Covered my sideskirts in carbon fiber vinyl

Jngrbrdman · 04-01-03, 03:08

I don't customize much so I'm putting this thread back up.

I bought a 7'x15" roll of carbon fiber vinyl to wrap my sideskirts with. The skirts are black anyway and I figured it would be a nice little modification that doesn't look too cheesy. I was concerned that it would but I think it looks fine.

Photo Album pics here

Taking off the skirts and cleaning them up was pretty easy. If you do something like this then make sure you do most of the work on the grass. You don't want to be dragging these along the cement or anything.

The vinyl was pretty easy to apply too. The first one was an education. The second one only took like 30 minutes to do. Its not hard if you come up with a system to do it. The second one didn't even really have many air bubbles when I first put it on. The first one was a beast. lol Thank God for hair driers. They smooth right out. The ones that didn't smooth out were easy to take care of. Just poke a hole in the air pocket and heat it up. The hole gives the air somewhere to go and it flattens right back down again.

Since the stock skirts are black anyway you really can't tell the difference from a distance. Up close it looks really good though. Probably not a modification for every car, but it works on Integras. Probably any car with the side skirts like that. It wouldn't be hard to wrap a front lip or other parts with either. I'm not a big fan of "rice"ing out imports, but I think this was a classy enough project that I won't catch much grief. Besides, car modifications are all about what you like best and not about what everybody else likes, right? I'm enjoying the sticka powa though.

I think I shaved 3 tenths of a second off my 1/4 mile time.

More pictures in that gallery I posted. I am pleased everytime I look at em.

94AccordSedanEX · 04-01-03, 05:55

Where'd you get the CF roll from?

Jngrbrdman · 04-01-03, 06:05

www.stickercastle.com cut it for me. They are a sponser over on team integra. It is good quality stuff. They say that it has an outdoor life of 3 to 5 years or something like that. We'll see how good it holds up.

Adamah · 04-01-03, 06:08

Jngr, that looks really good. I like the understated clean look you're going for.

Redcar GUY · 04-01-03, 06:09

looks good! I have worked with the CF on a roll a few times.

AlBoston · 04-01-03, 06:39

When i saw the title i thought it was an april fools joke... I guess not

Jngrbrdman · 04-01-03, 07:14

Well, we come from different customizing worlds. Its not something that everybody can do to their car and get away with. At least I don't have clear tail lights.

xivera · 04-02-03, 09:58

Hi...I'm Daniel. I'm new here...
I vinyled my side skirts w/ wht. vinyl... to match my car.

How did you deal with the ends!?

Jngrbrdman · 04-02-03, 10:52

very carefully. lol I used a razor blade and cut it a couple times. Then I used the hair drier to heat it and I stretched it till the pattern matched when it was overlaped a bit. Doing it with just white would have been easier. The first side was experimental and the second one was much better.

4DSC · 04-02-03, 03:12

[insert sarcastic comment about RICE here] I'm too lazy to retype my original comments!

I'm going to have to play around with Photoshop someday. I found out that silver vinyl exists (just have to find bigger rolls). My rocker panels (and front/rear lips) are a dark grey and I think making them silver like the rest of the car might make the car look lower. A guy painted these once on his Max and someone mistook it for a body kit!

Jngrbrdman · 04-02-03, 03:25

"Rice" is defined as anything that appears to be tacky or in bad taste to the person viewing it. If what I did appears to be 'ricey' to some then they can suck my tailpipe.

I like it and that's why I did it. There are cars that come with more 'rice' from the factory than I put on my car. The stock skirts were black anyway so this is just a mild change. If people think its cheesy because I put a huge sticker around my sideskirts than that is fine. Its my car and I like it.

4DSC · 04-02-03, 04:06

Quote:

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman
I like it and that's why I did it.

And that's what really counts in the end.

I really do honestly think you did a very good job with the install too.

I've also noticed a lot of traditionally "ricey" styling cues creeping into production vehicles - most notably Altezza-style tail lamps and wild looking projector headlights. Some other things such as big aluminum wheels I actually like though.