I was talking to a customer at work a while ago, and the subject of carbon fiber came up. He told me, when he use to live in texas, he knew a friend with a mustang with a carbon fiber hood, crash and the carbon fiber shattered. He told me fragments of it was enlogged into his legs and his legs were never the same again.

Is this true? Does carbon fiber shatter? If so, how can we prevent it from turning into a shrapnel time bomb? I've heard of the clear plastic layer that keeps your car from getting scratched, maybe that would help. Or maybe the film that makes glass indestructible that they sell here locally.

I asked because I was thinking of getting a carbon fiber dash and was afraid of all the damage it could do if shattered. But changed my mind when I saw how much those things run. But I still am wondering about this.

true but what your friend told you seems to be an extreme case. You shouldn't be worry about having c/f parts in your car.

Yeah, it shatters and splinters really bad. I shoot carbon arrows when I hunt, if one of those hits a tree they just explode.

True. I'm not sure how the fibers are woven for automotive uses, but when it's used in composite bicycle frames, the entire frame usually shatters in a hard fall. However, the majority of these frames shatter internally (similar to a windshield)..the epoxy resin on the outside (the 'clearcoat' that protects the outer fibers) does a pretty good job at containing the shattered pieces. I cut quite a few steerer tubes on carbon fiber bicycle forks, and the inner fibers splinter soooo bad. Very sharp and less than paper-thin.

if he crashed bad enough that the hood went into his legw hile he was INSIDE THE CAR... then i think that was probably the lease of his worries

>if he crashed bad enough that the hood went into his legw
>hile he was INSIDE THE CAR... then i think that was probably
>the lease of his worries

he had CF interior pieces.

it takes a bit to shatter a hood. i know that bucknutty's c/f hood flew up on his winshield, so it doesnt always shatter. carbon fiber is slmost exactly like fiberglass except its colord matting

True or False: Carbon Fiber is played out and useless in these absurd applications that are coming out recently ie taillights, decklids, dash kits and much much more.

carbon fiber Loook? playedout. sucks ass.

real carbon fiber? unless you own something, you actually won't realize the goodness of carbon fiber.

aside from cost, i'd love to have a carbon fiber hood, front fenders, door skins, and decklid.... but they'd all be painted

i don't care if it's real, i don't like how it looks, i like the fact that it's very light, but it's ugly as fuck... i'd get it, prime it, and shoot it with some PPG Radiant Fire Red Polyurithane enamel and then clear coat that bitch

Very true, MrlocalPimp! Real carbon fiber is very expensive, but its high strength-to-weight ratio, as well as its vibration dampening properties makes it worth it, especially when it's used in the chassis, suspension, and driveshaft. The majority of the parts available to us are more cosmetic than functional. Take a look at a Formula 1 car - that's true use of carbon fiber, and every piece serves its purpose.

If a story starts "a friend of a friend" you know its bullshit.

Like was stated above, when hit hard enough carbon fiber like fiberglass shatters. But that hasn’t stopped the Corvette from being made of fiberglass for the past 50 years. And every formula race car and funny car is made of carbon fiber. (however I do believe they are kevlar-carbon composites)

Plus the force required to brake carbon fiber is substantial. Several people have had their CF hoods fly up and hit their car. Even after that the hood only cracks and delaminates.

If the guy hit his interior hard enough to shatter the CF then would be screwed regardless of what his interior is made of.

buy a 3 olayer hood from squidskins u wont break it unless u total your front end...

if a chick in high heels can stand on his hood i dont have a problem running it...

btw the hood is used asa suspension piece too

Bill