AWE & APR Intakes

[sakimano]

yellow ftl

stratjohn...isn't APR and strat partnered up or something? What's the status on that relationship?

[StratJohn]

You know it, Master Dealer and all.

Statement as a vendor: We certainly are a master dealer with APR. They pretty much lead the field in software. Had to be a dealer to do software, which allows us to offer a huge product line.

Statement as an enthusiast: Yeah, we are. Originally derived from wanting to be leading edge with the software. We had the first aftermarket intake (over a year now), first (and opinionated, best) exhaust solution also available for a year, and the first short shifter (coming up on a year). We knew APR was going to have the software first, and we knew the troubles our other sources were having with it. Now, first isn't everything, but since I started here at Strat, I've put some work into things. First and Results. Got it with the intake, got it with the exhaust, got it with the shifter, had to have it again for software. I pushed for us to do this. In a sense, if you can't beat em.. join 'em approach for software. We had the second tuned car in the country, and had Aaron Povoledo come and ripped it for our open house. Kinda makes sense, right?

So of course the theoretical drama is that here we are, offering our 'competitors' products as well. But truth is, we made our stuff first, then partnered, and I think the drastic differences between the platform's products mean that its going to be primarily preference on the consumers part. Besides, a little comraderie isn't going to do anything but help this industry.

Hanging out with the APR guys at H2Oi was pretty hilarious as well.

[Matt@oCarbon]

The part that was interesting was the rate of decay; something like for every 20* above room temp, you double the rate at which the carbon would yellow. So for example, the hot side could be hitting 140* pretty easily, which will yellow that stuff 6x faster than the left side of the intake.

The part shouldn't have decayed. Assuming it used good materials, it should be just as strong and just as heat resistant as the day it was made, it's just ugly now.

I wouldn't mind if something yellowed uniformly, but, bleeding yellow is kinda funky.
What about dying it? Maybe Matt can chime in? Does it still yellow if its say, blue? Or does it turn green?

Dying the fabric or the epoxy? The fabric can't be died, so that wouldn't work.

Pigments in the epoxy might work, but I'm not 100% sure. They'd also lose the ability to mark up the intakes a bunch and probably wouldn't want to sell them in a non-raw form.

[StratJohn]

@matt: Sorry! I meant yellowing when I said decay. So it's purely cosmetic? And yeah I meant dying the epoxy, just wondered if the tint would visually lessen the look of the yellow. Or hell, at that rate, what would happen if you used silver CF? Good golly so many questions I have.

[Matt@oCarbon]

@matt: Sorry! I meant yellowing when I said decay. So it's purely cosmetic?

It should be. I'm assuming they are using special epoxies that are made for high temps, so any yellowing should be purely visual.

Or hell, at that rate, what would happen if you used silver CF? Good golly so many questions I have.

No such thing as silver carbon fiber (real carbon fiber can't be colored or dyed). It is an aluminum coated fiberglass, so you'd lose all the structural properties of carbon fiber, and it would turn yellow as well (its the epoxy that is turning yellow, not the fabric).

[StratJohn]

Texalium, thats the stuff. Heavier and weaker. Thanks for the knowledge!