Paint Questions

[cammerfe]

I went to the builder yesterday to talk about my next project. One of the questions I was ready to ask him was about his carbon-fibre body option.

When I walked into his work area, directly in front of me was the car I had in mind---complete with a carbon-fibre body. I fell in love. My thinking now goes THIS way. I had intended to paint the car a pearl white with a candy Guardsman Blue middle stripe. The problem is that doing so, of course, will cover up the trick carbon-fibre. The builder told me that the car setting there was going to be 'cleared' and polished. That will, of course, be glorious.

Now the question---Is there a paint transparent enough to stick to my original white/blue combination and still show the carbon-fibre weave?

Any comments much appreciated. (I mostly use a 'rattle-can' for paint!)

KS

[machoneman]

Strangely enough, you may need to take a look at all the ricer guy's cars with carbon fiber hoods, etc. What I have seen is flat, semi-gloss and full gloss over those parts, just for the transparency of the weave. Those who run totally un-cleared (a word?) hoods look strange as the as-delivered finish looks uneven.

In a word Ken, I don't think you can achieve the look you seek with white/blue over the fiber. I'll be interested to see some real paint pros chime in as I've looked at a carbon fiber hood as well for my '70 Mach 1 solely for weight savings but can't see covering it up with flat black paint. 

[cjshaker]

There are translucent and opaque paints that are designed to be used with a base color, but as far as I know, all paints need a primer layer to adhere to surfaces correctly. Bare plastic and fiberglass will not allow good adhesion, and I'd imagine carbon fiber is no different.

[wowens]

No. To get enough coverage to be able to see the white & blue the required millage will hide the substrate. You may have a crosshatch look but no see e the carbon fiber. A high solid catalized clear will stick to the carbon fiber if scuffed with a white scotch brite.

[TomP]

Does carbon fibre use gelcoat? Maybe tinted gelcoat?

[cammerfe]

I don't know about gelcoat on the carbon-fibre. The look of the right-out-of-the-mold body makes it seem as if the woven fibres are embedded, but that may be the resin.

Thanks to all for the replies.

KS

[wowens]

Woven carbon fiber material is usually embedded in a polymer resin. You can buy sheets already embedded in polymer that is cured by the UV rays of the sun or nd lamps. It is not gel coated.

[e philpott]

I owned a 2002 Spitzer Carbon fiber body and there's a lot areas that a flashlight would shine  right through it's so thin and porus , the surface is rough it would take a ton of Primer build up to get it paintable and there goes the weight savings after that , wrap is probably your best bet , I never had mine painted but maybe things are different now

[cammerfe]

The body I saw yesterday was entirely smooth and not at all porous. I was told that it was going to be 'cleared' and left looking like a shiny version of what had come out of the mold. I'd like to have the colors, but not at the expense of losing the C-F look. Thganx to all!!

KS

[cammerfe]

One day later---

I'm told that it might be possible to tint the clear to get a blue look to the C-F. No joy on the white. If this is true, I'll end up with a blue body showing the C-F with an opaque white skunk stripe. Might make the stripe pearlescent.

This won't take place for some months. Builder has an order for a number of 'movie' cars so we won't be able to get details together until late fall-early winter at the earliest.

KS

[wowens]

Takes a lot of coats of translucent blue color to be able to see blue effect over the dark base of carbon fiber and still see the carbon. Carbon fiber flexes, high millage of a top coat won't. Spider web cracks and checking will happen.