GT Carbon Fiber hood

[Drift Monkey]

[quote name='waflowers']Age is a state of mind. My mind is in the state of Florida, so that makes me ... :lol:[/quote] That makes you S2K worthy. :o

[waflowers]

Thanks Drift, I appreciate that. FWIW today is a beautiful summer day in FL. I've been here so long I didn't find it oppressive. Drove to lunch (in my '97 Legacy GT) with windows down and sunroof open, wishing I had a ragtop roadster so I could [b]really[/b] enjoy the day! :)

[7stars]

Well, so much for the Legacy's aftermarket potential! The carbon fiber hood will not be as safe, but it won't break at the mounting points and become a projection, and it won't shatter into a thousand pieces. It's not that stiff. It's actually quite flexible, because it's not a honeycomb design and has not been baked in a vacuum @200 degrees for 8 hours. It's just a fiberglass hood with a few layers of carbon cloth on it. Yes, it is strictly for show. I personally think it looks great on blue and black cars. But I admit, you guys are right on this one. The aluminum hood is so light that it weighs the same as the carbon fiber one, and will be more aerodynamic since it doesn't require hood pins.

[Dr. Zevil]

[quote name='7stars']Well, so much for the Legacy's aftermarket potential! The carbon fiber hood will not be as safe, but it won't break at the mounting points and become a projection, and it won't shatter into a thousand pieces. It's not that stiff. It's actually quite flexible, because it's not a honeycomb design and has not been baked in a vacuum @200 degrees for 8 hours. It's just a fiberglass hood with a few layers of carbon cloth on it. Yes, it is strictly for show. I personally think it looks great on blue and black cars. But I admit, you guys are right on this one. The aluminum hood is so light that it weighs the same as the carbon fiber one, and will be more aerodynamic since it doesn't require hood pins.[/quote] Wasn't trying to rip on you.. But there really isn't any reason to get one except for looks. Personally i don't like the looks because it looks too racer. But to each his own. There will be plenty of aftermarket potential for the Legacy.. just wait and see.

[OCDetails]

Here's a bump for this ancient thread. I'm just curious if this VIS carbon fiber hood ever actually got made. I haven't seen a custom VIS hood for $400 ever and would be interested to see what it looks like.

[redline76]

Tacky. "Check out my race car. Room for five and their luggage. Gets good gas mileage too!" I see no difference between a CF hood, a Pep Boys pedestal wing, and cheap aftermarket wheels. If you like to go to Hot Import Nights, then I say go for it, you'll be in good company :)

[bcbaohio]

[quote name='redline76']Tacky. "Check out my race car. Room for five and their luggage. Gets good gas mileage too!" I see no difference between a CF hood, a Pep Boys pedestal wing, and cheap aftermarket wheels. If you like to go to Hot Import Nights, then I say go for it, you'll be in good company :)[/QUOTE] Don't forget the neon underbody light kit! Jeez, what are we a bunch of amateurs :lol:

[j255c]

As stated before the gialla car looks really nice with this CF hood. [img]http://www.gialla.co.jp/gialla/catalog/corsa/img/b4_200405.jpg[/img] I would consider dropping money on one if it looked like this :)

[OCDetails]

[quote name='redline76']Tacky. "Check out my race car. Room for five and their luggage. Gets good gas mileage too!" I see no difference between a CF hood, a Pep Boys pedestal wing, and cheap aftermarket wheels. If you like to go to Hot Import Nights, then I say go for it, you'll be in good company :)[/QUOTE] Sorry, but you have a station wagon, right? I'm talking about a carbon fiber hood on a sport sedan. A carbon fiber hood would look tacky on a wagon, I'll admit that much. But this isn't a wagon I'm talking about. Don't knock what people like to do with their cars just because its not your style.

[bcbaohio]

Fair enough OC, you are right. I have to that gialla Legacy looks pretty nice from the picture. Besides, I can remember a time when I thought anything but a silver wheel looked ridiculous, but now I can see my Black LGT with gold PFF7's on it. - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I just don't behold carbon fiber hoods.

