not exactly "custom" but i added some more red to my interior.need to find a new center cover as the carpet is fugly

 

loving that cf interior!

 

Kodokan: no flame intended here... I'm just curious if that is real carbon fiber? I know there are some companies that actually do a really good 'carbon' effect coating and then there is the carbon looking vinyl, etc.... I was just wonder what method you went with. If it is real carbon fiber, then the pics just don't do it justice.

Either way, it looks very clean!

 

I've talked to a lot of manufacturing companies, and many of the OEM interior pieces can't be made out of real CF. In order to get everything to match, I had to do it another way.

The process I use is the same that is done at the Honda factory. Honda uses this application on some of their motorcycle parts. It's like liquid printing and custom painting, and is very difficult to do well by hand.

It's cost me a small fortune, but I'm happy with the results, and I think I have to do just 6 more pieces to complete the interior.

-Pete

 

so this is paint and not CF?

 

Well, it's painted underneath the CF pattern, and there's 3 coats of clear urethane over the CF pattern.

The CF pattern is a gel, impregnated with the pattern. The gel is floated on water, and the gel is dissolved with chemicals. Then the part is passed through the ink floating on the water, and the pattern sticks to the part.

The hardest part is getting the pattern to flow properly over the different shapes of the pieces. I know it took about 7 or 8 tries to get one side of the roll hoops done, and they had to be done in 3 different stages.

I still have a few pieces that need to go back and be redone because they aren't perfect. They charge big bucks for this stuff, so I'm going to make sure I'm happy with every piece!

-Pete

 

all this time and money for fake CF...sorry I just don't get it. I've seen this on many cars SLK had it all over and it never looks real in person.

Good luck finishing your project.

 

Updated the second post with pics now that the gallery is working again.

 

[QUOTE=sf_firestarter,May 19 2005, 06:37 AM]all this time and money for fake CF...sorry I just don't get it.

 

WOW I like the carbon fiber look, even if it isn't real carbon fiber. Where did you get that done at? It sounds like it takes a long time to get it complete.