Need some ideas =\

[xxKo0paxX]

Well ive had my car for about two years now..... started from this

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To where its at now

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The last one wasnt necessary but I had to show you guys my GSX as well

Now I WAS planning on going with a very glossy serrano red paint job but for some reason I decided to go with a charcoal grey metallic color i guess since i liked how the color shines in our sunny cali weather and also i dont really see that color on our cars let alone a spyder... Now that the GSX is paid off and maintanance is finally done time to show the spyder some love but I need some opinions and ideas on the rims and color scheme ?? chrome, polished alluminum , black, gold etc??

Also anyone have any tips on repairing cf hoods? one is fading....

 

[97-gst]

why'd you get rid of the barcelona red pearl? i thought it looked pretty good

 

[nuclearr]

I hope the pics do not do it justice. Because you went from a beautiful Barcelona red to a mundane common charcoal that in the pics looks like it has no shine.

I like the scheme you have not what are you trying to accomplish bigger wheels or what?

As far as the hood you can wet sand it and have it cleared. Or paint it to match the car.

 

[fatalreaction]

raw CF IMO is not a good look on a street car, Then again im more of a sleeper fan... rather have people talk trash about my ride then get their doors blown off then have the look but not the sack to back it up, Their right the red was really nice tho...

 

[fatalreaction]

well i've always been a fan of burnt orange like the orange the put on the 06 350Zs... Pair that up with your black top and a nice set of black wheels with a polished lip and id say you're in business

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

What is the color you're asking about for? Wheels or some graphics? If its for wheels, I say go with gunmetal or black. If its for a graphic I would say a metallic red or orange would look alright, Although I wouldn't put a graphic on that nice, clean spyder if it were up to me.

 

[gpopppa]

Id say black also, what color interior do you have?gray and black? I was gonna paint my spyder almost the same color as your but with more flake,and paint my rims black. But decided to go with the hotrod satin black, And with the hood,i thought carbon fiber was not supposed to fade? If you could find like black chrome wheels, like on those hummers back a few years ago. That would be nice too. Good luck man!

 

[dented_coffee]

Carbonfiber hood repair is easy with a DR and a good old orbital buffer and saves a few hundred dollars on buying a new one or getting it painted to hide the carbon weaves. Some people dont realise it but a good wash and wax is what protects and keeps your paint looking great. Buffing a cars paint will remove all most all of the scratches depending on how deep they are. My friends dad has a ford truck from the mid 60's with the origional paint. Ya its been garaged alot but he drives it arround alot and it sits outside on nice warm days and nights. The paint looks brand new and thats no joke. It has been washed buffed and waxed its whole life and its still going with no flaws.

Gel coat is fading on the carbonfiber
1. lightly sand with 400grit to remove the oxydisation of the gel coat
2. lightly sand with 800grit to remove the deep sanding scratches of the 400grit
3. wetsand with 1500grit to make the surface flush and smooth as possible with sandpaper
4. buff and polish her to a nice finish
5. wax it to a perfect finish to protect it from oxydisation again
6. stand back with sun glasses on and look at the beauty blinding perfection

As for the opinions. Im not one to really dive opinions on anothers ride. Its there baby and I dont wanna say that this looks good and there not liking it or something like that . But if I had to pic I would say that bronze or bright silver would look good with the paint it has now IMO.

Id say black also, what color interior do you have?gray and black? I was gonna paint my spyder almost the same color as your but with more flake,and paint my rims black. But decided to go with the hotrod satin black, And with the hood,i thought carbon fiber was not supposed to fade? If you could find like black chrome wheels, like on those hummers back a few years ago. That would be nice too. Good luck man!

Black chrome is just a clear coat with a very little bit of black mixed in with it to make it a dark smoked tint and its sprayed over a chrome base. I learned that trick from my uncle while doing auto body work and painting for 8 years.

 

[xxKo0paxX]

Resized pics sorry guys thanks dented coffee for the info I will be sure to grab those materials and do a write up since I searched and could not find any real solid info.credit of course will be given to you for awesome tips .Any particular wax I should be looking at? Any pics of that satin black that was one of the colors I was thinkin about getting it painted

I guess those cell phone pics dont really show the flake and shine of it but I will be sure to update and get some better ones tomorrow morning as for the cf Im thinkin it didnt have a UV coating maybe just a clear or gel coat but here in cali we pretty much get sun all year long which reaks havoc on our clear coats some times That barcelona red had clear fading on both the rear panels and scratches all over the hood from when the dogs used it as its house before I bought it .....

Im lookin into purchasing some rims and suspension pretty soon and needed some opinions on what you guys think the best color would be to offset the cars color. all gray interior btw. Will be puttin some 18 x 8.5 wheels and also hoping the new struts and shocks will improve my launchin DSM's F$#$@ING ROCK BTW I bought my GSX not running while my GST was down for repairs as well Thats when you know your addicted to DSM's

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

Buffing carbon fiber will not give it a glossy finish. Buffing it will make it dull, the gel coat is too soft. I know from personal experience. Also by sanding carbon fiber, you will be removing the UV protection layer, and you would just be dealing with the same problem in the near future.

I was also told by my body shop that you cannot repair a carbon fiber hood because the clear coat will not blend with the carbon fiber's gel coat. So you would be able to see the two separate layers layers of products. Your only options are to get a new one or have the hood painted. I've never had this done, but you might want to check with a body shop before doing so.

However the method mentioned above will work great on the rest of your car's finish.

 

[MoparDSM]

Do you know what wheels you are going to be putting on yet?

 

[bgmcmill]

enkei's always look pretty good... i had rota's on my old gsx and i loved the look of them... i think if you got a gunmetal set of rotas they'd look pretty damn good with your paint scheme now... itd be a sort of stealthy look to it.

 

[dented_coffee]

Yes it will oxidize again just like the original finish did. I did the steps I told him on a carbon fiber helmet of mine that got trashed by sun damage. It still shines and looks brand new again. If your not going all out hulk hogan on the sanding then your ok. Its soft but only to a degree. Friction caused by the sandpaper going haywire on the surface makes it hot and it starts to get soft.

You probably break bolts all over your DSM because you force them without care. Little by little and switch to different bolts or take a break in between turns to let the bolt cool down and help it prevent from breaking off and needing to be drilled and tapped again. Don't troll dude I was just posting what I did and what my uncles does that has worked for many carbon fiber parts of ours.

That or you can do this. It costs a little bit more in price but lasts longer.
1000 grit wet sand (lightly to remove just the oxidization)
have it clear coated at a body shop with UV stable automotive paint

It will shine just like the paint on the body of the car as well and its as easy as buffing and polishing like the body instead of going threw stages of sanding and buffing. Make shure you wet sand in one constant direction thow, and keep the surface wet with a spray bottle and don't let it dry until you wash it all off with soap water. The dried residue left behind is a PITA to remove from any surface once it has dried. Trust me on the wet sanding. You will thank me later because the turnout looks so much more better.

 

[307dsm]

Am new to the forums, but I think if you put some gold rims , or some like these
carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2666/41/6662520052_large.jpg
I think I would give it a whole different look....