How to fix problems with a carbon fiber hood?


Anytime I get questions via e-mail, a PM or a FB message I prefer to invest my typing time where

A: It's easier for me to share links, pictures and videos.

B: More people can read and thus benefit from the information. (not just one set of eyeballs)


So I get an e-mail asking,


Hello Mike, my name is Gino.

I purchased a Sebon carbon-fiber hood not even a year ago and my issue is I BELIEVE A FLAW in the hood from the factory

here are some pictures and Sebon will not even work with me.

What do you think the prob. is.

Gino.

I keep this car in my garage


Hi Gino,

First I had to download your gigantic pictures to my computer hardrive and the resize them so they were a realistic size for anyone to actually be able to look at.

Then upload them to the gallery so everyone plus myself can see them. Here they are...


















The first picture doesn't really show much?

The second picture shows some form of minor surface irregularity and that probably comes from the surface of the mold in which the hood is created in and then pulled from.

The rest of the pictures show what looks like a chip out of the top layer of whatever this part (hood) is made out of, either polyester resin or epoxy.


The above from my experience is pretty much normal. When making fiberglass parts or epoxy parts, the part is only as good as the mold it's created in. Kind of like a paint job on a car, the key to the final results starts with the prep work. The company you purchased this from should re-visit their molds and if defects are found in the molds then repair them until the surface of the mold is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. Then the parts that come out of the mold will reflect the perfect mold.


As for the company not working with you? Don't know what to tell you. In the future, do more research and choose a different company. Did you research their customer satisfaction warranty?


I don't believe there is a safe way to fix the chipped area. If you try to sand and buff you will likely expose the actual carbon fiber and then it's game over.

If you try to ADD more clear "something" perhaps touch-up paint or more resin, and then try to somehow sand the area to level it and then buff it till it's clear and glossy - well that would take a very high degree of skill and I don't think I could do and I don't know anyone that I think could do .

My guess is you'll have to learn to live with the defect or deal with the company.

Please join the forum and reply to this thread for more help.