Luisv
05-08-2020, 07:10 PM
Over the past couple of months I have been adding some Carbon Fiber parts to the car. Everything has been using the parts from XtremeSupercars. In the past I've done write ups on the rear applique and the rear brake ducts. More recently I've done a few more parts and have recorded video of the install and process. I'll be editing those and will be posting them soon.
For now, what I did was finish off with the swap out of the plastic hood vents on the GTS to the Carbon Fiber pieces from Xtreme. The hood vents he sells are completely carbon fiber but are only the perimeter of the vent. In other words no grill in the center like the factory parts. I went ahead and added a mesh to the units. I know there have been others that did the same, but here's how I did it.
The parts themselves are excellent. The fit it perfect and drop into the factory opening perfectly. In fact, I'd say better than the OEM plastic part. Finish is beautiful, weave is nicely laid, just a great piece like all the others I have installed so far. You can easily install them exactly as they come from Xtreme and they would look perfect, but I wanted to close off the opening. Just to keep hands out of the engine bay if the hood is closed and just to hide/mask the hoses and cooler seen through the vents. The pieces as they came from Xtreme look like this.
https://i.imgur.com/4OtWde1.jpg
The tabs on the rearward side of the vents drop into the factory grooves.
https://i.imgur.com/vXzT0zQ.jpg
A closer shot of the weave
https://i.imgur.com/AFLhHmz.jpg
To make the grill insert I took some black mesh that was painted in glossy black. In order to get the piece cut I had to make a template. All I did was make a template with some card stock. I made the template to cover the underside of the new vent and made sure to go to the edge of the part on the under side.
https://i.imgur.com/jPzrUoz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6LpwuFK.jpg
I then flip the part and template over to trace the outline on the inside of the vent onto the template. I also lined up the "grid pattern" so the new mesh would line up in a similar way to the way the stock unit was. That is the line in the center with the light line and arrowheads. I'll just use that to line up the joints in the mesh to that line.
https://i.imgur.com/piwyPcE.jpg
I then line the mesh with painters tape so I have something to mark the template against and I trace the outside edge. Notice that the light line with arrowheads lines up with the grid intersections on the mesh. (Yes, I am aware that I am anal) I traced the outside edge on the template onto the tape.
https://i.imgur.com/ibE9AvL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sqS3bS5.jpg
At that point I cut the mesh using an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. It makes quick work of it. Keep as tight to the line as you can. You want the edge of the mesh to end up INSIDE the carbon fiber part so that it clears the opening. Once I cut it I had to come back and grind down a few edges to get the fit on the part perfect.
https://i.imgur.com/WVQdCSU.jpg
The dry fit test before I get ready to adhere it to the part.
https://i.imgur.com/EwfrOGU.jpg
I decided to adhere the mesh with epoxy. I have a ton of it because of a car I'm working on so I use it. To make sure I get good adhesion, I sanded the underside of the part to scuff it up. You do not have to epoxy it. You can use pretty much any adhesive. Wayne at Xtreme suggested marine adhesive. For example, 3M 5200 adhesive. That would work just fine as well. Regardless, scuffing where you will adhere to the carbon fiber is a good idea.
https://i.imgur.com/FOUbz0v.jpg
The next step was to get my hands on some thin galvanized sheet metal. I had some lying around but you can get it cheap at your local hardware. I made two tabs about 1/2" thick and 3" long. These will be glued in between the mesh and carbon fiber part. I will use this to mechanically hold the part in place.
Next I masked the finished side of the carbon fiber with painter's tape. Make sure you do this so you don't have to deal with fixing a mess later. Once that is done I then mixed my epoxy and adhered the mesh to the carbon fiber piece. I clamped it down and added some weight to keep the mesh flat while the epoxy set.
https://i.imgur.com/SMXFR2t.jpg
This is the final piece with the tab I mentioned in place.
The tab should be place on the side opposite the tabs on the carbon fiber piece. It should be over towards the inside of each vent. In other words, near the tip of the vent closest to the center of the car. I put them in about 2.5" in from the tip.
https://i.imgur.com/ByX9YOq.jpg
Last thing, I clean the front edge (when installed) of the carbon fiber part and the front inside edge of the hood opening. Then I put in a permanent, waterproof, double sided adhesive tape on the front edge. (I used Gorilla brand clear) This will hold the part in place without having to glue it in. You will see a small "lip" on the upper (side closest to the finished, glossy, carbon fiber) side. Keep the two face tape under that lip to assure a nice fit against the hood opening.
https://i.imgur.com/bIwGZqO.jpg
Now it's time to install the part. First, fold back the metal tab well to clear the opening. The back side (the one with the tabs) goes in first then I press in the front side (the one with the two face tape) well. This will bond the part in tightly and the fit will be excellent in the opening. Once I had it in place, I fold the metal tab over the edge of the hood on the inside of the hood. The photo is below.
https://i.imgur.com/eBtCjAp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nMj59wN.jpg
All done.
