Ferrari F355 Cosmetic Restoration - Exterior Paint Correction

"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7) 04/15/2016 at 12:15 • Filed to: Ferrari, F355, 355, 355 F1, Restoration, paint correction, Berlinetta, Rosso Corsa

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I know you would rather see the pictures than deal with me, but I must preface with some writing as this post reflects on the completion of my car’s restoration.

Some cars are more than just a transportation device. Some represent a childhood dream—cars so impressive that a child would aspire to own one. Actually realising this dream is rather complicated, sometimes in ways I had never imagined.

Even to be in a fortunate financial position is not enough—exotic cars are not just a purchase. Sure, they are fantastic to drive and breathtaking to see. Special this, exotic that, repeated ad nauseum by YouTube stars half my age. But they have problems that would be ridiculous in normal cars (see my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ). They burden owners with compromises such as taking ten minutes and a gallon of gas to find covered parking. What do you mean, it’s got no cupholders?? Indeed, is my 1998 Ferrari 355 F1 Berlinetta even any good to own? Can an 18-year-old toy really fulfill a childhood dream?

The dream is permanently stuck in 1994 Hong Kong. The car is in 2016 California, with two decades of wear and tear. How do you reconcile them as a grown dude in 2016, bro ?

You turn back the time . Not on yourself, but on the car. You make it 1998 all over again. You enter the bottomless hole known as cosmetic restoration.

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I’ve covered the significant updates made to the interior !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , so this one focuses on the outside. To be fair, the body was very clean when I took ownership. No rust, no visible damage. Original glass. Straight bumpers. No burn marks.

But the entire car was covered in swirly scratches, pointing to abrasive washing and long-gone paint protection. The wheels had cheaply touched-up curb rash. The emblem on the back was a dulled silver. The thin black rear grille had faded into grey.

Swirl damage in the clear coat from years of abrasive wiping. Light sources are poorly reflected because scratches scatter stray light in all directions.

I first learned about paint correction from a local car club (this fancy car wash is how much?!! ), and people recommended fixing everything else on the car before the paint. I spent nearly an entire year to prepare the car and summon the courage to have this done.

The process took a full work week. Almost all of the photos here were taken by Ian, the detailer, so kudos to him for a fantastic job and entertaining all of my nagging. If an F355 stands out on the road, a Rosso Corsa F355 that looks brand new will absolutely pop .

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Here is the car when it arrived at the shop. The paint on every panel was measured. From a distance, it looks fine.

Fun fact: the F355's black front grille is mostly cosmetic, save for two small brake ducts at each corner. The 348's front grille is completely fake, as the brake ducts are separate.

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Starting with the front bumper, a before/after comparison. Sharp eyes can tell it’s a repaint; it’s a slightly different shade of red from the rest of the car. Surface damage is visible, before polishing sacrifices a fine layer of clear coat to remove them:

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Next, the front boot lid is especially time-consuming because it’s constructed of a composite (fancy engineered plastic) core skinned in aluminium. Polishing can overheat the plastic, so this must be done slowly and methodically. A tape mask demonstrates the removal of extensive surface marring:

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The louvred engine bonnet is another labour-intensive area. Care must be exercised by polishing around each louvre. It helps to remove the lid from the car entirely and do the work on a bench. F355 Spider models are easier as you can slide the seats forward, take off your shoes and stand inside.

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The C-pillar buttresses are another risky area. There are sharp edges which can be easy to burn through. The bottom of each cosmetic buttress has no structural attachment to the rear fender. There is a small gap that is filled with paste and painted over; these areas were left untouched for that reason (see arrows). Again, F355 Spiders don’t have this problem.

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The retractable headlamps showed very clear surface scratches—not something I could have imagined at age 8. Let this dispel any remaining doubt you may have about what paint correction does.

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We see enough Prancing Horses. Studies show that Ferrari is the world’s most recognised brand, ahead of consumer names like Apple, Toyota and Glock. But if you examine a real emblem you will notice the surprising depth and lifelike hooves and muscles. No Ford Mustang logo can compare; even the original Baracca family crest did not feature such realism. Ian removed the the horse from the car and gave it a polish to restore its lustre.

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The wheels were polished and a special wheel cleaner was used to remove old baked-in brake dust that couldn’t be washed off. The rim edges had curb rash that looked like it was touched up with a kindergarten paint brush, so that was polished down to stand out less.

