Exactly. Polymer binder that holds the carbon fibers together is degraded by ultraviolet light from the sun. Clear coating keeps the deterioration from happening for a long time, dependent upon climate and strength of the sun. And whether your vehicle is garaged or not. Just as with automotive paints.
I was about this before with my friend's hood and is badly peeling. I will definitely go this route then ceramic coat the parts after. Thanks for the vid
I always thought the Shine from finished fiberglass was the epoxy and not the gel-coat? So if you ever wanted to paint over the carbon-fiber, it would be pretty easy it seems
You could be right. Admittedly I have more to learn about fiberglass/composite parts. I know the CF is set in a resin, not 100% on if it gets top coated with gel coat or something after everything is set. Either way they are pretty easy to paint over if you wanted to, just scuff like I did in this video.
Hi Alex, I have a brand new carbon fiber duckbill spoiler coming in the mail soon and I have a few questions. I further want to protect my new spoiler before installing it from uv rays and the elements as it will be on the car year round. Is it fine to just spray a few coats of 2k clear without having to sand it prior? Thank you and love the video quality!
Definitely sand it before spraying the clear. Use 800 or 1000 grit. You don’t have to go crazy, just want to scuff the part so the whole thing is a nice even dullness. When you clear it the shine will come back 100%
Nice video! Which gun are you using? Whats an economical gun for me to start clearcoating carbon fiber parts? At first I thought you were using the 3m Accuspray but I don’t see the clear disposable nozzles. Any help is appreciated.
I have an accuspray, I wouldn’t use it for anything other than primer though. In this video I’m using the devilbiss tekna pro lite. It’s a great all around gun that’s fairly affordable. Also don’t forget you can get some used guns for a lot less than new.
What grit sanding did you use? I ask this because I got bad overspray from clear coating after wet sanding and it didn’t seem to work after I tried sanding again to get it all smooth. So luckily for me my buddy has a sander that I can use to just redo it again. I just wanna know the grit you use to do the same exact process on mine. Also it looks like you didn’t wet sand it. Am I correct on that? I heard you always wanna wet sand it but in this case it does not look like you did
I am going to use the 2k max can. It will not atomize the clear as well as a gun for sure. I will have to wet sand it again with 3000 grit and then buff with turtle wax buffer to remove orange peels. Do you see any problem with this approach?
No, just make sure you get at least 2 wet coats on. Spray can stuff is usually pretty thin so definitely 2 coats minimum. Make sure you spray it wet and glossy and like you said wet sand and buff once it’s dry.
Hi Curious, does it have to be 800 sand paper? Can I do it with 3000? Or lower like 1500? (Sanding CF car front lip parts) Also, I’m using 2k spray can, what’s your recommendation for spraying carbon fiber parts? How many coats, how long wait in between coats, do I need to wet sand afterwards? Thanks
if you're going to spray with clear I'd do at least 1000 to ensure good adhesion. Follow the instructions on the can for dry times between coats. I'd only wet sand if you arent happy with the texture after spraying.
If I get my cf hood coated with uv protection and all that good stuff. Would the process of taking care of it change? I’m asking because with cf you normally use a cleaner/cure treatment and then you protect it with what ever product you use, and I don’t know if with the new clear coat that would change.
Is there a way to leave the CF part matt without any side effects? Is it sanding with grit paper and hope for best or has to be made in mould without shiny surface. Or is there a clear coat that results in matt?
How much do you charge to re clear a trunk spoiler that’s carbon fiber? I tried clear coating it about two years ago and because the clear didn’t have uv protection it started cracking and dulling. It looks hideous.
Try finding 2k clear online in a rattle can. It is a 2 part clear and should help with your situation. Don't use rustled, dupli color, or any other clear coat that doesn't have a catalyst setup. Also don't get 2k mixed with 2x, the 2x means 2 times the amount of coverage.
Hey Alex. What clear coat did you use please? I see you're using the 3M spray gun with disposable nozzles I thing. What size nozzle did you use and air pressure? I use duratec sunshield but I'm having a hard time getting a class A finisg.
Jack Soliman it’s actually my devilbiss basecoat gun with a pps cup adapter as I don’t have a dedicated clear gun currently. Should be a 1.3 tip and I sprayed at around 15-17 psi. Clear is PPG DC4000.
If there is I’m not aware of it. Normal clear should be fine for most stuff under the hood I would think. As long as they’re not going directly against some headers or something haha.
The answer to your question is yes. What he did here in the video should last years to come. A lot of things come into play, weather conditions, driving conditions, if you help protect with ceramic coating or other products along the way. Things like that. But this will last anywhere from 6-10 .
