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I sent a bunch of my G8 parts off to 3D Liquid Graphics in Indiana. They were able to match paint. Very professional group. Quick turn around! High quality. If anyone was thinking about using them, just look below and judge for yourself. They did great work with the Hydrographic dipped parts. High quality, and great finish. They have a little dust residue on them but they are perfect in person. Some parts are the matching 39U Stryker Blue, while others are black. Both have the silver carbon fiber print and smooth as silk clear coat on top so it should hold up for years to come! The Hydrographic process has come such a long way in the last 5 years. Looks closer to real then the Di-Noc vinyl by far.

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If you have any questions, let me know. I think it looks great, some might think too much blue, some may not like the pattern. I think it made the car look amazing. Cleaned up the interior, making it less drab and boring. Now I do know this will not be for everyone, but it was something I wanted to do, and think it was worth it. This looks a lot better in person.

I did find it is hard as hell to photograph the entire dash in one shot, the reason the doors are open. I have my blue LED strips on in a few shots. Again, may not be your taste, but they are tastefully installed (and with the entire dash apart, they are properly run and tied into the wire looms) and have a toggle switch for each section. I would like feedback though. I think the transition between blue to black is amazing.

I have tired the Di-Noc CF print, and it does not even compare to this. The fit and finish is amazing. I did not have to sand down or grind anything for the parts to piece back together. Which shows how well they applied the paint and the clear coat, allowing things like the tight fitting air vents to fit right back in place.

Enjoy the shots! And sorry, the car is not up to par with my cleaning standards. I just wanted to get the shots taken ASAP while it was light out as well.

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Carlos773

iTrader: (3)

Too blue. I think just a bit of it here and there would of been great.

Still very well done, its not overdone but just enough to set a good tone.

Impaqt

iTrader: (1)

Not a big fan of the blue myself, but the quality looks great.

The only pricing they have on their website seems to be for Guns, what are we looking at for an average panel?

91kbell

iTrader: (1)

^ thats what i was thinking, anybody know where in indiana they are?

1ADan

iTrader: (4)

interesting. always happy to see another G8 owner on the TGO boards too!

AussieIROC66

Well I love CF, & this stuff looks as-sweet-as, & I love the blue too. Now I need to find an Aussie supplier to do a 89 Iroc.

time warp to late same night......

found one, am excited of the possibilities, no idea of pricing thou!

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The blue is not for everyone. But the same Stryker Blue paint is not for everyone. I knew I would get mixed reviews on the color. it just brings the outside into the car. It brings the interior to life. In Aussie country this is almost an option. Sort of like the GTO with its matching interior and lower panels.

They are located west of Fort Wayne. Its in Pierecton IN. As far as prices go, they were AMAZING compared to any other company doing this. You can easily figure your own numbers out.

You have to get square inches. Measure the length x height to give you sq. in. Take that number x $0.35 cents and you will get cost. Most places run in the .75-.80 cents range. Does not sound like a big difference, but a BIGGER part like a 20x20 (even in my big *** car, my glove box only measured 14x20) would be 400 square inches. 400x.35=$140 if it were at .80 cents like most places that would be $320 so the cost difference is huge.

It ran me a little over $600 to get all the interior done, around the tail lights, in the trunk, and some parts under the hood. And that was for a very large car with a ton of plastic. The black strips being 15" long but only 1" tall ran me $5.25 a piece. So smaller accent stuff is really cheap to have done.

Considering that $0.35 is to prep the part, add a flex primer, paint, dip the part, clear coat the part, and mail it, I think its an amazing deal. Not like they get it, dunk it and send it back. It is a few days process.

Turn around from the day I mailed it to when I got it back was under 3 weeks. That is really quick!

overide

Nice!!!! we have been debating about this process for the Mustang... It currently has body keyed interior panels that we wanted to overlay with this hydrographic process. You said they were able to match paint? Does this mean they paint your parts for you and then coat them? Or is it an option, meaning you paint or they paint and the $ varies based on your choice? We have a few issues with our panels and it would be perfect if they could be repainted prior to the dip. Just deciding if we should do the repaint or if they are going to repaint anyway...

thanks!

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

Interesting. That does look nicer than most of the parts I have seen created with this process. However, you can buy a ton of real raw carbon fiber fabric and supplies for $600. Other than the fact that this requires no work, why do this rather than just cover the parts in a single ply of real carbon?

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You can get fabric for the cost. You can't get it, the resin, the vacuum system, vacuum bags, paint supplies for applying the resin... for $600. Plus, it would not match the blue exterior of the car, it would only weigh more, and with as tight as these parts fit, I don't have more then 1/8th inch to add a cover to the parts. Otherwise, the air vents would not fit back in place and all.

So yes it could be done at home for $1000 but still have no additional benefit. More could go wrong then work in your favor at home. The air bubbles in the resin, ruined OEM parts...

Plus, this was a take off, mail in, get back, put on, done, process. Very little effort on my end at all.

