Need help installing Rottec Carbon Fiber Diffuser
#16
02-22-2013 | 03:35 PM
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Sorry to hear Art, I am sure it will work out..
I cant understand why you are insisting on painting it, I think it will look gorgeous if you leave it. Meteor grey and carbon is a perfect match.
I vote leave it carbon look!
Hope everything works out.
I cant understand why you are insisting on painting it, I think it will look gorgeous if you leave it. Meteor grey and carbon is a perfect match.
I vote leave it carbon look!
Hope everything works out.
#17
02-22-2013 | 03:45 PM
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Thought about leaving it all carbon but decided to paint the sides body color and leave the center unpainted Carbon fiber
should look sharp, but it's all subjective
#18
02-22-2013 | 03:46 PM
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Well, I don't know where to begin with the tips... it seems like they're not made for stock exhausts... since the diameter is almost the exact same size as the pipe they're supposed to fit onto. So imagine trying to get two tubes that are the same diameter to slide into one another. There was a lot of "metal work" involved, along with a lot of swearing. I can tell you this... once on, they are NOT going anywhere... and they looked pretty amazing. Just didn't expect to spend hours (like 3 or more) getting them on since it takes about 15mins to get the old ones off. Again, if I had a shop with a heat source.. like a blow torch.... I coulda saved some time.
As for the bumper.. yes, I did trim the tabs off the actual bumper. It was one of those "is this really worth it" moments.... as well as, "there's no going back" now.
The rear wing was also from Ray... that was an excellent piece that lined right up and there were no issues with at all. Make sure you have the spoiler wrench to get the wing off... suncoast probably sells it. I also however, ordered the TA style for my new car and the shop had major issues with it, and even now I'm having next to zero luck selling it. (ended up going with the more aggressive agency power wing on the new car)
I've bought a LOT of stuff from Rottec. Most of it I've been pleased with... but the dry CF parts I've ordered seem to have more "issues" and I'm probably done dealing with those. They seem to need a bit more attention and don't just bolt right on. I would say a good body shop is required.
Hope that helps.. that rear diffuser WILL fit.. and it is great looking once you get it on the car... best of luck!
As for the color of the old car, yeah, it was insane... my "new" turbo is boring meteor grey. I joke that I lost my convertible, heated seats and orange paint in the divorce.
You can see the GT2 sides (dry CF) as well as the GT3 smile (dry CF) and part of the wing. All were from Ray...
As for the bumper.. yes, I did trim the tabs off the actual bumper. It was one of those "is this really worth it" moments.... as well as, "there's no going back" now.
The rear wing was also from Ray... that was an excellent piece that lined right up and there were no issues with at all. Make sure you have the spoiler wrench to get the wing off... suncoast probably sells it. I also however, ordered the TA style for my new car and the shop had major issues with it, and even now I'm having next to zero luck selling it. (ended up going with the more aggressive agency power wing on the new car)
I've bought a LOT of stuff from Rottec. Most of it I've been pleased with... but the dry CF parts I've ordered seem to have more "issues" and I'm probably done dealing with those. They seem to need a bit more attention and don't just bolt right on. I would say a good body shop is required.
Hope that helps.. that rear diffuser WILL fit.. and it is great looking once you get it on the car... best of luck!
As for the color of the old car, yeah, it was insane... my "new" turbo is boring meteor grey. I joke that I lost my convertible, heated seats and orange paint in the divorce.
You can see the GT2 sides (dry CF) as well as the GT3 smile (dry CF) and part of the wing. All were from Ray...
. Good to hear it was a perfect fit. It would work, but just look like crap if it didn't.I think people have had better luck with the front spoilers.
Obviously the tips are a no go. Obviously not measured correctly in fabrication. Slip on pipes are low tolerance items, so you can't just make them "close". I would have just sent them back.
