Tangerine Dream Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 OK, I made an error: Ordered a brand new orange 7, knowing that this is a paint and not a GRP colour. At 1400 miles have an orange and grey primer mix along the sides of the carbon rear wheel protector and for an inch or so on top. There is no panic to do anything just yet but I will want to do something with some longevity. I see my options as: 1) Carbon rear wings - look 🥰 and match the front but £764 and if I clip something on a track day I will not be best pleased. They presumably resist chips the same as my current protectors. 2) Re-spray and then 3M. Main worry is matching the paint. Was thinking it could be done off car over the winter. Not sure of cost next to CF ones. 3) New black gelcoat ones. Sort of match the front and fairly cheap at £211. Plus I would need a plastic rivet kit to change over the protectors. 4) Leave alone and look well 'ard! Interested to know what other members have done and if there are other innovative options available like carbon vinyl wrapping. ================================== R400SV in orange - so far unmodified! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frying Pan Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I went for black gelcoat rear front and rear wings on my car - I think it looks great like that (photos on my signature) Fronts upgraded to CF after losing one on the M40, but rears are still original. See some pictures of the build here. 18,000 miles completed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Leave alone and treat them as a badge of honour as a driver, not a polisher. 😬 Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Definitely! From the owner of two very battered rear wings................. LEO 3eggs Another Slightly Vider SeVen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJG Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I have CF front and rear. Wouldn't bother again, they look cr@p at just over two years old. Tried all the dodges suggested by searching to effect minor improvement. If you get any info on vinyl wrapping I would be very interested. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheManAlive Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Has anyone got experience of respraying? My rear wings are dark blue and after two years are looking very tatty. I've never had a car with such easily chippable (is that a word?) paint! I have no idea how much a respray for just the wings would be but I am seriously thinking about it as a winter job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevenmad Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I have to agree. Caterham paint is by far the most easily chipped on any car I've owned. Is it applied differently or does paint stick less well to Ali/Grp ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fondelli Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Interesting. By the time I got my car home to Northern Ireland, I had managed to get a nice spider crack in one of the rear wings. I knew that this could be a problem, but I thought I would make it back home ok. I got my car fitted with Millwood carbon stoneguards before I picked it up. All my wings are now lined with self adhesive 3mm thick neoprene rubber which has <5% water absorbancy (it is also very light). I got this from a company called Woolies, who do car trim supplies. I also had the stone guards covered in paint protection film from premier paint guard. So far so good. By the way when I tried to sort out paint (my car is yellow) I actually had the car scanned and had paint mixed to match the car. This is a perfect job. So far the film has done a really good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiderlane Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 TD - Having had a car in the past I was familiar with this situation, so before the current car has turned a wheel I had the 3M film installed by Premier Paint Guard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 I think if you take any car paint, paint it onto any panel, then hold it out at 90 degrees to the direction of travel and behind the front wheels so any stones flicked up (and there are lots) hit it directly, then it'd chip. I painted the underside of my wings with Carlife Rubbercoat - stunk to high heaven, and they seem to have now disappeared, so while while my rear wings look decidedly shot blasted on the front edges, there are no star cracks anywhere. And the back roads round here, my route home from work, are typical rural back roads - stones and alsorted other stuff. Doesn't fresh cow poo make an impressive "splat!" sound as it comes out the front of the front wheel arch, flies backward (or the car drives into it) and impacts the roll bar just where the diagonal meets it? Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted June 28, 2010 Area Representative Share Posted June 28, 2010 Buy some Millwoods CF protectors and attach them to your wings now. The extended side and height of these protectors will cover up the current damage and be a lot cheaper than buying new wings and having them sprayed ! ----- Back in a BEC! - but done alright in Class 1... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fondelli Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Plus if you cover them with paint protection film, the gel coat will not get damaged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Dream Posted June 28, 2010 Author Share Posted June 28, 2010 Interesting replies so far. I like the pics with black GRP rear wings. This would seem to be a good possibility, especially if I fancy a change at some point. However, I would like to hear more about the Millwood CF items. Seem ideal. I have found some pictures but guess I will have to phone them once back in the UK as there is no info on their website. ================================== R400SV in orange - so far unmodified! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Nick Chan Posted June 28, 2010 Area Representative Share Posted June 28, 2010 Here's a pic of my (old) HPC with the protectors on : here edited for accuracy in case some folks think I have bought another car... ----- Back in a BEC! - but done alright in Class 1... Edited by - Nick Chan on 28 Jun 2010 19:52:21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Dream Posted June 28, 2010 Author Share Posted June 28, 2010 Same paint scheme as mine and they look good IMHO. ================================== R400SV in orange - so far unmodified! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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