Verus Carbon Fiber Maintenance

At Verus, we do carbon a bit differently than most other options for the aftermarket.  As a result; maintenance is a bit different as well.

First, let’s discuss what we do and why.  All of our carbon is manufactured using pre-preg, autoclaved cured, carbon fiber.  This is referred to as dry carbon; all of our parts are produced in this fashion.  We currently offer two styles of finishes on our carbon fiber; a matte clear and a polished (gloss) finish.  Do not confuse the polished units with a glossy gel coat or a gloss clear.  Our polished carbon; is removed from the mold, and then polished to a high gloss shine, similar to what you can do with stainless or aluminum.  The matte is a gorgeous finish and keeps large pieces of carbon subtle.

The polished units offer a lot of positives that gel coated or clear coated units do not.  The polished units are less likely to chip or have surface finish issues, as the finish is harder.  There is no clear coat to fade or yellow over time either.  We feel this finish looks great and offers more of a racecar bred component.  There is one drawback, moisture attack.  The component can become slightly hazy if left in the elements with no care; which is the meaning of this post!

How to maintain your carbon:

Just like a vehicle’s paint, carbon should be cared for on a semi-regular basis.  Just because it does not have any color, like paint, does not mean it can be neglected and forgotten.  Similar to paint, preventative maintenance is much easier and less work than fixing significantly neglected carbon.  Neglected paint needs to be buffed/polished (detailers call it paint correction), and then sealed with a wax/sealant.  The polished carbon components need a similar correction when significantly neglected; using the same products even!

Prevention:

Prevention is the best route; good old-fashioned waxing is the best for both finishes.  On the matte clear; ensure that *all the wax* is fully removed from the component or you risk a reaction occurring with the paint.  Another great option is detail spray; which cleans and protects.  For the polished units, waxing is the best route to go.  Sealing the carbon from water and moisture will ensure the hazing does not occur.  Again, detail spray aids in protection as well.

Carbon Correction:

The matte units are clear-coated; if the surface finish begins to degrade; re-clearing it will be the fix.  To date, we have not had a single issue with the clear we use though.  

If a polished unit experiences hazing or scratches, these can be polished out.  As with car paint, you will want to start with the least abrasive polish first and move more aggressively if the scratches remain.  We recommend polishing/buffing by hand or with a random orbital buffer to ensure you do not overheat the epoxy/carbon.  Once the hazing or scratches are removed, seal the unit with a high-quality wax or sealant.

It’s really that simple!  In another blog, we will detail step by step how to polish and seal the gloss carbon we offer.

For product information please visit us at: https://www.verus-engineering.com/

Any further questions send us an email at:[email protected]