Review Status Elite Diffuser
10-19-2009, 06:13 PM
#1
Status Elite Diffuser
I know Status Elite has gotten a lot of bad reviews lately, but I thought I would atleast put in my opinion of their diffuser.
Here are the pictures.
I'll try to post better pictures when my car is clean. Sorry for the blurry pictures. Took them with my Blackberry Bold.
I was hesitant ordering this diffuser from JKashat's experience with them and the condition of the diffuser he got, but I decided to get it to see how bad it is. I was surprised to see that they shipped it out fast and got to me before they said it would come.
There were no scratches, blemishes, or pin holes that I noticed from inspecting the diffuser. All the cuts on it were sharp and the finish was smooth.
Now here is the physical and chemical analysis:
The thickness of the diffuser was uniform throughout.
IR analysis shows that it is an aliphatic system (no aromatic rings)
Placed the diffuser in oven at 300F for 72 hours and no blemishes or discoloration.
I would have run tensile tests, but I really didn't want to break off a piece of the diffuser =P
In my opinion, it is a great product. I had no issues with the fitment. I can see how some people might have problems with the fitment, but as long as you install it correctly, there will be no problems. The install was good due to the included detailed instructions that came with the diffuser and the adhesion promoter was an added bonus to get.
I chose the Status Elite diffuser mainly because it was made of "dry" carbon. "Dry" carbon is another term for pre-impregnated carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is pre-impregnated into the epoxy system and then pre-treated in a oven to give it a "B" stage. It is in this "B" stage that the dry carbon can be easily manipulated to the shape you want your final piece to be. Once it is on the mold, it is then vacuum bagged and then placed in the Autoclave. The autoclave then pressurizes and ramps up the temperature by 5 F per minute to 350F(some epoxy systems only require 300F). Once it reaches the temperature needed, it then maintains that temperature the epoxy system requires and then ramped down 5 F per minute to room temperature. It is in this process the "dry" carbon reaches its full cure.
For all the properties that we want, the epoxy system should be a aliphatic system paired with a aliphatic hardner. It will give good impact resistance and UV stability.
For optimum UV stability, an automotive clear coat would be ideal.
"dry" carbon is ideal because it will not haze/blemish when exposed to temperatures of up to 350F (or the temperature it was cured at).
So overall, I would give Status Elite's diffuser a 9.5/10 for fitment and 9/10 for quality of diffuser.
.
Here are the pictures.
I'll try to post better pictures when my car is clean. Sorry for the blurry pictures. Took them with my Blackberry Bold.
I was hesitant ordering this diffuser from JKashat's experience with them and the condition of the diffuser he got, but I decided to get it to see how bad it is. I was surprised to see that they shipped it out fast and got to me before they said it would come.
There were no scratches, blemishes, or pin holes that I noticed from inspecting the diffuser. All the cuts on it were sharp and the finish was smooth.
Now here is the physical and chemical analysis:
The thickness of the diffuser was uniform throughout.
IR analysis shows that it is an aliphatic system (no aromatic rings)
Placed the diffuser in oven at 300F for 72 hours and no blemishes or discoloration.
I would have run tensile tests, but I really didn't want to break off a piece of the diffuser =P
In my opinion, it is a great product. I had no issues with the fitment. I can see how some people might have problems with the fitment, but as long as you install it correctly, there will be no problems. The install was good due to the included detailed instructions that came with the diffuser and the adhesion promoter was an added bonus to get.
I chose the Status Elite diffuser mainly because it was made of "dry" carbon. "Dry" carbon is another term for pre-impregnated carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is pre-impregnated into the epoxy system and then pre-treated in a oven to give it a "B" stage. It is in this "B" stage that the dry carbon can be easily manipulated to the shape you want your final piece to be. Once it is on the mold, it is then vacuum bagged and then placed in the Autoclave. The autoclave then pressurizes and ramps up the temperature by 5 F per minute to 350F(some epoxy systems only require 300F). Once it reaches the temperature needed, it then maintains that temperature the epoxy system requires and then ramped down 5 F per minute to room temperature. It is in this process the "dry" carbon reaches its full cure.
For all the properties that we want, the epoxy system should be a aliphatic system paired with a aliphatic hardner. It will give good impact resistance and UV stability.
For optimum UV stability, an automotive clear coat would be ideal.
"dry" carbon is ideal because it will not haze/blemish when exposed to temperatures of up to 350F (or the temperature it was cured at).
So overall, I would give Status Elite's diffuser a 9.5/10 for fitment and 9/10 for quality of diffuser.
.
Last edited by graphiteg37; 10-19-2009 at 07:41 PM.
10-19-2009, 06:26 PM
#3
W00t, very nice. Congrats.
Saw it in person, looked very good.
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Saw it in person, looked very good.
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Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote
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