| Author | Message | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 63 Registered: 11-2002 |
Yikes...heavy  So far i've done mostly small pieces, but I did make a full mold of some side sills. However, these would need to be neavily heat sheilded. More of a "can I do it" experiment. James | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 62 Registered: 11-2002 |
will do James | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
New member Username: Valence Post Number: 28 Registered: 3-2003 |
Not for long... | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
New member Username: Valence Post Number: 27 Registered: 3-2003 |
James, the 348/355 uses quite a bit of really heavy fiberglass along with its steel panels. | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
New member Username: Valence Post Number: 26 Registered: 3-2003 |
Depends on the part and on the resin matrix used. Different resin systems cure at different temperatures. We use 5 different liquid resins and 3 different prepreg systems right now. All are some form of epoxy. I assure you that all of our parts come fully cured. Please don't hesitate to contact me, James - it seems we have this "interest" in common. | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 61 Registered: 11-2002 |
Just about any composite is better than it's steel counterpart  Are the 348/355 parts aluminum or steel? James | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 60 Registered: 11-2002 |
Do you do the full cure parts for autos? I may pick your brain on some projects i'm working on ;) James | ||
| Chris Coffing (Valence)
New member Username: Valence Post Number: 24 Registered: 3-2003 |
Tim, you're right - it's all in the design and tooling - the material itself (along with disposables and manufacturing overhead) is "only" several times that of fiberglass. Dry carbon fabric can be used in "wet layup" parts as a straight substitute for dry glass fabric, but there's no significant strength or weight advantage unless advanced manufacturing techniques are used. Guys, my company manufactures carbon fiber Ducati and (under a different brand name) Porsche and BMW parts. Guess what? We're moving into the Ferrari market as well. Look at the sponsor banners at the top of the screen and you'll see ours. We just began sponsoring Ferrarichat! Yes, we are going to produce many of these parts that [some of] you desire. E-mail me with any specific ideas. Just my professional opinion - judging from those pictures, whoever made that Porsche body did a damn fine job. [email protected] | ||
| Randall (Randall)
Member Username: Randall Post Number: 339 Registered: 1-2003 |
James, If I didn't have 3000 miles of ocean to worry about for shipping, I'd send some panels your way. Keep us posted on what you make though. | ||
| Tim N (Timn88)
Advanced Member Username: Timn88 Post Number: 2876 Registered: 6-2001 |
It woud be expensive but i dont think it would be that expensive (relatively). good racing shells (rowing boats) cost about $22k, and everything on themis CF, even the seats. there are ones that are alot less than 22k, and they have carbon skin (maybe not CF ribs though, but any boat worth rowing has CF skin)The skin of the boat would probably work out to be more than is needed for a car body, seeing how the boat is 60ft long. I think the reason the nose for an F50 is so expensive is because its an F50 nose. developing and making the molds is probably why it would be expensive. | ||
| Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Junior Member Username: Ferraristuff Post Number: 124 Registered: 4-2003 |
>>>carbon conducts electricity..and it burns. Yup! It BURNS! Le Mans 24 Hours - 2000, Dams / Cadillac Northstar, Mulsanne straight, Christophe Tinseau driving... well... driving... :-( Took 40 minutes to burn out completely... The marshals couldn't get the CF fire under control! What a SMELL! Jack | ||
| Patman36 (Patrickr)
Junior Member Username: Patrickr Post Number: 148 Registered: 4-2002 |
Well the 2004 is still the C5... this is GM's idea of a "special edition." The paint scheme is okay but I don't think I would pay the extra $5k they will charge for a CF hood, special hood paint scheme, and a "retuned" suspension. The Comp Coupes are beautiful... no way will the C6 be CF, I'm sure they'll be fiberglass. Patrick | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 57 Registered: 11-2002 |
Carbon hoods don't seem to like the desert sun too well You can coat CF like any other composite... paints, clears, etc. all work. Most of the "natrual" CF parts have been buffed to bring out the shine. You can coat a piece with layers of clear to give it some protection from the elements. Treated just like a cars clear coat in terms of care. You can also get the translucent paint effect with CF, which looks very good up close. James | ||
| Jeff Green (Carguy)
Junior Member Username: Carguy Post Number: 246 Registered: 10-2002 |
