Ferrari Upholstery Paint Used to Restore Ferrari Dino Interior
In 1970, when Rafael M. was a lad, he happened upon a Ferrari Dino in a California restaurant parking lot. Captivated by the car, and not sure quite what it was, he researched to learn more. There he discovered the car was created as a tribute to Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, the late son of Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari. Enzo only placed the Dino name on the car, rather than the full Ferrari badging. Captivated by the car and the story, Rafael vowed that if he made it in life, he would one day own a Dino.
Fast forward to 1985. Rafael was a surgeon, and in a position to finally own his dream car. After a deal fell through on a Dino he was about to purchase, he learned that coincidentally a co-worker was a Dino owner. After conversation and negotiation Rafael purchased that Dino.
Rafael drove the car frequently in the early days and then not so much as time went on. At one point about twenty years ago Rafael noticed the seat foam was starting to crumble and fall out of the seat bottoms and went about removing loose sections of foam. Rafael found that using turpentine as part of this process made the going easier. The only problem was that the turpentine soaked through to the seating surface. Badly staining it.
Before
Before
Rafael drove the car like this for a period of time before deciding an interior restoration was in order. The seats, door panels and firewall cover all needed attention. Upon searching for replacement pieces, he discovered that the cost of an interior kit plus labor was going to be $8,800.00.
Pair of leather seat cover kits (no foam) = $3,940
Pair of interior side panel cover kits = $1,820
Firewall cover = $980
Estimate on labor to install the above ~ $3,000
Total Project cost ~ $8,800
Rafael wasn’t thrilled about the expense and decided re-dying the existing upholstery might be a better option. When researching this he came across ColorBond online and found users were very happy with the results. Rafael thought using ColorBond as a Ferrari upholstery paint could be the best solution.
After
After
Rafael contacted ColorBond and spoke with owner, Malcolm Johnson, about a color that would most closely match the original. Rafael then sent Malcolm a sample swatch of the interior to help find an appropriate shade of tan. Three cans of ColorBond LVP Refinisher, in varying hues were sent to Rafael. Upon testing them out on a piece of paper, Rafael didn’t find a color he liked. ColorBond then sent out five more variations of tan for review. Success! ColorBond Sand #518, an OE correct Ford color, was chosen as the Ferrari upholstery paint to be used.
Before
After
While preparing to paint the upholstery Rafael visited an automotive specialty shop that just happened to have the correct color Ferrari interior dye. Because it was the correct color, he was set to use that product instead. However, the salesperson was concerned that re-dying all the interior pieces wouldn’t be a good idea as it was a water-based dye that went on thick and was prone to peeling. It was fine for spot repairs, but durability when used on large sections was questionable. ColorBond, being a solvent based paint, has much better adhesion properties.
Before
After
Rafael says the result is excellent and painting the interior was a fun project. Malcolm had great suggestions and the job was incredibly easy to do. Further, since the paint dried so fast between coats it was done quickly. Rafael applied four coats of LVP Refinisher and used a total of seven cans at a cost of $115.00. Compare that to the $8,800.00 cost of the replacement upholstery!
After
This project was a testament to Rafael’s devotion to his dream car. The Ferrari upholstery paint project was also a testament to ColorBond quality. Rafael trusted LVP Refinisher to restore the appearance of his Ferrari and we didn’t let him down. We are proud our product was used to restore a car we approximate to be valued at minimum $450,000.00
Congratulations to Rafael on a job well done!
For more information on ColorBond LVP Refinisher click here.
