Carbon Fiber Vinyl Mirrors
 

Hows it going everyone? I'm glad to own a new FRS!

Today I wrapped the mirrors in 3M Carbon Fiber Vinyl.

Let me know what you guys think?

looks good:thumbsup: now do the roof :bellyroll: jk

what else is going to be carbon wrap ?

Haha I actually might do the roof but maybe in matte black.

I plan to do the fog light frames, rear emblem strip, and the interior dash.

me gusta :)

Go real or go out.

yes, spend 300$+ on REAL carbon fiber side mirrors, even though it will look the same and function the same, because fuck logic.

^ this guy..

it looks nice! but i prefer the shiny finish of wet carbon haha :)! saving up for the wet carbon covers haha

Or just put a clear coat on the vinyl wrap for the same effect? :P

Seriously, a tidy job done and looks good. Nothing I would do to my car as I like the car colour on that section

You kid yourself if you think they look the same. I would do a real CF wrap if I was you. Vinyl is for ricers...or at least that is what they say! Don't take offense if somebody else has different opinion mate! Below you can see two pics with the difference between them two. Bear in mind that you can bring CF to a really nice smooth finish too. BUT carbon fiber is labour intensive and a lot of attention to details involved. Is not for everyone that is for sure.
Vinyl is easy to work with but is vinyl...not the real thing. Is not even like silicone tits on chicks...is more like a push up bra.

3M Di Noc
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...00924-1939.jpg

Real carbon fiber
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...headlight1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...headlight2.jpg

Love the way you put it :) ahaha

Op, looks good!

nice, i just finished wrapping mines in brushed aluminum :)

Not to down play what you are saying; but there is a thing called "dry carbon fiber" and that is what the vinyl is trying to emulate, look in an X5M and you will see what I am talking about. I see both sides of the fence though. and basically it comes back down to what you like, want and can afford.

Looks good! I want to do that, roof, and interior

OK, do you know what dry carbon fiber term is used for? I guess you wont know and that is because you have been misinformed by several car parts makers.
there are three very popular ways to work with CF:
1 Wet lay up - the CF cloth is placed in a mold, then resin is applied to the cloth.
2. Infusion - the resin is applied to the cloth either under a vacuum or using pressure to force the resin into the cloth.
3 Pre -preg - prepreg leaves the carbon fibre factory with the hight temperature/pressure resin already impregnated into the fabric. - this is the the top stuff and what people refer as "dry fabric" which is stupid. Why don't the CF manufacturers stop using that potentially confusing term and instead simply specify exactly which production method and materials are used ? Dont know, but I tell you this: to the untrained eye, a product can be sold as pre-preg but in the actual fact can be a simple wet lay up. Heck it is quite easy to do - finish it with a matte transparent and I can sell stuff as a "dry carbon fiber" - there is no such thing basically, they all have resin in them.
If you refer to pre-preg as dry, and also tell me that 3M diNoc is trying to imitate prepreg it is even worse - As i said before is like comparing Natural big tits with tits that look big in a push up bra.

Next time when you get a cf part and they say is dry cf ask about the process that has been used. If they dont know what to tell you, dont buy.;)

Nice write up. I think you may have missed the point. Not all of us have the big bucks to dish out the money for the real thing. If we did we would all be driving GT3s. He did a nice job better than most. I personally like the rear carbon fiber better but what he did looks nice.

Real carbon over panels add weight and looks. Vinyl basically only adds looks. Real carbon REPLACEMENT panels SOMETIMES reduce weight sometimes add weight. Spend thousands of dollars and add weight to the car or spend 200$ for vinyl, which ones "ricer"?

Everyone has their own tastes. I like the way it looks and enjoy installing vinyl.

Its all in good fun and is removable!

I can tell vinyl from a mile away.

dude if you are so worried about adding so little weight isnt it better to just lose weight on your own body... -.- Vinyl is vinyl it will always be an imitation of what the real thing is..

Carbon Fiber Vinyl Mirrors
 

So little weight? Do u know what a carbon roof overlay weighs? And the number of pounds a carbon hood and trunk add?

PS thanks for assuming im overweight, but im 150lbs ;) if i lost weight i wouldnt have energy to steer and clutch lol

To me a carbon overlay is more "fake" than vinyl. Vinyl is 100% for looks, same reason the car is painted different colors. A carbon overlay is faking a carbon replaced part, kinda like NOS stickers w no nos, or an intercooler w no turbo.