My Testarossa is Nero Black Metallic...up close it's very dark grey with metalflake. More than 20 feet away it's black metallic. I would love to have an unpaianted carbon fiber hood, it would go so well with the rest of the car. How would it stand up to stone chips? | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 56 Registered: 11-2002 |
Well, the Comp Coupe is a full carbon body.. and it will be out before the C6 hits. What defines a production car? You have to own a race team to buy one from dodge LOL James | ||
| Patman36 (Patrickr)
Junior Member Username: Patrickr Post Number: 146 Registered: 4-2002 |
I LOVE carbon fiber so much but it is SO expensive! Just for bits and bobbles for my car it is way up there (door sill protectors, air bridges, etc.). This info just came out today for those that are interested and it is relavent to the topic. Looks like the 2004 Z06 Corvette "special edition" will have a carbon fiber hood. GM is claiming that it is the "first use of carbon fiber as a painted exterior panel on a vehicle produced in North America". I can post a link if anybody wants to read about it or wants to see the paint scheme... A hood in CF is cool, but that whole body rocks. Patrick | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Intermediate Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 1023 Registered: 5-2002 |
Just think, only 66 pounds of material between you and the tractor trailer rig that is about to broadside you. (Actually only 33 pounds, assuming that half the weight is on the side that the truck is approaching you from.) | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 55 Registered: 11-2002 |
Randal, If you got an extra set of panels you'd like to loan... drop me an email While most of my current tooling is setup for Viper related parts (valve covers, fascia, side sills) the principle is all the same. James | ||
| James Adams (Madmaxx)
Junior Member Username: Madmaxx Post Number: 54 Registered: 11-2002 |
CF itself is cheap like Mitch said. However, don't base an entire body on what the Ferrari MSRP is for replacement panels! A full carbon fiber viper hood (weighs 9lbs IIRC) is just under 3K, where the OEM RTM hood is 14K MSRP. Many body panels do NOT need to be heat/vac cured. They are not structural pieces. Most hoods, quarters, etc. are not put through the same curing process as structural aero peices. You could splash a set of OEM panels and repop them in CF no problem. S-glas backing with CF on top, I doubt they would ever stress any more than a simmilar pice of RTM or 'glass would Now.. if your talking a mono chassis with a cf tub... then yeah, you will need some large wads of cash ;) You can make a bike frame that will stand up to your weight and the momentem in your garage hehe carbon conducts electricity..and it burns. So watch out where you use it. James | ||
| Randall (Randall)
Member Username: Randall Post Number: 338 Registered: 1-2003 |
I've seen the GTO kits in carbon fiber for around $15k. I'm hoping someone will start making the 308 body panels in fiberglass or carbon fiber. It'd be nice for rust repair or accident repair. I don't know the weight comparisons when it comes to CF vs. kevlar vs. fiberglass vs. sheet metal. This site sells CF GTO parts: http://www.berlinettamotorcars.com/GTOstylebodyparts.htm I didn't think the prices were that bad | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 547 Registered: 4-2002 |
Carbon fiber fabric itslef is not not that much more expensive than fiberglass (s-glass). However, unlike fiberglass, where you lay up the fabric in a mold and 'paint' on expoy or some other resin and let it harden; in CF work, you layup the fiber, lay on the resin, then put the whole thing in a big plastic bag, pull a vacuum on it, and stick it in a autoclave to cook it at high temperature for many hours. Otherwise the resin will break before the structural advantages of the carbon fibers can be utilized. If you want the 'look' of CF, you can do layups not much more expensive than s-glass. If you want/need the 'structural properties' of CF, it gets real expensive. | ||
| Omar (Auraraptor)
Member Username: Auraraptor Post Number: 485 Registered: 9-2002 |
Wow, I knew CF parts were expensive, but thats plain crazy. So that leads me to beleive the CF is very time consuming to make, very expensive in terms of parts, or not made in large enough quantites to be 'mass produced'.... ....i am guessing the first 2, but praying for the last. How much of a weight save is it over say a cheaper plastic? | ||
| Jere Dunham (Questioner)
Member Username: Questioner Post Number: 435 Registered: 1-2003 |
How many people could actually afford to buy it. The nosepiece of an F50 unpainted is $28K. How much for a total car. Can you say astronomical? | ||
| Omar (Auraraptor)
Member Username: Auraraptor Post Number: 484 Registered: 9-2002 |
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| Omar (Auraraptor)
Member Username: Auraraptor Post Number: 483 Registered: 9-2002 |
I would get that made for a TR and see how much she weighs then! Seriously, we should be able to get this for our 3x8, 348, 355, or at least a 360! |