PATTICAKEZ

Where can you get engine covers for an 04 tl??

LoveMyTL-S

Anyone?

jokerman826

carbon fiber or just regular engine covers?

mn2trance

If it's just OE engine cover, there are numerous dealership websites that'll give it to you cheaper than your local dealer. If you want carbon fiber, it'll have to be specially made or look in the Black Market to see if anyone is selling theirs.

94eg!

You will have to have someone add a decorative layer of carbon fiber onto your stock cover. This is how it's done. They sand and prep the surface, cover it with resin, lay on the fabric, then add more resin. Somewhere in there, the fabric is cut and pushed into the position. Depending on how it will be finished, it should be covered with something during the cure. Then it's typically sanded and polished afterwards. Sometimes it's sanded and gel-coated with special resin, and sometimes it's sanded and clear-coated with paint. It's a labor intensive process so it will cost a bundle to have done.

You can try doing it yourself, but expect to screw up more than a couple times while learning. The resins are expensive and the fabric is too. Finding them in low quantities can be done though. I've made a few carbon bits, but it's definitely more difficult than it looks. The only real success I had was by taping/stretching plastic-wrap super tight on the faces of two plates of glass (for super gloss finish). Next I poured some resin onto one of the plates and let it spread out on it's own. Then I laid the fabric onto the resin and let it soak in as long as possible (before my resin started to harden). Now I gently poured more resin onto the top of the fabric and tilted the plate to spread it around. Then I pressed the other piece of glass/plastic-wrap on top and taped them together tight around the edges. The next day when I separated everything, the carbon plate looked amazing. It was perfectly smooth with a high gloss finish on both sides, and had a perfect weave pattern. I used it to cut out a new pick plate for my Dad's guitar. It still looks perfect today, and this was probably 10 years ago.

The trick in using plastic-wrap is that it won't stick to the resin. One of the hardest parts about making stuff, is getting it to release from whatever your covering it with or molding it to. Plastic kitchen wrap worked perfect.

The other really difficult part is not getting bubbles into the resin. They don't come out and can/will ruin the look of a finished part. The only way I remember making it happen was by VERY gently stirring the activator into the resin. Then pouring it out without using a brush to spread it. A brush might work if done correctly, but I couldn't make it happen.

Good luck!

McCollins23

If you are just going for looks dry to wrap it or Hydro-dip.

94eg!

What else would he be going for? And BTW, neither of those things "looks" as good as real carbon fiber.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Real carbon fiber is going to be way too expensive. The Dip is just fine-looks good.

KB1Spec

iTrader: (4)

A member goes by the name MichaelBenz used to make them but ceased production like 5 years ago. I had my but sold it right after my lease was up.

This was my Carbon Fiber Cover. I also did the whole engine bay in CF BUT those were CF overlay. I didn't have my fab guy make the mold.

McCollins23

Obviously a sticker is not gonna look as good as the real thing, but it is a hell of a lot cheaper.

Horditruck

iTrader: (1)

oh man that CF engine bay look so sexy

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Yep...that was me.


Sold that whole company years ago unfortunately. The molds went with it.

TypeSZilla

I saw a CF Engine Cover on the Black Market forum not too long ago... GLuck!

https://acurazine.com/forums/car-par...3-pipe-939234/

ciscopath

iTrader: (1)

Did the current owner have plans to destroy the molds or can this still be requested.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

I don't believe they are making that part any longer. The molds may have been destroyed as most of what they were after was other contract part business I had on the books that actually had volume to the sales. The custom Acura stuff we did was all low volume...which most bigger operations tend to stray away from. They like economies of scale! That's where they make their lunch money.

Tony52

I got my engine bay painted carbon fibre by my good buddy. Well just the plastic pieces not the whole bay lol. I had a lot of people tell me they wanted it. I would be willing to take stock covers shipped to me, have them painted and then shipped back.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Looks like hydro dipped or water transfer printing or hydrographics more or less? (all same thing) Economical idea there honestly. None of these parts really NEED carbon fiber and being this technology has evolved since we made these CF covers back ten years ago I would recommend it. Not only could you do carbon fiber look...but you could do a multitude of other patterns that already exist, sticker bomb, camo, flame, if you can think of it...they likely have it somewhere.


Heck...you can even do this in your home if you are brave enough to give it a go. Doesn't really look that hard.


Here is a link to the kind of thing I am talking about....
Products Archive - Hydrographics FilmHydrographics Film

check out the many films they have to pick from. Search around...there are tons more suppliers with other kits and patters as well. Great idea!

Murders23

Whats would be the cost difference of say going cf vs hydro dipped?

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Significantly cheaper to just hydro dip it. Like probably 15 - 20 percent of the cost as opposed to going with carbon fiber.