Cool give it to um....: people's own Budget makes them think out of the box. Don't knock them. You may do worse some day. Why do a lot of you have to be so negative? On here. Do what you want and aploud good work. Is that so hard. WTF people

Because carbon fiber vinyl is extremely cheesy.

It's really say "Hey, i don't have a race car but let me try to say i have weight saving parts, eh".

I'm trying to save you guys.

I refuse to let this car become a cheese ball like the Civic.

wait, thats a real carbon fiber, but also wrap? i was talking about full carbon fiber.. enlighten me

How is a carbon overlay "weight saving parts"?

Fair enough mate, I see your point. But there is the option to do a real CF wrap which is much better than the fake vinyl. That is my opinion though.

As someone that has worked quite a lot with CF, real CF...there is a fine line between panels that are made out of CF and a very light material. Just to give you an example:
The 86's bonnet is very light as it is made out of aluminum which is very strong as well. To build a cf bonnet will be slightly heavier because it needs to be reinforced according to regulations, etc. But it will be much stronger, if it is done properly.
To answer the other question of which one is ricer...
1. If you get someone to do a wet lay up you wont be able to tell the difference between a CF real part or an overlay just based on looks (given that is done to a very high standard wit the right epoxy, etc). If you weight them you will see the difference.
2. The amount of weight you will be adding by doing a REAL cf wrap is insignificant...probably will be the amount of shit you dish out every morning when you go to toilet. (simply put).
3. You wont spend thousands on doing a CF lay up. There are kits to do it and with some skills you can get a decent job. Or let others that know how to do it properly...because there are cf wraps and cf wraps...;)
4. Which one is ricer? a real cf lay up that looks fantastic and adds fuck all weight, or a vinyl wrap that looks like CF but is not? You tell me!
5. Why are you so concerned about the weight? Do you race your car? I recommend you to rip everything inside before going carbon fiber panels buddy. Even more so, get rid of the air con unit while you're at it.

Stay safe! :happy0180:

No, wrong again. A REAL carbon fiber overlay will never be more fake than vinyl. WhY? Because is the overlay is done with the REAL thing not FAKE (vinyl). Wrong logic right there.
CF overlay is like silicon fake tits (sorry couldnt find a better comparison). They are still tits, the base is still the tit, but they are silicone over the real thing. A good boob job can be done right and you wont be able to tell the difference when the bra is off. However, vinyl is like the bra. From a distance looks nice, up close you can tell they are not real. And when the bra is off...well...you know is not true.

You lay real CF over a part and add resin. sand it and clear coat. It looks like the real thing, but the backing is the original part.

What these guys dont realise is that the so called CF parts sometimes are made off fiberglass covered with a cosmetic layer of CF to give it the thickness. You cant tell whether is done like that or not unless you know what to look for.

Anyway, I really appreciate people wanting to make their car look cool, but please dont make it look silly. And someone said something about the effort the guy put into it. Well, sorry bud...but the vinyl wrap is not labour intensive AT ALL. Is not hard work at all. My grand ma can do it...is like cutting corners. Each to their own.

Carbon Fiber Vinyl Mirrors
 

As for the bra/tits thing u seem stuck on, thats incorrect. The overlay and the vinyl, neither one is actually improving ANYTHING except the appearance. Where as a bra would be appearance but the implants would be similar to a real lighter cf replacement part.

Apparently youre not following the logic here. The reason for using cf (if not for looks) is to save weight. By doing a cf overlay there are only two outcomes. Looks, and adding weight. Doing vinyl adds the looks (with out actually trying to make people think uve actually replaced your panels with actual weight saving carbon pieces) with out adding the weight (as small as it may be) and without spending 90% of the money to do so, as well as being much easier to undo later on.

Doing a real carbon overlay is spending hundreds of dollars because u want people to think u "haz racecar" doing vinyl is because u like the look of it, i dont know anyone who thinks vinyl passes as real cf, nor tries to pass vinyl as real cf.