This was so satisfying to watch, I don’t know why 😂😂
Exactly. Polymer binder that holds the carbon fibers together is degraded by ultraviolet light from the sun. Clear coating keeps the deterioration from happening for a long time, dependent upon climate and strength of the sun. And whether your vehicle is garaged or not. Just as with automotive paints.
Can I use normal clear coat used on car panel paint?
Thanks for this video bro , I got my new carbon trunk clear coated.
Awesome man! 👍🏼
if I clear coat my carbon fiber trunk then have a clear paint film over it, I should be good for life kinda?
@@ViEtKiDD617 for quite awile. i would also be careful with CF trunks as they can crack and break.
@@wanderbread4217 is this the case with all carbon fiber parts or only trunks, and why is that?
OMG thank you for the video!!! I just bought a CF intake. Will spraying a clear coat over it work as well? Thank you Alex!
Yep!
@@AlexPerrucci thank you Sir!!!
I was about this before with my friend's hood and is badly peeling. I will definitely go this route then ceramic coat the parts after. Thanks for the vid
I always thought the Shine from finished fiberglass was the epoxy and not the gel-coat? So if you ever wanted to paint over the carbon-fiber, it would be pretty easy it seems
You could be right. Admittedly I have more to learn about fiberglass/composite parts. I know the CF is set in a resin, not 100% on if it gets top coated with gel coat or something after everything is set. Either way they are pretty easy to paint over if you wanted to, just scuff like I did in this video.
Great video! My carbon bonnet has a few cloudy spots, what speed should I have my dual action polisher on to do the sanding?
Hey alex thank you for this awesome video,
My question is,
After you clear coat it, did u color sand and buff the clear?
Thank you
Nope, didn’t need to on this one!
Looks awesome
I have fake plastic dip carbon look with clearcoat on it.Fade this also in the sun?
Hi Alex, I have a brand new carbon fiber duckbill spoiler coming in the mail soon and I have a few questions. I further want to protect my new spoiler before installing it from uv rays and the elements as it will be on the car year round. Is it fine to just spray a few coats of 2k clear without having to sand it prior? Thank you and love the video quality!
Definitely sand it before spraying the clear. Use 800 or 1000 grit. You don’t have to go crazy, just want to scuff the part so the whole thing is a nice even dullness. When you clear it the shine will come back 100%
Nice video! Which gun are you using? Whats an economical gun for me to start clearcoating carbon fiber parts? At first I thought you were using the 3m Accuspray but I don’t see the clear disposable nozzles. Any help is appreciated.
I have an accuspray, I wouldn’t use it for anything other than primer though. In this video I’m using the devilbiss tekna pro lite. It’s a great all around gun that’s fairly affordable. Also don’t forget you can get some used guns for a lot less than new.
Alex Perrucci thanks!
Did you use wax, grease remover, and adhesive promoter before you spray the clear coat?
Cleaned with wax and grease remover, yes.
What grit sanding did you use? I ask this because I got bad overspray from clear coating after wet sanding and it didn’t seem to work after I tried sanding again to get it all smooth. So luckily for me my buddy has a sander that I can use to just redo it again. I just wanna know the grit you use to do the same exact process on mine. Also it looks like you didn’t wet sand it. Am I correct on that? I heard you always wanna wet sand it but in this case it does not look like you did
Yeah I just 800 grit dry sanded before applying clear.
@@AlexPerrucci lastly where can I buy a sander like yours and get that grey scuff pad? And how long should I wait in between coats
What the fluid set at? Iv been spraying wide open doing 1 spray pass and getting runs. Around 30 psi
It’s just dialed back from wide open a bit. Probably spraying around 25 psi.
I am going to use the 2k max can. It will not atomize the clear as well as a gun for sure. I will have to wet sand it again with 3000 grit and then buff with turtle wax buffer to remove orange peels. Do you see any problem with this approach?
No, just make sure you get at least 2 wet coats on. Spray can stuff is usually pretty thin so definitely 2 coats minimum. Make sure you spray it wet and glossy and like you said wet sand and buff once it’s dry.
Hi
Curious, does it have to be 800 sand paper? Can I do it with 3000? Or lower like 1500? (Sanding CF car front lip parts)
Also, I’m using 2k spray can, what’s your recommendation for spraying carbon fiber parts? How many coats, how long wait in between coats, do I need to wet sand afterwards?
