Carbon fiber help
 

Hi all!

I am extremely unfamiliar with carbon fiber pieces for cars. I'm looking into getting a carbon fiber hood and trunk. When I have seen them in person, they've been hazy or seem faded.

When I purchase the pieces, is it highly recommended to give them a few clear coats or get them wrapped in a clear vinyl or something else? Is the haziness bound to happen regardless of what I do and just prolong it?

And then one more side note, are hood pins needed for the hood or is it just an extra safety feature?

I've tried searching for the answers but haven't found exactly what I was looking for. Any point in the right direction or help would be greatly appreciated thanks! Also if this helps, I am looking into getting a Seibon FA style hood and a VIS Racing duckbill trunk.

To keep it simple for you. Yes. Carbon fiber will fade over time. Just like the paint on your car if you take care of it from the sun/weather then it will look prime for longer. If you don't then it won't. I waxed it and my car the day I installed it and gave the hood and extra layer of wax just for shits and giggles.
Hood pins are DEFINITELY necessary. Especially for a FA style hood. The big hood scoop in the middle creates alot of extra drag on the hood that otherwise wouldn't have been there. I have that hood and drove without pins for a while and it was hella sketchy. I would highly recommend quicklatch pins. They are pricey but worth it. Best pins out there in my opinion. (search the QL-38 quicklatch hood pins) easy install if you have the right tools. I can send a step by step if you need it.
Seems like we like the same style because next on my list is the VIS Racing duckbill trunk. Here's a pic of my car

Seibon literally recommends taking it to a shop and adding clear coat layers. It's on the stuff that comes with their hoods. I haven't done it. It's been about 6 months and mine is still good. I would recommend it since seibon does. Someone had said they heard that too then I got my hood and it actually says it in their brochures and stuff.

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Yupp it recommends 2 layers if I'm not mistaken and it also HIGHLY ENCOURAGES hood pins. The reason they recommend it is because the latch that holds down the hood in OEM hoods is usually welded on to it. Hood is metal, latch is metal, easy weld. But since carbon fiber can't have metal welded to it, they have to find other ways to stick a latch to it. Unfortunately this latch can be weak sometimes and even when it's not it becomes weak with time and the risk of it breaking off increases as time goes by.

I'll look into that, thank you!

i don't understand why it's something they can't do in the factory.

Same. Kinda sucks paying 500-1000 for a fake carbon fiber hood then having to pay extra to get more coats on it. Not sure why they do that.