JGT
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2016
- Threads
- 18
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 11
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
- Vehicle(s)
- 2017 Mustang GT
- Thread starter
- #1
In my on-going quest to find a quad exhaust/valance combo I like, I suddenly find myself considering something that I never imagined I would be considering.
I’ve never really been in to the whole carbon fiber thing. I totally get it when it comes to replacing the driveshaft or steel body parts and achieving actual weight savings. I know a lot of high end cars and supercars have it in places where it’s really making a difference and not just for looks. But it’s still not something I’ve ever considered, as my car is a daily driver and I don’t race it, so the weight difference wouldn’t matter too much to me (especially considering the high cost).
I’ve also never really been in to it for purely cosmetic enhancements. I mean, I can’t lie, it is cool looking material. But, to me, it strays too close to trying to give the appearance of function, without the function. After all, the real/original purpose was increased strength and reduced weight. So things like mirror covers and interior trim bits never really did it for me. Carbon fiber wrap? No way. My car is not a race car, so I’m not really looking for “race inspired” parts.
But now I suddenly am finding myself considering full carbon fiber lower trim parts (front splitter, side skirts, valance), because the TruFiber LG269 Quad exhaust valance is the only quad exhaust valance I can find that I like, and I’ve really got my heart set on a quad exhaust.
Here it is:
http://trufiber.com/tc10026-lg269_3/
The Roush one is kind of ugly and the GT350 one has those fake exhaust tips with the actual muffler tips floating around inside them, and I’m just not really in to that look. So that leaves me with the TruFiber one. I’ve only seen three pictures of it, unfortunately, but it looks pretty nice.
And if I put a carbon fiber rear valance on, I feel like I need to add the side skirts and front splitter to make everything match. Isn’t that the general consensus when dealing with the lower trim? It should all be a matching material? I've never actually seen carbon fiber parts mixed with the OEM plastic, but I'm guessing it might not look quite right. If anyone thinks it still works, I'd be happy to know.
Now that I am starting to consider it, I’m thinking it might actually look kind of nice (which is obviously a good thing, since it ain't cheap). Sure, it's not really functional, as I'm sure it doesn't weigh any less than the plastic. But I’m replacing the cheap black OEM plastic with an expensive material with a look all its own. What's wrong with that? It's just that I'm starting to cross in to that gray area between function and looks that I've always avoided, the "race inspired" without the race.
I'm probably overthinking it, but just wanted to get everyone's thoughts. Has anyone seen an S550 with all carbon fiber lower trim? I've seen some pictures on-line, but it's kind of hard to tell without seeing it in person. My car is Lightning Blue...I'm not seeing any reason why it shouldn't look alright.
Anything I need to know about carbon fiber on a daily driver (sun, snow, salt, etc)? I’ve never hit my front splitter, so I’m not worried about that. But will rock chips be an issue? And I’ve heard sometimes they can get cloudy or yellow from the sunlight? All the parts I’m looking at, either from Trufiber or Anderson Composites, have a clear coat finish. The Trufiber claims this provides UV protection. Anderson Composites doesn’t say either way, but I’m assuming for now it does.
I’ve never really been in to the whole carbon fiber thing. I totally get it when it comes to replacing the driveshaft or steel body parts and achieving actual weight savings. I know a lot of high end cars and supercars have it in places where it’s really making a difference and not just for looks. But it’s still not something I’ve ever considered, as my car is a daily driver and I don’t race it, so the weight difference wouldn’t matter too much to me (especially considering the high cost).
I’ve also never really been in to it for purely cosmetic enhancements. I mean, I can’t lie, it is cool looking material. But, to me, it strays too close to trying to give the appearance of function, without the function. After all, the real/original purpose was increased strength and reduced weight. So things like mirror covers and interior trim bits never really did it for me. Carbon fiber wrap? No way. My car is not a race car, so I’m not really looking for “race inspired” parts.
But now I suddenly am finding myself considering full carbon fiber lower trim parts (front splitter, side skirts, valance), because the TruFiber LG269 Quad exhaust valance is the only quad exhaust valance I can find that I like, and I’ve really got my heart set on a quad exhaust.
Here it is:
http://trufiber.com/tc10026-lg269_3/
The Roush one is kind of ugly and the GT350 one has those fake exhaust tips with the actual muffler tips floating around inside them, and I’m just not really in to that look. So that leaves me with the TruFiber one. I’ve only seen three pictures of it, unfortunately, but it looks pretty nice.
And if I put a carbon fiber rear valance on, I feel like I need to add the side skirts and front splitter to make everything match. Isn’t that the general consensus when dealing with the lower trim? It should all be a matching material? I've never actually seen carbon fiber parts mixed with the OEM plastic, but I'm guessing it might not look quite right. If anyone thinks it still works, I'd be happy to know.
Now that I am starting to consider it, I’m thinking it might actually look kind of nice (which is obviously a good thing, since it ain't cheap). Sure, it's not really functional, as I'm sure it doesn't weigh any less than the plastic. But I’m replacing the cheap black OEM plastic with an expensive material with a look all its own. What's wrong with that? It's just that I'm starting to cross in to that gray area between function and looks that I've always avoided, the "race inspired" without the race.
I'm probably overthinking it, but just wanted to get everyone's thoughts. Has anyone seen an S550 with all carbon fiber lower trim? I've seen some pictures on-line, but it's kind of hard to tell without seeing it in person. My car is Lightning Blue...I'm not seeing any reason why it shouldn't look alright.
Anything I need to know about carbon fiber on a daily driver (sun, snow, salt, etc)? I’ve never hit my front splitter, so I’m not worried about that. But will rock chips be an issue? And I’ve heard sometimes they can get cloudy or yellow from the sunlight? All the parts I’m looking at, either from Trufiber or Anderson Composites, have a clear coat finish. The Trufiber claims this provides UV protection. Anderson Composites doesn’t say either way, but I’m assuming for now it does.
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