carbon bonnets

[steve]

hey guys,
I have a fibreglass/carbon fibre skin bonnet, problem is that due to age of bonnet the carbon has faded/ hazed etc
Jus wonderin wether a new cf skin can be applied to the fibreglass to make it lookin brand new
Also who would i contact to get this sorta work done???

[e240]

hey guys,
I have a fibreglass/carbon fibre skin bonnet, problem is that due to age of bonnet the carbon has faded/ hazed etc
Jus wonderin wether a new cf skin can be applied to the fibreglass to make it lookin brand new
Also who would i contact to get this sorta work done???

I used to restore Carbon Fibre by lightly sanding down the cover, 800grit wet sand, and then apply clearcoat over. If you don't know how to paint, then I suggest going to a reputable paint shop.

See my avatar? That whole thing is Carbon Fibre, including the exhaust cans..heh heh heh...

[dundas]

hmmz would that reaallly work... sand then respray with clear gloss? sounds like a good idea- ill let my friend know hehehe

[nobbs]

i have heard of this method also, i wouldnt mind doing it to my bonnet

i tried polishing my bonnet last week and it came out heaps better but still not 100%, maybe u can also give that a try

[JINRAI]

isnt waxing it gonna make it worse?

[egSi]

how old is ur hood?

mine is 2ys old and looks like new! besides hole in it, i polish my religiously, look shiny as ****! :confused:

[HRV-80Y]

simplest n most effective way is indeed 2 hav it sanded back and re-coated with clear coat...

will end up looking as brand new...

mines about 1 month old n due to engine heat seems to start to fade...

n due 2 rocks branches dirt etc...clear coat starting to fade in another couple months ill re-coat it wit a fresh clear coat ! :D :D :D

[egSi]

where did u get ur bonnets??!


after 1 month it fades?? crap quality lol. mine is 2 yrs old and get as hot as any other hood :confused:

[HRV-80Y]

where did u get ur bonnets??!


after 1 month it fades?? crap quality lol. mine is 2 yrs old and get as hot as any other hood :confused:

HEY DUN DIS THE BONNETS ! hondar got mine for me ! good quality !

hondar a.k.a. JDM Concept yO ! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

they are good just that its bound 2 happn my car is outdoor 24x7...

and engine heat will alwayz make the cf lighter coloured over time...

[egSi]

HEY DUN DIS THE BONNETS ! hondar got mine for me ! good quality !

hondar a.k.a. JDM Concept yO ! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

they are good just that its bound 2 happn my car is outdoor 24x7...

and engine heat will alwayz make the cf lighter coloured over time...

lol chill out man, ive never heard this happening after 1 month b4.

mine is good and i regularly buff/polish mine so maybe u should try that

me=trying to help :p ;)

[HRV-80Y]

lol chill out man, ive never heard this happening after 1 month b4.

mine is good and i regularly buff/polish mine so maybe u should try that

me=trying to help :p ;)

yeh yeh i kno fanx man !

btw wat do u use 2 buff urz ? wat products ? ;) ;) ;)

u buff by hand of machine ?

[egSi]

i used to now buff with hand now im automated :thumbsup:

my products:

meguires(sp) 'paint cleaner' x1

now i use meguires(sp) 'wet look polish' x heaps

so i cut onces, lookd way better and now i red apply buffer with machine all the time, mad shinyness :thumbsup:

[HRV-80Y]

i used to now buff with hand now im automated :thumbsup:

my products:

meguires(sp) 'paint cleaner' x1

now i use meguires(sp) 'wet look polish' x heaps

so i cut onces, lookd way better and now i red apply buffer with machine all the time, mad shinyness :thumbsup:

wats (sp) ?

n wat do u mean u cut onces ?

[egSi]

wats (sp) ?

n wat do u mean u cut onces ?

