The finished product: Ferrari F355 GTS post-restoration

Ferrari F355 GTS owner's story

This 80,000 mile F355 looked brilliant from even a short distance away but as is so often the case with classic cars, and those from Italy in particular, things are not always as they appear on the surface.  Once hoisted onto the ramp it became clear upon closer inspection that all was not well - and the owner left with a difficult decision.

Ferrari F355 restoration

A number of different approaches were considered but after much deliberation and detailed discussions with our experienced technicians it was finally decided to bite the bullet. Grandstand Coachworks was instructed to undertake a full restoration, particularly as the intention was to keep the car for at least another five or more years and continue enjoying the thrill of one of Ferrari's best handling and highly regarded sports cars.  A true classic in any era.

Classic car restoration specialists

This first image above shows the car waiting for inspection and gleaming under the glare of our brand new ‘daylight’ LED lighting in the workshop.

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As the inspection unfolded, the next few photos illustrate the extent of the problems hidden just below the surface and the steps taken to address the various issues and start moving the restoration process forward. This involved digging deep into the fabric of the car, avoiding any temptation to take short cuts along the way, and with the sole objective of returning the car to a condition possibly even better than when it left the factory 20 years ago.

The 355 is carefully stripped down. Each component and panel is meticulously photographed, documented and labelled as it's placed on the shelves next to the vehicle.

Piece by piece, rust and damaged sections are removed and, as in the case of all our restorations, replaced by either original parts or, as in this case, by new Grandstand fabricated sections. The seats are prepared for a full re-trim along with the rest of the leather upholstery.

The underside of the car is cleaned back and etch primed. The dash board and centre console are removed and the engine bay and interior is then carefully masked before the body is primed. The first coat of primer is applied and flattened back, then the car re-masked and a second coat of primer is applied. The underside of the wheel-arches are prepared with Gravitex, a stone-chip resistant resin. The car is finally painted with a base coat of rosso corsa identical to the day it left the factory. Any blemishes are identified and the surface is fine-tuned before a clear lacquer is applied. The finished body work is finally polished to a high shine. 

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