Carbon Footprint

How To Dress Up Surfaces With Self-Adhesive Carbon Fiber Sheets
Story by Jim Youngs, Photos by Steve Graber and Jim Youngs.

The unmistakable look of woven carbon fiber just screams high performance. It also typically screams “pricey” and “difficult to work with” properly. Well, we found a way to get a carbon fiber look and do so rather easily without breaking the bank. Called Performance Carbon, the minute Sly Machines told us about this stuff our minds went into overdrive imagining all the applications we could use it for.

Available in five colors (black, silver, red, blue and pink), Performance Carbon sheets are either real carbon fiber or glass fiber with a strong adhesive backing. The sheets are available in three sizes (7.87” x 9.45”, 18.90” x 23.62, 18.90” x 47”) and are flexible enough to conform to curve surfaces, feature automotive-quality adhesive and can be trimmed with scissors and razor blades. And as you will see, can be put through a computer-operated vinylcutting machine for intricate designs and even coated with clearcoat or other paint.

Though we considered a bunch of ideas for using Performance Carbon, we settled on two projects, (though there will surely be other uses with the leftovers)—a Cobra dash and some slick graphics on a Grabercars La Bala...

This is only a taste of the story, for the full story and all the how-to photos, check out the December 2008 issue of Kit Car Builder magazine, or read the article from the new "Articles" area of the Kit Car Builder Web site.

Roush & Valvoline Collaborate on High Performance Motor Oil

It’s no secret that Jack Roush knows how to make power out of engines. It’s also no secret that Valvoline knows how to make oil, the lifeblood of an engine. So it makes sense that these two giants in their respective fields would collaborate to create Roush Motor Oil for performance vehicles.

Roush Fenway Racing exclusively uses Valvoline oil in their stock cars, but always the innovator and continually looking for ways to improve engine performance, Roush down with the Valvoline technicians and posed a simple question, “What can we do to improve the oil used in high-performance street engines?” The answer led to the development of ROUSH Motor Oil, a line of six new motor oils for performance vehicles old and new.
“Any brand of inexpensive motor oil might work fine for the average consumer, but owners of high performance vehicles are extremely proud of their car and are willing to do whatever is necessary to maximize their driving experience and take care of their investment,” Roush said.

Inspired by the racetrack and formulated for the road, the Roush Motor Oil is sold by the quart for a suggested retail of $7.99. The six blends available are: SAE 5W-20 full synthetic; SAE 5W-30 full synthetic; SAE 5W-50: full; SAE 10W-30 & 10W-40 high zinc, full synthetic for classic high-performance; Break-In oil (SAE 40) high zinc, conventional formula.

For more information, or to find your nearest Roush Motor Oil dealer, visit www.roushoil.com.