[redline76]

[quote name='OCDetails']Sorry, but you have a station wagon, right? I'm talking about a carbon fiber hood on a sport sedan. A carbon fiber hood would look tacky on a wagon, I'll admit that much. But this isn't a wagon I'm talking about. Don't knock what people like to do with their cars just because its not your style.[/QUOTE] Wagon, sedan, what's the difference? Carbon fiber belongs in F1 race car tubs, not blingin' away on your four-door commuter. You're right, though. To each his own. The original poster asked an opinion, and I gave it. I think it comes down to an age thing. At a certain point in your life you grow up and realize that stuff like loud exhausts, slammed suspensions and carbon fiber hoods on street cars really aren't cool as you once thought. I'm all for performance gains, but tricking out ordinary sedans and wagons is kinda cheesy, IMHO. RUF twin turbos are in another league altogether :)

[OCDetails]

There is a big difference between a wagon and a sedan. Just because they have the same badging doesn't mean its the same car. In my opinon, a wagon is a grocery getter. I wouldn't even put aftermarket rims on a wagon. Perhaps you are too old to enjoy doing appearance modifcations to a car, but don't make it sound like anyone who does enjoy it is just young and immature. That is an absolute incorrect assumption. Everybody is entiteld to their opinions, but when you start conveying your opinions as facts then their starts to be a problem. As long as you are just experessing opinions then that is cool.

[redline76]

[quote name='OCDetails']There is a big difference between a wagon and a sedan. Just because they have the same badging doesn't mean its the same car. In my opinon, a wagon is a grocery getter. I wouldn't even put aftermarket rims on a wagon. Perhaps you are too old to enjoy doing appearance modifcations to a car, but don't make it sound like anyone who does enjoy it is just young and immature. That is an absolute incorrect assumption. Everybody is entiteld to their opinions, but when you start conveying your opinions as facts then their starts to be a problem. As long as you are just experessing opinions then that is cool.[/QUOTE] You do know what IMHO means, right? I'll just ignore the rest of your statement. What is the difference between a wagon and a sedan? Are you referring to image or performance? As far as I know, Leg sedans and wagons perform exactly the same, one happens carry more stuff. Apparently Volvo and Audi disagree with you as well (S4 Avant, V70R). I'm not going to sidetrack the discussion to wagons vs. sedans, everyone has a preference based on their lifestyle. My point is that from an appearance modification perspective, both are the same, you're modifying a commuter car. Since you didn't get it the first time, In My Opinion, cf hoods are silly for any car that's a street car (especially sedans and wagons) as is has no measurable performance benefit, looks tacked-on, has been done a million times before, and is only impressive to the subset of the population who enjoys mutual automotive masturbation. Ultimately it comes down to class. Would you put a cf hood on a 5-series BMW? An AMG E55? A Porsche 993 TT?

[mach_six]

A CF hood is mainly for looks since it's probably not much lighter than the aluminum. Which is why paintable would be suitable for me. So what about wheel upgrades? Isn't that the same. Doesn't offer much performance either and can ellicit the same effect as a CF hood and huge ass wing.

[OCDetails]

I don't know why the Legacy is suddenly being compared to a Porsche 993 TT. Why not get really crazy and describe it to an Enzo. In any case, if I had a performance sport sedan that I was going to enter in shows to compete in modified classes, then yes I would like to have a carbon fiber hood because I personally feel, IMHO even, that it looks good in that situation. You are assuming that my car is a commuter car and not something that I show. I just got it so its not in any shows right now, but I build up my cars to be entered and win events in the stock and lightly modified classes. I had a carbon fiber hood hanging in the garage for such events on one of my previous cars. I installed it prior to events. It does have a purpose other than what you seem to think its for. You may feel its tacky, but I'm also not trying to impress you. If you can't appreciate someone else's idea of what looks good then you probably aren't attending the kind of events where you would see my car anyway.