For now, what I did was finish off with the swap out of the plastic hood vents on the GTS to the Carbon Fiber pieces from Xtreme. The hood vents he sells are completely carbon fiber but are only the perimeter of the vent. In other words no grill in the center like the factory parts. I went ahead and added a mesh to the units. I know there have been others that did the same, but here's how I did it.
The parts themselves are excellent. The fit it perfect and drop into the factory opening perfectly. In fact, I'd say better than the OEM plastic part. Finish is beautiful, weave is nicely laid, just a great piece like all the others I have installed so far. You can easily install them exactly as they come from Xtreme and they would look perfect, but I wanted to close off the opening. Just to keep hands out of the engine bay if the hood is closed and just to hide/mask the hoses and cooler seen through the vents. The pieces as they came from Xtreme look like this.
https://i.imgur.com/4OtWde1.jpg
The tabs on the rearward side of the vents drop into the factory grooves.
https://i.imgur.com/vXzT0zQ.jpg
A closer shot of the weave
https://i.imgur.com/AFLhHmz.jpg
To make the grill insert I took some black mesh that was painted in glossy black. In order to get the piece cut I had to make a template. All I did was make a template with some card stock. I made the template to cover the underside of the new vent and made sure to go to the edge of the part on the under side.
https://i.imgur.com/jPzrUoz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6LpwuFK.jpg
I then flip the part and template over to trace the outline on the inside of the vent onto the template. I also lined up the "grid pattern" so the new mesh would line up in a similar way to the way the stock unit was. That is the line in the center with the light line and arrowheads. I'll just use that to line up the joints in the mesh to that line.
https://i.imgur.com/piwyPcE.jpg
I then line the mesh with painters tape so I have something to mark the template against and I trace the outside edge. Notice that the light line with arrowheads lines up with the grid intersections on the mesh. (Yes, I am aware that I am anal) I traced the outside edge on the template onto the tape.
https://i.imgur.com/ibE9AvL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sqS3bS5.jpg
At that point I cut the mesh using an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. It makes quick work of it. Keep as tight to the line as you can. You want the edge of the mesh to end up INSIDE the carbon fiber part so that it clears the opening. Once I cut it I had to come back and grind down a few edges to get the fit on the part perfect.
https://i.imgur.com/WVQdCSU.jpg
The dry fit test before I get ready to adhere it to the part.
https://i.imgur.com/EwfrOGU.jpg
I decided to adhere the mesh with epoxy. I have a ton of it because of a car I'm working on so I use it. To make sure I get good adhesion, I sanded the underside of the part to scuff it up. You do not have to epoxy it. You can use pretty much any adhesive. Wayne at Xtreme suggested marine adhesive. For example, 3M 5200 adhesive. That would work just fine as well. Regardless, scuffing where you will adhere to the carbon fiber is a good idea.
https://i.imgur.com/FOUbz0v.jpg
The next step was to get my hands on some thin galvanized sheet metal. I had some lying around but you can get it cheap at your local hardware. I made two tabs about 1/2" thick and 3" long. These will be glued in between the mesh and carbon fiber part. I will use this to mechanically hold the part in place.
Next I masked the finished side of the carbon fiber with painter's tape. Make sure you do this so you don't have to deal with fixing a mess later. Once that is done I then mixed my epoxy and adhered the mesh to the carbon fiber piece. I clamped it down and added some weight to keep the mesh flat while the epoxy set.
https://i.imgur.com/SMXFR2t.jpg
This is the final piece with the tab I mentioned in place.
The tab should be place on the side opposite the tabs on the carbon fiber piece. It should be over towards the inside of each vent. In other words, near the tip of the vent closest to the center of the car. I put them in about 2.5" in from the tip.
https://i.imgur.com/ByX9YOq.jpg
Last thing, I clean the front edge (when installed) of the carbon fiber part and the front inside edge of the hood opening. Then I put in a permanent, waterproof, double sided adhesive tape on the front edge. (I used Gorilla brand clear) This will hold the part in place without having to glue it in. You will see a small "lip" on the upper (side closest to the finished, glossy, carbon fiber) side. Keep the two face tape under that lip to assure a nice fit against the hood opening.
https://i.imgur.com/bIwGZqO.jpg
Now it's time to install the part. First, fold back the metal tab well to clear the opening. The back side (the one with the tabs) goes in first then I press in the front side (the one with the two face tape) well. This will bond the part in tightly and the fit will be excellent in the opening. Once I had it in place, I fold the metal tab over the edge of the hood on the inside of the hood. The photo is below.
https://i.imgur.com/eBtCjAp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nMj59wN.jpg
All done.