Bonnets

[tjoz]

A few more things before I keep forgetting its something to look into before you buy either a CF or FG bonnet.

1. Ask the company what resin they use. The two resins are below and what happens if they are used:

Polyester Resin

You can tell if poly resin has been used mainly from the price (much cheaper, usually half the price of an equivalent product). Polyester resin can leave a blueish tint in some circumstances but apart from being cheap there are a few reasons to avoid a CF product in this resin. During the cure process it will shrink slightly and over time it will shrink more. This resin is also not very flexible and cracks easily. Signs to look for if you do have a CF or FG part in this resin are small spider cracks in the finish. Another issue with this resin is weight. Its weighs more than the epoxy resin. In smaller parts you can get away with using the poly resin but in larger parts where your paying good money it pays to look into what a company's methods are.

Epoxy Resin

CF parts should be in epoxy resin as it is much stronger and durable. During the cure process and over time the product will either not shrink or shrink slightly. Cost is much more expensive as the product is of higher quality. Epoxy resin is lighter than the cheaper poly resin but signs you should look out for are joins and bonding (with regards to CF layers). If it looks as if there has been some fraying it most likely comes down to the workers skimping on the cure times to get the product out faster or they havent put enough catalyst in when mixing the resin or too much.

2. Carbon Fiber

Ask a company how many layers of CF they use in their products and how they use it. CF should ideally be triple layered for exterior panels and double layered for internal parts. Engine parts should be triple layered with no exceptions. Check to see if companies put a black coat down to give the appearance of more layers. Its dodgy but there are companies out there that do this and most wont know until someone points it out to them. Also ask is their CF product full CF or just skinned in CF. If they are offering their products for a high amount of money and they are just skinning a composite then take your business elsewhere. Another thing to check is to see if they use Di-Noc as the final layer. Some companies are starting to do this process to give that perfect weave look; CF the chances of you getting a perfect weave are extremely rare. Plus if you have parts that are in Di-Noc when a company has sold it off as actual CF when you do buy proper CF parts you can spot the difference pretty easily.

With carbon fiber, you can easily be conned and ripped off in thinking you have brought a quality product.

[JaCe]

Do we have any brands which we know to be of good quality? I always thought Seibon is the brand to go for.

[tjoz]

JUN are really good with their larger CF products. Abit pricey but the quality is there. Seibon for the price are pretty good, some of their products can seem extremely overpriced but you will find that across the board compared to raw material cost. Wings/C-West are another company that put a lot of effort into the whole process. That being said, any company can have the odd batch with a few problems.

Generally you need to be careful of the companies that mass produce and have quick turn arounds as more chances of cutting corners. The companies that work on the 'made to order' basis are usually the ones where your going to get a good product. Be very careful of companies that have more than one manufacturing plant or their plant is in a different country to where they are located.

[Speedie]

Seibon is a bit hit and miss with fitment

[tjoz]

Seibons issues are mainly with their fenders and boot. Depending on the batches, they will either not match up with their mounts to the chassis or the mounts to the front bar and in some cases the area near the headlight sticks out. A lot of companies have seemed to have problems fitting body panels in the headlight area when they first started making products for CJ Lancers (few companies with their front bars, some others with their fenders and some with their bonnets). Boot though is universal across all manufacturers; the CF boots dont sit flush as they have no weight holding them down. To make the CF boots sit flush you need to alter both the rear quarter panels and your brackets to let the boot lid drop more so it can sit flush.

All CF bonnets require a bit of altering of the bonnet latch so the hook can catch and lock to keep the bonnet down but this is standard practice in fitting any bonnet. At times you may need to adjust your hinges to get the bonnet to sit flush and center too.

[peternguyen]

So, for someone who is not an owner of a Ralliart, how would one purchase a complete Ralliart bonnet? Is it possible?

[bd-850]

find someone who is willing to give you their RA VIN number, then go order it from Mitsu

[peternguyen]

I see. Is that illegal? Has anyone retrofitted an RA bonnet to a normal Lancer?

[bd-850]

ohhhh maybe

well we have a member who has a EVO bonnet(same bonnet anyway) on his car

[peternguyen]

Ah okay. Just wanted to know if it has been confirmed to fit. Who is it by the way?

[bd-850]

they will fit, and its Mizta B.

Plus lzy_eye had one on his old ES

[ofey]

The bonnet will fit. No need to ask.

[peternguyen]

There is a need to ask for me if I don't know.

[ofey]

I'm NOT telling you not to ask.
I'm telling you now it will fit.
It's been asked before.
Please don't misunderstand my reply.

The bonnet comes primed ~ A$980
Vents ~ A$450
Flame retarder ~ A$100

About A$1500.00 + A$200 to paint.

[peternguyen]

Thanks for the confirmation, Irving.