275 GTB Dash Wood: What kind is it?

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massimo
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275 GTB Dash Wood: What kind is it?

Post by massimo »

I am restoring a 275 GTB dash, and need to know what kind of wood it is. Does anyone out there know? Also, if anyone has body panels for sale for this car, please let me know. Thanks.

MASSIMO
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tyang
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Post by tyang »

If I had to guess, I would say Teak.

Tom
massimo
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wood

Post by massimo »

Thanks Tom, any idea where I could find a piece?

MASSIMO
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tyang
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Post by tyang »

My second guess would be Mahogany, but a woodworker would definitely be able to tell the difference.

Are you replacing the whole dash, or are you trying to veneer it? I can't remember if that dash is a veneer, or a solid piece of wood. It may be easier to veneer it after you get the surface planed. make sure you measure the original thickness of that dash before you do anything, and match it when you finish so everything goes back together correctly! Some gauges and switches might not fit back in their respective holes if you're not careful!

Any good woodworking supply place should have what you're looking for. A quick search on the web turned up a bunch. You may want to look locally so you can match the grain of the wood to what you have.

Tom
El Wayne
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Post by El Wayne »

Massimo,

I'm at work so I don't have my copy with me but I would think that K. Bluemel's Original V12 book would state the type of wood. If you don't have it, you might consider picking up a copy as it is a great reference for restoration.
El Wayne
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Post by El Wayne »

According to Bluemel's book: "The 'short-nose' model's facia is teak veneered, whereas that of the 'long-nose' model is trimmed in black vinyl or leather."
Chris Coios

Post by Chris Coios »

The long-nose 2-cam 275 GTB's also have the teak veneer fascia, with some exceptions done in leather or vinyl. It is the with the 4-cam that the change goes typically to vinyl. Keith Bluemel's book is excellent overall, but beware, it is not totally correct, and some of the cars pictured are not totally original in detail, note especially one of the 275 engine compartment photos.
John Vardanian
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275 GTB dash panel

Post by John Vardanian »

Massimo,

I am pretty sure that the panel is covered with a teak wood vaneer. Keith Blumel's book discusses it in detail. If you cannot get your hands on a copy of this book let me know as I have a copy.

Also, if you do not mind, could I talk to you on the phone a little about a particular 275 GTB short nose we are looking at? My email address is jav7@pge.com and phone number is 415-973-0815. I am guessing that you have been an owner for awhile and I could benefit from your first hand knowledge. Thanks so much.

John Vardanian
massimo
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wood

Post by massimo »

Thank you all for the information, I will be going with the teak veneer. The car is a short nose, all aluminum body.

John, I will contact you shortly. Can you tell me more about your short nose and what information you were looking for?.

MASSIMO
zac
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Post by zac »

TEAK!!!!!!! from most of the cars I have seen and my own personal experience for the 60's cars it is almost always Teak with but as always all Ferraris were built to order so I am sure if somone wanted a burl dash or Mahogany dash they just had to pay for it. The pictures Tom posted are Teak finished with a natural Shelac or Tung oil but I have seen several shades of darker stain and different levels of gloss depending on taste I guess. I have just finished doing the wood on my dash and discovered that it is very difficult to find a sheet of Teak vanier that matches the original and also quite easy to sand through the vanier especially if the panels are warped even a little bit. the best result I had was to find some 3/8" teak plywood and make the flat panels from scratch and then carefully save the concaved tach/speedo panel and refinish everything to match. as for finishes I tried just about everything including what a woodworker friend of mine said was the original finish on the dash.
Alcohol based old time shelac gives a nice old look but dries very fast and takes a long time to build.

Marine varnish goes on thick and gives a good base to polish

Tung oils also give a more natural look but will not last as long in the exteme heat and sunlight.

Urethane finishes are the one they sell in spray cans at harware stores and if used correctly give a very nice long lasting finish but look slightly more modern and plastic than the others.

I went with a tinted shelac that was the closest match to what was original on my dash and matched the unexposed areas.

Hope that helps
Good Luck
Zac
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Yale
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Post by Yale »

Zac that's a great post! My dash has obviously been redone in a way I am pleased with in that it seems to have almost no finish. So do you think the tinted shellac will protect it? Does it need protection? What tint is tinted by the way? Is there something else I could put on it that would preserve the unfinished quality?

The Superfast and Superamerica dashes I have seen have a super (of course) shiny Mercedes dash quality to them, I find that unpleaseant and don't wish to repeat that. However if anyone out there wants that, Drew Tabaken of Heritage Woodworks is highly recommended to refinish dashes in that way.

Yale
330GT (certainly not a teak dash)
zac
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Post by zac »

Hi Yale,
I am not so sure that your dash is not teak I looked at the picture in the owners gallery and it could very well be teak. Although I can't blow the picture up enough to be sure it does have the straight grain and basic apearence. Anyways if you want to save the existing look without redoing the whole thing it is very important to find out what is on there to begin with so that whatever you use as a topcoat will adhere and also will not react. As for tinted Shelac i was lucky enogh to have a local supplier that specializes in antique wood finishes so the stuff I used was a dark amber tint that mixed with denatured alcohol and was then applied witha lint free cloth let dry and light sanded. mine took several coats that had to dry almost 48 hours before the next coat could be applied all in all I think the whlo process took a couple of weeks and several curses. To get the dull look on old finishes since there is no such thing as semi gloss bug shells you have to first get the finish you like with everything shiny and then lightly scuff everything with the lightest steel wool available #00000 or finer if you can find it. I still have not been able to get a steel wool finish that I am happy with myself but most antique furniture restoration places use that process quite a bit and can take care of that for a couple of dollars.

there are cured Tung oils that are supposed to prserve the look that you want but if the grain is sealed with a finish allready I don't think it will soak in.
zac
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Yale
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Post by Yale »

Zac,

My wife is an architect and tung oil fan, (she does a lot of projects with wood details), but she felt after looking at my dash that the tung oil will soak in and not allow any future owner to do something different. She felt I should get something non invasive that would sit on top of the wood and not soak through. After hearing what you have done I am thinking of doing nothing. Can you tell if this will adversely affect things?

Yale
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