I know there are plenty of cosmetic "Carbon Fiber" hood and fender manufacturers like Vis, Fiber Images, GTP Importfan, ect. Typically the aforementioned products are slightly lighter than the stock parts, but not exceptionally so.

I am wondering if there are any manufacturers of these items that are truly lightweight and that anyone out there in H-T has used. Please comment and provides pictures if you have used any of these. Thanks.

 

I believe Fiber Images makes a single layer CF hood without the fiberglass skeleton reducing weight even more. I personally had a Fiber Images "blingy" single layer CF hood for a couple of years. It weighed about 13lb according to my bathroom scale compared to the ~40-50lb for a stock G2 Integra hood. Wasn't worth getting bumped into SM though so I sold it.

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=958024

 

i bought a CF hood about 4 or so years ago and it only has 2 layers, fiber glass skeleton, no metal at all and it weights about 10lbs.

the fitment is too good, and the clear coat sucks, but it functions great

 

I know this is for Integra's only but IDOL Motorsport in Germany has a very light hood; it weighs only 3,4 Kg (7,5lbs)

It's expensive though so i beleive it's an all carbon construction.

http://www.idol-motorsport.de/...p.htm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Pondus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I know this is for Integra's only but IDOL Motorsport in Germany has a very light hood; it weighs only 3,4 Kg (7,5lbs)

It's expensive though so i beleive it's an all carbon construction.

http://www.idol-motorsport.de/...p.htm</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah it's 1490 euros, which is $1841 at current exchange rates. This is about right considering what you are getting. Prepreg construction with all CF. Thanks for the link, it was very helpful.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSpeedR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I believe Fiber Images makes a single layer CF hood without the fiberglass skeleton reducing weight even more. I personally had a Fiber Images "blingy" single layer CF hood for a couple of years. It weighed about 13lb according to my bathroom scale compared to the ~40-50lb for a stock G2 Integra hood. Wasn't worth getting bumped into SM though so I sold it. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hey, since it was a single layer hood. Did you just mount it with 4 hood pins or did it have a hinge mount?

I recently purchased a VIS OEM C/F hood and was thinking of cutting the skeleton out. I'm just afraid it won't be sturdy enough for road racing.

 

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

Hey, since it was a single layer hood. Did you just mount it with 4 hood pins or did it have a hinge mount?

I recently purchased a VIS OEM C/F hood and was thinking of cutting the skeleton out. I'm just afraid it won't be sturdy enough for road racing. </TD></TR></TABLE>

If you cut the skeleton out, the hood would explode outward due to the high pressure differential from the inside of the engine bay to the outside surface of the hood. Leave the skeleton in.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 6ghatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey, since it was a single layer hood. Did you just mount it with 4 hood pins or did it have a hinge mount?

I recently purchased a VIS OEM C/F hood and was thinking of cutting the skeleton out. I'm just afraid it won't be sturdy enough for road racing. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I mounted it only with the hoodlatch (which is not recommended), but it never saw the track. I agree that you should leave the skeleton on. You would save approx. 4lb or so and you would need hoodpins everywhere. A 90-93 integra hood is larger than most other Hondas, and I saw some deflection at "highway speeds".

 

Versus has some really clean full carbon hoods that don't have the typical skeleton and are more like FI. And are therfore similar weight full carbon and provide hood clearance for even the tallest swap

When I dropped off my del sol stuff for them to make molds the sales rep was using an example a s a trampoline with no damage evident

The price of versus is comparative to sweat shop product VIS

I would not recommend any side panels like doors or fenders as these are high contact probable areas and carbon does'nt do well in these situations

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Pondus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
http://www.idol-motorsport.de/...p.htm</TD></TR></TABLE>

real CF shiftknob... blingy! i like it!

 

I think cheezefrog here has some cf doorskins hatch and hood. I can't remember though you might be able to find something on his sight.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fishnfst &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think cheezefrog here has some cf doorskins hatch and hood. I can't remember though you might be able to find something on his sight.</TD></TR></TABLE>

On Cheezefrog site, I didn't see any CF stuff, but I found a vibrating tongue ring though. And lots of scantily clad women. Was this not the site to which you were referring?

 

I made a full carbon hood for a Grassroots team a couple years ago. It weighed 2 and 1/4 pounds. It was designed to be as light as possible. It was 2 layers of 5.8 OZ carbon twill. It was for a second gen CRX.

I still have the mold. It has a scoop in it that was computer modeled and machined with the aid of a CNC machine.

I could reproduce it in a form that wasn't disposable at 5-7lbs at about $550 plus shipping if anyone is interested.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eHoward &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I made a full carbon hood for a Grassroots team a couple years ago. It weighed 2 and 1/4 pounds. It was designed to be as light as possible. It was 2 layers of 5.8 OZ carbon twill. It was for a second gen CRX.

I still have the mold. It has a scoop in it that was computer modeled and machined with the aid of a CNC machine.

I could reproduce it in a form that wasn't disposable at 5-7lbs at about $550 plus shipping if anyone is interested.</TD></TR></TABLE>

detailed pics would be awesome.

 

what about a full fiberglass OEM style hood? would that not be lighter then a 2 layer CF hood and be half the cost of CF? or would the underhood temp be just too high for fiberglass? Im not too interested in the CF "look" and would really rather paint the hood.

