Would someone explain to me the advantages of a CF hood?


I remember someone posted a GD for it a few months back and I wondered whether CF hoods are really that safe. I mean, the stock hood is built with crumple zones to absorb crash energy and deform during a collision. It is an integral safety feature, not only absorbing crash energy, but prevents the hood from riding through your windshield during a collision. From my understanding, carbon fiber does not crease or dent...it shatters. So, during a crash, a CF hood will not only ride up through your windshield, but also possibly send hundreds of razor sharp face maiming shards into the passenger cabin! Or at least it could happen.

So, other than the weight savings (how much could it really be??) and the coolness factor ("yeah, that hood is CARBON FIBER"), I'm not sure it's a worthwhile modification when seen in light of its lack of crash protection.

 

Like you said, the weight and the fact that it dosent dent are the only advantages.

 

turn the steering wheel so you spin out instead....

j/k... The windshield is at a good angle so chances are that the back end of the CF hood should deflect off of it...

Or so I hope...

 

That's my biggest concern about CF or Fiberglass hoods... they are not designed with crash worthiness in mind. I think I want to get one instead of have my damn hood painted... probably cost about the same.

-Shing

 

Yeah, but you gotta keep in mind that a carbon fiber hood would reduce your 1/4 mile time by at least 3 seconds!

I know Chebosto was pretty excited about them, but I can't say I really get it, not much of a performance boost and it's really not much of a cosmetic add on. I dunno..

 

Ok 3 seconds seems really really high, do you mean .3 of a second?

 

Hey was being sarcastic....

Chad... shame on you.

 

What is this..."sarcasm"...of which you speak?

 

Heh...

Well, sometimes the airbag deployment actually cracks the windshield, so when the hood smashes into the passenger compartment you don't have the windshield protecting you. Well, I guess you would not only have carbon fiber shards of death flying through your front windshield, but also pieces of glass as well. Ok so I'm being sarcastic...but I still don't think that any mod that compromises crash safety is a good mod.