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Waterborne paint has been mandated by law for years now, but F355 paint was still solvent-based and hand-sprayed. Newer cars have all the modern orange-peel texture; a 458 will feature a label proudly declaring “PPG Tecnologia all’Acqua”......not here! The smoothness of old-school paint is astounding:

Fun fact: Early in F355 production, Ferrari swithced from Glasurit to PPG-branded paint. There is a slight difference in colour between the brands, but both are marketed with the same names such as “Rosso Corsa,” “Giallo Modena,” etc. Ferrari still use PPG paint today, but a water-based formulation.

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The finished car under the same lighting as before. Although the swirl marks weren’t visible in the original photo, the end result clearly displays stronger reflections.

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Night time with small point-like light sources such as street lights will highlight flaws on a car’s finish. The results absolutely shine here, pun intended.

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The light source, in this case an array of LEDs at a gas station, is reflected perfectly.

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The car no longer looks dulled in bright sunlight, another problematic environment for swirly cars. After paint correction, the colour comes to life in any lighting condition. The bright sun is perfectly reflected, and low-contrast objects in the sky (the clouds) are clearly defined.

To top it all off, all body panels were coated in a hard, protective 22PLE silica-based glossy outer layer that claims to replace natural wax......and last five years? We’ll see about that.

Note: I had considered a clear-bra film but decided against that route after hearing from friends who lost paint when peeling off old film.

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There is a blossoming industry of specialist auto detailing as waves of nostalgic people restore rapidly appreciating Porsches, Ferraris and other cars that are more than I can afford, pal . Ian spent a full work week on my car to make good on his reputation.

Refreshing an old car ended up requiring far more effort than I would have ever anticipated as a daydreaming child. But the sight of this restored car is, to myself and to any admirer of sports cars, priceless.

Hope you enjoyed this, and thanks for staying until the end. I’d definitely enjoy answering any questions you may have. To the planned extent, I have successfully brought this car back to 1998, with some reliability improvements. The dream car is complete—to me, a youthful toy in a world of responsibilities. To others who see it, a piece of the 90s living on in 2016.

Unlike in 1998, I now have husbandhood, parenthood, sonhood—and likely several other ‘hoods that I am loath to remember—waiting for me when I get home. But until then, if you’ll excuse me, I have some past to be stuck in for the rest of this afternoon .

Chariotoflove > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 12:24

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Gorgeous car, Man. I hope it holds up for years for you.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 12:26

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Woah! I can’t believe how nice of a job you did on this Fiero conversion! Thanks for sharing it. #FieroFriday

Steve in Manhattan > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 12:43

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Getting all that done must have been so satisfying ....

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 04/15/2016 at 12:45

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An automatic Fiero, even.

gawdzillla > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 12:57

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i m afraid to ask how much all that work cost

MonkeePuzzle > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 13:08

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a good looking car made better, very nice

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 13:10

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Really good results. Approximate cost for the paint correction? I have a buddy with an 84 countach that would be a great candidate for something similar. He thinks it needs a respray.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 13:12

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Stunning, that man does fantastic work. One of my all time favourite Ferraris. I’ve driven a 360 and it was really disappointing tbh (the fact it was a badly maintained example didnt help) but the 355 my grandad did a track day in was fantastic.

Mustafaluigi > Gripevo1 04/15/2016 at 13:20

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For common cars, it can get into the low 4 figures. The insurance you would want before carrying out a correction an expensive car would bring the cost up a good amount.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/15/2016 at 13:25

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Paint correction anywhere from $1000-3000 depending on condition of the car and the complexity of the bodywork. For a Countach, I’m going to guess it will be on the higher side.

And if it comes to repainting, if you want it done right, the car will have to come apart to some extent. I’m guessing a five-figure job.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 04/15/2016 at 13:27

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I’ve driven a 360 Spider F1 once, the first Ferrari I had driven. It’s a technically superior car to the F355, but the main difference isn’t raw performance (HP difference is only 15 or so). Rather, it’s the way the cars handle; the 360 has a much more modern chassis with great rigidity.

