Carbon fibre parts with a clear coat or raw finish?

[nphillip]

I'm looking at getting a complete body kit that includes a front lip piece and side skirts.

I've come across a few i'm interested in. A lot of them are carbon fibre with the option of being clear coated or having a raw finish.

I am having trying choosing between the two. I know a clear coated one would protect the piece from UV damage but I own a crystal black BRZ and so don't think the glossy look of the clear coat on the kit pieces match the colour of the car very well. But at the same time, I don't have any idea what a kit with a raw finish looks like.

So, I was hoping someone can post photos of an identical kit (or any car part) where one has a raw finish and the other being clear coated preferably side by side so I can actually tell the difference between the two.

Thank you.

[Jake_86]

I personally like the clear coat look on carbon fiber. Just makes it look a lil more expensive.

[8R6]

you mean wet carbon versus dry carbon? i personally think wet carbon looks way nicer. dry carbon reminds me too much of fake cf vinyl wrap.

[jarednoel]

Originally Posted by BRGT86

you mean wet carbon versus dry carbon? i personally think wet carbon looks way nicer. dry carbon reminds me too much of fake cf vinyl wrap.

I agree, the sad part is that dry carbon is actually lighter than wet

[8R6]

Originally Posted by jarednoel

I agree, the sad part is that dry carbon is actually lighter than wet

only when done properly, which can also make it stronger than typical wet carbon... and then all this makes it a lot more expensive than wet carbon too lol :/

[jarednoel]

Originally Posted by BRGT86

only when done properly, which can also make it stronger than typical wet carbon... and then all this makes it a lot more expensive than wet carbon too lol :/

Yeah I've seen price differences where dry carbon is actually twice if not three times more expensive than wet haha. As always, depends on your application I guess.

[cdrazic93]

I have yet to see a wet carbon hood that has a significant weight difference than the OEM hood. If youre doing it for weight savings, youll only find it in dry carbon, pre pregnated weight varies but its significantly lighter than OEM, and significantly more expensive.

[wheelhaus]

Wet vs dry carbon doesn't have anything to do with the finish, that's determined by the condition of the mold surface and post fabrication finishing. Raw carbon usually means it's been taken from the mold as-is, no gelcoat or clear coat. Raw parts might have a mild gloss if the tool has been polished, but it's usually more matte.

Dry carbon refers to prepreg, which is factory-impregnated with s specific resin ratio that is too viscous at room temp to run, it feels dry like a sticker that's not super sticky. It's typically much more expensive and must be stored in a freezer, and also typically requires a vacuum/autoclave assisted heated cure. Once up to temp, the resin thins and flows, and the vacuum holds the fabric in place and provides compaction.

Wet carbon refers to dry fabric that is manually wetted with liquid resin. It can sometimes require vacuum and heat or room temp cure, depending on the resin system/process used and the product weight requirements.

I have seen "wet look" carbon parts advertised, but IIRC it just meant the carbon surface was polished/clear coated to have a very high gloss.

[8R6]

the majority of carbon stuff on the market are usually fiberglass with cf overlaid on it anyway and then clear coated. thats why the "non-visible" parts when installed are usually just gloss black with the "visible" parts being with real cf.

[nphillip]

Thanks for the input guys but still not 100% sure what CF in its raw state looks like.

I have attached a photo. Is it safe to say the one on the right has been clear coated whereas the one on the left is CF in a raw finish?

[endless_pain]

Originally Posted by nphillip

Thanks for the input guys but still not 100% sure what CF in its raw state looks like.

I have attached a photo. Is it safe to say the one of the right has been clear coated whereas the one on the left is CF in a raw finish?

I could be wrong, but that does not look like carbon fiber. But yes, that is what it would look like shininess wise.

[rlpaul]

Carbon will look different depending on what type of carbon it is.

There's unidirectional carbon (my favorite in terms of aesthetics), which the car industry still doesn't use for some unfathomable reason. Unidirectional, as the name implies, basically has the carbon fibers pointed in one direction.

There's carbon weaves, which can vary a lot, as there's different sizes; 1x1 weave, 3x3 weave (what you typically see), hell, there's even 12x12 weave. There's also different kind of weaves (bidirectional, triaxial, quadaxial). Frequently, however, the carbon weave you see is just a cosmetic layer, and not actually what the underlying carbon looks like. Each type of weave provides different types of strengthening properties.

So, most often, despite the type of carbon fiber cloth being used, you'll see a bidirectional 3x3 weave cosmetic layer on top, which looks like the center piece of carbon in this image (granted, 3x3 bidirectional carbon is the most widely used type of carbon as well):