Hi,

It would be great for a post on how much weight savings and costs of the current dry carbon fibre range of products are. I have been searchin for that thread 4 two hours with no joy... with the photos etc...

please could someone put me out of my missery and let me know how much the following will cost:

- dry carbon fibre for all the parts listed below:
-- hatch
-- front fenders
-- rear fenders
-- doors

how much weight difference is there between the wet and dry carbon fibre products?? am sure people wanna know that ...??

i would love to know how much weight savings the doors have... please note, I'm in africa, yea the lions run wild here so need to factor shipping costs in... the local guys r rippin us off a bit... pm me or just post up here for transparency...

thank you in advance.
ddd

 

As far as I know, there is no cf rear fender replacement. The rear fenders are only overlays, so it would actually add weight. Probably not too much though.

 

The rear is a full replacement . Gruppe s, where r u guys?

 

there is no weight difference you would ever notice unless you weight your car before and after. plus sacrificing the integrity of the car just for a perceived weight loss is not worth it IMO. sure it might look good but won't survive a wreck.

 

https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-an...-cf-parts.html

 

 

and on top of that, if you really want to shave weight, the car is not going to be safe and comfortable for daily driving. Considering the fact that when you're talking about the hatch and doors, the heavy parts aren't the outer panels, but it's the glass that it's holding are the heaviest parts. You'd have to consider getting Lexan glass or something equivalent to replace them with the OEM glass on the hatch and doors. The cost will start jumping, and you're stuck with a car that's unsafe, uncomfortable, and extremely noisy. Unless you're going for a full race or track driven car only, I'd say don't do it and save up for REAL power that will make up for the weight of the Z. Not to mention the cost difference between dry carbon parts vs. regular carbon fiber parts...

 

I'd be more concerned if it fits, before I worry about what it weighs

 

If you were serious about your purchase wouldn't you just call them? They will be able to factor in shipping rates as well. Or do they not have phones in Joburg

It has been said, but FYI you need to put a cage behind those doors (making it a dedicated track car) if you want to run CF doors safely.

 

There is alot of misconception when it comes to carbon fiber and it's weight benefits. We'll break down a quick comparison:

Seibon wet hand laid carbon fiber trunk ~ $650, 18-20lbs
Mastergrade Vacuum resin infused carbon fiber trunk ~$900, 11-13lbs.
Seibon DRY carbon fiber trunk ~ $1500, 7-9lbs.


Alot of people don't realize there is more to it then just "wet or dry". Much of it has to do with the resin/fiber ratio and fibers used.

 

Also, the Seibon rear fenders are overlays.

 

^^ yes they are overlays. Make sure when you buy the Seibon stuff your not getting the "Dry Carbon Look"

Many companies have started jumping on the bandwagon of "Dry Carbon" However they use Wet carbon, can be hand laid (worst) to being vacuum bagged (better) And instead of sanding and polishing or clear coating, they shoot a matte clear which gives it the affect of Dry Carbon but its really just a look.

Dry Carbon really is Pre Impregnated Carbon Fiber Cloth which needs to stay in a room of a certain degrees. Once its exposed to higher temps the resin melts and begins to cure. Its a big process and the Pre Preg cloth is MUCH MORE expensive. The material to resin ratio is Almost Perfect (perfect being 50/50).

Ratios for Vacuum bagging are still pretty good, were pretty close at 45/50 in our ASUKA products.

We do have a New released FRP Hatch that is about 20lbs. CF one will be released next month, should be little bit lighter.
As for running CF doors, if you don't plan to track your car and get a full cage then it really isn't worth the weight and risk to run CF doors. No way you'll walk out of an accident with CF doors.

 

Great post Eric!

 

... dry carbon fiber results serious weight loss in addition to other mods of course. JGTC and other race-bred 350z's use lots of dry CF. There are Z's weighing in well below 3000 pounds with gas and driver. These same cars are also much safer with rollcages, 5pt harnesses, bucket seats and what not.

I think you might not understand the difference between dry carbon fiber and wet carbon fiber (which is basically fiberglass wrapped in a layer of cf just for looks).

PS... replacing glass with lexan windows is probably more cost-effective weight reduction.

 

I agree, many companies are claiming "dry" carbon with actually using pe-preg or a clave. I've ever heard some refer to our process as "dry" because we lay the fiber in "dry" before adding the resin (reall dumb btw). The sad part is they sell these faux dry parts are really dry carbon prices. I've never seen the construction of the SEIBON "dry" carbon, so I cant comment.

Yep, our MG hatch is right around 18lbs in fiberglass. Our double side carbon is under 10lbs, which is insane to lift in person. I love that V2 hatch you guys came out with.

 

Is it available already???? If so, please PM me the price shipped to 23454.

 

Hey thanks for the kind words MG and Done Deal DR!

Ya its sad when Big companies start to make the "Dry Look" and charge the dry carbon price.

Yes we have released the FRP hatch but not the CF yet.

From what I have heard, SEIBON has been using a Matte finish Clear on top of a wet CF laid product.

Only a few companies really make DRY Carbon. The cost difference is HUGE when in comparison wet carbon, like $2000+ for a hood.

 

I didn't think the fenders and such provided much protection compared to the frame beneath it.

 

^^ TRUE!!! The Frame beneath the front fenders are SOLID!!! Although the Fenders do provide a little more structural integrity.

However, as for Doors, that is where you ruin your structural integrity. Your doors are pretty solid in comparison to the CF doors. They were heavy from the factory for a reason. Just run a Full TIG welded Roll cage with door guards and your good!!!