Clearing my new carbon panels

[Tortoise]

Gettin ready to put on my cf mugen rep spoiler, cf mugen rep hood, and cf fenders I wanna get everything clearcoated before i put it on so i dont have to worry about them fading. What do u guys think is a fair price to get all those panels cleared and installed? And also do you think i should do one or two layers of clear? I really dont want them to fade!!

[DRP967]

Hmm I have a VIS CF ctr style spoiler for 5+ years with no issues. Then again my car is garaged and i polish/seal the CF pieces on a daily basis. Bought it brand new and just threw it on the car, same goes for the VIS CF ctr style front lip but that is only about a couple months old. Anyways dont the CF pieces already come clear coated? Cant go wrong with layered protection...bump for the OP and please post pictures!

[Tortoise]

Hmm I have a VIS CF ctr style spoiler for 5+ years with no issues. Then again my car is garaged and i polish/seal the CF pieces on a daily basis. Bought it brand new and just threw it on the car, same goes for the VIS CF ctr style front lip but that is only about a couple months old. Anyways dont the CF pieces already come clear coated? Cant go wrong with layered protection...bump for the OP and please post pictures!

Hey man glad to hear your having good luck with your stuff! Unfortunatly i tend to slack a little when it comes to taking care of shit so im doing it to be safe. Heard of a lot of people whos stuff faded in jus a matter of months and i dont want that happening to my investment. Also my car is kept outside and in sunn all day:( i'm just hoping it doesnt cost me an insane amount to get this done! I will deff post pics when its done but it will be awhile because im in the process of gettig ready for a swap since my a3 blew unexpectedly at 48000 miles.

[talonXracer]

I am not a fan of these el-cheapo quasi-carbon parts, (what do you expect from someone who makes Cf parts for a living, LOL). I had a Cf hood on the Talon and Cf lips and skirts on the EP3 and unless you garage the car, the clear will NOT provide the proper UV protection to keep the matrix from degrading. These parts are also NOT fabricated from true Carbon, but are INFACT low grade Graphite fabrics with a polyester resin matrix.

The Cf hoods also cause a significant rise in underhood temps, especially in the summer and down south unless they are properly topcoated with paint.

[POOPTOOTH]

You can clear it all you want, but if like you said, 'you don't take care of shit', anything will fade. Save your money on clear and put that money into taking care of your paint/parts with quality wax/sealer/etc.

I had a VIS CF type r lip on the EP for YEARS and it looked brand new the day I sold it. Why? I attribute it to taking care of it and keeping a good coat of wax on it, constantly.

[Tortoise]

What is proper care for my carbon fiber then?

[POOPTOOTH]

Treat it like any other part of your car that's painted....wash, claybar, sealer, wax....repeat as often as you feel necessary.

[Tortoise]

So sealer comes after claybar? What exactly is sealer and when does polish come in for the other panels?

[mitchlikesbikes]

yeah i've read that a good sealer (like blackfire wet diamond) and a wax is the best solution but you've gotta keep a decent coat on at all times. and since the carbon fiber is cleared in pretty much the same way as paint you can polish it in the same way you would your paint

[Tortoise]

Im reading that seibon has really good uv protection and my hood and spoiler are seibon so thats a plus. My fenders are vis so im kinda worried about those. I cant see how another coat of clear would atleast add some protection..

[POOPTOOTH]

So sealer comes after claybar? What exactly is sealer and when does polish come in for the other panels?

I am by no means a detail guru, whatever I learned is from either this forums DIY Car Detail threads or by other online sources. I'm sure if you poke around a little more online you might be able to find some good products..

As for more clear, I'm sure it can't hurt?

EDIT: I did a quick search for 'protecting carbon fiber' and found this...

Most carbon fiber hoods are clear coated and should be treated just like paint as far as I know. Wax or seal it regularly and you should help minimize the damage from UV rays and slow fade. If you would like help selecting a wax or sealant please let me know, I'd be happy to help. I've had great sucess with the Poorboy's World Natty's Blue Paste Wax or the Natty's Red, P21S Carnauba Wax and Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax. I really like all of these products and they work great. Tons of great waxes out there that should help you protect the hood. Unfortunately waxes don't last particularly long so you should re-apply it every 2 - 4 weeks if it's a daily driver. If you prefer a sealant you'll get longer protection. I really like the Menzerna FMJ and the Poorboy's World EX-P second. Again any good sealant will make a big difference if you apply it regularly. I've seen carbon fiber that was never regularly waxed or sealed and it does seem to look worse than regular paint when it fades. Not sure if this is a coincidence or all carbon fiber is like that. Either way just protect it regularly and you shouldn't have too many problems. You'll also need to polish the paint on a semi-regular basis to keep it smooth and glossy. If you'd like more information about that please let me know. Good luck!

Greg @ Detailed Image

[usedep3]

nice, wish I could do this

STOP SPAMMING!!!

i hit new post every morning and you seem to have a almost a page worth of post whoring per night...

[sleepy ep3]

Gettin ready to put on my cf mugen rep spoiler, cf mugen rep hood, and cf fenders I wanna get everything clearcoated before i put it on so i dont have to worry about them fading. What do u guys think is a fair price to get all those panels cleared and installed? And also do you think i should do one or two layers of clear? I really dont want them to fade!!

The clear coat that is used for oem cars with carbon fiber is really expensive. If I remember right, the uv protectant clearcoat on the zo6 carbon edition is like $5000 a quart or some madness. Your best bet is to just wax the hell out of it and hope for the best. Unless you want to buy uv clear.

[NL 1]

Got cf lip hood hatch and spoiler on tha ep for bout 5 yrs now. Car is 100% daily driven parked on tha sun in south texas its hot year round lol and no fades. Carbon will fade if u do not take care of it. I had all my parts sanded and cleared with multiple coats before installing. As for pricing depends where u go just like a paint job. I would say 400 bux