Carbon overlays are like women buying fake name brand name purses. Again, sorry if u cant quite follow along. Continue spending ur $ on whatever u want, its always good to see $ pissed into our economy :)

lol thanks for making my day :slap:

I enjoy it and yes to do it right, it takes time and skill.

mate, we can argue till the cows come home and still not get anywhere...one thing is clear: real cf overlays look more real than fake vinyl overlay. No need to insult or anything like that.
Just because you like the look of fake vinyl and put some effort into it, does not mean others should or even get butt hurt when someone else says that they don't like the looks.
two last question:
1. Why did you post this? think about it...Was it to get only positive answers or to hear other people opinions whether they are positive or negative? Feedback , good or bad is the one that help us to better ourselves. If you like it, so be it buddy! Dont get offended when others say they dont!
2. Would you provide me the SAME reasoning behind the real cf overlay vs vinyl if you would've got the money to do it? Let's say if I say to you that I would do it FOR FREE (not that I would but hypothetically - so money wont be an issue) would you still do it in vinyl?

Take care.
:happy0180:

Mate, I appreciate your work and everything but if you tell me that the amount of work, knowledge of the materials used and involvement required to perform CF or composite work compared to vinyl application is the same or even close enough to be comparable...with all due respect you kid your self.
yes it does take time and effort, no one denies it. But you dont need a degree to work with vinyl while it takes one to work with composites and design. Just saying.!

When did I say that? Your a funny dude, we should drink together :party0030:

1) the way u say that makes it sound like u think im the OP here...
I never got offended, but it appears u are mixing people up^. And the point was u did a little more than "say u didnt like it" lol. U started bashing vinyl as if it (and maybe this is the issue here) cut into ur personal income or something.

2) i do have the money, i also know how to do it myself, and guess whats on my roof? Vinyl. Its not about "affording it". Its about the fact that i like the look of the vinyl on the roof (also considered flat black) and i think its stupid to buy a car that has been engineered to be a certain weight, and then add weight for looks alone. For example, a turbo kit will add weight, but, will also double+ the hp. Where as, carbon overlay just makes people think u spent a lot of $ to make u car lighter, when u really only spent enough to cover your metal/plastic car with a fancy trim piece. I know not everyone cares if they add weight to a car or not, but when a car is engineered weight specific, whats the point of buying it and screwing with that to be "baller"? Buy a tC and overlay the whole in/outside of the car for the same total cost as the frs.

Just because u "work w cf alot" doesnt mean u need to defend it against vinyl. I would never argue that real cf is "bad". Its great when used for its "intended" purpose (ie making pieces or panels that are lighter and or stronger than the pieces they replace) cf vinyl is the same as brushed aluminum vinyl or chrome vinyl. Its a texture/color that changes the looks of the car for a minimal cost and can be changed or undone easily later on. Again, i have never claimed that the vinyl looks like real carbon, and im glad. When people see my car they know its vinyl, if it was cf overlay, and someone asked "whoa did the car come like that or did u replace the roof?!?" I would feel (rightly) like a douche replying "neither... I just laid real cf on top"

I prefer the look of the vinyl on the headlights. The CF wrap is too shiny.

I think the OP's mirrors look good. Might do it to my car later, we'll see. For now, just going to CF vinyl wrap the roof and beat-sonic roof spoiler. If it doesn't look good with the CF-look beat-sonic fin antenna, I might have them wrap the antenna, too. Glossy CF vinyl looks less shiny to me than the real CF wrap, so vinyl it is for me. I do have a real CF lip kit, but I needed that to be durable against potential scraping in the future (hopefully not much, though). I've seen a CF roof cap and wasn't really a fan of its look.

But--to each they're own. It's like tryna tell someone to un-spend the money they used to super-stance-ify their car. Not gonna happen--they consider their money well spent. The vinyl's already paid for and applied to their car--like you giving your offended 2 cents is gonna convince them to remove something adhered to their car that makes them perfectly happy.

...just wait till I decide which Hello Kitty decals I plan to affix to my car--my Hello Kitty's are gonna say so much about the other 20,000+ BRZ/FRS owners. I already have a dangling Hello Kitty head from my rearview, Hello Kitty license plate frames, and a Hello Kitty antenna head. LOL :happyanim:

Do some damage control in the suspension section to the people stancing these cars too please. And the wheel/tire section for people putting 235's on 9.5" wheels. :thanks:

god damn i hate it when people have super lowered cars and have their wheels at an angle.. it looks reallyy... just bad .. sigh dont get how it looks nice..:bonk::mad0259:

My 9.5s came w 235s im running till theyre dead and changing up to a 255. But a 235/9.5 isnt as stretched as u make them sound...

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