yomadmike

I'm looking at getting a 2000 Cobra R hood for my 99 Cobra. I want a cf hood for the weight savings but I also want to leave the cf and not paint it. I've gotten some input already(Paul), but I want to hear from some of you all.
First, should I go with cf over fiberglass? Second, if I do cf, should I leave it cf or paint to match? I love the cf look but don't want to look too much like a ricer.

Bluejoker

Nothing wrong with carbon fiber, just paint it to match your car.

dhg2496

I like when you paint part of the hood and leave part of it exposed. See Dodge Challenger Concept for an example. I think it would be cool to leave the center of the hood exposed starting at the grill and following the domed portion of the hood unpainted and painting the sides to match.

But hey that's my opinion do what you like best not what everyone else thinks

yomadmike

I haven't thought of that. I will check it out. Thanks!!

Blue Notch

I love the cobra R hood! I think I leave it unpainted!

J2D

Personally I say paint it. But if you want to show it off, get a custom paint job on the hood that blends the paint in or makes it look like the paint is peeling.

fheff

My Giant bicycle has extensive carbon fiber. Giant faded the red paint into the carbon fiber on the forks and the chainstay and it looks really trick where the carbon fiber is exposed. DHG2496 has a similar idea. You could leave some of the carbon fiber in the center of the hood and paint the surrounding parts.

wildstanglx90

I think they look good unpainted. I myself have been rattling the idea of a cf hood for my gt for a while now cuz I think it'd look great on mineral grey.
And they are not 'ricer' at all. That look was popular years and years ago (see the old boss' and machs') when most, or all, of the hood was black. Yea they weren't cf back then, but same idea color-wise. If anything, import owners copied muscle cars lol.
Anyways, if you can afford the more expensive cf then go for it.

svopaul

The Boss and Mach Mustangs(as well as Mopars) were not black on the hood for looks....there was a reason behind it and it came from racing. The idea for painting the flat black on the hood was to eliminate glare that would blind the driver while racing. Carbon Fiber has a shine to it which will reflect sunlight glare so there is no comparison there at all for practical purposes or Muscle car reasoning.

The ONLY reason people did not paint Carbon Fiber primarily was to show off the fact that they had an ultra expensive hood on the car...it had nothing to do with copying Muscle Cars.

wildstanglx90

Thanks paul, I didn't realize the black hood had another purpose back then other than looks. I learn something new every day

Fordracing200

the CF look is ricer, buy the CF hood but have it painted.

DynamicmustangGT

Don't know about the weight on the stock 99-2004's but the 05+ stock hoods are 26.5 lb apparently...The carbon fiber is like 15-18lbs. not really worth it to me like a $300 increase over an aluminum aftermarket hood, for weight loss I'm not into professional racing trying to shed every lb. I say find an aluminum cobra r style hood

n00bstang

dang, that's like absolutely no difference...

well as for the whole painted vs. unpainted. i say paint it. it'll be a lil something no one knows about for that sleeper effect. or just go aluminum if the weight savings aren't that great.

just my two pennies.

DynamicmustangGT

yeah not to mention the ricer affect that n00bstang was talking about, don't forget that the carbon fiber hoods, are only that weight without paint, layers of paint actually add a few lbs on top of the poor weight loss which is really next to nothing.

sound wave

if you get a cf hood, definately paint it. exposed cf hoods belong on civics. jmho of course.

TJ4Cam

I agree, carbon fiber technology is grand, but yes paint it body color.

dhg2496

Yeah look at this ricer with his exposed carbon fiber. I don't think it's ricey to show off the carbon fiber. Just do it tastefully like the Challenger Concept or like this Audi R8 if you want to show it off. I think this is what makes the difference between Rice and Nice. Ricers are too well known for unpainted tacked on body panels.

Cheese302

i like that idea.

or try to get the paint thin enough to see the weave of the fiber through it. i am not a huge fan of unpainted c/f but its all good.

yomadmike

I'm leaning towards a little being exposed. The 99-04 the fiberglass hood is, from what I've been told, 37lbs. The cf hood weighs 17lbs. So it is like a 10lb savings. I'd have no problem with a fiberglass 2000 Cobra R, but I've heard that a full finish one might weigh more than my stock hood. I don't know, I might just get the fiberglass cause I can get it functional. As far as an aluminum hood, I have yet to see one for a 99-04. Shoot, the only one I've seen period is on Project Source Horse. Which is being painted today, Jasons got it looking nice.

svopaul

There are no Aluminum hoods for pre-05 cars.....we weighed the difference on the '95 GT Turbo car we just finished between a stock 95 GT hood and a Cobra R cowl hood from HO Fibertrends...the new hood was 12lbs lighter than the stock hood. From that I don't think you'll save much with Carbon fiber to justify the expense of it vs. weight difference to fiberglass. Now a Cervini Glass hood weighs a ton...probably the same or more than a stock hood which is another reason I don't like their hoods.(one of the other being the giant embossed "CERVINI" underneath it...after all they didn't GIVE you the hood so why should you be forced to advertise?!?)