I have been using a combination of real Carbon Fiber and Hydrocarbon Fiber decorative pieces in the engine area for some time. I added some Hydrocarbon Fender Covers and Battery Cover over a year ago and noticed that there was an apparent problem with the clear coat they used looking bad, so I returned them to have them redone. When the parts came back they looked a bit better, but still not as good as the Hydrocarbon Cowl, Wiper arms, etc. that I had the same vendor do a few years earlier. The newer items had a subtle "milky/splotchy" look from an angle that just continued to get worse over the past year. Since that vendor would not guarantee the work after a few weeks (apparently), I decided to look for an alternative.

I had used the 3M DiNoc Material a couple years ago on my door handle coves and the exterior A-Pillar triangles and they still look like new, so I decided to give that a try to re-work the Fender covers and battery cover (had nothing to lose!). Actually I like the result better than what I have before - especially from a maintenance standpoint and it was much less expensive (assuming my time is free). Best part to me is that I can redo them easily if they get damaged, but I do not anticipate any problems based on my use of this material on exterior parts.

This shows the Hydrocarbon Battery Cover and a fender cover when I first received them - looked pretty darn good...



Unfortunately this is what it looked like about a year later (just kept getting slowly worse over time)...



After showing the Hydrocarbon Vendor the photos and getting quoted about the same price as originally charged to fix the problem, I decided to scrap that solution and take the risk of the same thing happening a 3rd time, so here is my DiNOC result:







Looks better in person.

The LED lights in the engine bay of course do not look like they do to the camera lens (i.e. XMAS lights) - that is just they way they photograph.

 

I can understand your displeasure with the way the hydrocarbon covers looked. Very nice job correcting that with the DiNoc material - those look great.

 

Looks very clean and awesome!

 

That looks much better then I ever thought it would. Thanks for posting your results. I will keep this in mind if I ever need a redo myself. I also have some hydrocarbon done in my engine bay.

 

Those look awesome. Great job.

 

Very cool "LIKEY"R

 

Where can U get the DiNoc material, and is it pricey? Looks great

 

looks good... I was interested in the fender covers until I saw the price of them... will this di-noc material form to the lines of the inner fenders or the coolant/washer tank and parts like that?... and once applied is it easily removed if you choose to do so later on?... I'm assuming it just sticks on but not sure of the thickness of the material or how well it holds... if it sticks too good it might damage parts if you decide to take it back off... I also like your led engine lights, I removed my hood light because it was basically useless but yours look like a better solution

 

I found this on Amazon.

 

Got mine from MetroRestyling on the Auction Site.

Cost of the DiNoc was about $40 total to cover the 3 pieces shown.

You will need a good heat gun and 3M Vinyl Wrap Primer 94 which is about $18 for a half-pint, but it goes a long way.

You only use the primer on areas where you REALLY need it to stick. It can still be removed, but it will be more difficult.

You will also need some patience and it may take a few tries to get a feel for the material and how it reacts under heat. I had already had some experience with the DiNoc since I helped my Brother vinyl-wrap his motorcycle trailer last year and I did a set of Thinspoke inserts a while back...




Also when I did the Door Handle coves a couple years ago, they were a real challenge - took a couple tries on each one.

• You "could" use the material on the inner fenders (without the after-market covers) if all the factory stickers were removed and the surface was smooth - otherwise any flaws will probably show through.

• I am not going to say that the washer tank surface could not be done, but I would probably not tackle it due to all the up and down curves in both directions. It would have to be completely primed, but my guess is that it would not last and would start to pop up in areas.

• It is like any Vinyl-Wrap. The longer it is on (in theory), the harder it would be to remove. People that I have talked to that wrap cars locally say that it is a bear to get off after 2-3 years. It is not hard to remove with a heat gun soon after you do it - comes right off with no residue.

• Thickness of material is probably about 1/3 of a credit card thickness, but gets thinner if you stretch it with heat.

• I don't believe it would "damage" parts if removed later, but with engine heat and time it may be fun to remove. Anywhere you use the primer, may be "dulled" to the eye (just my guess).

I also kept my Hood Light, but swapped it for LED array (older photos before the DiNoc)...

 

Can DiNoc be covered with a clearcoat paint to give it a glossy appearance? Just curious.

 

I am just guessing, but I doubt it would hold up over time (unless it was a clear designed for vinyl application). There are some vinyl-wrapping experts on here who have done their whole car, but I have never heard of anyone trying to add clear coat afterward? One of them may know that answer for sure?

They do make a gloss DiNoc, but it would still be textured to the touch.

To my eye, the textured semi-matte that I used yields more of an "elegant" look/feel (even though it is just vinyl) - more like a leather derivative. The high-gloss clearcoat parts I have look more like something for a Hot Rod. Since my interior is CarbonFiber Leather and suede, it is a good match for me.

My interior... very close to the DiNoc look:


Also all my hydrocarbon parts get micro-scratches constantly which is a pain. Some parts like my Hydrocarbon Master Cylinder cover started cracking and peeling in the clearcoat, so I just removed it (may attempt DiNoc on that next, but that will be difficult to cover).

In my opinion, it would be very easy to get carried away with this material and overdue it to where it started to look "cheap" - too much of a good thing - I think it is better used as "accents".

 

Thank you. I love everything you've done to your car.