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Carbon Fibre Front lip

PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:01 pm
by F1Pilot
G'Day guys,

I am making a carbon fibre lip for my 2005 3.0RB Wagon. I do like some of the products out there but I dont like their pricetag!! Sp considering I have the skills to do it, I am making my own for probably the same cost, but also I will have the mould. Im letting everyone know cause I will be happy to have more made and sold if anyone is interested. PLease let me know if this splitter will fit any other models. It will look a little like this one.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2665/nyomi010.jpg
The product will be made with pre-preg material and vacuum bagged.
Starting making the master today, this is how shit they look to start with!!
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/1128/p3270373.jpg
If anyone is curious of my skills, check the pics of my Merecedes intake plenum chamber. Takes 14psi no dramas.
Any thoughts, ideas, welcome.
Cheers

PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:01 pm
by Sentinel
Will it fit GT-B (07->)?

udate

PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:00 pm
by F1Pilot
Sentinel wrote:Will it fit GT-B (07->)?


Hopefully someone on here can answer that one for you, I would like to know as well.

Some updated pics of the work so far,
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/2955/picture009agj.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4/picture012bat.jpg

Also if anyone knows what other models this might fit, please let us know,
Cheers

PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:29 pm
by sinist4
i think that lip with onli fit ur car (3 RB my 04-06) i think :?

lip

PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:58 pm
by pplwu
i am interested.. i got the exact same car how much are we looking at?

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 8:21 am
by THERB3
Hi I am intrested,

Let us know how much.

Cheers.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:28 am
by F1Pilot
I will let you guys know as soon as I make the first one and all goes well. But from what we have worked out so far, there is no reason that we cant make this part for a lot less than the current ones out there. Having worked in composites for sometime, the mark up some overseas companies but on their carbon products is ridiculous. Just because it is "Carbon fibre" doesnt mean its worth a fortune.

At a guess we are quite confident we can do it for less than the cost of a plastic Sti one.

I dont mind doing the work and paying for the mould, so this should help bring the cost down significantly.

I will keep updating this thread with pics and progress, I am expecting to have the part made within about 3 weeks. Subsequent parts will be pretty fast after that.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:27 pm
by drndrn
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the plastic STi one with be much much more durable than a CF one correct? Doesn't CF just shattered if enough force was put on it, in opposed to the plastic lip which would bend but then spring back into shape.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:55 pm
by F1Pilot
Yes that is correct. The layup we will be doing will incorporate glass in the centre do give it some durability, but if you drive it into a kurb it is going to break. Then again, if you drive the plastic one into something hard enough, Im sure it would break too. Going carbon is an awesome look really, not much else. But also it will be quite unique.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:40 pm
by F1Pilot

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:40 pm
by loweart
I see it's coming along quite nicely there Gary.

Can I assume it doesn't add much in the way reducing the ground clearance of the front bumper when attached ? Yes, I have one of "those" driveways and wouldn't like to have something as special as this get damaged on the first outing.

Silly question, but being carbon fibre - can we paint this to match the colour of our car ( mine's the same as yours anyway ).

Keep us posted !

Cheers,
Lok

PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:54 pm
by F1Pilot
loweart wrote:I see it's coming along quite nicely there Gary.

Can I assume it doesn't add much in the way reducing the ground clearance of the front bumper when attached ? Yes, I have one of "those" driveways and wouldn't like to have something as special as this get damaged on the first outing.

Silly question, but being carbon fibre - can we paint this to match the colour of our car ( mine's the same as yours anyway ).

Keep us posted !

Cheers,
Lok


It is 25mm thick, so your front ground clearance will be reduced by 25mm. When I had it on the car I measure ground clearance whcich was 195mm. So even when I get rid of the country pack front end, I should have around 165mm clearance.

Yes they can be painted. Carbon resin does not have a UV stabiliser in it, so if left unpainted the resin will turn yellowish. I will be painting mine clear(2 pac is awesome for this). Carbon can be a bit trickey to paint if it comes out of the mould with porosity in the surface, but if you are going for colour then undercoat can fill these no worries. With clear, you need to fill the holes with the paint.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:15 am
by RAN94A
may be a silly question but would this possibly fit a standard 3.0R..??? MY06

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:24 am
by sinist4
RAN94A wrote:may be a silly question but would this possibly fit a standard 3.0R..??? MY06


yes it would cause thats what he is using to design the lip. 8)

PostPosted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:47 am
by F1Pilot
sinist4 wrote:
RAN94A wrote:may be a silly question but would this possibly fit a standard 3.0R..??? MY06


yes it would cause thats what he is using to design the lip. 8)


Is there a 3.0R and a 3.0R spec B? Mine is the spec B. And if so, is there any difference in the front bar?