Is there any interest in something like this???

Leland Pate · 12-09-2002, 09:14 PM

Carbon Fiber Carbon Fiber Carbon Fiber!!!

Tonight I put the finishing touches on a mold for the engine compartment fuse panel cover.
I used Bondo of all things and it has been the best mold material that i've found to date.

For some reason Pelican is not letting me upload the photos right now so i'll try here in a bit.

Bottom line is, I'm going to give this a whack and see what happens. If (and I stess the word "if") I am successful, I could definately make batches of these parts if there is any interest in them.

The fuse panel cover is a very simple part and Glenn and I have been talking about other ideas. (In particular, the CIS air filter cover) This part in particular is a toughy and will require quite a bit of head banging before I ever get it right.
But, the idea is up there in my head and firmly planted.
There are at least a dozen little parts all throughout the car that has pieces I could make out of Carbon Fiber.

Obviously, the more I do the better I'll get.

I'll post more details tomorrow.

"Benifits of having a Carbon Fiber Fuse panel cover on your 911."

A: It's quite simple really... Lighter! You'll be running quicker lap times before the end of the week!

Whoo Hoo!

CamB · CamB's Garage

Leland

Notwithstanding the usual issue for me (New Zealand is far away and shipping always kills it) - I need one of these (in any material!) so would ordinarily be very very interested.

For the right price, you should get people after the

cool factor

too....

And more benefits! Could you argue that carbon fibre has better heat reflection than plastic? Protect that CD box from heat?

Early_S_Man · 12-09-2002, 11:14 PM

The only problem with Noah's theory ... is that all unique 917 parts had a part number beginning with '912' ... for security reasons during the development lead time!. Although, logically, it could also be argued that the 917 project was a 900-series racecar with a 12-cylinder engine, and that the part number series was of a generic nature.

FA-18C · 12-10-2002, 03:35 AM

How about recreating the blower cover panel in the front trunk area, these are always in fair shape on the older cars and it'd be nice to have something more durable.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Lee,

Can I send you my doors and hood then?

I've always thought a CF engine shroud would make a really nice engine compartment enhancing part...

The thing I REALLY need is that cover to replace the blower tube driven off the engine... THe one to the left of the fan...

subdewd · subdewd's Garage

Isn't CF conductive?

Dantilla · 12-10-2002, 06:36 AM

Lee, after what you posted in the off toic forum about one of your average days, I have decided that I will always agree with you, even if I don't agree with you. I do NOT want to get on your bad side.

I will buy sixteen of them.

Leland Pate · 12-10-2002, 06:47 AM

HA! You must have seen my "day in the life of an EOD guy" post!

Yes, I understand CF is conductive (and flamable, but I'm not making anything that would require something non-conductive.

Today i put this sucker in the mold... we'll see how it goes.

I too have thought about a replacement for the trunk fiber board blower motor cover doo hickie... I can't use mine for a mold because it is pretty warped, but maybe someone could donate theirs for the "cause".

I figure you'd just make a mold of the fiber board portion and dismount the metal "legs" by drilling out the rivits.

Then you simply make these on an exchange basis... people send you their old fiberboard part. I dismount the metal legs and attach them to the new CF part.

Man, I might be looking at some of these laminate vacuum systems yet!

Oh, and Chris, I too was thinking about making the little air guide plastic part on the left side of the motor. More to come.

Lee

82SC · 12-10-2002, 07:00 AM

cool...all "dr.s" will be first in line to buy

another simple piece I'd love to see are the 2 triangular block off plates on either side of the engine fan...one of mine, one of the brackets are broken...

do you plan to make them shiney CF or matte CF...(Iprefer matte)

good luck!!

(how about a CF 911SC badge?!?!)

Dr. MJ

Leland Pate · 12-10-2002, 07:08 AM

Mark, Tell me how to do matte and I'll do matte.

That's one of the things i'm trying to figure out. If there are imperfections on the CF when it comes out of the mold... cna you sand them down and get everything right then use some sort of epoxy coating to get a good surface?

Is that what they call a gelcoat?

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Lee,

If you make the shroud and/or the left side doohickie, count me in for one of each.

