Painting V12V Bonnet Vents

Painting V12V Bonnet Vents

Author
Discussion

KarlFranz

Original Poster:

2,008 posts

276 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
I've read several times on the forum people stating that the louvres can't be painted by AM because they can't get them to their usual high paint standards. I call shenanigans. Does anyone have a valid explanation as to why this would be so?

Mako V12V

3,135 posts

220 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
I haven't got an explanation but I know someone on here has had them painted successfully.
Personally, I love the contrast especially between carbon fibre and mako on mine biggrin

JohnG1

3,485 posts

211 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
KarlFranz said:
I've read several times on the forum people stating that the louvres can't be painted by AM because they can't get them to their usual high paint standards. I call shenanigans. Does anyone have a valid explanation as to why this would be so?
I suspect it's because the final lacquer coat on the c/f will not bond to well to paint.

My V12V is at works service - I'll ask them on your behalf.

Jockman

17,988 posts

166 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
JohnG1 said:
I suspect it's because the final lacquer coat on the c/f will not bond to well to paint.
Why would that be John ?

The final lacquer coat on any substrate only has to bond with the previous coat - in this case 6 layers of paint.

It is the initial coat wherein the problem may lie on the bonding front. Perhaps they cannot use that electrometer thingymajig on CF which makes the paint particles attract to the substrate??? smile

JohnG1

3,485 posts

211 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
Jockman said:
Why would that be John ?

The final lacquer coat on any substrate only has to bond with the previous coat - in this case 6 layers of paint.

It is the initial coat wherein the problem may lie on the bonding front. Perhaps they cannot use that electrometer thingymajig on CF which makes the paint particles attract to the substrate??? smile
No, not what I meant. The carbon fibre has a lacquer coat as the final layer.

I saw a tv show about Lamborghini and they had to manually sand down the carbon fibre before painting - to remove the lacquer. I imagine that it'd hard to sand down the small pieces of the individual slots to get a nice finish.

I will speak with the chap at WS and ask him.

Jockman

17,988 posts

166 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
Yup - see what you mean.

I know paint will stick to lacquer, but whether it will be of sufficient adherence for this kind of job - outdoor high performance car - is debatable smile

With these feet

5,733 posts

221 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
Ive done a few repairs on the "carbon" bumper inserts and dont see any reason as to why you would not get an excellent finish repainting. Im unsure if its a gel coat or a lacquer finish but once keyed up will give a suitable base for either an etch or a suitable primer.

More to the point, AM are probably more concerned that the colour match would be the thing that notices as its nigh on impossible to get an exact match.

Steve jm

74 posts

157 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
I've spoken to Justin at Chiltern Aston who said that as long as the c/f lacquer/gel coat is scotched or flatted correctly then 2K primer will stick to it not problem!

Neil1300R

5,498 posts

184 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
At least one owner on here has had it done- "IwantanewV12v" if I remember his id correctly. Theres photos of it in the Aston photos thread.

George H

14,713 posts

170 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
Neil1300R said:
At least one owner on here has had it done- "IwantanewV12v" if I remember his id correctly. Theres photos of it in the Aston photos thread.
There is one for sale too - http://pistonheads.com/sales/2994075.htm

Huge improvement imo.

JohnG1

3,485 posts

211 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
George H said:
There is one for sale too - http://pistonheads.com/sales/2994075.htm

Huge improvement imo.
You drive an old mans car George, you're not down with the kidz who are loving on the exposed carbon fibre. Or something like that!

George H

14,713 posts

170 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
JohnG1 said:
You drive an old mans car George, you're not down with the kidz who are loving on the exposed carbon fibre. Or something like that!
Yep, I would take a wood dash over carbon any day smile

JohnG1

3,485 posts

211 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
George H said:
Yep, I would take a wood dash over carbon any day smile
If it was walnut like in an old school Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40 generation or older) then I love it too. But I don't think recent Aston Martin wood dasboard inserts look great.

Jockman

17,988 posts

166 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
Steve jm said:
I've spoken to Justin at Chiltern Aston who said that as long as the c/f lacquer/gel coat is scotched or flatted correctly then 2K primer will stick to it not problem!
Agreed. If prepped properly then it certainly is do-able. One would assume the AM paints are sufficiently high grade.

There are hand-held machines that can cater for the profiling intricacies.

Would fit in well with the hand-built ethos and image.

If I upgrade to the V12V instead of the DBS I shall be asking them to paint my louvres.

Black. smile

George H

14,713 posts

170 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
JohnG1 said:
If it was walnut like in an old school Jaguar XJ6 (XJ40 generation or older) then I love it too. But I don't think recent Aston Martin wood dasboard inserts look great.
I think they look nicer than piano black personally. I do quite like the silver dash inserts in the V8VS - like the one in Mikey K's. But wood is my favourite.

I think it depends on the colour of the car and interior, I don't think it would suit cars like that Montana orange V12V.

JohnG1

3,485 posts

211 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
George H said:
I think they look nicer than piano black personally. I do quite like the silver dash inserts in the V8VS - like the one in Mikey K's. But wood is my favourite.

I think it depends on the colour of the car and interior, I don't think it would suit cars like that Montana orange V12V.
I had piano black in my V8 - pretty, but not exciting. V12 has a dull metal looking finish (from what I can remember)...

I have thought about replacing with carbon fibre but the prices are just bonkers - typically POA and I always think, if you have to ask, you cannot afford it...

Jockman

17,988 posts

166 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
George H said:
I think they look nicer than piano black personally. I do quite like the silver dash inserts in the V8VS - like the one in Mikey K's. But wood is my favourite.

I think it depends on the colour of the car and interior, I don't think it would suit cars like that Montana orange V12V.
Agreed Georgeous, Burr Walnut would look awful on Montana Orange.

Rememeber that The Piano Black console is in fact painted with walnut as the substrate smile

cayman-black

12,856 posts

222 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
The carbon bonnet Vents look amazing,cant beleive that there not a extra! love them dont do it.

George H

14,713 posts

170 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
Jockman said:
Rememeber that The Piano Black console is in fact painted with walnut as the substrate smile
I didn't know that. I really like the Mahogany inserts too, looks fantastic on this DBS imo - http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C221796#smile

JohnG1

3,485 posts

211 months

Monday 17th October 2011
quotequote all
I remember as a kid that cheap TVs came with nasty wood effect boxes. Expensive TVs like B&O had real wood. All an artefact of the way that radios were made in wood way back in the 1920s or whenever.

I think putting mahogany or burr walnut in a car made from aluminium with CCM brakes, carbon fibre body panels and so on is just bonkers...