Carbon Fiber Outer Rocker Covers
- Thread starter johnrob
- Start date
Given that the outer rockers are cosmetic, why bother with the expense of CF? Fiberglass is rustproof, cheap and easier to lay up and finish than CF.
Malc
Well-Known Member
Ohhh dangerous!
The whole rocker (sill section) comprises of an inner, middle and outer, all of which contribute to the strength of the car, ties the A and B pillars together etc. IE it is a structural component
You can get "covers" for the outer panel. I have seen them in black fibreglass for the CSL look and polished stainless. All to replace the chrome strip that is standard.
What ever you do end up using use plenty of anti rust wax as water will inevitably get in and start the rot process all over agaim
DO NOT use covers to hide rot, your just kidding yourself. If I saw a car for sale with them on I would be very suspicious as to what they were hiding.
Sorry a bit of a sore point with me...
Malc
The whole rocker (sill section) comprises of an inner, middle and outer, all of which contribute to the strength of the car, ties the A and B pillars together etc. IE it is a structural component
You can get "covers" for the outer panel. I have seen them in black fibreglass for the CSL look and polished stainless. All to replace the chrome strip that is standard.
What ever you do end up using use plenty of anti rust wax as water will inevitably get in and start the rot process all over agaim
DO NOT use covers to hide rot, your just kidding yourself. If I saw a car for sale with them on I would be very suspicious as to what they were hiding.
Sorry a bit of a sore point with me...
Malc
decoupe
(deceased)
John:
Nice weather (snowing heavily) for a holiday weekend.
For everything you'll need (assuming you don't know already) try Industrial Paint and Plastics near Chinook Centre. They have fibreglass, carbon and kevlar cloth and all of the resin/hardener choices.
Assuming this is not structural and you want the look of the carbon, use 4-6 oz clothe and save that for the last two lay ups over fibre glass and finish it in Endura clear coat. Use fibreglass roving as your base layups and the carbon cloth for the final layers. The carbon is fine in simple shapes like the rockers.
Another alternative is to use graphite powder in your final coats over fibreglass and skip the carbon cloth. Cheaper and very durable.
Some reading for a snowy morning.
http://www.ippnet.com/EN/main/products/FIBREGLASS/4942.html
http://www.ippnet.com/EN/main/products/FIBREGLASS/4506/8235.html
IPP
5-5558 1st. Street S.E.
Calgary, AB T2H 2W9
Voice 403.252.8368
Fax: 403.252.4388
http://www.ippnet.com/
Nice weather (snowing heavily) for a holiday weekend.
For everything you'll need (assuming you don't know already) try Industrial Paint and Plastics near Chinook Centre. They have fibreglass, carbon and kevlar cloth and all of the resin/hardener choices.
Assuming this is not structural and you want the look of the carbon, use 4-6 oz clothe and save that for the last two lay ups over fibre glass and finish it in Endura clear coat. Use fibreglass roving as your base layups and the carbon cloth for the final layers. The carbon is fine in simple shapes like the rockers.
Another alternative is to use graphite powder in your final coats over fibreglass and skip the carbon cloth. Cheaper and very durable.
Some reading for a snowy morning.
http://www.ippnet.com/EN/main/products/FIBREGLASS/4942.html
http://www.ippnet.com/EN/main/products/FIBREGLASS/4506/8235.html
IPP
5-5558 1st. Street S.E.
Calgary, AB T2H 2W9
Voice 403.252.8368
Fax: 403.252.4388
http://www.ippnet.com/
TrackRat
Member
I was considering constructing some cosmetic outer rocker panel covers from 16 gauge aluminum. A friend of mine has large sheet-metal working machines, and could prepare full-length pieces in aluminum. my plan was to spray them with that bumpy finish body Shutz stuff, and then spray them flat black. They would take a beating from the road grit kicked up by the front tires. However they would be easy to take off and re-spray every so often. So far, I have decided not to make them. I saw how they were attached to the body with a couple of bolts, so these would not offer anything in the way of chassis strenght. However under that cosmetic cover is the real struture of the sill and consequently the shell itself. I agree with Malc; I'd be really leery of the "bad news" that could lurk beneath those rocker covers...
'Rat
'Rat
side skirts??
Has anyone ever seen or fabricated side skirts?
Personally, I don't find the rocker panel area very appealing visually, and it certainly seems to be quite effective in retaining moisture, so why not Por-15 it to death and hide it all with some shapely side skirt??
I've seen some simple ones crafted for the 2002, so why not the coupe??
Has anyone ever seen or fabricated side skirts?
Personally, I don't find the rocker panel area very appealing visually, and it certainly seems to be quite effective in retaining moisture, so why not Por-15 it to death and hide it all with some shapely side skirt??
I've seen some simple ones crafted for the 2002, so why not the coupe??
Good lord, next you'll be suggesting grafting the rear end from an E3 or E12 onto the rear of your coupes. The OE rocker covers are available from BMW for maybe two hundred bucks each, stick to original, por15 the inside and outside and keep them clean. Or
TrackRat
Member
Coupeguy wrote: The OE rocker covers are available from BMW for maybe two hundred bucks each, stick to original, por15 the inside and outside and keep them clean.
Hello Coupeguy
For an all-original coupe, I'd do what you suggest in a New York minute. However, I was focusing on the attribute of light weight, and not originality for my use. Hence the consideration of making them out of aluminum.
I have three or four original exterior rocker covers, and all are sorta "cheesey" in some way or another... they would need work before fitting them up to the car. Making new covers from aluminum would be cheaper and lighter than OEM for me. Regards,
Doug B
'Rat
Hello Coupeguy
For an all-original coupe, I'd do what you suggest in a New York minute. However, I was focusing on the attribute of light weight, and not originality for my use. Hence the consideration of making them out of aluminum. I have three or four original exterior rocker covers, and all are sorta "cheesey" in some way or another... they would need work before fitting them up to the car. Making new covers from aluminum would be cheaper and lighter than OEM for me. Regards,
Doug B
'Rat
I have had a couple of sets made in aluminum for my CSLs which had alloy rocker covers originally, or at least the non street package cars did. I could have more made, price would be about $500 each for any of you CSL owners out there who want to "originalize" their modified L's.