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Carbon Miata NB Trunk Lid

9K views 33 replies 14 participants last post by  concealer404 
#1 ·
This is a review of the CF Trunklid received from Carbon Miata. Summary: mild to moderate fitment issue, and under-finishing is lacking. Ultimately. I would give this trunk a 6 out of 10.

Excuse the dirtiness of the car. It's the end of the winter and it hasn't been washed since November.

Pictures





It fits just ok, with the exception of the upper-left corner on the driver's side. When I first received it, it was about an inch down. After putting a towel underneath pushing it up and closing the trunk, letting it sit for a few hours, that has gotten better. I'll be leaving it with the towel for a day or two more. Hopefully that'll get it level/flush with the rest of the bodywork.



This corner has the most concern. It's not perfectly flush with the rest of the bodywork. I'll be trying to adjust it and see if I can pull it out farther, but I think the trunk lid is slightly warped from the driver's side corner, to the passenger-side rear. Perhaps putting some weight in the middle will help this. Not sure.



As I received it, there is a blemish on the passenger side as shown in the above picture. I at first thought it was a crack, but it is perfectly smooth. This seems to be a defect where the resin didn't fill completely. It's a bit annoying, but as I may ultimately paint it, it isn't as bad as it could be.

The weave is great, but the resin isn't perfectly smooth. A little wet-sanding followed by a polish would probably fix this. Further, the fit isn't 100% - It's a little warped, and it is not perfectly level with the rest of the body work.

This is the second trunk lid I received from Marc. The first one was completely off the mark and didn't fit in the slightest. He subsequently purchased an NB, and I was hoping this one would be better since he now has an NB with which to test-fit. While it is better, it is definitely not 100%.

Moreover, the brake light hole isn't the correct shape. While close, it was a challenge to get the brake light fitted. You'll note in the above picture, there is a bit of a gap on top, and the shape doesn't mirror the OEM shape accurately.

Further, while the overall construction is done well, the finishing is not. The upper is CF, but the underside is chopped fiberglass. The underside frame-holes look like they were cut with a hacksaw and then slightly sanded and then painted. Not too big a deal, but this certainly is not a product that is show ready. It requires a substantial amount of work to be complete. To fit within what I expect, I'll have to sand/file the edges and paint.



 
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#2 ·
I appreciate the honest review, thank you. I understand why the blemish would bother you, since it is glaringly obvious. It's known that most FRP/CF parts require a bit of finesse to fit perfectly, but hopefully Marc sees this and addresses your concerns in future renditions of this part.
 
#3 ·
Hey Arbinshire,

First I hope you understand that this part is not officially released yet. I was waiting for you to receive it and let me know if you met any problems...

Talking about the product itself, let me address the differents points you made:

- Blemish on the passenger side: this has to be a shipping damage. I packed the trunk myself and there is no way I could let this ship out!!!

- Resin not smooth enough: Is this on the whole surface? I didn't see this! It can happen but then I ask the workshop to polish the piece again and all is fine!

- FRP structure: Please post a picture of the back of the trunk. What do you mean by chopped fiberglass? The structure is the replica of the OEM trunk. The NA trunks I make are done exactly the same way.

Just to be clear, I am not trying to say that this trunk is good. It definitely has some problems and I will take in consideration everything you wrote and amend the mould to make a better product. I do think that you are looking for OEM fitment for fiberglass/carbon fiber parts which is very difficult to reach.

I would love to make my parts by autoclave and offer superior quality dry carbon parts but if I did, I would only be able to release one part every 6 months (as the mould cost is 10 times the current one). The vacuum bagging process is definitely the right choice for the Miata market by keeping price relatively affordable for us Miata enthusiasts.

Regards,

Marc
 
#6 · (Edited)
Agree completely with the last 2 posts.

Last night I posted that I have been extremely pleased with the NA trunklid I purchased from Carbon Miata. In addition, I pointed out that aftermarket CF and FB parts will never match the fit of OEM metal parts and that CF/FB aftermarket parts always take some work to optimize the fit for each individual car. I'm not sure the reviewer's expectations were entirely realistic. In any event, apparently that was enough for the moderator to delete my post.

I didn't flame the review or impugn the OP in anyway.

Have no idea why I was censored or by whom.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Well, apparently I'm allowed to be attacked because of my review, so I'll address a couple key points.

