The carbon slicktop thread

[ra2fanatic]

IND's BF code: FRIDAY is better than what I paid shipped. So if you're on the fence about getting a CF, now is the time to take advantage of the BF pricing.

[ra2fanatic]

Just a heads up, in the box it prevents it from bending. Having just had my slicktop headliner wrapped in Alcantara (and having removed a few headliners)it is cumbersome. But when you flex the headliner it pulls the glue and foam backed stock material and can/could start premature headliner sag.

I was going to get my headliner wrapped in alcantara as well.

[cornerbalanced]

2M Autowerks in San Diego did my CF roof install. They have done a ton of roofs and said IND has best fitment and finish. That being said, fitment was spot on and there was one very small imperfection in the CF. Barely noticeable unless you are looking for it. Overall I was happy with the piece, but it wasn’t perfect.

If you don't mind me asking was the installation around ~$1k (give or take a couple hundred bucks) like other forum members have mentioned? Unfortunate about the imperfection. I'm leaning towards IND at the moment.

[old///MFanatic]

i think a caveat to that is, some "tuner" shops that specialize in the e46 M3 have enough experience in doing this mod that their pricing (and skillset) would be better than what a general body shop would provide

Completely agree, was going to mention that. When dealing with aftermarket CF panels a shop that does see these and does only this roof body work has its benefits. On the other hand CF roof panels may seem cosmetic, but established body shops do roofs all the time as repairs.

*But a (euro car specialized) “body shop” rates are lower is the point when seeing different quotes on this.

[usdmej]

Had quote also for $1,200.

Something to note for people looking for quotes is to use a “body shop” and not a tuner shop (that wrenches on cars mostly and does roofs also) to keep labor pricing down. “Body shop” labor is usually about 1/2 the rate of a mechanic shop labor rate.

i think a caveat to that is, some "tuner" shops that specialize in the e46 M3 have enough experience in doing this mod that their pricing (and skillset) would be better than what a general body shop would provide

[old///MFanatic]

I paid $1200 by a very well known shop in my area.. They specialize in hail damage repair vehicles so they were very familiar with replace roof skins.

Had quote also for $1,200.

Something to note for people looking for quotes is to use a “body shop” and not a tuner shop (that wrenches on cars mostly and does roofs also) to keep labor pricing down. “Body shop” labor is usually about 1/2 the rate of a mechanic shop labor rate.

[old///MFanatic]

Picked up the CSL specific headliner this morning. Pulling up in the X3M...
I just slid the headliner into the trunk, closed the trunk and pulled away. Good stuff!

Just a heads up, in the box it prevents it from bending. Having just had my slicktop headliner wrapped in Alcantara (and having removed a few headliners)it is cumbersome. But when you flex the headliner it pulls the glue and foam backed stock material and can/could start premature headliner sag.

[ra2fanatic]

Picked up the CSL specific headliner this morning. Pulling up in the X3M and the parts guys skepticism that the headliner would fit in the trunk made me laugh. It comes in this massive box, so I just asked them if I could just take the headliner out and they can toss the box and the way they were like "you should have brought a truck" was funny as I just slid the headliner into the trunk, closed the trunk and pulled away. Good stuff!

[BMWahba]

Welp, I'm chasing down a leak on my roof. I have some dampness occurring when it rains very heavily near the A pillar and right above the driver and passenger door entry way. Pretty bummed about this. I didn't remove the soft drains when I did the install. I am hoping that is the cause. Going to pull the headliner and inspect to see if I can trace where the moisture could be coming in.

[Onefastsicilian]

I'm interested on the labor cost as well.

I paid $1200 by a very well known shop in my area.. They specialize in hail damage repair vehicles so they were very familiar with replace roof skins. That price also included pulling glass and thankfully, they didnt break or crack them.

[Feffman]

If you are considering doing a carbon fiber roof yourself, here's a tool from 3M a friend mentioned to quickly remove the rivets if you have a compressor.

Collision Hub Video: https://youtu.be/zDIq8psx8hk

3M Mini Belt Sander: https://www.amazon.com/3M-33575-case...6132206&sr=8-2

There are some electric version of the belt sander as well on Amazon.
Makita: https://www.amazon.com/Makita-9032-4...132206&sr=8-15

Feff

[EthanolTurbo]

That's pretty steep for labor costs. I've had several reputable shops quote me around $1k with glass removal and everything. It really isn't that difficult a task for a shop that has prior experience with this.

Sending you a PM

[heinzboehmer]

Besides the glass removal/installation, you can get away with doing it yourself too. Just drill out the million spot welds and make sure to prep everything correctly before panel bonding.

You can probably get any mobile glass installer to come remove and reinstall the glass for you. And a mobile welder to weld in the brace if you can't do it yourself.

[fullyflaredd]

PM me and I'll send you the name of the shops I spoke with. One is in the bay area, and another in socal. As I mentioned they are very reputable shops who have done this before many times so it's not like they're taking on a new unknown project. This is just labor we're speaking of. A bit north of $1k but not by much.

[ra2fanatic]

idk, but $1k sounds too good to be true. I'd love a deal, don't get me wrong, but that just seems sketchy to me.