 

I'll see if I can find shots of their car or scan in some shots from the magazine. This is a rough shot on my car as a fitment test.

 

No, it wouldn't be lighter. You'd end up having to use more fiberglass to get the same rigidity.

Usually when people talk fiberglass, they're talking random mat which is going to give you an even lower fiber volume fraction then a twill weave which translates into more weight. Usually when people talk fiberglass, they talk about using a polyester resin which means you can't pull a full vacuum when you bag because if you did, you will suck out all the resin and end up with a resin starved part. A random unbagged part is going to have a fiber volume fraction around 20% vs a bagged twill part at 50-70%.

Fiberglass itself wouldn't have a problem with underhood temps. The matrix might, but probably not unless you're running a turbo close to it or have really hot exhaust.

Believe it or not, when you start doing race parts with vacuum bagging, there's so many costs involved that the difference between good fiberglass and good carbon isn't really that much.

The hood I spoke about reproducing for $550 would be 4 layers of carbon with a core material sandwiched in the middle. It would be a race part for a race car.

Art, if you're interesting in learning more about composites, I recommend Competition Car Composites.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Art Vandeleigh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what about a full fiberglass OEM style hood? would that not be lighter then a 2 layer CF hood and be half the cost of CF? or would the underhood temp be just too high for fiberglass? Im not too interested in the CF "look" and would really rather paint the hood. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eHoward &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It was for a second gen CRX.

I still have the mold.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I guess getting one from you for a different car wouldn't be so easy, huh?

 

eHoward:
I was refering to polyester resin fiberglass. I thought this was the most common application for autobody material. Is it not? So you are saying that with polyester resin to achieve the same rigidity as a CF hood, the weight would be more?

Then I say just dont make it as rigid. I mean really what is the point of having a rigid hood. Sounds like a stupid question ...but is it not a valid one? Pease if you have any websites or any other information on this, I would really appreciate it.

As for your hood, are you able to reproduce sans hood scoop?? Thanks for the information!!

 

Actually, it would be easy. We've got the process nailed. If you've got the money, we can make anything.

I think we're quoting $2k for one-off hoods currently. We would keep any tooling and any rights. (If you need the tooling and rights, we could sell you services by the hour.)


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Another Drew &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I guess getting one from you for a different car wouldn't be so easy, huh?</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

OK. I don't mean to talk down, but lets make sure we (and anyone else reading) are on the same page.

The polyester resin matrix is one part. The fiberglass reinforcement is another. They are independent of each other.

You can use a polyester resin matrix with a carbon fiber reinforcement (and I have).

You can use an epoxy resin matrix with fiberglass reinforcement (how we make most of our molds).

Polyester resin with fiberglass is the most common. That does not mean it is the best. It is the most common because it is the cheapest.

I am saying to achieve the same rigidity as a carbon fiber hood, all other things being equal, a fiberglass one will be heavier. If you use polyester resin with that fiberglass, it will be even heavier then the epoxy matrix based part.

Let me repeat that the original hood weighed 2 and 1/4 pounds. Think about that.

It also could not support its own weight. It was an absolute extreme.

It is not a stupid question about rigidity. I've fielded it from mechanical engineers MANY times. You need some rigidity. For any level that you determine to need, carbon fiber will give you that level at a lighter weight then a fiberglass part. It's that simple.

We could produce it without a scoop.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Art Vandeleigh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">eHoward:
I was refering to polyester resin fiberglass. I thought this was the most common application for autobody material. Is it not? So you are saying that with polyester resin to achieve the same rigidity as a CF hood, the weight would be more?

Then I say just dont make it as rigid. I mean really what is the point of having a rigid hood. Sounds like a stupid question ...but is it not a valid one? Pease if you have any websites or any other information on this, I would really appreciate it.

As for your hood, are you able to reproduce sans hood scoop?? Thanks for the information!! </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Competition Car Composites is the book I thought I needed it write. I learned by trial and error and advice from those in the industry. I kept thinking there needs to be a book with all of this information. Competition Car Composites is that book. As I read it, I thought to myself, "I agree" or "I've been there" too many times to count.

Fiberglass and Composite Materials by Aird is also a good book, but not on the same level.

I took Introduction to Composite Materials (MatE 5-something) at Drexel University and it was excellent, but that's probably not an option for you.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Art Vandeleigh &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Pease if you have any websites or any other information on this, I would really appreciate it. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Since when did a 15lb Fiber Images hood vs. a 45lb stock hood not equate to weight reduction???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eHoward &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Competition Car Composites is the book I thought I needed it write. I learned by trial and error and advice from those in the industry. I kept thinking there needs to be a book with all of this information. Competition Car Composites is that book. As I read it, I thought to myself, "I agree" or "I've been there" too many times to count.

Fiberglass and Composite Materials by Aird is also a good book, but not on the same level.

I took Introduction to Composite Materials (MatE 5-something) at Drexel University and it was excellent, but that's probably not an option for you.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

You must have a big oven? making high quaility hoods like that. Do you do this out of your house or do you have a shop? Would you guys be interested in doing other things such as fenders and so on?

I work in aero space so I have a pretty good idea of the process you guys have been going through. I have thought many times about making composite parts for my car. but as you have stated, when you are talking about 1 off quaility products it does tend to get expensive, not to mention time and space consuming.