polishing compound on a CF hood?

[NateCrisman]

I picked up a GVR4 today (for part-out, #255/2000) and it has a CF hood that needs some TLC. The hood seems to be real "cloudy" looking but still feels smooth. Anyone know if it's ok to use polishing compound or rubbing compound on a CF hood. I assume it's got some sort of gel coating, but Im not sure what/how to go about cleaning it up.

Any advise appreciated.

 

[boosted_85]

do you have any pics of the "cloudy" areas on the hood? i can tell you if you can polish it out or re clear coat it.

 

[NateCrisman]

Ill take pics tomorrow. I picked the car up early this afternoon, but didn't get home till after dark. (9hr of driving , 550 miles total).

 

[Chim55117]

Random, but if you end up using this on your VR-4, I call dibs on your current JDM hood if you sell it! PM me if you want to get rid of it.

BTW is your VR-4 Kensington Grey? Or Belize Green? I'm going blind from staring into the monitor.

 

[fivestardsm]

255 of 2000 for a part out? Wow it looks like a pretty nice car to me.

 

[Lonewolf64]

Underneath the pretty looks is more rust than imaginable if this is the car I'm thinking of.

 

[jepherz]

Just use some hand polish on a small area of the cloudy part. If it gets better there, you can go further. If it doesn't the gel coat is probably FUBAR and you'd just have to paint it.

 

[GreenGSX]

Quoting Lonewolf64:
Underneath the pretty looks is more rust than imaginable if this is the car I'm thinking of.



You are correct. Although it would shine up nice on the outside it has some terminal car cancer on the inside. I know because it was mine but how did you know?

...and nate I would start with some Megquires cleaning wax and stay away from a polishing compound. I'm sure it won't take much to bring back the shine. I don't know if you are a boater or not but you would be suprised how chalky gel coat can get and easily it can be brought back to a full shine.

 

[bustedsm]

Yes, yes you can use polishing compound on a carbon fiber hood. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[NateCrisman]

Quoting fivestardsm:
255 of 2000 for a part out? Wow it looks like a pretty nice car to me.

Put it this way, GreenGSX (previous owner) seemed very relieved that the car was going to be parted & crushed. Being an upstate NY car, this one is honestly the rustiest mitsubishi I have seen..bar none. I'll post pics after I get it on the lift to take it apart, but I suspect I will be able to break the shock tower away from the firewall on the passenger side due to terminal rot. Another sign of terminal rot: the sideskirts are stained brown from rusty water. If you were to see the car up close and spent some time hunting around, you would likely come to the same conclusion as me and Tim.

Regardless of it looking nice for 100ft away pics from last year, this car is destined to be 5" thick in about 2 weeks.

Tim...Great meeting you, checking out the one lap car, and thanks for the sale opportunity. I'll make sure all the usable parts find their way onto a deserving GVR4 in need. Still a good deal no matter what and I'm happy I made the trip.

 

[NateCrisman]

As for the hood, I'll try the least abrassive cleaner wax first in a small spot. If that doesn't work, Ill step up to polishing, then rubbing compound. I bet it's going to shine up real nice with a little work. Worst comes to worst, it gets a coat of flat black. Another option would be to cover it in carbon-look vinyl. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

Stupid me went to the garage with camera in hand, but the memory card was still in computer. Fail /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif

Anyway, Im pretty sure Im going to use this hood on #139 for now. My current hood is NOT a JDM-YO hood, it's a stock Green hood with fiberglass jdm vents glued into it. I'll likely sell it.

 

[bustedsm]

I tossed M105 and a polishing pad on VIS carbon fiber hood on my sister's bf's integra with no issues /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[GreenGSX]

Quoting NateCrisman:
As for the hood, I'll try the least abrassive cleaner wax first in a small spot. If that doesn't work, Ill step up to polishing, then rubbing compound. I bet it's going to shine up real nice with a little work. Worst comes to worst, it gets a coat of flat black. Another option would be to cover it in carbon-look vinyl. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

Stupid me went to the garage with camera in hand, but the memory card was still in computer. Fail /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif

Anyway, Im pretty sure Im going to use this hood on #139 for now. My current hood is NOT a JDM-YO hood, it's a stock Green hood with fiberglass jdm vents glued into it. I'll likely sell it.



I can send you a photo of the exhaust if you like. I can also weld that muffler back on too. Just let me know.

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Welding the muffler back on would be pretty cool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

are the fenders straight? if so how much. i could use a good set in white

 

[NateCrisman]

Guys, I don't want to have to manage two partoutout threads....so please just hold off on the questions about individual parts off #255 for a day or so....Ill make a thread with a big list or parts/prices this afternoon after I get over to the garage with camera and have a few minutes to examine the car a little better.

 

[NateCrisman]

Heres some pics I took this morning:

Hood cloudyness in question:

some rot: Ill take another pic after I start disassembling the car, but this dogleg was off the car when I picked it up.

behind pass door jam

 

[boosted_85]

cloudy areas often happen when the uv protectant breaks away from the cheap ester based gelcoats/clear coat. You have to determine if its coming from the clear coat or gelcaoat. If its the gelcoat then you have to wetsand with 600grit to 1000grit sandpaper until you hit the gelcoat(pass the clearcoat) and re clear the part or you can continue up to 2000grit and polish.Just be care not to go past the gelcoat and hit the fibers.