Useless stuff for your 911?

[rzepko6194]

Saw this in the most recent Pano. A carbon fiber rear fuse board cover for $169? Is this really an area which needs improvement?

Just curious, would anybody actually buy this?

[Erakad]

Heavy sigh....I guess people have money to throw away. If anyone fits that mode, please sent to my paypal account.

[masraum]

I just can't see buying that. If it isn't lighter and it doesn't some how improve the functionality of the original then what's the point.

[ubiquity0]

bling

super-bling if its actually 'carbon fiber look' plastic.

[pwd72s]

I'm saving for spinner fuchs replicas.

[ZAMIRZ]

Right after I get done with my Lamborghini door conversion.

[Jbabic]

I find this kind of funny, were all Porsche owners, making fun of things we don't really need or want....to most people a porsche fits the same mold. of course, until you drive one!!

[erobinson]

its insane anyone offers that....I bet my solution is lighter....leave the thing off!

kind of goes into the fake gold trimwork area IMHO

on the other hand, I saw a neat carbon fiber shroud on ebay, but the price sent me back to sanding my original.

[Randy Webb]

If you leave the thing off, you will get some very wet engine electrics.

There is an older thread on this thing, with a post by Jims Sims. It is obviously cosmetic. How many people would buy it if it were the same price as the original? That's one issue.

The other issue is that it is fundamentally fake unless you have other (hidden/painted) CF pieces on your car. If you do, then this thing is OK as a visual cue to the lighter pieces elsewhere.

That's the real difference with what Jbabic posted above. It isn't that it isn't required, it is that it uses a material in a non-functional manner. 911s are sports cars. Sports cars are creatures of compromise - not so much as birds but similar in many ways. You compromise features, luxury, and money to get light wt. so the function of the vehicle can be enhanced. This piece simply poses at all that. That's the real problem.

[Hugh R]

My car was missing the original, and I bought another stock one for $10 from a used pcar place here in LA

[Porschekid962]

IF I really wanted that I would make one myself. Spray some PVA on the original and layup a sheet of 2oz FG or Carbon cloth. Cost maybe 10 bucks. I agree that it would look out of place on most cars unless there is "hidden carbon" elsewhere like Randy said.

[erobinson]

Randy- I just meant that if I was racing, I would remove it

[targa911S]

Hell I would just like to have a factory one! Been looking for a used one like forever.

[Dantilla]

I think the carbon fiber look is way over done.

If I needed one of these, I would spray it with black spray paint before installing it.

I guess I should vote no.

[kycarguy 935]

This thing reminds me of when I worked at Tweeks in Long Beach about 12 years ago. The old owners always wanted us to push things like golf balls and Porsche sunglasses or Porsche back scratcher and it use to drive me nuts. They didnt seem to know their own market and I guess thats why they lost the Long Beach store and eventually had to sell the Indy store. I have to believe in a product that I sell and most customers didnt want to be sold some golf balls when calling in to buy Porsche parts. Now telling everyone about a sale on oil filters is a good thing.

Some people will buy this carbon fiber fuse cover but not many.

[Randy Webb]

targea - Pelican has the stock ones new. I got mine here just a few weeks ago. Goes with the new engine....

[Wrecked944]

Here is a quote from their website "No extra Horsepower just the Cool Factor". Hey, at least they're honest about it! I gotta confess I'm a totally unapologetic sucker for stuff like this. If it weren't $169, I'd have one in my car.

[erobinson]

I thought of one...

All those stickers for the top of the windshield with the catchy little sayings written in scripts that the person in front of you could never read in his rearview.


Now the "drive it like you stole it" sticker is fair game

[Ove]

Carbon fiber parts are expensive for several reasons:
- Expensive tools are needed
- More work time is involved than with fiber glass
- High strength to weight ratio
- High tech look ("Bling factor")

When making CF parts the right way the part has to be put in vacuum while the epoxy cures. This is neccesary to achieve the optimum fiber/epoxy ratio and is done in an autoclave.
The finished part will then be extremely strong and lightweight.

An easy way to make money on CF parts is to treat the carbon as if it were fiber glass. This will dramatically cut the costs while one is still able to make a nice looking product. It will look the same, but be heavier and not as strong (too much epoxy). But no need to lower the price.
Now the customer pays for the bling factor only.
It's still real carbon, but the production method is "fake"

A LOT of the CF products on the market today are made this way. Most people don't know the difference and end up paying 2 - 3 times the price of a (similar weight) fiber glass part.

I don't know how the fuse cover is made.
But making one the easy way would be a nice DIY project.
A small piece of CF, enough to do 3 layers + some epoxy is very affordable.

[Randy Webb]

Ove - do you have any thoughts on whether it is a good idea to use CF bumpers on a street car? I've heard the fit might be better but that they don't holld up well from rocks, etc.