Carbon Fiber

[Bhadole]

So i've got a nice big dent right on the front of my hood. It was already there when I bought it...nothing new. But I have recently been exploring my options to get rid of it. I can buy a new hood, or try to have it taken out and then repainted, or try to find a hood in decent condition at junk yard which I would still have to pay to have painted. I was at the shop today talking to the mechanic who does some of the work on my car (and fellow e30 owner). He recommended getting a carbon fiber hood. I have previously been of the opinion that a carbon fiber hood might be a bit too much "rice" for me. But i'm starting to have second thoughts (especially because it would cut my costs in half for a new hood), maybe it would just look sporty...or whatever. What do you guys think? Thanks for any input.

[DrMcDave]

if it costs less, weighs less, then i say hell why not?

[bimmerphile]

if you're worried it will look rice, paint it. It looks good on only a few cars, those that are diamantschwartz (cale's M3), those that are EVO-III replicas (swale's) and those that are entirely CF from the driver's door forward (shahe).

[SA E30]

I agree, paint it, in the future I plan to get CF Hood, Boot, and Fender's, and have them all painted, cause I think it looks rice, if not painted, and not on a black car :D

[Sean]

Where exactly is the best place to buy these? I've been thinking about it as well.

[nando]

there is always an auction for a VIS carbon fiber hood on ebay.

a CF hood is one of my dream mods.. I could stand to lose some weight up front.

[Bhadole]

Will they look pretty normal after paiting? Seems like you would probably still be able to tell it was carbon fiber...which is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it matches the rest of the paint to a certain extent.

[DrMcDave]

why would you be able to tell. Most of them are clearcoated and smooth. It will look the same as any other hood once painted. You could probably get a VIS shipped for under 500. Maybe much less its somewhere around there.

[Ryan Stewart]

I have been slowly debating a CF hood. With the bare urethane coat you wouldnt have to worry about chips except from the most massive of rocks and since my car is dark is would kinda blend in.

You HAVE to keep them uber clean to look nice tho. Once the dusk kills the 3D effect of the weave they just look like a flat black hood.

[M42Technik]

Re: Carbon Fiber

especially because it would cut my costs in half for a new hood)

How is that? Because it would be more to get a hood and then paint it? Because I'm in the same boat...

[Bhadole]

Yeah...thats what I meant, that it would cancel out painting costs. But I don't know how it would look on a silver car, so I think I would paint it. In which case, I might as well just get a normal hood.

[M42Technik]

Yeah...thats what I meant, that it would cancel out painting costs. But I don't know how it would look on a silver car, so I think I would paint it. In which case, I might as well just get a normal hood.

Luckily I have a diamanswhartz car....mwahaha...!

[Sean]

I was talking to a friend, and I guess you can do a type of glaze, or transparent paint. It goes over the hood, and makes it the same color as the car while keeping the CF pattern in tact. If I ever got a CF hood, I would do exactly that. I would think that would run cheaper than painting the whole hood itself, because of what it does. But I'm not completely sure.

[eg]

depending on the color of your car i think that a carbon fiber hood can look mean as shit. but you may not like the contrast color i do but what the hell do i know. you could also get a carbon fiber lip that would look good together.

[Rob]

does anyone with a VIS hood have any pics of the fitment....