Why do people paint their hoods flat black?

"As Du Volant" (skuhnphoto)
08/08/2014 at 10:11 • Filed to: None

Serious question. Seems like I see it a lot on small cheap cars rather than bona fide sports cars. But anyway, why do people paint their hoods flat black? Is it because it looks like a carbon fiber hood from far away, or what?

DISCUSSION (29)

crowmolly > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:11

Originally I believe it was because of glare (AAR cudas, etc).

MonkeePuzzle > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:14

default primer on cheapest replacement part, installed without paint because they are cheap

GhostZ > crowmolly
08/08/2014 at 10:14

This. It was useful for race cars to not have to glare up at the driver.

As Du Volant > crowmolly
08/08/2014 at 10:16

Makes perfect sense.

Though it seems like in the past year or two suddenly every high school kid's Civic has a flat black hood. And this morning I saw an orange Caliber with one... plus black hood to fender stripes.

crowmolly > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:16

Just take a look at the Grand Sport stripe phenomena.

ColoradoTaco > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:17

because racecar

As Du Volant > MonkeePuzzle
08/08/2014 at 10:18

That also makes sense, but I've also seen people do it on purpose. Like the Caliber I saw this morning- the fenders come out along either side of the hood, and the bumper/grille panel wraps around the front of the hood, so if the hood was damaged it's a sure bet one of these parts was too. But they were all their original color.

And then there's the guy in my neighborhood who brought home a yellow Sentra SE-R with flawless paint all around, and painted the hood flat black the first week he owned it.

XJDano > MonkeePuzzle
08/08/2014 at 10:18

add a few years and a good looking patina starts to formulate

jariten1781 > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:20

In addition to what's already mentioned there are three other reasons I've seen:

Especially in the late 90s early 00s people would do it for the 'carbon fiber' look. All the cars in import tuner would have CF hoods, but broke ass HS students couldn't afford them. They could, however, afford a can of spray paint. It's the same reason that people would literally pull their headlight bulbs and spray them blue...to give them the HID look.

I've seen people dip them ostensibly to protect it from road debris.

They just think it looks cool. Sort of a catch all, but some people just have weird tastes.

Jayhawk Jake > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:20

Because carbon hoods are sick, but expensive

OPPOsaurus WRX > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:21

probably for the same reason they would add this.

As Du Volant > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/08/2014 at 10:23

Black hoods don't add downforce.

But they would cut down on drag, wouldn't they? Black absorbs heat, so the hood will be warmer than the rest of the car, creating a warm air pocket in front of the car. Warmer air is less dense then cooler air, therefore reducing drag.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > crowmolly
08/08/2014 at 10:28

The best excuse for a fb or partly fb hood is if you have your car painted like a WWII warbird.

Kinja'd!!!

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:32

I mean I'm flat black plastidipping all my glossy black trim pieces that 're clear coat has gotten all gross on but as far as the hood... Nah

Grindintosecond > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:34

Black hoods add .2 sec to the quarter mile time. As well as grey primer paint jobs and product stickers. Especially with the fake disc brake hubcaps and ghettofunkyfresh trunk wings made out of balloon molded plastic, it could all add up to a whole second of dragstrip time gained! Now who wouldn't go buy that all at pep boys.

Rico > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:43

I'd rather see the plastidipped hood than what I saw last Saturday, a white slammed civic with NO HOOD at all. I did a double take as it drove by and he really didn't have a hood on it.

OPPOsaurus WRX > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:46

i was thinking that that wing probably isn't adding any performance to that car and is more for looks. just like the black hood

As Du Volant > Rico
08/08/2014 at 10:46

DIY cold air intake.

Joe_Limon > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:47

Also, imperfect back yard paint jobs leave dimples which reduce wind resistance at speeds under 100mph (like a golf ball).

As Du Volant > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/08/2014 at 10:48

I was being sarcastic about it, of course that wing is useless.

thebigbossyboss > OPPOsaurus WRX
08/08/2014 at 10:48

Because race car?

CalzoneGolem > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 10:50

Fact: everything is better flat black.

Textured Soy Protein > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 11:57

Pretty sure the black hood idea comes from back in the day when people would get more-aggressive hoods (either to give more clearance for a motor they made taller with fancy carbs or a blower; or just for the look) but not bother to have it painted to match the rest of the car.

For example:

Jedidiah > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 12:06

Kinja'd!!!

Flat black hoods and stripes make it go faster bro, so do sick spoilers.

While I love the muscle car era, we unfortunately have to blame it for making racing stripes popular on production cars.

People starting imitating this stuff as soon as it left the showroom floor and kept imitating it for many years.

chaozbandit > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 12:25

I always thought it was to deal with glare, especially for elevated and angled driving positions such that you would find in schoolbuses. The caveat here being albedo, however variable it is depending on location; DTM cars that have black liveries throughout often change the roofs to a white material mid-season just to cool down the cabin, but I imagine this applies to other disciplines as well.

Plus with vinyl wrapping being a thing now, who even paints body panels? Sure, some people still wrap hoods in black (both gloss and matte) to finish a two-tone look but if you wanted CF panels (short of shelling out four figures for them) you could as easily just acquire 3M DiNoc or go to a shop to do it for you.

ranwhenparked > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 13:25

Originally for glare reduction, but I think the faux carbon fiber look is a bigger draw now.

Shiyal > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 13:54

of course there are these too...

Kinja'd!!!

Now these aren't half bad...

Kinja'd!!!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > As Du Volant
08/08/2014 at 15:12

Perhaps it's to absorb more heat from the sun, hot engine bay = heat soak, when that is complete (one should have a gauge in the dash), the car will be at max power and it'll be safe to use VTEC. Yo.

nepenthe > As Du Volant
08/05/2015 at 14:20

I am doing flat / matte black on my silver 2015 Mustang due to horrible glare.