Real carbon fiber vs. “carbon fiber wrap”

[matt@oCarbon]

Lately I’ve seen an uptick in tuning companies selling a fabric that they call “carbon fiber wrap.” It is meant to be a low cost imitation carbon fiber for the masses. I think this is great. It’s an excellent alternative for people who otherwise couldn’t afford a real carbon fiber upgrade and want to spruce up their interiors. Furthermore, it only increases the exclusivity of real carbon fiber parts.

However, I’ve also noticed that some people that sell this “carbon fiber wrap” are seemingly purposefully vague about what it really is. They aren’t forthcoming about it essentially being a vinyl sticker with a carbon fiber pattern stamped on it. Some even go as far as to say it looks just like the real thing at a fraction of the price and this just isn’t the case at all.

Because of this, I get quite a few emails/phone calls from customers who are confused about "carbon fiber wrap" and what the difference is between it and my parts. Obviously my parts are made of real carbon fiber and the wrap is an imitation. Hopefully this post will clear things up for anyone who is on the fence about which route to go on their interior trim. If money is tight and you're sick of your wood trim, I say go for the "carbon fiber wrap." It is a great solution for a budget minded modder. For the discerning enthusiast, going with real carbon fiber adds a touch of authenticity to the interior.

I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking, they speak for themselves:







More comparison photos here.

[Calbee]

lol iono why but i like them both in their own ways

[ThePiombino]

I just can't justify spending as much money as real carbon fiber does for non-performance interior trim. At least for exterior you can argue that the reduced weight will make a difference, but for the interior, unless you're rolling in the dough...di-noc it is for me.

[DavidB8]

I got the real stuff so I could hide behind it if people start shooting at me. Well worth the money

[hender]

I just can't justify spending as much money as real carbon fiber does for non-performance interior trim. At least for exterior you can argue that the reduced weight will make a difference, but for the interior, unless you're rolling in the dough...di-noc it is for me.

i agree - obviously matts stuff is the real deal and side-by-side looks way better, this wrap stuff is for the people who don't really wanna blow hundreds to get a similar effect. to be honest,i've seen some way worse carbon fiber 'wraps' than the di-noc. i have it on my door trims and plan on keeping it there, looks decent!

after seeing david's wrapped-pieces (by oCarbon)...if i put the time and effort into this car that some of you do - i understand why you go with the 'real' deal

[DavidB8]

Well really until recently what were the options. I traveled down this road almost 5 months ago before the wrap and everything started to be come popular. What I did know was that the silver had to go. Just doesn't look right in the car.

[Runge]

20$ vs 400$. If only money grew on tree's.

Now carbon fiber wrap painted with a few layers of clear coat, how would that compare. (assuming clear coat would even stick to the vinyl)

[hender]

Well really until recently what were the options. I traveled down this road almost 5 months ago before the wrap and everything started to be come popular. What I did know was that the silver had to go. Just doesn't look right in the car.

hell yeah-im not saying you chose the wrong path, im just saying that for all the work you put into your car, i think it's good you went with the full-on legit CF.

[ThePiombino]

What I did know was that the silver had to go. Just doesn't look right in the car.

Amen, brother!

20$ vs 400$. If only money grew on tree's.

Now carbon fiber wrap painted with a few layers of clear coat, how would that compare. (assuming clear coat would even stick to the vinyl)

If only!

As for the clear coat- I've seen pics of the wrap with 1, 2 and 3 layers applied. It basically looks darker, not glossy or anything like that. What I think needs to be done is an epoxy needs to be applied, but that almost seems like overkill for something like this. I dunno, perhaps it would work.

[matt@oCarbon]

Now carbon fiber wrap painted with a few layers of clear coat, how would that compare. (assuming clear coat would even stick to the vinyl)

Pretty poorly (however as a disclaimer I did this out of curiosity after someone asked me what it would look like. Perhaps better results could be achieved with more time and effort):

[matt@oCarbon]

As for the clear coat- I've seen pics of the wrap with 1, 2 and 3 layers applied. It basically looks darker, not glossy or anything like that. What I think needs to be done is an epoxy needs to be applied, but that almost seems like overkill for something like this. I dunno, perhaps it would work.

If you're going to apply the epoxy, you might as well use real carbon fiber. It would cost the same.

[ThePiombino]

If you're going to apply the epoxy, you might as well use real carbon fiber. It would cost the same.

Are you telling me that epoxy for a single set of trim will cost at least $500+??? That seems a tad absurd...

[DavidB8]

I think he's saying by the time you buy the covering, apply it have the parts epoxied and properly sanded and finished your total cost and time would be close to the real thing.

[ThePiombino]

I think he's saying by the time you buy the covering, apply it have the parts epoxied and properly sanded and finished your total cost and time would be close to the real thing.

I hear ya, I just find it hard to believe. Art epoxy can be had for way cheap. It's self leveling and will not yellow (if you buy the right kind). Theoretically I can do it all (wrap included) for under $100. Granted, it won't look anywhere near as good as Matt's real CF, but for those of us who don't have the money for the real stuff- might not be a bad option.

[Runge]

Pretty poorly (however as a disclaimer I did this out of curiosity after someone asked me what it would look like. Perhaps better results could be achieved with more time and effort):
[img]http://www.showyourmedia.com/files/1274845438.jpg
[img]http://www.showyourmedia.com/files/1274845479.jpg

Eeek. Note to self.. start saving my pennies for the real thing :)

[matt@oCarbon]

Are you telling me that epoxy for a single set of trim will cost at least $500+??? That seems a tad absurd...

Raw materials will cost the same.

I think he's saying by the time you buy the covering, apply it have the parts epoxied and properly sanded and finished your total cost and time would be close to the real thing.

