Carbon Fiber Prices

[akaaronkatz]

So I've been looking at some Carbon Fiber pieces and notice that some of the same parts have different prices. Does it really matter if you go with a cheaper carbon fiber part as opposed to buying the more expensive piece?

[kuriz32]

Yes, it definitely makes a difference. A lot of the cheaper stuff ends up fading/clouding/yellowing in very short periods of times (I've seen Seibon hoods get cloudy and yellowed after only 2 weeks). You'll also often see serious fitment issues with the cheap stuff. In the end, you often get what you pay for. However, there are some cheaper brands that do have good fit and finish as well.

[bullitt5897]

We try to bridge the gap between the cheap and expensive parts. Being owners of this car we didnt want to pay an exotic car price tag for parts like the items you get from japan. but we wanted to offer the same quality at an affordable price. We have a few parts in stock that have GREAT Fitment and wont break your bank.

Mike

[ZMan8]

Dry Carbon Fiber (more expensive) is made with a prepreg (pre-impregnated) carbon material where the resin is already applied to the carbon lattice in a controlled manner. Parts made with this process are lighter and if correctly designed are stronger than their "wet" counterparts due to finer control of resin matrix in the composite.

wet carbon fiber (less expensive) is made by taking carbon fabric and applying resin to it in a fashion very similar to how DIYR's make fibreglass parts. Parts made with this process are typically heavier due to the larger amount of resin matrix in the final part.

[Lemers]

I haven't seen an actual weight comparison, but some have stated that wet CF hoods are heavier than the OEM aluminum hood. If that's the case the reason for getting wet CF is for looks only.

[ZMan8]

Originally Posted by Lemers

I haven't seen an actual weight comparison, but some have stated that wet CF hoods are heavier than the OEM aluminum hood. If that's the case the reason for getting wet CF is for looks only.

I believe that is correct

[_ace_]

Originally Posted by Lemers

I haven't seen an actual weight comparison, but some have stated that wet CF hoods are heavier than the OEM aluminum hood. If that's the case the reason for getting wet CF is for looks only.

That sounds reasonable--aluminum is pretty light. The weight comparison would certainly vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and if their quality control is weak (it could be if they're letting parts get that heavy), a part made on one day would vary some from another just because the guy spraying the resin might have sprayed a little more that time. Or they might have two guys on staff, and one is less experienced.

The strength of the CF part won't change much based on the resin content as most of the load bearing capability is driven by the ply count and ply thickness, i.e. how much actual carbon fiber is in the part. The extra resin won't really hurt much except weight. It may also improve the part's impact resistance.

With UV damage, the resin is what yellows, and the way higher quality parts combat that is simply by having a UV resistant compound added to the plastic itself (rather, they buy a more costly plastic that includes the additive as part of it). The UV compounds typically resist a finite amount of UV, meaning that if you park them in the Florida sun they'll last a lot less time than if you parked them in Minnesota.

Another approach for UV resistance--which any manufacturer could take--is to add a thin layer of UV resistant plastic on the outer surface. Kind of like throwing the 3M stuff on top. The idea would be to add a transparent plastic that has excellent UV resistance.

Also, spraying on a UV absorbent coating all the time would work if you're diligent. The problem is it may rub off easily. I think Armor All has Tinuvin in it, does anyone know?