mx5cartalk.com

Hi,
I've now got a silver car and a faded red hardtop. Thinking I should paint the hardtop black but what black (MX5 black or another black)? Car is non-standard Platinum Silver.
Bruce

Wrap?

"Brilliant Black" is the name for black Mazda NB paint.

Black is the safest colour to go with since it suits all other coloured cars, maximising its re-sale potential/value.

Have considered wrap but shall see what I get quoted for paint.
Is NB brilliant black the same for NAs?

Thanks lokiel, very informative links.
In a nutshell, single stage black in early cars, then two stage in later cars.

Thanks Lokiel, learnt a lot from those links.

Got given a ball park figure of about $1000 to paint hardtop as glass needs to come out (new rubbers needed) and bottom edge trim needs removing (may need replacing as it is over 25 years old and looks brittle).
Wrapping got quoted $600, so will go down that route.
Any recommended 'wrappers' in Eastern suburbs Mebourne?

Anybody with experience wrapping their hardtop, either diy or professionally?

I do not move quick on things.
Next thought, vinyl wrapping a hardtop carbon fibre will look 'fake' and nasty. Howabout skinning it with carbon fibre cloth? I've been watching videos and it involves a lot of sanding, etc. Forged carbon would be easier but I do not like the look (or the finish).
Real carbon roofs cost a lot and/or the quality is definitely not OEM, thus skinning a factory roof seems an option.
I've got some real factory carbon on my silver car so a roof would suit it.
Do you know any local businesses which do it else I think it will be a very big DIY project.

Can't answer your question Bruce, but my experience trying to get proper racecar CF wings vacformed would suggest you will be pushing it up hill. There were a couple of largish operations, but they wouldn't look at me. Others I looked at seemed very cottage industry, specialists often doing it for a particular niche. OTOH if it is just cosmetic and not structural you may be dealing with a very different type of supplier that I am not familiar with.

Not sure what you mean by 'forged', when I was playing it was usually a wet layup or vacformed.

I think paint or wrap would be a safer choice, at least with wrap it can be undone quickly and easily if it goes wrong, paint too but not so cheaply. But maybe someone is doing something similar in CF to what you want and would be able to do a HT.

GM: Forged CF is the stuff that looks like this.


Personally I'd go for black paint rather than laying carbon over the fibreglass. CF that doesn't actually reduce weight is a bit rice IMO, and if you don't like the end product you'll have a bugger of a time removing it. If you're unhappy with a paint job, you can just rub it back and do it again.

Yes, the more I think about it skinning it with CF will be difficult to do nice. The edges will be difficult and getting a smooth finish over such a large flat area will be impossible.

Watched a video of a top with forged carbon pieces sprinkled on it. Looked OK at a distance but the closeups were terrible with a rough, pock marked surface (even though the owner said it was good). Obviously he had very low standards.

If that is what 'forged' is - pass