[redline76]

You are exactly correct on that score. I don't go to car shows so if that's your thing, roll with it and ignore my comments :) I would ask though, that if the point of car shows is to be creative and innovative, isn't a cf hood played out in those circles? I mean, doesn't everyone and his girlfriend have one of those on his car?

[mbacis]

I'd like to see a polycarbonate hood. Color matched to the car so that from an angle you couldn't tell, but from straight on you could could see the engine bay right through it. That would be original.

[slip304]

I honestly thought more people would be interested in a quality built c/f hood???? All of a sudden everyone is against them. never a dull moment here on the board. maybe subaru owners are a rare breed. I personally think a c/f hood would look nice on the legacy. to each his own but rememer, thats why they call it "CUSTOM" :)

[redline76]

Not everyone, just me and a few others who are less vocal and opinionated :) Remember, CUSTOM does not always mean good looking or vehicle-appropriate. When did the Legacy become the next victim of the Fast n' Furious crowd? I mean, is this the fate of virtually every Japanese-made car? It kind of makes me want to buy a Volvo V70R or something so as to avoid the stigma of having a ricer-mobile.

[Leonardo]

[quote name='redline76'] I would ask though, that if the point of car shows is to be creative and innovative, isn't a cf hood played out in those circles? I mean, doesn't everyone and his girlfriend have one of those on his car?[/QUOTE] True, that's why now they have moved to the rest of the car making CF doors,fenders,trunks, and bumpers. I am 31 years old and I would defenetly order the Gialla kit. I already have the Tein coilovers ;)

[slip304]

Spats are ok but c/f is going to far? look at the bucks that some people have forked out for grills or door sills. most any body kit is pointless when it comes to performance, they are for looks and thats pretty much it. I say if you like c/f then order, its a good price. I might order one just to enjoy all the dirty looks from fellow subaru owners:) its all about what ya like.

[REM87O]

[quote name='redline76']Not everyone, just me and a few others who are less vocal and opinionated :) Remember, CUSTOM does not always mean good looking or vehicle-appropriate. When did the Legacy become the next victim of the Fast n' Furious crowd? I mean, is this the fate of virtually every Japanese-made car? It kind of makes me want to buy a Volvo V70R or something so as to avoid the stigma of having a ricer-mobile.[/QUOTE] +1

[Scotty]

As a mechanical engineer, I have to say most of the aftermarket stuff is just plain stupid. Most of the carbon fiber products are not designed to utilize the strengths of carbon fiber. Most aren't even "designed." In order to reduce cost, most of them are made using mostly fiberglass. Fiberglass runs about $8 a lineal yard (50" wide), carbon runs about $30-35 per lineal yard. If you were to build one with comparable strength to the aluminum, you will need many layers and preferably a sandwich construction with a honeycomb. $400 will not even come close to covering half the material needed. To get even decent stiffness, at least 7 layers are needed. You'll need about 2 yards per layer, so that's 14 yards or $420 just in carbon fiber alone. A properly designed carbon fiber hood will be stronger than the aluminum and will do better in a collision. Crumple zones are designed into steel and aluminum hoods by putting dents in certain places. With carbon fiber, if it is properly designed will shatter to absorb the energy much the same way a metal hood crumples. But then guys who actually build all the aftermarket carbon fiber parts don't have degrees in composite engineering or very expensive programs to analyze the lay up and the orientation needed for optimum strength. One thing is structual carbon fiber parts needs to be painted. UV is the enemy to carbon fiber. UV light will degrade the carbon fiber. Most guys that make these things will use a UV protectant in the gel coat, but that isn't as effective as painting it completely. Plus all the stuff people are coming out with, body kits, spoilers, wings (there is a difference between the two) are all parts that increase gas mileage and make the car go slower. You got ricers putting huge wings on their cars and all that does it make the car understeer even more and make it go slower when they try to go fast. Plus the down force generate is so insignificant. If you were to let engineers loose in auto racing, you wouldn't see a single wing on any race car. Wings generate a lot of drag which slows the car down. Active aerodynamics and a good undertray can generate all the down force without the drag penalties. Okay rant off.