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Good carbon fiber hood styles/vendors

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Beanokid69

20+ Year Contributor
358
0
Oct 7, 2003
San Jose, California
Looking for good vendors of cf hoods for 2gs... If you have pics post em.

Staying away from cheap ebay hoods that will fade.
 
I really like the OEM style carbon fiber hoods. As for a brand i have owned 2-3 VIS hoods and have never had an issue with them. Just remember if it sits in the sun and or dust/dirt a lot make sure to keep it buffed. I do mine about once a month.
 
Just to inform the OP, it's actually the expensive CF hoods that get hit with sun harder than what you're considering "cheap eBay" stuff.

I have a VIS carbon fiber hood, which is a name brand piece, that is coated with resin rather than clearcoat and has started to show signs of fading. I also have a "eBay" carbon fiber hatch, spoiler, windshield wiper cowl, and headliner that are ALL clearcoated and NONE of them are showing sun damage.

Also, the resin coating on the VIS is yellow looking when comparing the hood next to a CF piece that's clearcoated. If you get a name brand hood I recommend taking it straight to a body shop to get cleared or else it will sun fade fast...

:dsm:
 
Just to inform the OP, it's actually the expensive CF hoods that get hit with sun harder than what you're considering "cheap eBay" stuff.

I have a VIS carbon fiber hood, which is a name brand piece, that is coated with resin rather than clearcoat and has started to show signs of fading. I also have a "eBay" carbon fiber hatch, spoiler, windshield wiper cowl, and headliner that are ALL clearcoated and NONE of them are showing sun damage.

Also, the resin coating on the VIS is yellow looking when comparing the hood next to a CF piece that's clearcoated. If you get a name brand hood I recommend taking it straight to a body shop to get cleared or else it will sun fade fast...

:dsm:

This, exactly. I had a VIS hood on my old talon (see pics) and it started to fade horribly. Had to wetsand/re-clearcoat. They're good quality though, and extremely light.
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The problem with ebay pieces isn't the clear. Its the fact that most of them are Fiberglass cores wrapped in CF. Often heavier, and not as strong.
 
The problem with ebay pieces isn't the clear. Its the fact that most of them are Fiberglass cores wrapped in CF. Often heavier, and not as strong.
I understand the "heavy" piece but what kind of weight are we talking about here, have you weighed a VIS CF hood to a eBay CF piece? That would be interesting data to have.

As far as strength goes, what kind of strength are you talking about? If it's the strength of the hood latch well, I've personally been in a DSM when a new VIS CF blew up into the windshield at 55mph because the guy didn't have hood pins/latches. Maybe you're talking about a different type of strength though?

:dsm:
 
I know I got a 1g, but the vader style looks ok but the vent is what sold me. Helps with under hood temps greatly. Even if its not a problem cool fresh air is allways a plus.
 
I don't mind the VIS hood. Yes, it's a fiberglass/carbon piece, but that is also why they are $400-500. You still get the weight saving over the OEM hood. Plus the little bit of extra weight does help in keeping it down. I haven't used hood pins on mine, and it seems to stay in place fine. If you want a true carbon fiber hood, expect to pay $1000 or more for such a hood.

My friend made a 100% carbon fiber hood in his garage for a Dodge Daytona. When it was all said and done, the hood cost $1100 in materials to make. Granted the hood weighs a mere 8 pounds; but that's a lot of money. You typical fiberglass/carbon pieces will run around 16-20 pounds. When stock hoods weigh in at 45-60 pounds, you still get a significant weight loss without having to drop a grand or more. Just some food for thought.
 
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Very true. I have made a CF/Kevlar hood for a G6, and the fabric alone was still over $300, and that is getting it at rock bottom wholesale on a bulk purchasing business account. Then add in good epoxy resin that's thin enough to pull through a vacuum bag, the bagging supplies, molding material, and shipping and you'll quickly see why a real 100% CF hood is a steal at $1000... I honestly wouldn't make another one for less than $1500, because the mold alone is a real pain in the ass to work with because of the size.
 
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I have one on my 1g that I'm guessing must have been homemade because there isn't a brand badge anywhere nor a stock hood latch or hood prop hole....it's a 100% cf though
 
I have the Vader hood and love it. I have mine painted the same color as the car, looks way better in my opinion. Although my car looked like dog poop before I got it repainted.
 

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I have a VIS hatch, and it's showing its age of three years...looks like it's 30! But as stated above, getting them re cleared is the best investment, I'm going to be redoing my hatch soon enough.
 
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