motown12

I just picked up an 09 C2S about a month ago. The prior owner was extremely meticulous about the car and did not have kids, so I know everything was opened/closed non-harshly. Anyway, the interior is in immaculate condition but the carbon fiber piece covering the drink holder cover/assembly split/cracked before basically falling off. I guess this happened less a month or so before I bought the car and he let me know on our first phone call about it. The carbon piece/veneer is so thin and just seems like it would be fragile and I know Carbon Fiber does not like to bend. I found the replacement piece on Suncoast, at $675, ouch, thanks to a fellow RL, I just saw that it's $400 at Carbonlution which is a huge price difference but still costly to replace.

I was wondering if anyone else has had that piece either break/split or simply fall off? If so, did you just buy a replacement piece and have a custom shop put it on, or gulp, the dealership? The rest of the Carbon Fiber pieces that came with the package look fantastic. Maybe having to push the middle area back and forth to open/close the drink holder area is just too much stress on such a thin piece? Or maybe it was just the luck of the draw? Since this was put on new 10 years ago at the factory, I know it's not from being installed incorrectly as an aftermarket piece. Any feedback is appreciated.

jamesinger

I know that in general they sag and eventually fail over time regardless of the material. I have seen pics. and descriptions from reading various threads. Mine is the standard non-CF version but after 12 years, it sags slightly but not enough yet to warrant replacement. For comparison, my HVAC controls looked like a bird pooped on them but the interior was otherwise pretty minty when I got the car. I replaced the HVAC controls but I am going to hold off on the drink holders until they sag to where I can see that it is sagging. Right now, I can just kind of feel it when I push on the door or whatever, bar, yeah...

motown12

jamesinger thanks for the info, greatly appreciated. I do use he cupholders so kind of depressing to keep having to replace a carbon fiber piece.

cwheeler

You could replace with a standard unit and do a carbon fiber wrap. Would be substantially cheaper. A good job and no one would know the difference....

Cw

Petza914

I believe there are instructions on how to replace that trim piece on the MA Carbon website.

jamesinger

yeah, they are a cool design but they definitely have a lifespan. However, I think the CF cover and the springs and etc. are somewhat separate. I have not messed with this yet but it does seem like if you were gentle with the CF, then when the springs on the door fail, you could possibly fix it and retain the CF. I am not sure on this because I haven't taken it apart but I feel like someone on here would know. I am close to replacing mine for sure (12 years/20k/3rd owner).

motown12

CW thanks for the suggestion and I had thought of that.
I was just wondering what a standard unit consist of. Even in a base trim Carrera I wonder what that piece is made of and how much it would cost.

tuto993

I have thought about gluing them shut, just haven't figured out how to do it neatly.
I do not drink and drive, regardless of kind of liquid. Never use them.