Would you buy aftermarket Carbon Fiber parts?

[gdi2290]

Personally I want my carbon fiber painted World Rally Blue

Originally Posted by Giccin

Ichi's duck-tail spoiler.

I can probably work something out, but I need a price range. That way I know if I should make it with fiberglass, fake carbon fiber, wet carbon fiber, or dry carbon fiber.

[Dark]

If there is aftermarket trunk that molded into a ducktail shape, I will definitely look into that option since I don't have to get a damn spoiler for 500 bucks.

Price should be around $750, but cheaper is better. I'm not sure how much different between dry and wet carbon.

[gdi2290]

Originally Posted by tachi1247

Maybe I would get a front splitter, but pretty much everything else would either be too expensive or impractical.

A carbon fiber roof is not really a feasible aftermarket upgrade as the roof is an integral part of the chasis. You can't just take it off and replace it with a CF one like you would a spoiler. It would be extremely expensive to have it done right and that money would be better spent on other performance upgrades first. I suppose if you have $250k to build a real race car then all bets are off, but for the weekend warrior it isn't feasible.

Same goes for most of the rest of the stuff. A quality CF bumper or trunk would be far too expensive to justify its cost on a weight savings basis. Again, just spend the money on more power. The hood is already aluminum if I recall, which means that you aren't going to be saving a ton of weight there either.

Even the front splitter, if i get it, would be merely cosmetic. This car doesn't have enough power to accelerate on the straights to hit speeds where a splitter would even be functional. Same goes for the spoiler, which doesn't really do anything other than slow you down (extra drag) until you start hitting 140+ mph. The shape of the car alone will create enough down force for most weekend racing.

One thing that I would like might be the underbody panel that they are putting on the european and japanese cars that we can't get here due to crash standards. My understanding is that the exhaust on the cars in other markets are set further back (as in protrude past the bumper) and that isn't allowed here in the U.S. (crash standards) therefore they had to eliminate the rear underbody panel in order to pull the exhaust towards the front of the car.

edit: autoblog review

oh you're talking about all of this?



Maybe we can import it from Japan and/or remake it for everyone here

[Levi]

Real dry CF but painted in dody color. But also only after all other modds are done. In fact most important are roof and hood, then doors, after that trunk, all the rest is useless. Well maybe functional diffuser and lip/fins.

[Turbowned]

I know it's stupid and not functional but I really want to replace the aluminum-look dashboard trim with a real carbon fiber overlay. Subaru has one listed in it's JDM accessory catalog; I hope one comes out for LHD models.

Since the hood is aluminum I'm not sure I'd be too keen about replacing it, but maybe the trunk if it's steel and a front splitter, rear diffuser and undertrays would be excellent!

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

I know it's stupid and not functional but I really want to replace the aluminum-look dashboard trim with a real carbon fiber overlay. Subaru has one listed in it's JDM accessory catalog; I hope one comes out for LHD models.

Since the hood is aluminum I'm not sure I'd be too keen about replacing it, but maybe the trunk if it's steel and a front splitter, rear diffuser and undertrays would be excellent!

It already exists for the US market. You can buy it at your local Scion dealer since it's the same exact piece.

Isn't that also the air bag cover? If so, you do NOT want real CF over the airbag.. unless you like shards of CF flying into you at a high rate of speed in a collision.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by tachi1247

Even the front splitter, if i get it, would be merely cosmetic. This car doesn't have enough power to accelerate on the straights to hit speeds where a splitter would even be functional. Same goes for the spoiler, which doesn't really do anything other than slow you down (extra drag) until you start hitting 140+ mph. The shape of the car alone will create enough down force for most weekend racing.

Properly designed pieces can work at much lower speeds. Absolutely pointless (and annoying for parking) on a street car though.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by RRnold

How about an option for none. After being exposed to the elements, they'll start to weather quickly and look like shit.

I hate naked carbon fiber. If I ever got carbon pieces they'd have to be painted. Most of the stuff on the market is FRP anyway; the dry-carbon shit costs a ton more money. I'd never buy the FRP stuff and won't likely shell out for dry-carbon.

[sfwg]

None, and as for the plastic black piece on the back id get a functional rear diffuser.

[S2kphile]

Nope they are useless and not aesthetically pleasing to look at unless painted; also, the best CF parts made cost an arm & leg and I don't want to drop 3-5k for just a hood, trunk, etc on a street car.

[kash]

Where's the "none of the above" option? I'd like to keep everything original.

[zAnSh1n]

another vote for "none of the above" here...

imo, this car is not "exotic" enough to justify true cf parts...

the only cf part i see myself getting is a set of craft square side mirrors:



http://www.craftsquare.co.jp/tc_corner_jpn.html

fkn sikkk ~

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

It already exists for the US market. You can buy it at your local Scion dealer since it's the same exact piece.

Isn't that also the air bag cover? If so, you do NOT want real CF over the airbag.. unless you like shards of CF flying into you at a high rate of speed in a collision.

Touche... I feel the Scion piece looks too plasticky. But the CF in the face is a good point.

[Gaiakai]

I'd go for a CF Roof, unpainted so I can get a nice contrast with the red. Would be willing to pay up to around $2k, which would be my budget anyway if I ended up getting one of the other cars I'm considering *coughCSLRoofcough*

Might also go for a hood, but painted to match. And only up to around $800-ish for that one. Hood's already light as it is though.