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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum Technical Topics Cosmetic and Lighting Modifications Does all carbon fiber pretty much look the same?

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      06-28-2021, 09:26 AM   #1
g80_nick
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Does all carbon fiber pretty much look the same?

Hey guys so i wanna get my rear diffuser from one company and my carbon lip from another company. Would you be able to tell the difference or does the carbon fiber pretty much look the same?

Thank you!
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      06-28-2021, 11:25 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by white_f22 View Post
Hey guys so i wanna get my rear diffuser from one company and my carbon lip from another company. Would you be able to tell the difference or does the carbon fiber pretty much look the same?

Thank you!
Lots of possible differences in looks from one CF component to another depending on weave size and direction, prepreg vs infusion, clear coated vs natural, etc.
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      07-04-2021, 02:01 PM   #3
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I've bought everything on my car from different companies and countries, they all look identical.
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      07-13-2021, 01:43 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jb-slow View Post
I've bought everything on my car from different companies and countries, they all look identical.
For all we know, they were all sourced from one factory in China lol
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      07-20-2021, 05:44 AM   #5
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Carbon Fibre Explained

To be honest, most carbon looks similar. But with anything, you get what you pay for.

Pricing will range based on the size and complexity of the part, but for a gauge I'll provide some info based on a 1pc front lip.

Paying between $150-250, expect the lowest grade of carbon fibre manufacturing with inconsistent finish and most likely made up with mostly fibreglass coated in 1 layer of carbon fibre for the aesthetic. At this price point, I honestly wouldn't bother and would just opt for Gloss Black ABS parts instead.

Paying between $250-600, quality will improve and generally you should see less inconsistencies. You may find products made of purely carbon fibre in this price range but most products will still contain fibreglass or some other form of composite. Expect a decent finish on the product between 6-12 months.

$600+ you will start to see more premium build quality. At this price, factories can use higher quality materials and critically moulds, meaning better fit and finish (less waviness in the carbon surface). Expect warranties at this price point with a guarantee of finish at least 12 months, up 24 months. At this point you should also begin to see pre-preg carbon fibre. If you've not heard of this before, pre-preg carbon fibre is shorthand for pre-impregrenated carbon fibre, which means the carbon fibre sheet is manufactured with the resin needed to construct the part. This means that the carbon sheets contain just the right amount of resin to ensure strength and keep weight low. This is different to wet-laid parts which have the resin applied during the manufacturing of the product rather than the sheet. There are a number of sources online to explain this in more detail but essentially pre-preg carbon fibre = better.

$1000+. At this price, OEM quality is achieved and expected. This is 'real' carbon fibre: lightweight, strong and durable.

In my opinion, if you're opting for carbon fibre parts, it's worth investing more. We know first hand having scene every type of grade of carbon pass through our shop that the investment is worth it. All the lads in the warehouse are genuinely wow'ed when we see a piece of 3DDesign or Sterckenn carbon fibre pass through the dispatch bay.
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      08-16-2021, 07:59 PM   #6
AleksanderSuave
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack@AUTOID View Post
To be honest, most carbon looks similar. But with anything, you get what you pay for.
The majority of expensive ($5000-$10,000) carbon fiber mountain bike frames are made in china for a literal fraction of the cost.

You dont "get what you pay for", you get chinese parts with what the middle man chose as his markup.

An overwhelming majority of anything and everything carbon fiber comes direct from china.
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      08-16-2021, 09:15 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AleksanderSuave View Post
An overwhelming majority of anything and everything carbon fiber comes direct from china.
That is certainly true for non-structural automotive parts that are generally cosmetic and just for show and in many cases just a carbon fibre outer layer. In terms of high performance structural components, European manufacturers are strong, especially in the UK. Typically the more expensive pre-preg aerospace quality structural components don’t come from China, nor do the carbon fibre autoclave cured automotive body panels in super and hyper cars.

The 600 gram pre-preg front cycle fenders on my Caterham are certainly not from China (that is the weight for a pair, but they are designed to not distort with 250km/h air being forced between them and the tyres), this is reflected in the $1200 cost for a pair, considering the labour to form them is fairly minimal.
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Last edited by aerobod; 08-16-2021 at 09:55 PM..
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      06-19-2022, 10:53 AM   #8
Atsdinel
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There have alot brands of carbon fiber for BMW and they are almost same looking but quality are different.

Last edited by Atsdinel; 06-20-2022 at 01:21 PM..
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