Carbon Fiber Sideview Mirror Skullcaps

These Carbon Fiber Skullcaps upgrade the sideview mirrors housing with an overlay that seamlessly fits existing Roadster mirrors.

Installation is very straightforward, requiring only removal of the 3M double stick tape lining the inside of the overlays, and placing them on the existing mirrors.

The carbon fiber weave pattern is perfectly aligned and symmetrical revealing superior craftsmanship, from a vendor that has customers with very high expectations.

These parts are made for us by a well known US based Carbon Fiber accessory vendor, who does Carbon Fiber for Lamborghini’s Ferraris, and McLaren’s.

The shop is well known, and equipped with the most expensive way of creating Carbon Fiber pieces using a prepreg system and Autoclaves, instead of small run hand layup method, wet lay, or vacuum bag, more commonly found in small run shops.

Advantages of Prepregs

There are several advantages to using a prepreg method rather than using traditional cheaper methods like hand layup or vacuum bag:

1. 1. Maximum strength properties. In a hand layup, it is difficult to achieve 50% resin content. This means that the finished laminate weight is 50% fabric and 50% resin. Typical hand laminates, even when vacuum bagged, end up with a significant amount of excess resin. Excess resin increases brittleness and reduces overall properties. On the other hand, most prepregs contain around 35% resin. This is ideal for maximum cured properties and generally impossible to achieve in normal hand lamination.
   2. Part uniformity and repeatability. Without the pitfalls of human lamination techniques, there will be neither resin-rich areas nor dry spots. Thickness will be uniform and every part that comes out of the mold has a theoretical likelihood of being identical. There is still a margin for error in vacuum bagging techniques, handling, etc., but prepregs reduce these problems significantly.
   3. Less mess and less waste. Prepregs will bleed excess resin during the curing process but all of the excesses of hand layup – cups of resin, messy rollers, drips – are no longer a problem. Plus, prepregs are handled at room temperature so you are not fighting a clock trying to avoid your resin setting up before you are ready.
   4. Better cosmetics. Mold preparation and mold release is still required and will directly affect the cosmetics of the part just like a hand laminate. However, prepregs virtually eliminate air bubbles and a smooth, glossy surface is more easily attainable.

Our Carbon Fiber parts are made from expensive molds, and built to the original Tesla specifications.