(sp) means spellin aka i cant spell meguires ro whatever

and i 'cut' my hood once with the paint cleaner stuff then buffed everytime after that

[HRV-80Y]

(sp) means spellin aka i cant spell meguires ro whatever

and i 'cut' my hood once with the paint cleaner stuff then buffed everytime after that

OK SWEET ~!

will find time on weekend do it...

i'll DIY it ! n do a review !

[[stealth]]

would be a good read for all CF owners..

:D

[steve]

thanx for the help guys:)

i'll try polishin it this weekend n if it doesn't come up good i'l take to it wit sum wet n dry...:thumbsup:

[egSi]

seriously guys id recommend NOT sanding or some shit.


cut the hood back, make sure ur car is cool and ur hood is cool. and then buff away, swear to god, stop ppl from thinking its not cf to KNOWING its not cf. :thumbsup:

[HRV-80Y]

seriously guys id recommend NOT sanding or some shit.


cut the hood back, make sure ur car is cool and ur hood is cool. and then buff away, swear to god, stop ppl from thinking its not cf to KNOWING its not cf. :thumbsup:

wat do u mean exactly wen u mean cut ?

[egSi]

wat do u mean exactly wen u mean cut ?

man with the polish!!! its a paint cutter u knob :p

[HRV-80Y]

man with the polish!!! its a paint cutter u knob :p

wat gear knob huh wat ? :p

fanx ! il c how i go on weekend providing it dun rain in syd !

[[[d a n n y]]]

what do u polish your cf hoods with??

[hondar]

simplest n most effective way is indeed 2 hav it sanded back and re-coated with clear coat...

will end up looking as brand new...

mines about 1 month old n due to engine heat seems to start to fade...

n due 2 rocks branches dirt etc...clear coat starting to fade in another couple months ill re-coat it wit a fresh clear coat ! :D :D :D

it shouldnt fade... lol i have mine for 2 years now, still as good!

i used turtle wax tar remover to keep it shiny after every car wash.

never never polish them. instead i use meguire "paint cleaner", clean it within small area at a time and away from heat. it will give the shine back.

hope that helps :D

[steve]

jus lookin at it then... i think its deeper than a simple polish/paint clean woteva...
Dun kno how old bonnet is... was on car when i got it

So any1 kno wether a new skin can be applied?

1 of my mates races yachts n has access to a large baking oven they use to repair hulls

So i was thinkin that i could rub back to fiberglass, or use sum sort of stripper, then apply a few layers of new carbon n bake???

Does any1 KNOW wether this can be done???

[e240]

When you Sand off the top c/f, i'd like to see you get it completely off and a flat surface.

Trust me, a light wet sand to smoothen out the surface, and then a couple of layers of good clear coat.

I can't post pictures now, but give me your email and I'll email you before and after pictures.

[nobbs]

wat do u mean exactly wen u mean cut ?

lol @ pascoe....meguiars paint cleaner is like cut and polish so thats what he saying by 'cutting' it

but yeh, well meet up and do it together man...(polish the bonnets)

[HRV-80Y]

it shouldnt fade... lol i have mine for 2 years now, still as good!

i used turtle wax tar remover to keep it shiny after every car wash.

never never polish them. instead i use meguire "paint cleaner", clean it within small area at a time and away from heat. it will give the shine back.

hope that helps :D

hmmmz ill go 2dai at lunch see if i can buy sum meguires paint cleaner...:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

still lvun my bonnet leo fanx heapz !

[HRV-80Y]

lol @ pascoe....meguiars paint cleaner is like cut and polish so thats what he saying by 'cutting' it

but yeh, well meet up and do it together man...(polish the bonnets)

hahaa shush alex i am noob wen it comes to cars..i duno nutn :( :( :( :p :p :p

yeh prob satday if it dun rain ! it better not ! wash n polish car...

[saxman]

the reason that the carbon fades is due to the resin not being uv inhibited. Has nothing to do with engine heat. If a non uv resistant clear coat was used with a non uv resistant resin, you get yellowing. Sometimes you can wet sand and reclear to help things out, but if it's yellowing, that's in the resin itself

[saxman]

jus lookin at it then... i think its deeper than a simple polish/paint clean woteva...
Dun kno how old bonnet is... was on car when i got it

So any1 kno wether a new skin can be applied?

