Ok Kevin,
All most every CF companies say as you link states:"For a stunning finish, our products are coated with a glossy clear coat that does not chip or flake" every CF part has this, its a gel coat to level the plane. almost like a clear filler or"bondo for the dumb ones" so that its a paint ready product for said painter/body shop. no one would buy a porous product that needs more work.
These CF products are almost always Polyester resin because its simply the cheapest to buy, little easier to work with, and look the same other then a slight bluish tint. But on black CF no one can tell after its applied in the Manufacturing process. "most people don't know or care."
The Building product: Polyester resin, has NO UV protection and over time yellows, spider webs then flakes. Along with other issues just from drying in general and shrinkage of the Polyester Resin, warpage crackin etc.
Eg: The hood you restored was a Polyester Resin product. "Eg: Was black, and now looks like a Gray/yellowish/brown and unappealing after said work you posted kevin."
Eg: Just because a product is 700 dollars and made but SEIBON doesn't mean its quality. andresse's CF front bumper shelf warped, a 700 dollar product with Polyester resin from "SEIBON" aka the site you linked me to for your self assertiveness.
two simple examples of Polyester resins qualitys.
Many people out there with dull crapy: hoods, belt, mouldings, visers, mirrors, bumpers, doors, hatchs, etc just never painted them with a good clear coat. "PAINT"
Epoxy paint clear coats are pretty much the standard auto clear coat. high UV protection, etc. On top as a normal consumer CF product aka Polyester Resin they're very beneficial for the resin to not dry out as quickly. Eg dulling spider webbing yellowing dose not happen any where as quickly, and when it does, D/A it with some 180 blow it off and reclear it. It will look nice and new. Only slightly lighter in colour in comparison to new but, that happens over time to every CF product.
Epoxy Resin is used as well in the consumer auto sector. But pretty much only on high quality rear CF wings and true race seat shells and saftey related items, reason being its stronger and much more flexible before braking on impact. No company cares if their hood didn't save a drivers life. Constant useage of Epoxy Resin is more of a F1 or helicopters kind of deal for all bits and pieces when they are carbon braced or made strickly of CF like 6000 dollar road bike frames.
Now don't get me wrong those rare cases where a company did use Epoxy resin on a hood for the sake of argument,
Yes Epoxy Resin is UV resistant "same job as a clear" , Yes its hard to brake/chip/ with impact forces "Eg real high-end race seats etc", Yes it gives way more depth and contrast to the CF with its transpires like a nice polished gloss clear coat with out painting, "unlike the Poly resin after about a year with its tint and fading characteristics", yes it does not shrink or spider crack at flexion points as badly "if it does crack, it will in just one key point and not spread like a spider web. Then you can be the judge if you don't want it to brake off at 100kmh going in to a walled right corner"
I would clear it just so I wouldn't polish away that amazing Epoxy Resin but only the replaceable coat I added after perches aka a PAINT clear coat. As is recommended by every CF company anywhere ever for longevity of product...
Paint scratchs and chips in shiping, it will end up with bubble wrap marks etc. They dont not paint their products.
Paint is paint, red, blue, white, black, CLEAR, orange, pink, yellow... It all dose the same thing. Coat the product in a protective layer: metal, CF, Horses ass, wall, plastic, what ever it is. Paint will put a coating on it.
Eg
White, metal
Pink, horses ass
Clear, CF
and any other combo you can put together.
