I'm wanting to put an OEM carbon fiber hood on my car. Right now I have an invador style CF hood and I have hood pins in it. Well they put cracks in the clear coat so I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on brands of CF hoods that will fit good without hood pins or if anyone has any tips or tricks. Thanks

 

I thought most cf hoods "suggest" you use hood pins? I know VIS did for the Celica but hardly any of us used the hood pins. I would suggest VIS or Seibon for your hood. Seibon is more expensive but worth it.

 

Id say go with seibon. I think its darker than the VIS. But the weave on it is almost flawless and it looks alot better than the VIS. IMo.

 

but what about the fitment.. I know the suggest hood pins but has anyone had any luck with good alignment on the hood withought the pins

 

i have vis oem carbon fiber hood. fits perfectly and i dont have hood pins

 

No matter what you get, I wouldn't put a CF hood on without using hood pins. It is WAY too light. Even with hood pins, mine wobbles a lot at higher speeds. If you don't want them to be as noticeable, get some of the ones that are flat with a key. That's what I picked for mine, and I get complements about them.

 

last time i put hoodpins in the clear coat cracked,

 

you can adjust the fitment a little bit. Cuz when i put mine on the first time it was too far to te left but my dad moved it a lil bit and got it in the center. now i get compliments from all sorts of people.

 

Take a look at Fiber Images.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1GPlusSH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No matter what you get, I wouldn't put a CF hood on without using hood pins. It is WAY too light. Even with hood pins, mine wobbles a lot at higher speeds. If you don't want them to be as noticeable, get some of the ones that are flat with a key. That's what I picked for mine, and I get complements about them.</TD></TR></TABLE>

the weight of the hood isn't keeping it down, i don't see why you'd need hoodpins unless they can't developt a hood that latches properly.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AzCivic1.6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the weight of the hood isn't keeping it down, i don't see why you'd need hoodpins unless they can't developt a hood that latches properly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nothe hood will altch fine and everything. the problem is that if you go fast theres a possibility that the latch might fail and the hood will fly up. This has happened to some of my friends. Hood pins

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AzCivic1.6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

the weight of the hood isn't keeping it down, i don't see why you'd need hoodpins unless they can't developt a hood that latches properly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

you're right; i wasn't thinking. it's the rigidity of the hood. your oem is much more rigid. the cf isn't going to be. it just flops this way and that with the wind.

go to a search engine online, and search for carbon fiber, windshield, break, wind....see how many posts and pictures you see where someone didn't use hood pins.

 

i got a fiber image hood with a FM cooling plate and NO HOOD PINS. it shakes a little but you have to expect that. i dont push my car to any limits so i dont know how fast i can drive it.

the hood fits the best, looks the best and their testing vedios really helped me make my mind.

 

i have a vis oem carbon fiber hood on my 5th gen prelude with no hood pins,but i have the oem hood latch on it and it fits perfectly.

 

vis or seibon is your best pick. no matter wut put hood pins in it, get the flat one that uses the keys like they said, it gives it a clean look, awhile back me and some buddies were crusing to houston for a drift off and my boys Si had a cf hood and we were only going like 100 - 110, but the wind go under the car and pushed up on the hood and pulled the latch from the hood and the hood broke his windshield than flew off onto the highway... and when we all pulled over the latch part that was connected to the hood was still in the latch.... so no matter wut anyone says about how it fits perfect on the oem latch... of course it is.. but just becuase it's fits it's CF not metal.... latches on the cf hood aren't as stuck on as the metal oem hoods.... so goto Napa, or Advance Auto, and get the keyed hood latches... and if you worred about cracking... take ur time... start with a small drill bit and slowly start drilling, not press down on the hood... just let it drill it self, and progess on the size drill bit as you go.... and you should be fine.....

-Adrian
http://www.jdmdreams.net

 

which hood is better then the other is a matter of opinion. rolled edges vs non rolled, darker vs not so dark, this weave vs, that weave.

its up to you to decided. but like mentioned hood pins are good idea depending on how your drive your car and if its windy as hell where you live.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PreludeRGuY &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have vis oem carbon fiber hood. fits perfectly and i dont have hood pins </TD></TR></TABLE>

Same here!!

 

yea, i work at a bodyshop, and a guy brought his car in caus he had a cf hood and it flew open on the highway, something u def dont want to happen, it can be very scary, there is adjustment in the hinges if u know what ur doing, i m not for hood pins at all i think they are ugly, but the cf hood latches do fail, depends how u are ganna drive ur car, they have cf hoods on ebay for around 400 total oem.

 

Just because there are people here that have had a hood forever and nothing has happened, I wouldn't let that sway your decision on getting hood pins. My luck is this...if it has happened to anyone, good chance it will happen to me. The hood pins are cheap. The install isn't that hard. Take the extra time, and do it right.

 

my friend had a cf hood on galant vr4 w/no hood pins. His hood flipped up and damaged his roof . He was going about 120mph though..He is lucky to be alive.

 

hey guys thanks for all the imput.

 

if you really don't want hoodpins, you could try installing a forbidden motorsports cooling plate, this fills the hole around the latch, thus keeping the airflow from the nostrils from reaching your hood a lot (this is the main problem with 4th gens and carbon hoods), this reduces the risk of your carbon hood flying off at high speeds, but the only sure way is hoodpins offcourse

 

Have a VIS CF hood - fits pretty good. Needed a tad bit adjustment. IT also latched fine and everything until yesterday put on my bumper- something is in the way.

Going with hood pins now.

 

I had a Kaminari OEM style CF hood without hood pins on my 5th gen, never had a problem.

Check them out and look at their latch, heavy duty stuff.