They also use that to put camo print on hunting bows, shotguns etc. They just dip them en masse in a big vat with that print floating on it and voila, out it comes transferred on. Pretty amazing they can do it with as much detail as CF. Speedracer it all looks great! I'd love to get one of those wheels too, but pretty pricy from what I've seen... $2k plus you have to part with your orig wheel. It will all look amazing when you're done though!
Oh no man..Hit up Glenn at Exotic car gear. They're doing a special on wheels like this. $1000 plus shipping! You supply your wheel as a core AFTER the new wheel is ready so very little down time. Great deal right now!
This is pretty wild stuff - I'd like to know what drugs someone was doing to think this process up [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enFSoiCo-lA[/ame]
Thanks, guys. I did get the upper dash recovered in alcantara. It's not a "dash pad" but the entire upper dash. It's a long story but because I put the carbon door cards from an F430 GT2 on there, I had to trim the dash 1.5cm on each side for it to fit perfectly against the carbon doors. Yes, Ken, those are michelotto parts . And they work perfectly with the electric windows and mice switches for the half pull window drops. Bill at Maranello Motorworks did the whole thing and it looks 100% OEM (well it is OEM parts). Both door cards weigh as much as just one single one of those aluminum door trim pieces.
Would it not have been less work to go with CF door cards? Any particular reason why you chose the ones from the 430 GT2?
Not sure what you mean, Ken. They ARE carbon fiber door cards. How else do you get actual ferrari carbon fiber door cards if you don't get them from another Ferrari model that came equipped with them. The GT2 ones are by far the best made and most robust version and they are an exact fit. I was lucky to get them from Dee gee. It's all detailed in Trevor's thread. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ah okay. Makes sense now and that is a really good question. A couple of things. First of all, I believe you still have to trim the dash for the CS door cards. None of the carbon door cards have the cut out that the stock door cards do. Secondly, and this was the big thing, every single F430 carbon part is superior to its 360 counterpart. The lay up process and materials used just got better. I got to see one set of CS door cards up close and they are much heavier than the F430 Its panels (like almost 5 lbs more per) and they're a wet lay up. Maybe they're not all the same but, as I said, I only got to see one pair up close. The F430 GT2 door cards are Michelotto parts and they're ridiculously light and strong. The only modification I made to the door cards themselves was to put a layer of clear on them to make them glossy to match all the carbon parts in my car (I did leave the "pockets" satin) and reinforce the inside corners with some extra carbon to make them extra strong for street use. In the end I just wanted the better parts and I was lucky to get them via an Fchatter (Time). The reality is that it was a much bigger undertaking than I had in mind as Bill had to to a lot of mods to the innards (like the electric window motor mounts, etc.) to make it all work but really they're a perfect fit and even has perfect trim around the edge where the meet the doors. The fit is absolutely perfect, as you would expect from OEM. Trev did the weight check, by the way, and the stock door cards are over 27 lbs each, the CS door cards are 5.5 lbs each and the F430 GT2 cards are 1.3 lbs each. I saved over 50 pounds on the doors alone. I saved a little over that buy going with the CS/F430 carbon seats, too. With nothing else, that's over 100 lbs. I have dropped over 250 lbs in all on that car and it really makes a difference. My 360 is the second most fun car I've ever driven and I am really lucky to have it. If anyone is interested, 360Trev is the one who really guinea pigged this all and while I wanted to keep things like the carpet and regular seat belts, he pioneered a lot of this. Here is a post in "his" thread about the door cards in particular but really the whole thread is chock full of info: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/140554841-post379.html
Yep.. Anything you can imagine can be done. I've got another complete set of the 360 pieces all done the same as mine that I'm planning on listing in the classified section here at some point.
That process is amazing. It's impossible to believe this process could work, and yet there it is. I've been disappointed with the long-term durability of real carbon fiber, I think I would prefer the hydro graphics from a durability for something cosmetic that didn't involve wait trimming.
Real carbon fiber is extremely durable if properly made for the right applications. Do you think that fighter jets would be made out of the stuff if it weren't durable?
Very well said. I'm actually a part owner of this business who performed the work on my parts. I invested because I believe the same as you just described..the process is amazing. The durability is time tested.. Our company has been doing this for nearly 10 years and we apply enough clear coat for years and years of polishing and corrective work should any fine scratches or swirls appear. You simply polish just as you would on any painted surface as the hydrographics is exactly that.. Paint with clear coat. The biggest determining factor for me is the ability to retain the use of the original Ferrari parts with the original factory fit. Anyone who has ever removed these pieces knows that they're a very tight and precise fit. I've seen it mentioned many times that the aftermarket carbon parts just don't fit as well as the OEM pieces do. PLEASE understand that this is NOT a slam against the companies who manufacturer this stuff.. Not in any way. It's just the nature of carbon fiber. The original aluminum pieces are heavier and just hold their shape better than carbon fiber does. If you're after the "look" of carbon fiber (like I am) and not concerned about the weight savings (like I'm not) hydrographics is a very good option for you. I'll be posting more photos of the parts back installed in my car very soon.. I'm anxious to hear what you guys think! I may be biased.. But I love the results so far.
Yes, I know it is durable from a structural standpoint, but aesthetically, it often doesn't age well. I'm sure there are million different quality levels, and some CF probably ages very well, but there is also a lot of it that doesn't.
Well that has to do with the clearcoat and the gel coat typically. There are kind that will look perfect in 20 years if properly cared for with no degradation of the clear or gel coat.
We "refinish" carbon fiber as well and like you're saying here the clear coat is nothing very exotic.. Carbon fiber can just have more clear coat reapplied and buffed out to looking new again.. However.. You wouldn't believe how many times we've applied hydrographics over the top of real carbon fiber.. No kidding.
Got them installed last night.. I really like them a lot. Pretty straight forward installation. Keep in mind my car is still missing some of the carpet sections in the driver's foot well area. Does require drilling holes in the original pedals but it's not too scary really. "Ultimate Pedals" provides all the necessary hardware and a really thorough set of instructions but it's pretty obvious what needs to be done. Took a couple hours to do the job and for the money.. I think a great interior improvement. Image Unavailable, Please Login