Thanks
if you're going to spray with clear I'd do at least 1000 to ensure good adhesion. Follow the instructions on the can for dry times between coats. I'd only wet sand if you arent happy with the texture after spraying.
How about for the VIS VS2 carbon fiber hood for the sti?? Supposedly they bullet point “High Gloss Finish With UV Protectant Clear Coat”?
If it says UV protectant it should be ok.
Would it be fine to just ceramic coat it at first and do this later when it starts fading?
Yeah. Just don't let it get too bad before clearing.
@@AlexPerrucci thanks, how much longer do you expect to get out of clear coating instead?
Are you in atlanta area?
Glad I watched this. Makes plenty of sense. Thanks 👍
Thanks! Glad this could help!
If I get my cf hood coated with uv protection and all that good stuff. Would the process of taking care of it change? I’m asking because with cf you normally use a cleaner/cure treatment and then you protect it with what ever product you use, and I don’t know if with the new clear coat that would change.
Yes, with clear coat you would treat it like you would the rest of your car. Just keep it waxed to protect it.
@@AlexPerrucci Thanks Alex, Sounds good!
What kind of clear coat did you use and did you have to mix with anything?
PPG EC520, clear, hardener, and reducer.
When you clear coat these parts how long does it last with out fading ?
Should last a long time if you take care of it!
Would it be better to ppf it?
Is there a way to leave the CF part matt without any side effects? Is it sanding with grit paper and hope for best or has to be made in mould without shiny surface. Or is there a clear coat that results in matt?
I guess you could scuff it and leave it. Or yes, you can do a matte clear coat.
@@AlexPerrucci Thanks a lot Alex.
How much do you charge to re clear a trunk spoiler that’s carbon fiber? I tried clear coating it about two years ago and because the clear didn’t have uv protection it started cracking and dulling. It looks hideous.
Usually $100.
Try finding 2k clear online in a rattle can. It is a 2 part clear and should help with your situation. Don't use rustled, dupli color, or any other clear coat that doesn't have a catalyst setup. Also don't get 2k mixed with 2x, the 2x means 2 times the amount of coverage.
dude can i clear coat my carbon fiber helmet?
Definitely!
Hey Alex. What clear coat did you use please? I see you're using the 3M spray gun with disposable nozzles I thing. What size nozzle did you use and air pressure? I use duratec sunshield but I'm having a hard time getting a class A finisg.
Jack Soliman it’s actually my devilbiss basecoat gun with a pps cup adapter as I don’t have a dedicated clear gun currently. Should be a 1.3 tip and I sprayed at around 15-17 psi. Clear is PPG DC4000.
is there a different product I should use when I want to clear coat my cf parts that are going into my engine bay? like a heat resistant spray?
If there is I’m not aware of it. Normal clear should be fine for most stuff under the hood I would think. As long as they’re not going directly against some headers or something haha.
@@AlexPerrucci Thanks bro!
Is the clear coat the same thing used for paint??
Yes!
If continuingly exposed to sunlight how long would you expect this to last before it needed another respray?
Without clear, a year. With clear 7 or more years.
Thanks for your reply Alex,
so what you've shown here in your video is good for seven years? (apologies if this sounds dumb)
The answer to your question is yes. What he did here in the video should last years to come. A lot of things come into play, weather conditions, driving conditions, if you help protect with ceramic coating or other products along the way. Things like that. But this will last anywhere from 6-10 .
any good clear will do?
Yep!
Do you need to nee to use any flex additive or adhesion promotor?
Nope, just sand, clean, and spray.
How long will the clear coat protect for ?
Should last years if taken care of.
@@AlexPerrucci and how much should a clear coat like this cost
I was told I can clear wrap the carbon and it would last long too
Hi what clear coat did you use? Please
PPG EC530
@@AlexPerrucci Really appreciate the reply, thanks
You think I can do this to a bmw m4 roof ?
Yes, don't see why not. Is it fading, or just preventative? I wouldn't be surprised if they clear them from the factory.
@@AlexPerrucci is peeling off the roof now
Would doing this restore carbon fiber?
Yes depending on how bad it is. I managed to restore a hood that was pretty rough by sanding it down and clearing it multiple times.
@@AlexPerrucci ok I have a 2003 hyaundi tiburon Gt and it has a carbon fiber hood and it seen some better days
Not all Carbon fiber come Just gel coated some come UV Protected
Well of course
what about ceramic coating?
Ceramic coating might actually help. 👍🏼
Would chemical guys Jetseal work ok insted of a respray
Looks like that could definitely help since it has UV protection. I’d reapply yearly though.
Should have shown the finished parts.