I commissioned, and paid for, this trunk lid over 15 months ago. I explained to Mark what I expected. I received the first one after four months, it didn't fit even remotely close. Marc realized the trunk lid for which he created a mold from was bent. He promised to remake another from a clean sample. He then subsequently purchased an NB from which to test fit NB parts. It took him 12 months to create another, during which time I did continually remind him that I'm waiting on what I paid for.

I expected him to test fit this one - apparently he didn't. The fit on the driver's side is so poor that it touched the channel, and bent upwards when I initially tried closing it. After using a heat gun and a towel to provide leverage, this is largely remedied, though it still bends inwards by about a half inch. The second problem, is the rear passenger side fits inwards by about a half inch. The only way to remedy this is to cut multiple slashes into the underlaying structure and pull it out. Doing this is risky as this is a carbon fiber piece. It could crack and spiderweb. If this was a FRP piece, it would be insanely easy to fix. This is, however, a carbon fiber piece and complicated body-work isn't all that easy.

When spending my money, I expect a certain level of quality. I do not excuse merchants for poor fitting products, simply because it is an aftermarket product. Should I be expected to pay, or wait a significant period of time, for the fit and finish I require, I would gladly do so. This wasn't a cheap trunk lid, and it wasn't done quickly - After waiting the length of time I did, and paying what I did, this piece shouldn't fit the way it does.



After 16 months, and actually having an NB with which to test fit pieces, that is not acceptable.
 
#8 ·
It doesn't change the fact that this was still essentially a prototype piece.

From what I've read, you got the first incarnations of this piece from him, ergo, its not going to be the 100% OEM fit and finish that you demand.

That's exactly why parts have to go through proper test fitting and whatnot to make sure that they're ready for the market - your trunklid isn't even on his website yet!

Also, if he offered you a refund after the production hold ups, like Stock said, I think that alone should give you enough reason not to post a thread like this bashing a company's product. It sounds to me like Marc tried to remedy the situation by giving you your money back for a part that didn't work...and you still got a halfway decent piece when it was all said and done.

It also sounds to me like he was expecting you to contact him directly if you had any fitment issues. Obviously, you decided the best course of action was to take your frustration public to try to give Marc's work a bad rap.

Sorry man, I don't have anything against you personally, I just think you're seeing things a bit backwards here.
 
#27 ·
Sorry man, I don't have anything against you personally, I just think you're seeing things a bit backwards here.
Seems to me that you're still dealing with issues that should be dealt with in a very different way than this attempt at a public hosing of a vendor.

You're not the first, and you definitely won't be the last person on this planet who had problems when commissioning any kind of custom piece that has to be made from the ground up.

Marc even told you in his post that he expected you to contact him regarding fitment, I don't get why you couldn't do just that?
Quote for truth.
 
#9 ·
I opted against the refund because I thought he would eventually produce a quality piece. After waiting twelve months for him to try again after the first failed fit, I expected it to fit correctly. It did not.

Facts are:
1. It took 16 total months to get this most recent trunk lid
2. He has an NB with which to test fit pieces. Sending this as it was, is indicative of his work, and hence this review.
 
#10 ·
Agree with Shadow.

2 more points. CF and FB will never equal original OEM metal. That's just reality.

Also, you complain about being attacked, but it seems to me you are the guy who initiated an attack and the responses you have received have been far more fair and moderate than your own posts.

Friendly tip: If you have a problem with Marc, deal with him directly and privately. I can tell you from personal experience that he is a fantastic guy to deal with.
 
#11 ·
I guess I would be on both sides. yes it is a custom piece, and yes it is a prototype, HOWEVER, this is the second one made, several months after the first, and a NB was available to fitment issues and the like. I would also assume the fitment would be greater while having a NB to test fit and after waiting just about a year for it.

dont get me wrong Carbon Miata makes some good looking products, however nothing is ever perfect every single time. there will always be one here and there that just will fit like crap or just plain wont fit at all. its just the fact of the matter, with any and every manufacturer.
 
#15 ·
I can understand the frustration but when you don't give all the facts you come off as having an "agenda". Leaving out that this is still a prototype is a pretty BIG and important fact to leave out. I don't even think this thread should be allowed to continue since its not an actual "product" which to me means its a production piece which this is not.
 