#19
02-22-2013 | 05:23 PM
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quick update. I was unable to make it to the shop today but just got off the phone with the shop manager and he sounded pleased
They successfully cut 6 additional slots into the diffuser, sanded down the waves in the groove and they also had to cut and smooth out the ends because it extended too far out past the bumper. In any case he seemed ok with the fit so they're moving to prepping the diffuser for paint and I should be able to pick it up on Tuesday
in any case this has cost me several extra hours in labor and prep even before adding the cost of sanding and painting the diffuser itself
I'll post pics of the final assembled bumper next week and I'll point out where the modifications were made to accommodate the fit before installing the bumper on the car
I hope this thread ends up being useful for someone who might end up struggling with this or a similar piece in the future.
cheers
- Art
They successfully cut 6 additional slots into the diffuser, sanded down the waves in the groove and they also had to cut and smooth out the ends because it extended too far out past the bumper. In any case he seemed ok with the fit so they're moving to prepping the diffuser for paint and I should be able to pick it up on Tuesday
in any case this has cost me several extra hours in labor and prep even before adding the cost of sanding and painting the diffuser itself
I'll post pics of the final assembled bumper next week and I'll point out where the modifications were made to accommodate the fit before installing the bumper on the car
I hope this thread ends up being useful for someone who might end up struggling with this or a similar piece in the future.
cheers
- Art
#20
02-22-2013 | 08:21 PM
I will look great when it's done so hang in there,but like i told you my shop told me it was a Pita to install, the description should definitely be changed.
Last edited by twturbo; 02-27-2013 at 10:25 PM.
#23
02-23-2013 | 06:06 AM
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Wicked Motorsports sells the piece in fiberglass and Vivid sells the piece in carbon fiber. I wonder if those are a better choice based on what I am reading here. I am painting it as well so I don't care if it's CF or not. Has anyone had experiences with either of these?
#25
02-27-2013 | 01:15 PM
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Hey Tom
So here's where we are with the modifications to the diffuser. As I explained last week the shop had to sand out and smooth the groove to align the fit and cut 6 more slots that were missing on the diffuser
Here is the groove after sanding, looks much better now:
and here are where we cut 6 more slots in the diffuser:
(sorry for the poor iphone pics)
3 here
and 3 more here
Then we had to cut the ends of the diffuser here to get proper alignment on the bumper (as shown by my thumb)
The next step was to sand and prime the entire diffuser prior to painting. Unfortunately after priming the piece the shop found a thin hairline crack extending across the entire back of the diffuser.
It is hard to tell in these pictures but the hairline is where the primer did not stick to the body and appear black
Looks minor but the issue is two fold. The paint adhesion to his area will be weak and the crack may come through the paint and look worse. Secondly, over time the flexing of this area may worsen the crack and require patching and repainting.
I emailed Ray asking for help. I inquired about having a replacement overnighted but I have not heard back. So the only option is to patch the hairline with resin, let it cure, paint it and hope for the best
What a total PITA
If anyone is remotely considering this piece make sure you have a shop that is an expert at modifying carbon fiber parts. Cutting and sanding this piece is not a trivial exercise that any shop can do, and if they don't pay extremely close attention (like finding and patching hairline cracks) the outcome will be less than acceptable. Also figure in several hours of added labor cost to the price
Best
-Art
So here's where we are with the modifications to the diffuser. As I explained last week the shop had to sand out and smooth the groove to align the fit and cut 6 more slots that were missing on the diffuser
Here is the groove after sanding, looks much better now:
and here are where we cut 6 more slots in the diffuser:
(sorry for the poor iphone pics)
3 here
and 3 more here
Then we had to cut the ends of the diffuser here to get proper alignment on the bumper (as shown by my thumb)
The next step was to sand and prime the entire diffuser prior to painting. Unfortunately after priming the piece the shop found a thin hairline crack extending across the entire back of the diffuser.
It is hard to tell in these pictures but the hairline is where the primer did not stick to the body and appear black
Looks minor but the issue is two fold. The paint adhesion to his area will be weak and the crack may come through the paint and look worse. Secondly, over time the flexing of this area may worsen the crack and require patching and repainting.
