Carbon Fiber

[airjordan223]

dont think so

[CleanGSR]

99% of the carbon fiber hoods out there are covered with a gel coat instead of a clear coat paint. Gel coat is the same as what boats are covered with to make them shiny. Anyway, the gel coat is fine until it gets sunfaded.

 

Once mine got faded, I had the body shop sand through the gel coat to the carbon fiber and spray about 4 or 5 coats of clear over the hood. It has never gone back faded (not even a hint anywhere). The only problem is that around my scoops there are starting to get some hairline cracks in the clearcoat from stressing (probably from cornering fast with the new suspension). I can't tell how bad it's going to be, but I've been considering putting the stock hood back on, so I don't really care at this point.

[DelSolFreak]

99% of the carbon fiber hoods out there are covered with a gel coat instead of a clear coat paint. Gel coat is the same as what boats are covered with to make them shiny. Anyway, the gel coat is fine until it gets sunfaded.

 

Once mine got faded, I had the body shop sand through the gel coat to the carbon fiber and spray about 4 or 5 coats of clear over the hood. It has never gone back faded (not even a hint anywhere). The only problem is that around my scoops there are starting to get some hairline cracks in the clearcoat from stressing (probably from cornering fast with the new suspension). I can't tell how bad it's going to be, but I've been considering putting the stock hood back on, so I don't really care at this point.

 

bout how much did it run you to have them do that?

[CleanGSR]

$150, but I knew the body shop guy pretty well, so there's no telling how much it would normally run.

[James Matteu]

I can't wait until cf becomes so commonplace that people start treating it as fiberglass, i.e. painting it color-matched to the rest of the car.

[Ben.]

That's gonna' be hard.

 

From my understanding most of the carbon fiber companies are on backorder. A friend of mine had an EBP '00 SI and had a carbon fiber OEM styled hood paintmatched up to the body lines, leaving a strip of carbon fiber up the hood. Looked good.

[Pyrorocketeer]

It is getting harder and harder to get, because of the government stock piling it for aircraft use, and it isn't being made as quickly as everyone is sucking it up.

[Xeryon]

i would gladly install fiberglass instead, but very few places do anything but CF. I wouldn't want it on my car unless it was body colored anyway.

[DelSolFreak]

i know what ur saying but the natual cf looks good with black cars

[Xeryon]

that is your opinion. i personally think it looks like ass, and that is my opinion. not only that but it makes your car a target for vandalism and theft. Chubs cf trunk is a good reference. that car was sweet and he had a cf trunk. it is debatable that the trunk wouldn't have been keyed if it was a normal painted trunk. people have no respect and when you have something that sticks out you become a target for that lack of respect.

[James Matteu]

In my opinion, flashing the cf anything reeks of got-something-to-prove-itis. Take the high road like the exotics and have all that cf painted to match.

 

When went for a spin in a Porsche GT2 Ruf, I knew the seats were cf, but was suprised (and not suprised) that they were completely wrapped in leather.

 

I blame Mr. Delorian for beginning this obscesion of showing off the exotic materials your ride is made of by not painting the body panels.

[DelSolFreak]

your right! sorry i forgot to add that in there(imo)! i totally understand what u guys r saying, but i know the reason why im going to put cf on my car. if i do body work(besides lighting), it has to have a fuction. the cf hood im getting lightens the car(obviosly), has vents to feed my intake, and vents to let air out from under the hood to prevent heat soak. cf lightens my rear end which feels way to heavy for me, and cf targa top just for weight reduction.

[CRG7]

My CF is nude, and I like it that way

[wannaBstuntin]

The CF fenders on my last car had a large spot on one, about the size of a nickel. Looked like melted plastic.

It was there before I bought the car, so I'm wondering if that might have been from sun or something?

 

I like busted's friend's idea - painting the hood but leaving a stripe or some design uncovered.

[J C L i T]

Perfect solution..

 

http://www.spam.com/

 

scroll down for sample pics and video. I did my trunk lid on my last car. Saves you hundreds of bucks! they also have like 3-4 other styles too