The F355 also has more exquisite bodywork, with the C-pillar buttresses hiding subtle air intakes, the gentle wheel arches hinting at the 308/328 lineage, and the dramatic cooling intake scoops twinned with brake ducts. Not to say the 360 doesn’t look great, but the F355 was by far the more dramatic design.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 13:31

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I just felt really vague and neutral to a fault. Good grip but just not as lively as I expected. Like I said it was a poorly cared for example though so worn out suspension/bushes would explain the handling being a bit dull. It had a clutch issue too. Being a track day hire car the poor thing had been hammered.

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 13:31

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Yea. He got a quote for a respray from a really good place. I think it was 15k or so. Not bad considering the car has climbed significantly in value over the past couple years, and hes got the money (a few cars that are worth way more than it too).

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Steve in Manhattan 04/15/2016 at 13:35

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So satisfying that I had to spill all of my thoughts onto paper.

I mean, a computer screen. Thanks for reading!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/15/2016 at 13:43

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With a Countach, if you’ve had it for a while, the values have likely doubled (or more) from your purchase price. You can confidently spare no expense in restoring it. You just need to do the homework on how to retain originality in the process..

Steve in Manhattan > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 13:52

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Part of the reason I write and read the content here is living vicariously through people who have cars. I have no need of one, and would not spend the money to keep one in the city.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Chariotoflove 04/15/2016 at 14:07

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Thanks for stopping by!

phobos512 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 14:11

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Thanks for the article. This was the first in your series that I saw but before writing this comment I went back and read the interior and mechanical restoration articles as well. I've also been looking at CarGurus...Bad idea. Now, I'm curious, with all this done, what your all in cost has been in rough numbers? I know as enthusiasts we're loathe to account monetarily for all the things we do to our rides but I'm curious. When I see an F355 on CarGurus and it says it's been recently serviced (funny, they all seem to say recent major service performed) and they're in the $80 - $100K range...How much more would I be looking at spending to take it to where you've got yours now?

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 14:20

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He bought it for 80k 15ish years ago. But hes put $$$ into it. Still, with values for similar cars in the 500k range, i think it was a good investment.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > phobos512 04/15/2016 at 14:27

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Everyone claims major service performed 2000 miles ago. Nobody wants to admit that 2000 miles actually means 7 years ago. 5 years is the general interval for the major service, and if the seller keeps using the term “belt service” that is a red flag. The major service includes belts, but what is more important is checking the condition of the water pump, engine mounts, cooling lines, oil lines, hydraulic lines, seals and leaks, electrical connections, etc. A car that has not been driven will need the same scrutiny for rotting and hardening from lack of use. Don’t let a seller convince you that a car is good because it just sits.

Anyway, to answer your questions:

Major service + incidental problems: US$8k-18k depending on whether permanent/improved fixes have previously been applied, such as aftermarket headers and cats. Mine totalled $15k with those two items needed.

Interior: $2k-4k depending on what has already been done. Mine totalled $3.6k

Exterior: $300-$3k depending on condition. Mine took under $2k, but a car that has had paint correction done will probably only need minor 3-digit tasks.

If you land an earlier car with the old style valve guides and it shows poor compression, then you need to spend another $4-7k on top of the major service, for valve guide replacement (a one-time fix with improved parts).

If you just DGAF and drive the car in unknown mechanical condition, you might bend some valves and need a head rebuild. I would roughly guess $20-30k. This is pretty rare and takes some serious neglect to accomplish.

Chariotoflove > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 15:18

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Thanks for posting a shiny Ferrari!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > gawdzillla 04/15/2016 at 18:03

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Paint correction generally costs < $1000 for a new car that has minimal damage. An older car can be anywhere from that to $3000 or more depending on condition. My job was $1500, and I did get a quote approaching $3k.

Despite my car’s age and the frightening swirl mark coverage, the clearcoat still had usable thickness.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/15/2016 at 18:33

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Great, he can spend $400k on restoration! I hope that’s enough...

JRapp: now as good as new again > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 04/15/2016 at 18:42

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I also drove a 360 and had a similar experience. It was one of those Groupon specials for a few laps around a cone course that I was given as a present. It was fun and all, but it didn’t really feel much different from my Fiero..

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Mustafaluigi 04/15/2016 at 21:08

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A detailer hoping to work on million-dollar cars had better have his insurance policies in order!