1 of my mates races yachts n has access to a large baking oven they use to repair hulls

So i was thinkin that i could rub back to fiberglass, or use sum sort of stripper, then apply a few layers of new carbon n bake???

Does any1 KNOW wether this can be done???
yes, it technically can be done... however, you're looking at far more labor that it's worth... you also do not need to bake carbon anyway...

it would probably be cheaper to buy a new hood than to try to put a new skin on

[joyride]

the reason that the carbon fades is due to the resin not being uv inhibited. Has nothing to do with engine heat. If a non uv resistant clear coat was used with a non uv resistant resin, you get yellowing. Sometimes you can wet sand and reclear to help things out, but if it's yellowing, that's in the resin itself
either sell it for cheap and get a new one or just spray over the entire hood :o

[saxman]

is the problem with it yellowing(carbon will start to get a brownish/gold tint to it) or it just hazing over, etc

[TeMp]

i used to now buff with hand now im automated :thumbsup:

my products:

meguires(sp) 'paint cleaner' x1

now i use meguires(sp) 'wet look polish' x heaps

so i cut onces, lookd way better and now i red apply buffer with machine all the time, mad shinyness :thumbsup:

Hey Trav man,

What do you use to automat? I was looking around before for some kind of hand held and etc buffing machine. What do you use?

[smoknhothonda]

I have been keeping my eye out for a thread on CF bonnets.

Im in the process of buying a hood, and a truck, and at this stage Im leaning towards the VIS hood n trunk from the USA for my 95 Accord.

But the downside is It will be around 2kish landed in OZ.....

Has anyone here had experience with the VIS hoods n trunks???

I certainly dont want to spend 2k and have it fade on me after a few months!!!

[egSi]

super cheap auto obital buffer, cheap and nasty but has turned my car round! highly recommend it man! :thumbsup: like $50

[HRV-80Y]

super cheap auto obital buffer, cheap and nasty but has turned my car round! highly recommend it man! :thumbsup: like $50

ROUND ? LOLZ !

[egSi]

ROUND ? LOLZ !

as in paint la, from shit to good. ie Around :p

[steve]

is the problem with it yellowing(carbon will start to get a brownish/gold tint to it) or it just hazing over, etc

Both!:(

[TypeG]

simplest n most effective way is indeed 2 hav it sanded back and re-coated with clear coat...

will end up looking as brand new...

mines about 1 month old n due to engine heat seems to start to fade...

n due 2 rocks branches dirt etc...clear coat starting to fade in another couple months ill re-coat it wit a fresh clear coat ! :D :D :D

i got the bonnet from hondar and it faded after a while too

[hondar]

i got the bonnet from hondar and it faded after a while too

honestly, it is a matter of taking care of it...i have mine for 2 years.. still looks as good... :D, mishandling like waxing and do some other stuffs will damaged the bonnet. and please bonnet like paint in your car, do get wear and tear as well.. but if u take care of it, it should last you a long while.

use macguire paint cleaner... do in small area (polish it), away from heat, it should be all like new again. be patient with it.

this is the bonnet condition taken 2 months ago.. i did a close up.. still like new...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/hondar/DSC05407.jpg

[newbie]

i know its an old thread..

so wat products are people using now to clean there bonnet?

advise from someone and i tried autoglym resin + buffer = stuffed up my bonnet after a few wks... now my bonnet is quite dull in colour.. worse than b4 i buffered it!! (not happie)

ps. i have my own buffer to use and still got alot of autoglym resin..

anyone in sydney.. can help me out too would be great! DIY y0.

so im finking how can i fix the problem... (not ready into sanding back and respray clear coat unless i get help) so wat else can i use??

[saxman]

newbie... I'd suggest a good rubbing compound, followed by a good polishing compound... sounds like you just took some of the luster away.

a carbon hood should be cared for just like the rest of the paint. Yellowing and such is a result of a low quality part, not improper maintenance. Hazing, on the other hand can be a result of not taking care of it.

