Best carbon fiber hood?
 

I want to buy a cf hood but i want a good one that will last also that will fit perfectly. What brand should i look for it?

Varis

Seibon

he said BEST.....

If you're looking for quality, Varis hoods and carbon parts are known for their fit and finish.

What kind of gain is their to a cf hood vs the stock aluminum?

Depends on how the hood is made.
Fiberglass or other product with a CF wrap is equal or more weight than a CF hood
Dry carbon hood is less weight but not a lot - I believe dry carbon hood is about 6-8 pounds

Now the other 'gains' from a CF hood can be the venting it provides versus a stock hood, different fitment (hood bulge) for aftermarket parts under the hood.

the weight reduction going to dry CF is minimal as the hood is already lightweight aluminum.

Beat me to it.

The Varis hood is vented, so you gain that advantage.

As far as weight savings goes:
Stock Z hood 10.0kg
Varis VSDC (Varis semi-dry carbon): 7.8kg

So you save about 5lbs between the OEM and the lightest offering from Varis.

They also make a standard wet carbon hood which only saves a couple pounds but still features the venting, as well as a full FRP hood that's about the same weight as stock.

So since weight is not the purpose, it is more about the shape for putting more mods on under the hood, plus some ventilation. This seems pretty specific. Did I get it correct?

Does cf need extra primer or no primer before painting?

Well a lot of CF hoods come with a clear-coat on them so you will have to prep them a certain way, which I am not sure how, though a lot of people do not paint CF hoods to 'show off' the hood.

CF hoods are just for looks unless of course you plan you shaving off every unnessary pound off the car. 5lb may not sound like much, but it does eventually add up when you're building a serious racer. If you plan on leaving a touring package, nav and all other creature comforts intact, I wouldn't worry too much about weight savings and focus more on which one has the best fit & finish. As with anything, you get what you pay for. Varis hood is pretty pricey. Over $2,400 if I'm not mistaken.

looks, no other reason. if you are honestly wanting to save 3-5 lbs, dont eat for a day or take out your spare tire for even mo go fastness

CF will get you the vents, which are about the only major functional aspects to replacing the hood.

Actually, not eating for a day will cause you to gain weight. :stirthepot:

A vented Seibon hood would be a good bet. Great quality (from past experience) no weight savings but cooling would be more important to myself.

I can't tell if you are joking or not. What would you be showing off about? 5lb of weight savings.
Wouldn't it be easier, or cheaper at least, to just change hoods with another 370 owner if you want a mismatched look.

I believe the idea is to show the CF weave on the hood, not so much to have a CF color with another car for the car.
I personally would paint the hood.

well recently there has been a certain movement to show off lots of CF on the car. it's a purely aesthetic approach, and having an aftermarket CF hood like varis would certainly set you apart really, really quickly.

you'd be showing off the CF weave. that's about it. if it's not your thing, you'd go for the painted CF hood approach i suppose.

Holy Toledo! I just priced a varis hood at $2400. I thought it would be in the few hundred dollar range. Everybody gets to spend their money any way they choose, so if this is the best use of $2400, then swell for you.

I am going to drive around with one less gallon of gas in the car to experience the weight savings.

Varis makes two different carbon hoods. Which one did you price out and from whom?

The Varis hood has a great fit and look. The price....well, I won't go there as everyone already knows it's pricey. And for me it has nothing to do with weight savings.....completely all about looks. I built my car for show and not speed or tracking.....straight up show.


http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...oct2011008.jpg

They have three and if he mentioned $2400, I have to assume it is the Carbon Kevlar version seen here:

370ZTUNE.com

The wait time for me to receive my hood was 8 months. I really didn't think it would ever show up after that tsunami hit Japan.

so if I didn't spend any money and instead just took a good heavy **** I'd be at approx the same weight savings?
:happydance:

I'm pretty happy with my VIS Racing hood. And... yes, I like the CF "look". Besides, it kinda goes with the rest of the cars theme.

Still love your car Anthony!

I just wanted to clarify one quick thing, you actually only wait 3 months for the hood. Ordered in the first week of October, shipped to you in the first week of January.



For anybody interested in any Varis parts, please contact us directly for pricing information.

That's an awesome turn around! Yeah, my time frame was due to that crazy tsunami. :tup:

I purchased this hood on eBay back in April of 2011 but I could not locate the link to the original ad to share. The seller's eBay username is "bsd_direct" if interested. I was happy with the transaction. Placed order and had hood 3 weeks later. If memory serves he listed the product as "2011 Nissan370Z BS Style Carbon Fiber Hood Bonnet" and I believe the cost was around $575 plus freight. I had hood dampeners/shocks installed on the stock hood but had to remove them because the carbon fiber hood was a lot lighter than the stock hood which changed the dynamics of the way it would close. Carbon fiber will flex compared to the stock hood so removing the dampeners allows for a nice shut of the hood as opposed to having to evenly placing your hand on each side of the hood and having to close with care. I thought the vents in the hood would cause the engine compartment to become dirty but it has been almost 7 months and it is not a problem. Things to consider with mounting, the hood didn't come with pre-drilled holes for the windshield washer tubing nor the hood stand offs or the hood main lock/release. Taking measurements twice and drilling once was ok and everything fits perfect. The picture of the bare CF hood I took from his eBay listing.

http://www.the370z.com/members/370z1...ure40618-7.png

http://www.the370z.com/members/370z1...ure40613-2.png

http://www.the370z.com/members/370z1...ure40614-3.png

http://www.the370z.com/members/370z1...ure40615-4.png

http://www.the370z.com/members/370z1...ure40616-5.png

http://www.the370z.com/members/370z1...ure40617-6.png