I just purchased a front hood and rear deck lids in carbon fiber today so call new from GT Racing. I spent about about 800$ for both . I had to dip into my underwear fund which was a ten year dudget. Did I get a good deal? You decide.


I duno and gotta stop spending here.

You did fine!

I've seen them sell for 1k a piece.


B

Good price. Please paint them...

Might make up for the weight of the beer tap system in your dash.

Awsome and thank you. They are high and it sounded like a great deal. I was wondering of the paint v.s. not painting. It would probably look wierd not painted unless it was a silver car.


Yes!

SSSHHH, thats our little party stash secret.


Don't drink it officer, its pizl!

Yuo could put stripes like Trekkor's car, but the stripes would be the natural CF

finish. Might look good.

Ya, three D stripes, that is an awsome idea; front to back.


Sounds like a winner to me!

Yes you got a great deal and please dont paint them! Why ruin weight savings by applying a needless coats of ugly paint? Be proud of your CF!

You got a great deal. These items sell each $800 plus. Please do not paint them, but leave them in carbon fiber finish. Suggestion: paint the width of the hoods on the rest of the car (bumpers, front, engine lid, rear, etc.) with a complementary color like black; rest of car whatever you want that is complementary to carbon fiber.

Just a thought.

you want to at least put a clear coat on them to protect from the UV or they will turn yellow.....

I agree with Mueller, they will need some paint and clear might not be enough as they can start to delaminate after some time in the sun too. The paint would not add much weight and you could always use hood pins at each corner and ask someone you want to impress to hold it for me while I put gas in!

I was at Daytona with the Brumos team last week with my car with cleared C/F front hood. This one guy pulled up with a new Boxster. He looked at my car, particularly the hood and commented neat paint treatment. I told him it wasn't paint and that it was C/F. He gave me a weird look and said " you mean like a sticker". I had to explain to him what Carbon Fiber was. What a noob. Some people should stick with their Buicks.

T.C.

Thanks for the lamination/UV rays issue since I was wondering if it was light sensitive. As for the paint nonpainting issue; I don't know what to do. The CF racing stripes was a good idea and the car is just getting started in its long mutative journey, even with this new paintjob its getting it still won't be the end. Thank you all for the great info and inspirition !

I see, black top, front, and back and Xcolor for sides. Cool Idea bud.

You could always cover it in carbon fiber vinyl and when someone makes fun of it, let them hold it, they'll be amazed. I think the vinyl is lighter than the paint and would protect better than paint anyways.

I've been this for awhile since I need to modify mine for headlight delete and add a gas filler hole. I will likely paint mine w/o clear graphics. Those are fine for race car or a "custom" look...

Weight and strength aside, you paid for a nice finished CF pattern so you either clearcoat (bi-annually) to preserve it or paint it as done with high end sports cars. Another option is to have a painted metal hood for daily use and CF for "show"....

I wonder if the CF sellers would sell you one cheaper w/o a clear or attention to finish if you plan to paint it anyway, just a thought.

JPB - awesome deal! I got exactly that from Neo914 last year, but mine still need some holes filled and the clear coat applied - if needed (?!?!)

PLEASE call GT Racing and ask them about the UV finish and any protection the unfinished hoods need from the sun, then get back here and post the results.

I did call, and he told me not to worry, that the GT Racing 911 CF hoods he has had for over 5 years haven't yellowed at all with normal use. I simply said thanks for the info, and hung up - BUT I AM REALLY WORRIED that he just told me what I wanted to hear and I might foul up my nice looking CF hood after a month or 2 of CA sun.

I noticed you were told "with normal use" when you asked. If you think about it race cars spend most of their time in the shop. in a trailer or under a cover and not just parked outside. Once or twice a weekend per month they get to see the sun when at a race event. For my flourscent orange graphics they will last all year in this mode but I left an old hood out side and the graphics faded away in two weeks of San Diego sun.

Do you leave price tags on all your stuff to let everyone know how much you spent?

If so, don't paint them.

Otherwise if you like nicely finished cars, paint them to match.


just my opinion.

Paint the OUTSIDE but leave the INSIDE raw

My motorcycle has a C/F overlay and it's starting to pull away from a couple spots that get exposed to the most sun -- when at home she's always parked in the garage and I only ride when it's sunny. At least it doesn't chip like paint, it all stays together. I would recommend a UV protectorant of some sort if you don't go with paint.

[quote name='JOHNMAN' date='Jul 9 2006, 05:54 AM' post='723018']
Do you leave price tags on all your stuff to let everyone know how much you spent?

The only people who need to put the $ on the car are the insurance adjusters and the hot Swedish chicks!

I was going to do that but the inside weave is not visible. They only made one side aesthetic.

I was a sign maker for a while and what we noticed is that if we used fluorecent colors on our signs, they would fade soon after installed; one month or so. We then applied a UV protecting clear coat on the whole thing and it protected all the colors in direct sunlight indefinately. I like the idea of using the corbon fiber as my racing stripes front to back and believe that the painter can get me some UV blocker clear coat for the finish. It would make the base coat look deap on the hoods and make the CF finish even hotter.

Ya know, make a CF statement without shouting it.

I don't want to piss anybody off, BUT

The weight savings between FG and CF makes the cost of CF crazy unless you are on a F1 team budget.

And if you paint it the CF will telegraph through...

Just clear coat it and show it off.

I think it is called bling or something like that....

Hey JPB - check this out
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=55883
I know you just blew you underwear $$$ already, so you want to split the cost of one of these?? You can have the top half, with the bumper, and I get the bottom half, for my front air dam. Deal?

Just to jump in here regarding painting verses leaving them raw....

According to Prototype Composites, they use a different process (vacuum infusion) for making a naked carbon part. If the part will be painted, they use pre-impregnated carbon and it ends up weighing a slight bit more due to more epoxy used. Now, having said that, these guys make really nice parts and their standards may be higher than other companies.

Got the hoods in and found small pits where the overcoat had bubbles and cured before they flushed out. Thank God its an easy fix. I decided to put two racing striped down the center front and back the red my car will be painted in.

You can easily pickem up with one hand so cool.