Exposing Carbon Fiber On R Wheels

[REVolutionist]

Does anyone out there know of a reputable place to have your GT350 R wheels sent to, to expose the CF underneath the paint? I know FatHouse had done it but I understand they are no longer doing it.

And I know I could attempt myself, but I do not have the patience nor the time to make it a DYI project.

Any help is appreciated.

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[460Fred]

Does anyone out there know of a reputable place to have your GT350 R wheels sent to, to expose the CF underneath the paint? I know FatHouse had done it but I understand they are no longer doing it.

And I know I could attempt myself, but I do not have the patience nor the time to make it a DYI project.

Any help is appreciated.

Give Carbon Revolution a call to see what it takes. Better yet call Fathouse and ask how they did it.
Aircraft paint stripper will remove the paint but may hurt the epoxy as well, I don’t know.
No matter what, it’s a lot of work.
Another thing to consider is how pretty the carbon fiber is underneath the paint. When they were produced exposed carbon fiber was not the end game.

 

[GTthree50]

Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances use any type of chemical stripper on your wheels. It will destroy the epoxy resin and could render your wheels potentially unsafe. Aircraft paint stripper (at least for commercial aircraft) is an acid. Painters have to wear respirators and dress head to toe in protective gear, it causes polyurethane paint to bubble up and run off, imagine the effect it could have on your wheels.

 

[REVolutionist]

I reached out to Carbon Revolution to see what they say.

I understand that most of the examples seen have been performed via wet sanding which can be lengthy and tedious and if you are not some what skilled can make errors an expensive complication.

 

[460Fred]

Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances use any type of chemical stripper on your wheels. It will destroy the epoxy resin and could render your wheels potentially unsafe. Aircraft paint stripper (at least for commercial aircraft)is an acid. Painters have to wear respirators and dress head to toe in protective gear, it causes polyurethane paint to bubble up and run off, imagine the effect it could have on your wheels.

Been using this for years. Outdoors only and it really doesn’t work that well any more (I’m in California) due to regulations. Barley removes paint and primer with several applications.
Maybe buy a destroyed/not repairable CF wheel and practice different methods.

 

[Bulldogs22]

Most likely R wheels have some blemishes due to them being painted black. The same principle applies to the HP GT500 where the wheels were painted black as well due to blemishes. Now if you could remove the paint and have everything in tact I'm sure you could possibly fix any blemishes. @Tomster has a tread and also uses spyder composites.

 

[Tomster]

Most likely R wheels have some blemishes due to them being painted black. The same principle applies to the HP GT500 where the wheels were painted black as well due to blemishes. Now if you could remove the paint and have everything in tact I'm sure you could possibly fix any blemishes. @Tomster has a tread and also uses spyder composites.

It started out that way, but now all wheels are the same whether they are painted black or not.

Keep in mind that when R wheels were made, there were no exposed carbon wheels and the intent was structural only. You may sand them down and find a consistent weave, but you may not in some areas. I would advise against sanding down R wheels.

 

[gonzoballz]

I’m having this process done by Platinum Automotive in Charleston SC. Wanted this info to be posted somewhere as there is very limited research I can find online. Wet sanded by hand. Two coats of clear!

 

[galaxy]

I have personally seen two sets done. The weave and patterns from an appearance perspective is completely fine. The sets I've seen look great and I wouldn' t hesitate to do it, assuming it's done right. I'm pretty certain at least one of the two sets has been posted on the forums here, but don't recall the details for a successful search.

 

[Rev Happy]

Apparently Carbon Revolution wanted to keep them exposed. Ford at the last minute decided to paint them. They were concerned about long term effects in the sun or something like that when being fully exposed.

Spyder Composites will also do the exposed process.

 

[Gilberjj]

I’m having this process done by Platinum Automotive in Charleston SC. Wanted this info to be posted somewhere as there is very limited research I can find online. Wet sanded by hand. Two coats of clear!

OMG! That looks AMAZING!

*I told myself I wasn't going to mod this car. I told myself I wasn't going to mod this car. I told myself I wasn't going to mod this car...*

 

[Gilberjj]

I saw a HEP R with exposed carbon rims this weekend. The carbon looks incredible by itself… but I must say that I actually prefer the looks of the black accents on the car, and I think it all looks best matching as black.
I do love the carbon track pack on the GT500s, but the black looks best on the 350R…

 

[horsepower addiction]

Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances use any type of chemical stripper on your wheels. It will destroy the epoxy resin and could render your wheels potentially unsafe. Aircraft paint stripper (at least for commercial aircraft) is an acid. Painters have to wear respirators and dress head to toe in protective gear, it causes polyurethane paint to bubble up and run off, imagine the effect it could have on your wheels.

That’s funny because this is exactly how it is done. Use stripper to remove the paint then wet sand it then clear coat it

 

[horsepower addiction]

Been using this for years. Outdoors only and it really doesn’t work that well any more (I’m in California) due to regulations. Barley removes paint and primer with several applications.
Maybe buy a destroyed/not repairable CF wheel and practice different methods.

I worked at a powder coating company along time ago and this is exactly what they used. Worked good then but you are probably right about it not being as good anymore

 

[GTthree50]

That’s funny because this is exactly how it is done. Use stripper to remove the paint then wet sand it then clear coat it

I worked at a powder coating company along time ago and this is exactly what they used. Worked good then but you are probably right about it not being as good anymore

I’m standing by what I said before. Chemical strippers on a composite will not be a good idea. But before posting this I thought it may be a good idea to go for an AI query and this was the answer:
No, there is no widely recommended or universally “safe” chemical paint stripper for painted carbon fiber composites (CFRP), and most experts strongly advise against using standard ones.


Carbon fiber composites consist of carbon fibers embedded in a polymer resin matrix (typically epoxy). Strong chemical strippers—especially those containing methylene chloride, strong acids, or aggressive solvents—can soften, swell, or degrade the resin, weakening the structure, causing delamination, or reducing mechanical properties. This risk applies even to many “safe for fiberglass” or “aircraft” strippers.

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