Project: Carbon Power Pipe

ZD302GT

Zach
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Kansas City, Missouri
More parts that don’t exist so I made my own.

After two years of off and on working on it and a couple of botched molds I got the carbon power pipe finished up.

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96dreamer

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Very cool. Any pictures of the process? I wouldn't mind replacing my heavy steel power pipe.
 

4sdvenom

Never Enough!
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Very nice job! That turned out great!
You have any other ideas in the works or are you done with getting your power pipe perfected?
Did you by chance take any pictures during the carbon fiber portion of the build? I’ve been wanting to try some things with either fiberglass or preferably carbon fiber and am curious how difficult it was to work with once you had your mold perfected. Did you use any specialty tools like vacuum bags or anything or was it straight up made in the garage (if that makes sense). Sorry for all the questions but that really turned out great!
Thanks
Ken
 

ZD302GT

Zach
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Joined
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Location
Kansas City, Missouri
Very cool. Any pictures of the process? I wouldn't mind replacing my heavy steel power pipe.
I started with a block of foam and tried to sculpt the shape but it turns out I don't have a sculptors brain and was taking way too long to get it right.

So I got some 4" pvc bends, cut them in half and taped them back together and in the orientation I wanted. Got some mix and pour boat foam and filled that to get my foam shape. Then sanded the foam smooth and started fitting it to the car and shaping the notch for hood clearance. Then you are ready to wrap it in carbon. Its not going to turn out as nice as if you had a nice two-piece mold and an autoclave. You may still be able to figure out a way to wrap it and vacuum bag it or infuse it. I just did a wet layup in two halves on mine.
Wow very cool. Well done.

Looks good!

That is flat out badass!

Thanks guys!

Since you have the process perfected, Maybe you should start offering them for sale in different colors.


Sent from my SM-G965U using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Due to the way I built it, my foam mold was made to be destroyed once the carbon was laid and cured, so I can't easily make another. And although the next one would be faster I still had a couple hundred hours in this one.
 

ZD302GT

Zach
Established Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
1,715
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
Very nice job! That turned out great!
You have any other ideas in the works or are you done with getting your power pipe perfected?
Did you by chance take any pictures during the carbon fiber portion of the build? I’ve been wanting to try some things with either fiberglass or preferably carbon fiber and am curious how difficult it was to work with once you had your mold perfected. Did you use any specialty tools like vacuum bags or anything or was it straight up made in the garage (if that makes sense). Sorry for all the questions but that really turned out great!
Thanks
Ken
Thank you! I didn't take a pictures during the actual layup process since wet layup is kinda messy.

I do have a vacuum infusion setup that I built but I didn't use it for this project. I would like to do a flat floor in front of the k-member of my 93 cobra but I'm in the middle of building an engine for it so maybe I'll get to that late next year. I've done lots of little brackets and air dam type stuff in the past.

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