V-Spec Ii Naca Duct Restoration

[Iron Mike]

Ok, so we all know that over time in the harsh Australian climate the clear on the VS2 NACA duct starts to craze and looks pretty bad. I've been told by other forum members (and people selling VS2s coincidentally ) that it's an easy fix and a relatively cheap one too. I've been told that all you need to do is wet-sand it down until you almost reach the CF, then just reapply a 2 pack clear coat. A reputable body shop however has told me that this isn't the correct way to go about it, as if the clear is applied only to the NACA duct it will come off very easily especially if washed. They told me the whole bonnet needs to be re-cleared which is obviously much more expensive given the prep work and repainting. My question is for anyone who HAS actually done some sort of restoration on the V-spec II bonnet duct, what they did, how they did it, and what their results were like. Please no opinions or theories unless you have actually done it and specifcally in this application. Cheers

[Carbon 34]

Sanding carbon back is a no no to unskilled

You can cut thru it in the blink of an eye even by hand, strangely it sands easier then fiberglass

the bonnet isnt uv stable which is why it fades , crazes etc , it sounds like its been touched up with clear laquer at sometime ? most crazy, crack and turn yellow

you can sand it back carefully ( photos required for proper advice ) but even 400gritt will slay the carbon weave easy by hand. ,

Another option brush on ultra clear epoxy with UV and sand that back a bit and use car polish on the final bit , the product isnt sold in oz but I just did my strut bar and air intake pipes in carbon and thats the method used , that epoxy is good for 190c for a while and uv stable , water clear

its safer that way and self leveling and bubbles come out in min , no heat just above 18c and no pressure to dry properly , just scuff back with 800 grit wet , wax and grease remover and brush on , cover to avoid crap getting stuck in it , dry in 24 hrs or less depending on temp / humidity

Can be sanded and cut polished in a day , comes up like water on carbon , if you prefer matte that is even easier to fix up

These fixes will last a long time , way longer then 2 pac or laquer

[Iron Mike]

Applying the ultra clear epoxy sounds alright but what about getting rid of the crazed yellow clear on top of the CF?

[Iron Mike]

Do you have any pics of your applications?

[GTR-34A]

I had a similar problem when i bought a second hand vspecII bonnet to put on my car. The duct had gone yellow and delaminated etc..

I was thinking about trying to fix it up, but the painters looked at it and thought it would be very difficult to get right, and i didnt really mind the idea of the duct being painted satin black to go with the rest of my car.

Looks good on my car imo, but may not suit everyones etc.

I havent looked into it, but was thinking if i wanted it back to carbon fibre, was thinking maybe some of that carbon fibre wrap? really dont know if that would work or not though.

Heres a pic of how it looks.

[Carbon 34]

Do you have any pics of your applications?

excuse the poor photos Iphone lol

this is the factory strut bar with a carbon 1 piece sleeve bonded to the steel , not baked in oven or vacuum bonded

pressure bonded only but still makes the bar much stiffer. the sleeve are being used to make a no metal strut bar, all carbon and kevlar the only metal is the washers for the struts and the test one is way stronger then the factory metal one, the metal one started to bend the carbon one never flexed at all !!!! 3 layers of carbon sleeve , carbon and kevlar mounting plates

I have the induction pipes as well in the process

Edited August 27, 2012 by Carbon 34

[Carbon 34]

vinyl wrap wont stay down just on that little spot in the heat it will peal off , save you cash

this is 3000 grit not pure epoxy , had a fly land in it while wet. the foot print distortion is visible in the first photo, when its brushed normally its even higher gloss then this, this still needs up polished up

I made a duct like that on my RX7 but it was steel and fiberglass , I had to hand sand it when I stripped the car to bare metal

Edited August 27, 2012 by Carbon 34

[GTR-34A]

vinyl wrap wont stay down just on that little spot in the heat it will peal off , save you cash

Very good point!

[Mohsen]

recoat it in ceramic clear?

that shit dries harder than glass

[Carbon 34]

recoat it in ceramic clear?

that shit dries harder than glass

I use ceramic clear its not harder then glass , and is fussy to apply , can turn milky easy and wont dry proper without a lot of heat

I use a lot of ceramic paints in my car they work great for the right application but that isnt one I would recommend imo

[Iron Mike]

I had a similar problem when i bought a second hand vspecII bonnet to put on my car. The duct had gone yellow and delaminated etc..

I was thinking about trying to fix it up, but the painters looked at it and thought it would be very difficult to get right, and i didnt really mind the idea of the duct being painted satin black to go with the rest of my car.

Looks good on my car imo, but may not suit everyones etc.

I havent looked into it, but was thinking if i wanted it back to carbon fibre, was thinking maybe some of that carbon fibre wrap? really dont know if that would work or not though.

Heres a pic of how it looks.

Wow your car is in awesome condition. Yellow looks beautiful! and the black paint on the vent actually does look quite good. Well, i guess i'm not game enough to attempt a job like that on my own. Who do you guys think in Melbourne could handle such a job and make it look good??

[Carbon 34]

Applying the ultra clear epoxy sounds alright but what about getting rid of the crazed yellow clear on top of the CF?

I would have to see a photo but your most likely going to have to tape it off and hand sand it , how harsh is yet to be determined could be 400 grit could be 3000 ???

[Carbon 34]

Wow your car is in awesome condition. Yellow looks beautiful! and the black paint on the vent actually does look quite good. Well, i guess i'm not game enough to attempt a job like that on my own. Who do you guys think in Melbourne could handle such a job and make it look good??

Phatt audio concepts - polo body works , ask for sam or brett they do great work

Braeside

Edited August 27, 2012 by Carbon 34

[iwanta34gtr]

I have worked with carbon previously and restored the wing on both of my Evo VIII's.

To remove the old clear, I had to carefully sand it down with fine grade paper until I saw the white dust turn to black dust (which means you have hit the carbon). Dont want to go too far or you will destroy the carbon pattern and blend the squares together.

I then used heat proof 3M 650 degree clear to recoat and reseal.

[Iron Mike]

I have worked with carbon previously and restored the wing on both of my Evo VIII's.

To remove the old clear, I had to carefully sand it down with fine grade paper until I saw the white dust turn to black dust (which means you have hit the carbon). Dont want to go too far or you will destroy the carbon pattern and blend the squares together.

I then used heat proof 3M 650 degree clear to recoat and reseal.

Is that stuff thick or just a thin coating lacquer? The coating on the VS2 bonnet ducts is almost like a thick (2mm) layer of clear plastic! Edited August 30, 2012 by Iron Mike

[iwanta34gtr]

On my Evo spoilers it was a really thick clear coat and it took ages to carefully wet sand through with fine grade sand paper. Issue with Mitsubishi is they used a crappy clear coat on the carbon which cant take the sun, hence the standard Evo VIII wing clear peel.

I could only imagine Nissan using a thick coat of clear on this duct, not a plastic cover. However never tried a naca duct though so I cant be sure.