My wing getting stripped :D
Originally Posted by f86sabre
Mitsu paints the carbon because carbon composites do not like sunlight. I work in the aerospace industry (structures engineer, mainly metal though) and when I bought my Evo I talked to our composite engineers about the naked airfoil. They were really surprised to see it. They recommended I either get it painted or be sure to keep UV protection on it. As areet stated, he’s getting it stripped due to yellowing. That is just cosmetic. After enough time (likely longer than the average life of the car) the structural strength of the part can suffer. Still, I think what you have done to that one looks awfully nice and would go fantastic on a black Evo. I hope it all turns out for you. Just keep a good UV wax on it.
Best wishes,
f86sabre
Best wishes,
f86sabre
Evolving Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 189
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta / Lithonia, GA
You would have to ask areet if the removal of the clear coat totally solved his problem. Yellowing due to clear coat issues could be separate from damage to the resins used in the composite lay-up. Our composites (meaning the ones I see at work) don’t have clear coats, they are primed and painted. I know I have seen areas of carbon composite panels where the paint and primer have come off and you can tell that the coloring has changed due to UV exposure. Of course, my experience is with airliners and they operate in a much harsher environment than our cars. Whatever you do, you want to make sure the wing is well sealed up when you are done. Any moisture getting in between plies can lead to delamination. I don’t know if you would want to disassemble the wing to be sure that you get clear coat everywhere or not. I still think it looks cool. Good carbon work is almost like art.
Best wishes,
f86sabre
Best wishes,
f86sabre
Well, let me just state right off the bat that I am a dumb ***. I thought just the center section was only CF. I had my wing broken in half by some vandals (a while ago) and I saw there was foam in the middle I was figuring that the sides were fiberglass at most. But that explains the $1500 cost for a new wing....
Last edited by 03EvoVIII; Oct 1, 2004 at 10:14 PM.
Thread Starter
Evolving Member
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
From: Laredo, Texas
Haha, sorry guys. My friend was bringing me the wing, but when he put it in the backseat of the car, he said he chipped the clearcoat. He said he'd bring it to me this morning. Sorry about that guys, I know you were waiting for the pics. Wet sanding is when the surface and sandpaper are wet and you use water as a lubricant or something. After he sanded with 400 grit, he went up to 600 then 800 grit, made sure to wash it, then started spraying clearcoat on it.