pocket protector on a $400 Luigi Borelli shirt. The better solution, IMO, is to lay down a towel over the dash/steering wheel. If that towel happens to be similar in color to the interior leather, even better. ketel
My 456 has two small bubbles (2-3 inches long and an inch wide and no more than a 1/4 inch high) that come and go- if I park in the sun for 30 minutes they're gone and when I put it in the garage overnight they reappear. I was thinking someone could shrink JUST those spots somehow (heatgun?) and get rid of them. Someone said superglue in a syringe. Maybe it's just the personality of the car but I'd like them gone... Any ideas for selective shrinkage or just too "dangerous"? Definitely use a shade.
Brian- The work is actually being done in Colorado, but the dash was removed here in NM. Labor rates in both places are definitely lower than N California, and I should have figured that in when I quoted what I am paying. I thought you said you had a guy whose specialty was removing dashes for recovering, though? The vinyl does not bother me and it is not so much the sunlight that eats leather here, although of course it does, but it is the average summer humidity of 14% or so that shrinks big pieces of leather. All the rest of the dash remains in leather, including the instrument surround, glove-box, lower trim, and console. Drew- I am not much of a purist except on maintenance, and cost was not a factor. Remember I am having a 575 SA instrument panel with yellow tachometer installed, which is why I went ahead and had the dash recovered. The color and texture matches are perfect, and the end result will be undetectable from original. Eventually, my rear compartment carpeting will be replaced with leather (charcoal with red stitching), and I intend to put Daytona seat insert style red trim on that leather as well to match the red Daytona trim I will put on the seats. Again, that rear trim is not something you will find on any other Maranello. Not to worry, no wings or fender flares, though. It already has an SA HGTC exhaust, though. Taz Terry Phillips
I don't agree and I'll tell you why. Heat is the enemy of the leather and while direct sunlight is the worst, heat all by itself is bad. A good, fitted sunscreen lowers the temperture of the entire interior.
This thread is relevant to my interests. I had been talking to my FCar Dealer about getting my 575 done (as he said they had a new place that was good and reasonable). I was planning on them doing it when I had next tie I brought the car in and then they canned nearly the entire staff. New guys had no clue about any of this. Any suggestions for a turnkey in the DC Area? If not, I think I will call one of the other Ferrari specialists in the area and see what they can do. Best, dsd
Brian - Good counterpoint and I will keep that in mind. I'm in SF, not San Ramon, so it rarely gets so hot (and I rarely leave my vehicles in the sun that long) that a towel does not address 90% of the risk. The interior in my '89 still looks near-new, so I'm doing something right. That said, in hot climates I agree with you that the best policy would be to man-up and use a sunshield, regardless of how they look. ketel
I would also add that leather wears out in sunlight better than vinyl. Leather may shrink if not cared for and protected, but vinyl will bake, crack and separate from its backing. How do I know? I used to own a Maserati Biturbo !
Alfredo- If that was the worst problem with your Biturbo, you were lucky. Twenty years of progress since on vinyl. I am not worried. In 50 years of driving cars with vinyl dashes, I have never had one split, shrink, or separate. Cannot say that for leather. Taz Terry Phillips
Even their vinyl wasn't any good. Your average 308 or 328 vinyl dash still looks very good unless someone has been putting chemicals on it all these years. My 328 dash looks like new and the rest of the interior is showing its age.
Brian- About all I have ever used is a slightly damp towel on vinyl. All you need. No recommendations on a leather treatment? Sounds like you are not too enamored with them. Will provide a $ total once my dash is completed and reinstalled as a data point for work in the netherlands. Taz Terry Phillips
Every few years I do put a little stuff I have on the seats but not on the dash. I see a lot of wrecked dashes and the ones that see an early demise and the ones that go really bad all have one thing in common......Chemicals. I really think the best thing that can be done for them is chemicals.
Has anyone tried the clear window tints that provide UV protection? I've been thinking about getting for my 575. The guys at La Jolla audio were showing these off on a customer's 599 during the Symbolic Motors Spring event a few weeks ago. I'm curious as to whether or not this tinting will eliminate the need for a sun screen.
Wade- If it eliminates the need for a sunshade, you will not be able to see outside. Taz Terry Phillips
I am sure it would help but I am also sure by itself it probably would not be enough when parked in direct sun.
You oppose a custom fitted sunscreen and you endorse something like a color matched beach towel covering the dash and wheel?? Go figure...
Andrew, You list Pennsylvania as one of your residences. If you're near New Jersey, then Classic Coach in Elizabeth has an excellent upholsterer on staff. I've seen Daniel salvage damaged leather interior pieces. If it can't be repaired, he recovers. He's a perfectionist and his work looks OEM down to the stitching. Barry
