Austarion

i received a post from one of the conquest sites in the states and there is a guy over there making the carbon fibre bonnets for the starion/conquest . I received a price of around the $aus 600 mark, without the usuall freighting. i'm sure that if i can a few of us together for a bulk order and if i ask an importing friend of mine i think i might be able to get them in the country for under a grand each ( only if there was a bulk order) i will look into it further as i was already ordering one for myself. They are a std bonnet from memory ( conquest = no vents or sccop), but he was working on one with vents. if anyone is interested or please email me. i will be contacting them within the next few days and i will post more information as it comes to me.
drew.

i have just checked my info on the carbon hoods and they are $600us . though if you think about it for about $1600 -$1800 you have a horn looking front end. i'm sure there have been people wishing that they could have that true japanese dorifto look. i'm still not 100% on the pricing i should know fairly soon.

what makes you think we would be paying anywhere near the 1600-1800 $ mark?? the dollar is like 80c and going strong it would be around the 750 mark converted to AUD but then frieght and i am not paying 1k for frieght :)

carbon fibre? cool. would save me repainting my bonnet... do you know if it's the scooped or flat bonnet (would look like crap without scoop methinks).. anyways.. give us a link plz.. :d

We need to get someone in oz to make them to be affordable. Freight would definately be the killer due to the size. I got a front spoiler in from the states and it was around the 300us mark for 2 week service. So the bonnet would definately be twice that at least.
I have a mate that made a carbon fibre bonnet for his mx5. Only seen pics but it looks awesome. Im not sure if hes doing them anymore as he has moved house and now only has a single car garage. I will send him an email to find out if hes interested in doing any.

you really should consider fibreglass if its being done here, its almost as lite and almost as strong, but costs a shitload less.

thats true, but that's the problem with fiberglass, it looks so damn standard.. :S I was going to get a CF one done, but for a 1-off was looking @ 3k..

There's no way that i would charge anyone $1600 - $1800 for the bonnet, i was just putting up a worst case scenario. i apologise.
With the current conversion rate it would be a great time to do this. I'm in the process of talking to an importer that will do a good rate if i can manage more than one bonnet.
The bonnets haven't been made yet as they are getting the no's for production. They are made by fibre images in the states and apparantely they are the best on the market.
I'm still yet to confirm wether they will be starion ( main scoop - ?side vents) or conquest ( flat bonnet). I will do my best to chase this up asap.
I've been told that they will fit both the starion and the conquest.
You can have a look at some of the work that fibreimages has done at there web site www.fiberimages.com ( yank spelling )
keep you posted.
Melbstazz/drew.

oh man, that is some damn sexy work, if it's scooped Im definately up for one.. :D haha. even better if its a totally new design. :P

My advice.

I have done alot of work with carbon where it was only for the effect and not for the strength/weight so much.

I layed up a set of door trims for a falcon race car that were carbon on the vicible layer but only csm (chop strand mat) fiberglass on the remaining layers.

As for strength, if the bonnet is layed up with some directional glass in the right places, it should be strong enough. With a single layer of carbon mat and a good clear coat - it will look the bollocks but at a half of the price.

the bonnets are being made by one of the best if not the best carbon fibre places in the states, they will have strength, functionatily and have that sexy carbon look. They are a very strong bonnet, i don't know if you have looked on their web site at all, they are supposed to have some strength tests on there.

:D Just received an email confirming the look of the bonnet. And the bonnet that's being made ( drum roll plz .... ) ... is ... a flat bonnet.
I know that many out there were hoping for a scooped bonnet, i think that a flat carbon fibre bonnet is going to look waaaay kooler than a standard bonnet *hood*. It's going to be heaps lighter and have the strength to boot. I'm not sure how insurance companies will look at those cars with the hood fitted, might have to research that as well.
I should have some news this week from an importer on the cost of getting the bonnets safely to australia.
That's all the current news to the moment, i shall keep you posted on any further developments.
cheers
drew.

ok, how is carbon for working with later on? can vents be easily added by a pro later on??

i'm not sure about the workability of carbon fibre. I can ask a few of the guys at work and get their opinion. ( i work in a panel shop!) see what they can come up with...

http://www.starquestclub.com/index.pl?b ... 1079217570

if only shipping wasn't a killer!