Chris

82SC · 07:41 AM

i brought up the idea of CF in a couple past threads...I don't know if matte/glossy was discussed...but some guys had great tips...also didn't Thom Fitz make some RS Cup tubes?

an educated guess: I am thinking it is the type of resin that is used. (I like matte cuz it is less flashy)

The reason I was thinking of CF was I have access to a biomed lab, and we use autoclaves (massive pressure and massive temps) to steralize and to make things.

I know REAL CF needs an autoclave and I think it might need a vacuum as well...but anyways...

keep us updated...if I ever have some free time I may try my hand at CF with the autoclaves...

MJ

kristian85 · kristian85's Garage

Nope. Too--Well, too.....rice. There. Now I've said it.

Dutchie · 12-10-2002, 08:42 AM

"Benifits of having a Carbon Fiber Fuse panel cover on your 911." none i guess

Superman · 12-10-2002, 08:47 AM

I don't know how much that engine compartment fuse panel weighs, but my guess would be in the 5 ounce neighborhood. I think you'd have to replace quite a few plastic parts with CF to save, say, 5 lbs. Of course, they would look very very cool. CF parts that replace metal parts would also look cool and save way more weight.

Randy Webb · 12-10-2002, 09:00 AM

carries them.

A CF engine lid ventilation cover might be worthwhile.

Leland Pate · 12-10-2002, 09:04 AM

Oh my god...

I was kidding about the weight savings.

There is absolutely NO point in doing this other than the fact that I want to do it.

Call it rice, call it cheese, I could care less.
I want to see if I can make these things and was just wondering if anyone else would like one.

This is not something I ever expected everyone to ooh and ahh about.

I have never done anything like this before. I want to start with something simple, easy and....just about worthless... that way, in a worst case senario, I am not "out" anything.

The better I get the more complicated parts I can make.
I enjoy doing stuff like this.

arcsine · 12-10-2002, 09:27 AM

How about a CF cup holder?

Or maybe a CF interior door panel?

But seriously, I like the idea of CF fuse and air box panels from the point of view it really doesn't matter. If you are having fun building them and like it then there is no issue. Please let us see what you come up with.

My one reservation would be for the air box cover, will you have to do anything special to keep the cover from flexing at the mating surface with the bottom half of the air box? There is a nice curve to the box to distrubute the loads from the rubber staps directly to the mating surface. Is CF stiff enough to stop the cover from bowing out and losing the seal? Just asking.

Leland Pate · 10:10 AM

Gary,
If I ever get good enough at this to attempt making a repro of the air box cover, it would be identical to the original. With the beveled edge 'round the bottom.
The problem with the air box cover is the shape... it would be easy if it weren't for that darn "snout" where the air is drawn in.

because of this, I'd have to make basically two molds (two halfs) of the orignal air box, then wrap the original piece with CF, then clamp the two mold halfs around the whole thing to hold it in place. Then the problem lies in getting the airboz back out of there after the CF is hard. ( the flared end of the opening is the problem)

If I had an extra air box cover, I could cut the snout off and temp. put it back on there so when it is used for the form inside the mold, I can pull the body out, then pull the cut piece out from the small opening.

As we speak, the fuse panel cover is in the mold.

I used two sheets of CF. I laid each on plastic and squeegied the epoy on both sides, then laid them on the mold. I gently tucked them in the corners as best I could to avoid "pulling" the CF as best I could. then I laid the original piece behind it and gently and evenly used clamps to hold it all in place.
I bought the 2 hr hardener because I wanted some extra reassurance. That turned out to be a mistake. It only took me about ten minutes from start to finish so it was really overkill.

Well, by the time I'm ready to leave work, it should be hard and I can see if what I did will work or not.

Wish me luck boys...

Leland Pate · 12-10-2002, 10:32 AM

Here is what Glenn and I were talking about.

You'd have to do something like this to make a mold of the air box.

The CF would wrap around the original box, then you'd clamp the mold around it to hold the CF in place.

The problem lies with getting the snout of the air box out of the carbon fiber.

The second rendition I drew is an easier way to do it. Simply delete the snout all together and just cut a hole as shown in red across the bottom for the air to be drawn through.

Yes, I know this idea will spark great debate about all sorts of stuff. From the way the air box cover is positioned on the airbox, I wouldn't think water would get in any easier with the hole down there than it does where it in the first place.

Sorry for the crummpy drawings. All i know how to use is MS paint!