Correct.

I hear ya, I just find it hard to believe. Art epoxy can be had for way cheap. It's self leveling and will not yellow (if you buy the right kind). Theoretically I can do it all (wrap included) for under $100. Granted, it won't look anywhere near as good as Matt's real CF, but for those of us who don't have the money for the real stuff- might not be a bad option.

Using cheap epoxy is the worst thing you can do. If you are serious about trying to make an attempt at doing it yourself, don't buy "way cheap art epoxy." I use self leveling resin, and it is far from "self leveling." It still requires a lot of time to sand it smooth (which is where the bulk of the labor and cost comes from). All epoxy will yellow eventually.

I do not recommend attempting to wrap your own parts in real carbon fiber if saving money is your end goal. See this post for more info:
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...=1#post5082354

[linet90]

Here's a picture of 3M Di-Noc with clear coat I think it looks better than just leaving it as is, also helps from scratches.
[IMG][/IMG]

In the end I love the real stuff, but for my application I think 3M will be better. I want to apply it to the bottom lip of my front bumper just as this member did and clear it.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ghlight=di+noc

[DigitalJose]

can you repost the pic of the 3m with clear coat, it didn't show?
What clear coat would you use?

My bottom lip has held up great so far, but I'm sure a clear coat would help prolong it's life and add some shine.

[ThePiombino]

My bottom lip has held up great so far, but I'm sure a clear coat would help prolong it's life and add some shine.

Can you post a pic of that?

[Ryan_T]

There's no contest. Matt's stuff looks 1000x better. The other wrap looks so cheap in comparison. I've seen the stuff in the S4 and R8, and it looks a lot more like what Matt's doing.

You're paying for the craftsmanship here, not just the raw materials. Why ruin a great car with sloppy, half-assed work.

[ThePiombino]

There's no contest. Matt's stuff looks 1000x better. The other wrap looks so cheap in comparison. I've seen the stuff in the S4 and R8, and it looks a lot more like what Matt's doing.

You're paying for the craftsmanship here, not just the raw materials. Why ruin a great car with sloppy, half-assed work.

Because if done right it doesn't look crappy or half-assed and it costs a fraction of the price for those who don't have a huge bankroll for non-performance upgrades.

[hender]

nah man i think ryan's under the impression the stuff looks like crap. it actually doesn't - if it did, I wouldn't have put it on in the first place. obviously its nowhere near the workmanship and quality of matts (since he layers it with numerous coats and gives it that awesome look / sheen). but ryan, if you're convinced the stuff looks like crap i'd love to show you sometime - i was quite impressed when i got it in the mail (esp. considering i was expecting mediocrity)

[linet90]

Here's the link for the clear coat picture and video
http://www.carbonfiberfilm.com/blog/

[promoda]

http://www.wimp.com/carbonfiber/

[DavidB8]

I think you just need to stop comparing. They are not the same. I seen the pictures Hender posted when he did his and I thought they looked good. But I can't compare his to mine. Not fair in anyway. But I still think it looks good.

Just different.. (My car when it had an interior lol)

[Ryan_T]

nah man i think ryan's under the impression the stuff looks like crap. it actually doesn't - if it did, I wouldn't have put it on in the first place. obviously its nowhere near the workmanship and quality of matts (since he layers it with numerous coats and gives it that awesome look / sheen). but ryan, if you're convinced the stuff looks like crap i'd love to show you sometime - i was quite impressed when i got it in the mail (esp. considering i was expecting mediocrity)

I'm sure the wrap can be applied nicely. I guess I'm a sucker for the shiny finish.

[cory_can]

I think you just need to stop comparing. They are not the same. I seen the pictures Hender posted when he did his and I thought they looked good. But I can't compare his to mine. Not fair in anyway. But I still think it looks good.

Just different.. (My car when it had an interior lol)

You need to send me your carbon interior kit, since you're not using it.......or I guess you admirer it on your living room floor.

[matt@oCarbon]

nah man i think ryan's under the impression the stuff looks like crap. it actually doesn't

I agree with this completely. I think it does look good for what it is. It is better than the low end aluminum and much better than the wood. My intention of this post was not to put down the wrap, but rather to show the differences between the two. I keep seeing the sellers of the wrap make statements like "it looks just like the real thing, without the cost" which isn't the case.

I think you just need to stop comparing. They are not the same. I seen the pictures Hender posted when he did his and I thought they looked good. But I can't compare his to mine. Not fair in anyway. But I still think it looks good.

Exactly.

[lphiewok]

i am one of those people who actually purchased the CF wraps.
and today, i just ripped it all off my car.

i mean it is just like what matt says: it's a cheap vinyl sticker that kinda looks like CF by having the texture pattern.
But you got to remember, it's very thin vinyl very similar to a duct tape. and when you are applying, you need to make sure you don't get bubbles in it because it'll make it very ugly.
i already had issues with it being on my car and it was not for me.

at least it was cheap trial and error (and i don't think i want CF on my car anymore at least exterior wise. it was good investment to really learn what style i would like to pursue with my car)

[DavidB8]

You need to send me your carbon interior kit, since you're not using it.......or I guess you admirer it on your living room floor.

That wouldn't be funny if it wasn't true... If I don't do something soon I will need to rent the place next door.

I'm down to the dash shell, drivers seat and carpet for interior and I have no front bumper or lights..... God I hope I remember where everything goes :)

[Smeghead]

That wouldn't be funny if it wasn't true... If I don't do something soon I will need to rent the place next door.

I'm down to the dash shell, drivers seat and carpet for interior and I have no front bumper or lights..... God I hope I remember where everything goes :)

David, what do you do for a living to afford all the stuff you do, and can another ex-pat get a job there? :D