Carbon Fiber look... Testing waters

[SmartTech]

A local custom shop borrowed some parts from me and brought them back looking like this. I am testing the waters to see if people were interested in buying them (not the sample, they are all damaged parts) because i have a minimum order i have to make to get decent pricing.


estimated pricing would be:
Fuel doors $39.99 no cores
Hoods 149.99 with 150 core (either light or dark picture has both for samples)
and
interior pieces 199.99 with 100 core (no samples yet though)


let me know

[El Kabong]

These look pretty good in the pictures. Are they wrapped or ????

[babybenz]

They look really good. But can they get the carbon fiber in the right pattern? The gas door is fine but the hood you can tell lol. Just a heads up other than that it looks great good job. Price is a little high I got high performance black matte vinyl for my hood a front and it is expensive vinyl and hard to come by and i got both of those done for $130 take a look

[SuperGeek]

Interesting... the lighter pattern in the front gives a Moire pattern that kind of hurts the eyes in a photo... wonder what it'd look like at 60mph and if it's more likely to cause distraction and accidents. Still, a well done textured metal pattern might work. The darker pattern's pretty subtle... might be better on a large surface, in fact. Ha, I said large... when describing a Smart.

[SmartTech]

this is not a vinyl wrap. its a special hydro graphics and then clear coated paint on top. this will act like a regular paint job, it wont peal off and can be washed and waxed like the rest of the car.
funny i thought the price as kind of cheap for essentially custom work that's why i asked for opinions!
oh i am going to try and get better photos today the lighting in the shop last night just didnt work as well as i wanted, it does give it some interesting depth to the pattern in the pictures

[randyzimmer]

All I know is that not one person has wanted a 100% carbon gas door or hood.
I've had them available since last May with "0" takers.

[SmartTech]

i have seen the hoods for $600 i havent seen the fuel door prices. i wasnt sure if it is a price factor or if smart car people just werent in to the look.

[4GAZM]

Hello their, acually back when i worked at guardian automotive in troy MI we bought a few tanks and used this hydro graphic tech, we used it on wheels and body panals as well as inteirior parts. we did it for our aftermarket divition called GRIP tuning back a few years ago, we charged about 5 bucks per square foot for the hydro graphics. but we stoped doing exteirior parts due to chiping and flaking. the inteirior parts worked fine but once it is chiped by a rock it would slowly flake of really baddly on the wheels thou.

again do at your own risk. the carbon was ok but it would warp badley on compund surfaces which maid it look very bad. also not sure if they have it but the black gold carbon looked more corect than the silver blue carbon. their are also other companies that do this stuff and charge much cheaper than what you got charged, so check around. when we worked on pricing we found people would be paying the same amount for this fake carbon than with a real carbon fiber part when the part was big like a hood, it maid more sence when the part was small!

anywho happy modding!

[Suze]

I totally don't get the carbon fiber thing. I mean does it mostly appeal to men? Why?

To me it looks like old tweed.

[mvaldes]

I don't love it either, but it's nice for those who do to have the option available. Thanks for developing products for us Smart lovers.