Carbon Fibre Seat Backs

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foibles

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Any updates on this? In trying to assess this situation:

1. The AUD had weakened almost 20% from your first post to the time you'd prepared to send your seat overseas. At best this loss has been curtailed 50%, but for small retail purchases an FX rate as poor as. 60USD is possible, meaning the 1600 USD becomes 2600 AUD.

2. Freight times are now more fraught (yes, fraught freight)... Aside from being far more exxy due to both USD denomination and logistics bottlenecks.

3. GST compounds the higher prices. So i could see this getting close to 3500 aud the pair.

This of course excludes consideration of the investment of time and effort. Several hours on scraping the sticky black doesn't sound like fun.... And I'd presume anyone going the low road... i.e a carbon wrap.... Could avoid the need for this, and just wrap over the filth?

2 questions for you lambertius...

1. Given its a brave new world, and consumer discretionary spend will have slowed and will certainly fall off a cliff by about June or July... Can you not tell this US mob to sharpen their pencil dramatically?

2. How many rocks did you lift to try to motivate an australian manufacturer? I fully appreciate your earlier sentiments.... Australians are often hard pressed to work in an iron lung (probably not an ideal metaphor at present) due to high wages and trickle down welfare... I'm sure east coast is far worse than west... But again, I'm curious as to whether covid19.. and all the talk of re-establishing a domestic manufacturing capability might force a rethink...
 

lambertius

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The parts got held up in customs for ages - the manufacturer is hopefully collecting them tomorrow. It has been a real pain. They were shipped before Covid was an issue, got held in customs when it became and issue and basically got stuck there. Once collected they will get made within a week or two. Freight costs were only $100AUD. They're smaller and easier to pack than I had originally thought.

1. I can try, but considering I have a bargaining chip of literally just me I'm not expecting it to have much impact. If the manufacturer gets hold of the parts and there are no issues copying them, and I get my set and fit them and post up some photos and people like them enough to try and do a group by, then I could see myself with a bargaining platform.

2. Australia is generally an awful place to get anything done above a quality of 0/10. I contacted about half a dozen places that said they did CF work nationally and only one of them got back to me. If a business doesn't care enough to at least respond they're not going to try and do it properly even if I do get hold of them. It is wasted time and money. That is a long way of saying 'I didn't try hard but the first warning sign is that you need to try hard'.

As for wrapping the sticky backs. The quality and longevity of the wrap will depend on the condition of the coating as much as the wrap. You'll need to clean it off to wrap it if there are any leveling defects in the coating (as there was with mine) because it will show up as bubbles in the vinyl. Also, imo wrapped CF looks like wrapped CF. Personal preference of course, but that is why I'm doing the solid material instead of a wrap.
 

foibles

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Australia is generally an awful place to get anything done above a quality of 0/10. I contacted about half a dozen places that said they did CF work nationally and only one of them got back to me. If a business doesn't care enough to at least respond they're not going to try and do it properly even if I do get hold of them. It is wasted time and money. That is a long way of saying 'I didn't try hard but the first warning sign is that you need to try hard'.
I've got to laugh because I've trodden this horrible path so often... And even quite recently. Just last week I contacted about 6 car restoration businesses... Not one got back to me. Obviously between job keeper payments and various other stimulus packages it's more lucrative to not work.

Quotes from stereo installers... 150 per hour! And given they're quoting 8 hours to do head unit, amp and both sets of speakers.. Which is probably a 6 hour job... Its tantamount to 200 per hour... Remarkable.

When i tried to get zagames to quote me their standard hourly labour rate... Or how long they would quote to do specific jobs... They persistently ignored the question. You know when someone is being that elusive... It is code for 'just shut up, give us your car and ready yourself for an *** raping. If you choose to bad mouth us on any review sites... Sure we'll devote many hours to wordsmithing a response. But we dont have the motivation or ethic to quote you up front.'

I'd actually say 5 out of 100 oz businesses are highly proficient. They're not all useless. Bear in mind carbon revolution in geelong are world leaders...but as is always the way, they took a decent government grant, and were then promptly bought out by usa venture capital. So the victorian ratepayer subsidised usa business interests. Totally unsurprising.

I work with CSIRO... and we have a cf manufacturing division. I'll see if i can get any pointers from some of the phD types...
 

lambertius

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You're far more optimistic than I am.

I'm familiar with Carbon Revolution, but they're pretty much wholesale only and it is wheels only. The one group in Australia that gave me a reasonable response was just unable to compete price wise and don't do cosmetic CF.