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I think you can touch base with them to find out more. I don't want to tell you wrong. They color matched for me at the above mentioned price. Custom colors may cost more. They painted (and very well I may add) the parts before dipping the parts. So, I don't think there is any price break for painting yourself. Since they start with the flex primer anyway.

Great group of guys, using the newest processes, and equipment. They had some big 3 contracts in the past, which is why I had faith this would come out so nice.

Here is the old process, next to real CF (though you can see the weave is skewed, the resin has lines and such in it, etc.). Looks nice, and is real, but not as clean as the new process.



I do like the real deal. But it has a super thick resin coating on top, which can't be any lighter, not even .01 oz. Maybe on bigger parts.

You also see how dull the original process was, and how mine has shine and depth now. real carbon fiber is wavy with thick clear resin on it. Which is common in most CF jobs. My pattern is super consistant, where the real one you show has the weave a little skewed.

I love the real thing, and I am REALLY not knocking the real deal, just trying to show what I am talking about when I say the real stuff has issues, that the fake stuff can look better from a cosmetic standpoint.

Plus, no blue CF that would match my paint!

Tony89GTA

iTrader: (7)

Wow this stuff looks amazing! How durable do you think the coating is, like is it going to scratch easy you think?

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

No doubt some valid points. I just want to make people aware that making cosmetic CF parts is not very expensive. Its also not very hard for most of the parts you have pictured. Weight is not a big deal as single ply CF is virtually weightless. Like I said, I like your parts; the quality is much better than most fake carbon stuff. But at the end of the day for me, if its not real, its fake. It still doesn't have the 3D quality of real CF.

Nice work though, and I can certainly appreciate the ease of this process.

mjdavis68

iTrader: (1)

Man looks great!, i like'm..but where the line indentions are on the blue pieces are white looking in the pics, maybe if you had too,you could run a cool color pinstripe down that using a pinstripping brush? maybe like a silver or go crazy with a lime green? just a thought

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It is just like the paint on your car. I had this stuff done on my GAGT back in 2003 and it looked brand new still when I traded in my car on my G8. Since it is paint, it can scratch. But it does have the print and the clear coat over top. So you would really have to hit it.

The way the headliner works on the car, you have to kind of bend the pillars to get around the curtain airbags. Even with a good amount of flex, it did not break/chip/crack the finish. So I think its pretty sturdy stuff.

I hear ya, and I was not talking trash. I have the entire system. Most people think you can buy CF sheets and some resin and your done. But you need a vacuum system and bags, paint supplies, oxygen mask, good golves... and those side products alone can easily run another $600.

I have roughly $2000 in CF supplies, and it is a side hobby of mine, but I know how expensive it can be. And NEVER comes out perfect. The resin always has cosmetic issues. and its a lot of upkeep since you can't just wax it. Even companies like RK-Sport, VIS and others are never perfect and they do it 24/7.

You are 100% correct that the CF sheets weigh nothing. More like a sheet of paper, but the resin is heavy, and the more coats typically gives you more depth. I end up with about 3 layers, which takes up spcae as it gets thicker and thicker.

End result is that, real stuff looks real so it is visually more apppealing. The fake stuff (Hydrographics) looks clean and cosmetically is much more perfect. It also gives an OEM fit and finish. Di-Noc vinyl, is nice for a decal, but does not have the clear/resin top coat, so it looks fake. Vinyl print, just looks fake.

If you have the time, money, and drive to make it yourself, the real deal is very nice. If you want someone else to worry about it, and get your products back quickly, then the hydrographic process is the way to go.

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

Agreed.

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Do they have a website?

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I was not sure if I could post it since they aree not a paying sponsor/vendor on here. The site is 3D Liquid Graphics . com

White'89

iTrader: (8)

One word. SICK! .35% a square inch is a great price. Thanks for posting this.

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I don't know if you can picture how big my dash is, but other then the center stack, the glove box is the biggest piece. It comes in at 14x20=280 Sq inches. 280x.35=$98.00 Most places run about .80 which would make that same part cost $224. So its a huge savings over other sites, yet you do not lose quality at all.

cIaRmOaCrZo

so just your glove box was $98?

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Yeah. But that is a big part. The 1"x15" strips that seperate the blue from the black top half of the dash were less then $6. The pillars were $23 each... I was giving an extreme example for a llarger part I had done.

cIaRmOaCrZo

thats not that bad of a price. but i was thinking about just driving there, then noticed its still several hours away lol. so what all had to happen with shipping and pricing? i also noticed there were several patterns of carbon fibre, but just dont know which to choose on. i too was gonna go with blue like yours, but some of the patterns didnt look transparent.

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I sent them an email. They gave me ideas and numbers. My paint code is Stryker Blue WA-608R or 39U if you wanted my specific paint color. I figure they must have some left over. On thes site, I went with aht 230 pattern I believe. I think the machine turned would be cool. Like the 70's 2nd Gen TAs. Being that you have a Camaro, maybe not the best idea for you.