#16 ·
while you do have a point on it being a prototype, that would mean that the OP should receive the final finished product and this piece should not mean anything, correct?

not I am not trying to argue or anything, but if I were in the OP shoes, this is how I would look at it.

to my understanding this is the final finished product with no 100% finalized product being sent to the OP. the creator thought it was good enough to be given to the customer(all the way across the world) instead of fitting it on his own vehicle he has in shop and making sure it was as perfect as he could get it.

The way I see it this was sent to the OP as the finalized piece, or else it would of never left the shop since all it was is a prototype, correct? with a NB in the shop to fit it on and amend the piece, this prototype should of never left the hands of the creator, or at least that is how it is usually done by manufacturers, unless it was sold as a ill fitting piece.

if I ordered a custom piece and paid for it, I would expect a fitment of 8/10 or 9/10 at least. I am paying for a custom made piece by a great manufacturer, not by joe shmoe down the road that runs a hobby shop out of his garage.

that is just how I would look at it if I were in the OPs shoes waiting for a trunk for over a year myself...
 
#18 ·
Here, I'll make it easy for you. See, in post #1? I gave it a 6 out of ten. It does fit, but it will definitely require a body-shop to fix the warping. In so doing, the CF won't be pristine, and it will need to be painted. As this was a Carbon Fiber piece, I expected a level of fit beyond what you would find in a FRP piece. This wasn't a prototype piece. He had an NB with which to test fit, and ample time to develop this. This was, in fact, the third NB trunk-lid he made. (The second was damaged at his shop pending shipment to me.)

The first trunk lid I received was definitely a prototype as he didn't have an NB at that time, and I accepted that. 4-6-10-11 months later I was frustrated that it was taking so long to develop, while other products were being made. As I had paid in advance for a product, I thought it should have a little priority and not fall by the wayside. Now, I'm upset after waiting so long, to have such a lack-luster product.

Capiche?

You seem to have some vested, emotional, interest. Care to disclose that?
 
#19 ·
It appears that your "review" was just a thinly disguised rant.

The fact remains that this was not a regular production part and is not listed on Marc's website as a regular product. You knew that. You also knew about the delays and were offered full refunds. You refused them. You also knew you could could have contacted Marc directly regarding your disappointment with the part you did receive. Instead, you posted what purported to be a "review" and neglected to state that this was a preproduction part.

Sorry, but this really smells bad.
 
#20 ·
I get your frustration, but why not deal with Marc in private? I don't really see a point in publicly bashing someone for a prototype piece. I don't think I've ever seen an unhappy review of his work for products that are already released, so I'm sure he would be more than willing to work further with you.
 
#22 ·
Holy moley this blew up.

Dude, calm down, contact Marc privately, resolve this issue with him. This thread is already turning into a worthless rant.

Seems to me that you're still dealing with issues that should be dealt with in a very different way than this attempt at a public hosing of a vendor.

You're not the first, and you definitely won't be the last person on this planet who had problems when commissioning any kind of custom piece that has to be made from the ground up.

Marc even told you in his post that he expected you to contact him regarding fitment, I don't get why you couldn't do just that?

I know that in my personal dealings with Marc, I kept a constant email stream with him about progress, and even if there were fitment issues and the like, we figured a way to work it out and make sure that everything was right at the end of the day. Marc isn't the kind of guy to leave you out to dry with absolutely no recourse.

Bottom line: take your issues up with him and let this thread die.
 
#28 ·
I definitely did test the fitment of this trunk on my NB BEFORE shipping it out and it was fitting very well!!! What I think is that the piece has been warped - maybe during shipping - but I don't understand how it could have been that much. Anyway, I don't think we need to talk about this further. I will definitely check where the problems are and amend the mould accordingly.

Arbinshire, I am really sorry with your experience with CarbonMiata. I just think that I should not work like this anymore: Taking somebody's deposit for developing a new product because unfortunately the workshop is not mine so I cannot do exactly what I want and when I want. This results in long delay for certain parts/moulds that affect the release of the products.

Long story short: This trunk sucks and I will find a solution to make it fits good! I am also currently doing the prototype for the one with ducktail so the good news is that I will be extra careful to make sure both items are fitting the same way.

Marc
 
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