I emailed Ray asking for help. I inquired about having a replacement overnighted but I have not heard back. So the only option is to patch the hairline with resin, let it cure, paint it and hope for the best
What a total PITA
If anyone is remotely considering this piece make sure you have a shop that is an expert at modifying carbon fiber parts. Cutting and sanding this piece is not a trivial exercise that any shop can do, and if they don't pay extremely close attention (like finding and patching hairline cracks) the outcome will be less than acceptable. Also figure in several hours of added labor cost to the price
Best
-Art
#26
02-28-2013 | 11:24 AM
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Just got back from the shop. Unfortunately the resin fix didn't work across the entire length of the hairline crack and in a couple of areas the paint bridged across the crack as can been seen in this picture
(adjusted contrast and exposure to highlight the issue)
There are about 4 areas like this along the length of the diffuser, the above being the largest and therefore easiest to photograph. The shop is going to polish the piece and fill the exposed cracked areas with additional paint and hope it fills the gap enough to pass the 2' test. It doesn't and will not look perfect by any means but at this point the diffuser has won
guys, know what you're buying with these aftermarket parts. this was a frustrating lessen for me. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents a completely custom unfinished piece and 10 represents a direct OEM replacement I give the rottec diffuser a 4 at best
Will post up some pics when it's finally on the car
- Art
(adjusted contrast and exposure to highlight the issue)
There are about 4 areas like this along the length of the diffuser, the above being the largest and therefore easiest to photograph. The shop is going to polish the piece and fill the exposed cracked areas with additional paint and hope it fills the gap enough to pass the 2' test. It doesn't and will not look perfect by any means but at this point the diffuser has won
guys, know what you're buying with these aftermarket parts. this was a frustrating lessen for me. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents a completely custom unfinished piece and 10 represents a direct OEM replacement I give the rottec diffuser a 4 at best
Will post up some pics when it's finally on the car
- Art
#27
02-28-2013 | 12:28 PM
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I would clear coat it and stick it on the car. Goes under the rear bumper anyway, not like a wing. Really makes me think twice when I am considering their carbon rear wing though. Shipping something like that costs a mint too - even if it can be returned.
#28
02-28-2013 | 01:35 PM
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A 4??????? You're giving the product far too much credit. Give it a 4 when you get a 50% refund for the additional hours spent in the body shop.
I don't mean to start a war here and please dont neg rep me. But where is the vendor? If I post a "looking for a new wing or new wheels" thread
I'm going to get 50 vendor responses in 10 minutes. Cmon guys, it goes both ways.
Rant over: Art at least you're getting close I'm sure it will look good.
I don't mean to start a war here and please dont neg rep me. But where is the vendor? If I post a "looking for a new wing or new wheels" thread
I'm going to get 50 vendor responses in 10 minutes. Cmon guys, it goes both ways.
Rant over: Art at least you're getting close I'm sure it will look good.
Last edited by eurotom; 02-28-2013 at 01:37 PM.
#29
02-28-2013 | 03:45 PM
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A 4??????? You're giving the product far too much credit. Give it a 4 when you get a 50% refund for the additional hours spent in the body shop.
I don't mean to start a war here and please dont neg rep me. But where is the vendor? If I post a "looking for a new wing or new wheels" thread
I'm going to get 50 vendor responses in 10 minutes. Cmon guys, it goes both ways.
Rant over: Art at least you're getting close I'm sure it will look good.
I don't mean to start a war here and please dont neg rep me. But where is the vendor? If I post a "looking for a new wing or new wheels" thread
I'm going to get 50 vendor responses in 10 minutes. Cmon guys, it goes both ways.
Rant over: Art at least you're getting close I'm sure it will look good.
As a community we pay a pretty penny for these aftermarket parts, and I think we need to demand better quality especially given the Porsche tax. Needless to say not happy at all with the time, money and headache of installing this piece
Will post an update when the finished part is installed
#30
02-28-2013 | 08:18 PM
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diffuser is on the bumper and at this point it is what it is
here are a couple of places where the paint bridged across the hairline crack
shop applied paint with a fine brush across the gap and also gave me some to take home. they said it will take several applications over a few days to close the gap since gases escaping the paint will continue to break this area
Here is the same area after a couple of applications over 3 hours.
Here's the left side, nice gap, "direct OEM fit"
Well I think we've beaten this horse to death. Given what I paid for this piece the quality and final fit and finish should have been near perfect. Definitely not a happy customer
- Art
here are a couple of places where the paint bridged across the hairline crack
shop applied paint with a fine brush across the gap and also gave me some to take home. they said it will take several applications over a few days to close the gap since gases escaping the paint will continue to break this area
Here is the same area after a couple of applications over 3 hours.
Here's the left side, nice gap, "direct OEM fit"
Well I think we've beaten this horse to death. Given what I paid for this piece the quality and final fit and finish should have been near perfect. Definitely not a happy customer
- Art