MHDesigns

Ok so I have searched and all I can find is a bunch of people voicing their opinions, however little facts.
My car is pretty much only track driven, and I have been off and on about the subject of a carbon fiber roof. Not the roof cap, but the entire roof. Has anyone actually done this? Does anyone have pictures of a full roof installed?

Before you start flaming... this is a RACE CAR... not DD. On top of that, the car only goes in a straight line(1/4 mile), no auto-x or road courses. I understand that when you cut a unibody car, you risk gaining some flex. On cars without sunroofs, the roof is super flexible anyway. I don't think I would personally notice any difference in stability unless I did auto-x or road courses.

This was a sunroof model and is now plugged up, but the sunroof model has lots of extra metal in the roof. I'm not going to go get another car, this is my baby. If you don't like the idea of me doing this, or don't understand why I would do it, then simply DONT REPLY!!!

Please post pics or experiences, no matter your model. Thanks.

Jimster480

in4 response. I have never seen anyone with a actual full carbon fiber roof, even at NSCRA. Unless it was painted (idk who would do this on a race car).

sde780

What would be the advantage of having one? You'd gain more time taking a big **** and pissing before you race.

xero_xero

No flaming sped (sde780), he said it in his 1st post. retard. there is little gain (aside from aesthetics for doing this.) you have to cut your roof off and weld in studs to secrue the new roof to.

FlewByU352

IMO it would look cool but probably wouldnt be lighter than what you have. Take your headliner and all that stuff out. The roof has like the thinnest metal out of anywhere on the car. Carbon fiber I see as either being brittle trying to make it lighter or heavier trying to make it strong. IMO leave it.

MHDesigns

Like I said it is a sunroof model. The sunroof model has a whole web of bullshit metal underneath it, unlike the normal non-sunroof models where the skin weighs almost nothing. I imagine a fair amount of weight would come off.

I know this wouldn't remove a huge amount of weight, however every little bit helps. 20 lbs in 20 different places adds up and I have already lost weight in almost every other way.

This is not for looks, it is purely for weight savings, no matter how minimal it may seem to some people.

Anyone out there with pics? Experience? Knew a guy who knew a guy?

boxeocampeon

dont do the carbon fiber roof but ive seen a trunk done. you should check into that it would look clean and take off a little wait

MHDesigns

This is a RACE CAR... I do not care about looks at all...

Arcitekt

This ^^^^

you could spend your money on something more beneficial and worth your performance.

honestly you'd scratch your head and regret that move in a short while.

MHDesigns

Anybody with actual experience on here? I already said I didn't want a bunch of opinions in my thread. Reason being is that "take a **** thats more beneficial" is not only an opinion, but an ignorant one at that. Like I said 20lbs in 20 different places adds up an a car that weighs a little over a ton with a little over 200hp Facts or experience/real knowledge only. Please don't respond if you do not share my urge to lower the weight of your vehicle in any way possible. Thank you.

sde780

I'm the ignorant one? Says the guy looking to drop 20 lbs from his car's roof.

Spend the money on better tires, you can thank me later.

MHDesigns

Yes, you are the ignorant one. Thanks for nothing. Get out of my thread.

MHDesigns

Anyways to anyone who is actually interested, it is not uncommon for race cars to have fiberglass body panels or even whole bodies. This is my drag car. The car will never be driven on the streets...ever. I'm currently in the process of putting together a new boosted motor for it(Goal of 550whp woot!). The car will have a roll bar, and will be completely gutted. Only the cluster and driver seat will remain. The rear windows are going to be lexan for god sake... Now maybe you can see why I want to push it and try to drop some weight from the roof.

I can tell you right now that it will pull way more than 20lbs off the roof, there's quite a bit of metal in the sunroof version roof. If I decide to do it, I will weigh the piece I remove so there can finally be some sort of documentation on this.

Seriously, this is a drag car, if you know nothing about racing please don't talk.

Someone please post pics of one installed...

MHDesigns

Here's what i'm talking about. Top picture is of my roof. As you can see there is metal plating all underneath the skin. The second pic is a non-sunroof model. Notice how it is one easy layer. That's because it's just the skin. My sunroof model has 3 separate layers of metal in it, therefore it is 3 times heavier than a standard non-sunroof model.
EDIT* I don't know who's car the second pic is, but if you want it taken down let me know.

HCivExoo

i remember multiple years ago there was a guy in the marketplace that did sale whole roof caps in carbon fiber. i can try it but i don't know if i will be able to.

all i remember is that it was the whole roof cap but i believe it was to go over the metal roof and for looks only so you would have to find some way to mount it.

check out the marketplace: TOFU MAN has what you are looking for in both carbon and kevlar i believe.

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

When I worked at Composites Fab, we made a few "race roofs" for some road racers. The people liked them a lot once they got them installed. We would core the cap after two layers of carbon, then seal the coring in with two more layers of woven glass. This made for about 10-15lb reduction in the sunroof application. Most of the guys ended up pop-riveting it to their roof. A lot of rivets! They were on road coarses too. You may be able to get away with not as many rivets since you are in the drag realm. Dustin ended up starting and sinking a couple of companies since then, and now has lost his A**
(and shop) to a close friend of mine. If you would like I will give you his number so you can call him and discuss the option. I have one that I bought in the hopes of making some money, but it's for a DC. He can make them for the EK though. Pm me for his # if you would like.

HCivExoo

yeah compostitfab was who made the one or two that Tofu Man was sailing in the marketplace.

rick_rabies

i looked into this as well. i couldnt find anything besides roof CAPS that overlayed..
i think if we did find a CF roof (if we could afford it) im not sure if it would hold up to the flexing of the car when your doing your thing (conquering the apex etc)

boxeocampeon

its only gonna take off like 20lbs

HCivExoo

i know i have a problem with my sunroof plug collapsing (mostly street use) i would think that the roof may do that aswell but if they are making them with honeycomb and 2 layers on each side it should be fine. my sunroof plug is only 3 layers carbon, glass, carbon. So it is THIN.

rick_rabies

everybit counts when your road racing..
i added up everything i dumped from my car and i dropped over 100 lbs of just useless junk in the car and it felt dif.

sde780

Alright, if you say so. You're telling people to get out of your thread asking for help and calling them ignorant? Great way to ask for help. Thanks for reminding me why people are ******** to n00bs now, you're the reason why.

I'll post wherever I want, this is a public forum.

rick_rabies

^il give you a z6 if be nice

xero_xero

Your a sped. your acting worse than a noob. go cry because you cant understand the complexities and your opinion doesnt matter, even though you have contributed NOTHINg to the thread.

if your going cf roof, do the whole car. it will be a much better than just the roof. fiberglass shell on your tube frame. it will stiffne up a LOT more, and you can cover it with cf molds from your curent outsude,

MHDesigns

Thanks a TON for the info. I'm glad there are actually some people on here that understand what i'm trying to do. I know that s2carbonworks has made caps and full race roofs for a while. I have yet to see one installed. I will look into this "Tofu man" as well. I think once I get everything else together, I will be trying one of these. I'll make a write-up for it so the theory's can be dropped, or proven.

Again, thanks to the guys who came on here to help.

Go back to responding to "d16 or k20" threads. This is for people that are actually educated on the subject. Now you can keep acting like a child and bickering with me, or you can just be mildly mature about it and just leave...