If you can find someone local who is willing to undercut a group in China I'm all ears. Please do report back!
 

nigw

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On the AM Vantage forum there's someone with a company making carbon items - has made lots of parts for Astons with great feedback on quality and price. They're based in Poland - I could put you in touch?
 

lambertius

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On the AM Vantage forum there's someone with a company making carbon items - has made lots of parts for Astons with great feedback on quality and price. They're based in Poland - I could put you in touch?

Won't hurt!
 

lozcb

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12,296
Worth a ponder , i have seveal contacts here in Milton Keynes area /Close to Silvertsone that are Formula one orientated interms of carbon fibre work , i f the interest was apparent i could chase up some quotes , once we ae out of lockdown i'll make myselff useful
 

ofenomeno99

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Messages
354
I did this to mine- cost me around £100 for both seats. Used the 6d carbon wrap which had the exact same shine and pattern as the carbon trim on the GS.
 

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lambertius

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That is a pretty neat job around the release handle. Most of the ones I've seen have a few cut sections to keep it flat around them. The other thing is that Australia, black car, for me it will just destroy the wrap in a few years - when I get my car back I'll show you how wrecked the passenger seat is, it is like black elephant ****... I reckon if I was going to pick a budget option I'd go with hydrodipping. You can do some really unusual shapes and parts with it, but you need to find someone with a lot of skill because it needs a lot finishing work.


71168
 

foibles

Member
Messages
511
I reckon if I was going to pick a budget option I'd go with hydrodipping. You can do some really unusual shapes and parts with it, but you need to find someone with a lot of skill because it needs a lot finishing work.

How's your progress with the CF seats going?

Received a quote from a pretty reputable mob for hydro dipping various parts. As you can see, each seat back is $154, which actually seems a pretty fair price to me.

As you've already pointed out though... Removing the sticky gunk will be as much fun as being stabbed in the eye...

PartPrice per UnitQtyTotal Sell
Vent – Small
$21.69​
4​
$86.76​
Vent – Centre
$26.05​
1​
$26.05​
Door Strip
$27.14​
2​
$54.28​
Handle Surround
$21.69​
2​
$43.38​
Seat Knob
$21.69​
2​
$43.38​
Seat Knob Surround
$21.69​
2​
$43.38​
Seat Backing
$154.10​
2​
$308.21​
$605.43
 

lambertius

Banned
Messages
341
How's your progress with the CF seats going?

Received a quote from a pretty reputable mob for hydro dipping various parts. As you can see, each seat back is $154, which actually seems a pretty fair price to me.

As you've already pointed out though... Removing the sticky gunk will be as much fun as being stabbed in the eye...

PartPrice per UnitQtyTotal Sell
Vent – Small
$21.69​
4​
$86.76​
Vent – Centre
$26.05​
1​
$26.05​
Door Strip
$27.14​
2​
$54.28​
Handle Surround
$21.69​
2​
$43.38​
Seat Knob
$21.69​
2​
$43.38​
Seat Knob Surround
$21.69​
2​
$43.38​
Seat Backing
$154.10​
2​
$308.21​
$605.43

Which currency is that? But yeah man, I agree that seems like a good pricing for a fair bit of work.

They're with the manufacturer, they're making the moulds at the moment! It is a slow process, this whole life thing....
 

foibles

Member
Messages
511
Which currency is that? But yeah man, I agree that seems like a good pricing for a fair bit of work.

They're with the manufacturer, they're making the moulds at the moment! It is a slow process, this whole life thing....

AUD. Supplier is in eastern suburbs Melbourne
 

lambertius

Banned
Messages
341
I mean if they do a good job, go for it! I reckon check that the graphic they'll use matches the CF you already have in the car, that would be my only suggestion.

As for cleaning the seat backs - if you want to go down that route, I'd suggest grabbing some oxyaction and some patience. If you use the Isopropyl the **** gets stickier as it comes off and gets hard to work. The oxy cleaners usually have a soap in them so it stays smooth. I'd also grab a large pack of cheap ebay sand paper to take it off as you work. The final point is that it will take it down to the grey primer, but it won't take the primer off the plastic.

I tested paint stripper but it is too aggressive, same with acetone.

If you have a hairdressing supply nearby I'd try and buy some high concentration hydrogen peroxide, make sure you test it on a small area of the plastic inside the shell which you will never see before you commit to it. I'm 99% sure that hydrogen peroxide will do the job a lot faster and won't damage the plastic.
 
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