Oppinions: carbon-fiber hoods

Kinja'd!!! "TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
02/18/2015 at 15:32 • Filed to: None

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I can see them being useful on cars with more weight on the front end, but they always seemed ricey to me.


DISCUSSION (26)


Kinja'd!!! IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:34

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When I was 19 I thought they were cool. Now if I see one in an ad for anything other than a dedicated track car I immediately write it off.


Kinja'd!!! SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:36

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Usually you don't even really save weight with them if you have an aluminum hood (common these days). I love seeing BRZs with them, because I looked into it and they're only saving like two pounds. They'd be better off taking a piss before getting into the car.


Kinja'd!!! CalzoneGolem > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:36

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Lots of them weigh more or almost the same as the stock hood due to them being mostly fiberglass. If you're eeking out every ounce possible it makes sense. On a road car it doesn't make any sense.


Kinja'd!!! Alex B > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:42

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I'm not a big fan of them. They've always seemed ricey to me too.


Kinja'd!!! Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:44

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If it's quality carbon on a track car that used to have a steel hood they make sense. I had my steel hood come down on my head a few weeks ago... they're very heavy. On road cars they're pretty pointless.


Kinja'd!!! Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:46

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Simple solution, paint them.

Smart solution, spend your money on more worthwhile weight saving mods.


Kinja'd!!! NaturallyAspirated > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:47

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CalzoneGolem touched on this, but pure carbon fiber hoods are incredibly delicate. Carbon fiber is very, very brittle, which is why in most applications it's used as a component of a composite that also includes Kevlar and fiberglass (in this composite, you get some of the lightness of carbon fiber, some of the flexibility and puncture resistance of Kevlar, and some of the strength of fiberglass).

I had a friend in Alaska who used to make carbon fiber fairings for racing motorcycles. They were incredibly lightweight and thin, but also very delicate. I guess he got a lot of repeat customers after folks would accidentally shatter their fairings.

So as far as I know, in order for a carbon fiber hood to be enough lighter than an aluminum hood to even bother with, it would have to be so delicate that you wouldn't want to risk taking it on a public road.


Kinja'd!!! RazoE > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:47

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Had one on my 89 Supra. Loved it. I had it unpainted as I was going for a black/white theme. It weighed WAAAAAAAAAAAAY less than the stock hood and that's what I was going for. Looks were a bonus.


Kinja'd!!! Sn210 > IDROVEAPICKUPTRUCK
02/18/2015 at 15:48

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when I was 18 I thought about getting one for my Saturn SC2 because it was dented. I'm so glad I didn't


Kinja'd!!! JGrabowMSt > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:48

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Hood on my Magnum is aluminum and weighs 16 lbs. Do you really need carbon fiber? All that money can go towards parts that actually make you go faster.


Kinja'd!!! yamahog > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:50

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Meh, wouldn't be first on my list of expensive mods.


Kinja'd!!! Flat Six > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:53

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I'm not a big fan, but it looked pretty amazing on this 911 GT2 RS I saw the other day...

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Kinja'd!!! Cherry_man1 > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:54

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Sometimes they look good other times no way, personally I would get one for my Mustang only cause the Hood is so freaking heavy, I would also look into replacing other parts of my car like the RTR-C Mustang but not as extreme.


Kinja'd!!! Funktheduck > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
02/18/2015 at 15:55

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Fun fact, I used to weigh myself in the morning before and after my first pee. You're definitely correct


Kinja'd!!! Rock Bottom > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:58

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I'm all about taking weight out of a car (especially up high, like the hood), and if you feel like the meager gain is worth the money, then I say go for it! Personally, I would paint it if I had one. I like Q-ships...

Something to consider: The mass and material of a hood is meant to protect idiotic pedestrians with no sense of self awareness, and quell some drivetrain noise frequencies. If you care about keeping dumb people safe and you care about nuisance noise (not just nice intake and exhaust growl), then a CF hood might not be for you.