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 22:42

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Are you in the bay area by chance?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/15/2016 at 22:45

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I saw your profile. This shop is in San Carlos and I work nearby.

benchslap > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/15/2016 at 23:40

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That's actually surprisingly reasonable all things considered. Buying an F355 is my motivation to advance my career—I've thoroughly enjoyed your posts.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > benchslap 04/16/2016 at 00:38

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Glad to share! Thanks for reading.

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/16/2016 at 00:44

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Ah cool. Ill let my countach owning buddy know about it. Thanks! Maybe see you around in the 355. If you see a gray 2016 mustang gt pp with an oppo sticker, say hi!

Nauraushaun > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/16/2016 at 00:55

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My MR2 needs this bad. Hopefully I can one day get something decent for less than the sum you paid...

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/16/2016 at 01:16

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Cool, my car usually hangs around in the South Bay. Where are you based?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Nauraushaun 04/16/2016 at 01:22

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Some people actually do this at home. I don’t trust myself to do it right, but it can be done.

Also, with cars that have appreciated, it may even be cost-effective.

Nauraushaun > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/16/2016 at 09:27

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I don’t trust myself either. It’s the sort of thing that practise makes perfect, and every time you get it wrong you have to live with it.

That’s true. I believe the MR2s are going in that direction. Faster than some other Japanese sports car, being unique as a mid-engined car. It could well be worth my money to spend 1-2k on the paint.

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/16/2016 at 16:02

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San mateo/foster city.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/16/2016 at 16:24

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Do you ever swing by the Jalopmeets monthly event in Redwood City? Looking forward to debuting my refreshed car and hang out with a bunch of gearheads.

Gripevo1 > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/16/2016 at 17:46

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No didnt even know it existed. Sweet ill check that out.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Gripevo1 04/16/2016 at 18:42

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www.jalopmeets.com or find them on Facebook.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > MonkeePuzzle 04/17/2016 at 00:28

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Thx for checking it out!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 04/18/2016 at 00:36

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IMO every Ferrari (and every exotic sports car) before the advent of ESC has handling flaws, especially considering the mid-engine layout.

B_dol > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/19/2016 at 19:20

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Great writing (and pictures!). Where did you go for the paint correction if you don’t mind saying?

I’m still 10-12 months out, but looking at my car in less-than-ideal condition every day hurts inside. Dialing in the mechanical issues and getting all the track abuse out of the way first.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > B_dol 04/19/2016 at 19:46

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Thanks for reading!

I work on the peninsula, and Ian’s site is www.carbonitedetailing.com located in San Carlos.

Definitely get everything else on the car fixed first, because you want to minimise the time spent in a dusty shop (and away from your eyes and hands) after you make it look perfect. The Z4, right?

B_dol > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 04/19/2016 at 20:11

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Close to home for me! The Z4M, yes. The previous owner(s) have done a number on the paint in the form of swirls and larger marks from machine washing. I had factored paint correction into the initial purchase but the timing hasn’t been right and I put it off until this fall.

With the CA drought lessening, probably best to do it mid-spring instead! How do you feel about the sealant/protectant used? My prior car had Opti-coat on it and that was a godsend. Never had to do more than a spray wax or clay mitt in 3.5 years, kept it looking better than new.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > B_dol 04/19/2016 at 22:50

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The 22ple brand claims to last 5 years, but we’ll find out. It’s not slippery like traditional carnauba wax when you touch it, but it seems nicely hydrophobic and the wet look is impressively deep. Nothing but praise so far, but we’ll see in a year or so.

I’m pretty much doing it as an experiment, so read up and see what is really the right solution for you......ceramic, cQuartz, 22ple, etc.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 06/19/2016 at 11:45

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Impressive end result. Did your guy machine polish the finish or buff by hand? Also, is it true the 355's engine must come out for a cam belt replacement?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 06/19/2016 at 22:27

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Polishing: Both machine and hand. Hand for hard-to-reach areas or delicate areas with sharp edges.

Engine out: It used to be absolutely true. But nowadays, especially in Europe, belts are often changed by dropping the fuel tank.

But having the engine out allows you to easily access and inspect various components in the engine bay. Water pump, coolant hoses, etc. are all a piece of cake with the rear end removed.

The car is designed to drop the entire rear subframe (engine, axles, wheels, suspension), so the procedure is very well-known.