Alex1217

How hard would it be to sand a carbon fiber hood like the one GM used on the 2004 Z16 CE and paint it? Is there something about Carbon Fiber that makes it harder to paint. I ask this because I'm one of those rare breeds that likes the sleeper look. I love the way the stock hood looks and if I were to replace my hood, I'd probably look around and see if I could find a Z16 carbon fiber hood and sand off the paint and paint it electron blue. Do you think its possible?

Villain C5

Hey Alex,
Check this out. The first one on the list is a OEM replica. http://www.elementmotorsport.com/Ext...on+Fiber+Hoods

I've heard some VERY good things about VIS, but also some not so great things. I might consider the OEM style one in the semi-near future.

Vetteman Jack

If you want to go with a CF hood, consider the Motor City Mold hood. It is made from carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced fiberglass. Great looks and fits perfect. Weighs less than a stock hood.

I would suppose you could do the Z16 hood, but it will still look just like any other C5 hood, just lighter.

Alex1217

Hmmm... Interesting, thanks Villian C5!!!!

I wonder how well the paint will adhere to that hood though. That's one issue I have with carbon fiber body panels. Because of the weave pattern, I've seen alot of CF paneled vettes with paint jobs in which you can "see" the weave pattern underneath. Ends up looking like extreme orange peel. GM supposedly solved this problem on the Z16 hood by laying out the Carbon fiber in a specific way so that the CF would be perfectly smooth. That's why you can't tell the difference between a CF Z16 hood and a regular one except for the stripes. I wonder if anyone's whose had experience painting carbon fiber might be able to chime in. I have seen alot of people with aftermarket hoods though and the paint on some seems excellent so maybe I'm mistaken.

HummelS

I know that initially, even with the special weave, GM initially had a lot of problems getting paint-quality parts from the supplier of the Z16 hood. I had a friend whose Z16 order was pushed back 5 months because of the issue, and he finally cancelled the order.

AC54ME

Have the Motor City CF hoods on both the Verts in sig. Love em

scott_fx

I had a carbon fiber hood on my last car and the edges were smoked (feathered black paint to hide the rough ends of the hood) and then clear coated with the same clear coat they used on the urethane bumper. I dont think there should be to much of a problem but you may want to ask the guy who's going to paint it.

fdxpilot

Since you want an OEM style hood, and wanted it painted body color, why even bother with Carbon Fiber? You only save a couple pounds over the stock SMC, and strength in a hood is certainly not a factor. If you were changing hood styles, I could see it. I will probably go with the Motor City SC hood, in preperation for a Maggie.

c5chris

Carbon Fiber will always show through the paint, as I had noticed. I wanted to have my new VIS CF hood painted, and the shop said that it will always have a "wavy" look due to the CF grain. Look closely on SEMA cars and you will see what I mean.

VIS is one of the better CF hood makers out there. I had bought 3 hoods from them for the C5 and 2 other cars, they always lined up. The edges of the hood are also "rolled" compared to other hoods of the same type, which are always flat. They are highly regarded in the sport compact scene.

Benpup

My .02 cents
I worked on the B2 bomber and a few other exotics and the density of the CF determines how well paint adheres. If it is laid up poorly (low vacuum and low heat the fibers are less compacted and the prepreg will not bleed through to get a good coating.
A clear Gel can be applied, but there are only a few brands of paint that will adhere to it worth a darn.
Also there is a greater chance that the fabrics will delaminate.
More often than not a final coating of polyester is added to Indy cars, the Vector and a few other exotics, but they are not the greatest paint jobs since sliced bread.
Most AC parts are 16 layers of CF with 8 to 10 coats of AC epoxy.
These hold up well but are costly.
The density of the military layups are really costly as they contain CF, Kevlar, polyester, epoxy, epoxy prepreg and a few other materials that I can't describe. A panel the size of a C5 hood, if laid up in the same manner and material of the B2 or Apache would be roughly 32 to 32 k.
The ideal would be what I am laying up for the company I work for.
It is three layers fiberglass matte, Polyester rather than epoxy, and pigment mixed in with the polyester. Pick the right pigment to come close to the color you want, then a layer of your paint and a clear gelcoat would do the trick. Thickness of the panel, not counting the stiffners would be about a third of the thickness of what you have now and about a third of the weight.
I am experimenting with a few molds for an air scoop that would force air over my A4 for additional cooling. Keep you posted on that.

Guess I got long winded. How about my nickles worth.


Regards