Kinja'd!!! Funktheduck > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 15:59

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I've taken a couple hoods off some 90s cars. They don't weigh much and I doubt there's much of a weight savings.

On older vehicles (70s and older), hoods are really heavy. So there would be a benefit if you weight mattered like in racing.


Kinja'd!!! Destructive Tester > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 16:01

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I'm not a fan of the naked carbon fiber hoods but if you're going to go there paint it. There's just something sexy about the carbon fiber only being visible when you look close, I think its a habit from looking at WSBK bikes...


Kinja'd!!! chaozbandit > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 16:09

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Ignoring the whole form vs function (since they're a lot more popular in Japan than they are in North America), as long as the style of the item matches the lines of the car, then I still find it passable. However, especially in the case of Lexus, BMW, and Maserati, the moment the bonnet becomes an angle that doesn't match the flow of the bumper / wing panels and lights, then it ruins the overall aesthetic instantly.

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Kinja'd!!! TheHondaBro > chaozbandit
02/18/2015 at 16:10

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That looks hideous. Stop. Stahp.


Kinja'd!!! SPNKiX > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 16:45

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They're too rice. I would get one and paint it, unless my car was black. Then, and only then, would I leave it raw. But, as mentioned by others, my hood is aluminum so there is no need for this. If I had a steel hooded car, I would def.


Kinja'd!!! MonkeePuzzle > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 16:45

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a great option! if... your OEM hood is trashed you can replace for cheap. then paint it to the right colour and noone knows


Kinja'd!!! Captain_Overboost > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
02/18/2015 at 16:48

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Ding Ding Ding! Winna! I bought my my son an RX8 R3 when he got his driver's license. And, like a lot of 16 year olds, he thought a CF hood would make his car faster cuz, you know, IT'S CARBON FIBER!!!!!!111!!

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I had a great time when I showed him the stock aluminum hood was actually, you know, LIGHTER, than the epoxy impregnated CF hoods (some with steel underbracing) that he wanted to spend his hard-earned money on. So, after that, we went through a laundry list of common "go fast" parts for his car and found if he put all that money into a HPDE not only would he be a faster driver (in any car) he'd be a better driver (in every car).

Not all 16 year old's are morons. lol Now we spend our time in the garage working on our cars together.... doing sh*t that actually makes them faster/quicker/better. And no sticker's' allowed. Although I did let him have the "No Fat Chicks, Car will Scrape" license plate frame just because *I* thought it was good for a chuckle. hehehe Yeah Yeah, childish, I know... so sue me. lol


Kinja'd!!! swaptastic > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 17:42

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I have always wanted to ask engineers if a carbon fiber hood affects a car's crash safety. I believe I read somewhere that engineers do factor in a latched steel hood into the crumple zone. Carbon fiber is stronger than steel but it does not "give" the way steel does. So my question is does a carbon fiber hood hurt your car's crash safety? If so by how much?


Kinja'd!!! 0-100reelquik > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 17:53

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my brother has a charger r/t...hear me out. The original hood is heavy granted the carbon fiber swap saved maybe 40ish lbs (guessing)probably less. But it has been painted and is the same style as the stock hood with the scoop. Let me say again it's painted to match the car. No one knows because he's not trying to say look what I have. The only time you would know if you opened the hood and felt how unbelievably light it really is.


Kinja'd!!! dr861 > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 21:57

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On the s2000 it doesn't look bad, on the m3 down below it looks f*cking hideous. I'd say the rule of thumb is, if it's real carbon fiber and it looks good... yes. If it's real carbon fiber but looks bad, but for track car only... yes. If it's real carbon fiber, but for street car... no. If it's fake carbon fiber, in all applications...

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Kinja'd!!! bhardoin > TheHondaBro
02/18/2015 at 22:46

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They can be awesome. This one probably only saves about 3-4 lbs. But I mean... look at it.