From Pittsburgh, to these guys was about $60 in shipping with insurance (which I suggest in case of any issues). That was with 2/3rds a dash, pillars, trunk trim, under hood trim... Not too bad in SxH. Not sure how they worked out the return SxH as it was about half of what I paid going out for some reason.

SxH should be cheaper since you are not a few states away. If not, it may be worth a 2 hour drive to save $100.

cIaRmOaCrZo

does each piece have to be smooth? or can it be textured, and they just go over it? i know in our camaros we have texture on ALL of our panels

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

When was the last time you saw textured carbon fiber. Even if they could do it, I'm sure it would look terrible. I would suggest sanding the texture off first.

cIaRmOaCrZo

thats kinda what i wondered..lol. then again i dont know how thick they lay on the clear coat either.

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I had sent them pieces of black plastic that looksed like a faux leather with all the veins in it. A few pieces looked like a 1000 grit sandpaper sheet. All cambe back to me as smooth as a babies butt. I think they build it up with the primer layer, but I may be wrong.

Can be done. Was done on my car with both smooth and textured parts. Came out perfect on both.

I am sure the less challenging for them, the more they can work on getting the rest of the process perfect, but it can be done.

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After close to a year has gone by, I just wanted to update that everything still looks as good as the day I put it back in. Even when my wife scratches the glove box with her purse when she puts it in the floor and all. Still looks BRAND new and gets a ton of props everywhere I go. 3D Liquid Graphics did an amazing job. I would tell anyone and everyone who is interested in spicing up their car in some cosmetic way to get in touch with them. You can tell them Adam sent ya and you are looking for ideas. Or just let them know what you are looking to get done.

Homer23

It looks good. It's much better than the plain-jane interiors most cars have.

By the way, how good is the G8?

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The G8 is a great car. Coming in at 2 tons dry, it feels very stable even at high speeds. With a few hundred bucks you can make the car fly. $300 cam only will put the car in the low 12's high 11's depending on how extreme you want o go.

Or an off the shelf tuner, and a cold air intake will get you around a 12.9 second car.

Since its basically the Camaro L99 and base to the Corvette platform, the L76 parts can be used from most applications.

Car runs well, fun to drive. corners great while staying flat. The Aussies know how to build them. I am running 11.2 now. With a tune CAI and SLP exhaust I got into the 11s http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?...hannel&list=UL The other guy had a bunch of NEP (new era performance) stuff and a stall. Quality is far past the normal GM.

Homer23

Is yours the V8 version?

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Yes sir. 6.2L V8 now with 602HP at the rear wheels.

Homer23

How do you like it compared to the M3 of the same year?

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Don't know how to compare it. I have never run against one. My dad has an M5 and I can pull on him which says a lot on its own. The G8 is closer in size and stance to a 5 series.

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I may be beating a dead horse by bringing this old thread back up. Some people are new to the site though, so this may be news to them. Also, getting into the winter months brings in some down time for a number of cars. Best time to dismantle and send parts in.

My wife got into the car the other day and went to put her purse on the floorboard. The metal design cut into the glove box I had done. She was not being careful at all. I thought it had to happen at some point (scratch in the material). The purse was squished between her knee and the dash causing a real forced scratch. I meant to take a picture of the 5" scratch that made a white line on the glove box. But I was not thinking straight at the moment.

I was not sure what to do. Grabbed the Meguiar's detailer. It got the "chalk" off, but the line was still there. I grabbed wax thinking it was worth a shot in place of sending it back in to get done again. A little wax, and not only did it make the piece shine like crazy, but it also made the scratch go away totally. If you run your nail, it hits the groove (which tells me she really did a number to it), but no matter how many pictures I took, or how hard you look, you can't see ANYTHING wrong at all. Looks perfect.

In fact all of the items have held up 100%. No pealing, flaking, discoloring, or any other issues at all. Just a ton of complements everywhere I go. You know its done right when car guys say, "That is cool. Did it come from the factory that way". You know done its right when people can't figure out if its something you did on GM did.

The guys at 3DLiquidGraphics just did an awesome job. In most cases you get what you pay for. With their process, you get a ton more than you paid for. Many people offer this type of service. Few can hold a candle to their type of work though. If you want to stop by and tell them Adam from the car forums sent you, they should work you out the best price they can. I don't get anything from it, so you don't have to mention me, but you may get a better deal if you do. Since they like to work with forum members and word of mouth.

86iroct5

i have to say, i dont normally like dashes that have been modded (radio head units, dash covers/overlays). but holy crap that setup you have is epic! it looks phenomenal

Jersey89GTA

iTrader: (1)

That's looks awesome, Can I send my car there and have the whole thing painted ? LOL

I just did my hood louver with vinyl decal CF. Looks OK, but I wish I saw this earlier, might be shipping my louvers out to them.

We'll see how the decal holds up over time. Can just peel it off.

11ellswray

iTrader: (1)

I would love to see how a set of louvers looked!

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They have done a set of 4th gen rear window louvers that looked AMAZING. They have done hood blister louvers as well. I have seen no junk come out of their shop. The rear window was sooooooo sexy.