[elim]

I just wax mine cause my impression is that it's going to put a protective layer on the bonnet from the sun.
I don't use polish or paint cleaner because I'm assuming they actually do some cutting and so it'll make the bonnet look dull.

I think what's covered by leo and trav above should do the trick.

[newbie]

its more of a hazing/ dullness result from last summer + the method i used which didnt work..

i dont think its a yellowing (cuz wen the bonnet is wet you can see the actual CF is in great condition like when i first bought it about 2.5yrs ago)..

cut = ?? (yes im a noob when it comes to clay bar, cut and all that jazz.. since i dont clean my car that much etc.. i wash & wax with all meg' products though hahaha)

thanks elim yer its mentioned briefly in this thread but i need more of a DIY step guide i fink..

btw. should this thread be moved now to the car care part? hehe

i also got meguiar's wax to use also.. rekcon if i wash, then wax then autoglym resin.. that will work?

[kayot1k]

ok, waxing/polishing car is often difficult for most of us as we live a busy life.
but you gotta do what you gotta do if u want results.

yes, using paint cleaner like leo said does work, but a back breaker.
takes ages but the results are like he said as new.
effective in removing mild oxidation, if anyone else has another product thats heaps better feel free to let us know.

just remember to wax it after to add that protective layer.

[aaronng]

Please always renew the layer of wax or sealant on your CF bonnet. Because once it turns yellow, you can't turn it back to clear. Hazing on the other hand can be repaired using swirl remover and a random orbital with a foam pad.

[saxman]

Please always renew the layer of wax or sealant on your CF bonnet. Because once it turns yellow, you can't turn it back to clear. Hazing on the other hand can be repaired using swirl remover and a random orbital with a foam pad.
wax/sealant will not prevent yellowing. Yellowing is a result of a uv reaction with a low quality resin and lack of a uv inhibited clear coat. When using a uv inhibited clear/resin, yellowing will not occure. Not to say keeping it waxed up is a bad idea... it should be, much like the rest of the paint, just that it isn't the answer for yellowing.

[aaronng]

Sealants have UV blockers in them. If you wax it frequently, every 2-4 weeks, you can delay the yellowing of the resin.

[newbie]

does anyone have an anwer to my question???

wat should i do?... i plan (this sat) to wash it, dry, buffer with just the fluffy pad, then apply auto gylm resin, buffer off, hand wipe over, then meg' wax on and buffer that off, and lastly wipe again by hand.. (also will do it in 2 sections so i dont leave the products on it to long)

rekcon that will do it??..

(btw.. long term solution is better.. after that just wax it once a month or something will do fine i rekcon)

[aaronng]

You are meant to use your buffer to apply! Not to buff off! LOL. Apply using the buffer, and buff off using a microfibre cloth.

And yes, waxing every month is good.

[bennjamin]

Alittle offtopic but has anyone here painted a carbon-fibre bonnet ?! OFcourse its the same as painting a fibreglass bonnet but how different is that exactly ?

[aaronng]

As long as the paint sticks to epoxy, it should work...

[newbie]

You are meant to use your buffer to apply! Not to buff off! LOL. Apply using the buffer, and buff off using a microfibre cloth.

And yes, waxing every month is good.

OMG! ARE YOU FREKEN SERIOUS!

when i bought the buffer it only came with one pad.. its a wool fluffy sheep thing.. how the heck do you apply product with it?
---

.. no wonder the product didnt last long.. hahaha freaken such a lost one with all his car detailing crap..

[aaronng]

Well.. is it a cotton pad? Just apply some product on the pad, dam it around the paint, 1/4 panel at a time, and then use the buffer to spread and work it in. Work in straight lines. Left to right, front to back. The layer will be nice and thin. When you wipe off with a MF cloth, it will be easy to come off, but the autoglym resin will leave a thin durable layer.