well not broke...
i was driving to work and all of a sudden the hood flipped up and hit my windsheild and was flapping around. Pulled over right away and i saw that the fiberglass seperated from the carbon fiber. man this friggin sucks! pay hella money and its a POS!! i dont usually complain espicallly on the board bout stuff but this really ****es me off. Fitment sucks is one thing, but it actually flying off is another....im very dissapointed in this hood. Had to hold the hood with bungie cord and duct tape for the rest of the day.

 

sorry to hear about that man. it's been bad luck these couple of days for you. where did you get the carbon fiber hood from?

 

Jesus... that's horrible. First one the send me is broke, blemished and doesn't fit, 2nd one doesn't fit, and now yours almost kills you, literally. Its lucky you didnt have an accident. I'd say Fiberimages has some issues to rectify.

 

prob now is i gotta talk to Fiber images, they prolly will fix or replace the hood but im pretty sure they wont pay for shipping to them and they wont pay for the damage it did to the edges of my fender. I also had this blemish on my hood where it looked like they sanded it and you can still see the spot. how ghey

 

Ouch... OK... maybe my hood will stay in the box for a few more days...

Sorry to here about what happened... Glad you weren't hurt, though.

 

Sorry to hear that. I was "this close" to buying a CF hood from FI a few months ago. At that time, I decided I didn't want to deal with fitment problems, washer nozzle relocation, no struts, hood pins, etc. I never thought about their build quality! My assumption [like yours] was if the hood costs $500+, it should be very well-made.

So, what color is the bungie cord, and where did you get it?

 

man that sucks .... as long as you're all right ... if you get another one are you going to install hood pins?

 

Sorry to hear about that, but in a way it's your own fault if you didn't install hood pins. All Carbon Fiber hoods NEED hoodpins. It doesn't matter who made it for you or which car its on. The carbon fiber gives too much play so it will always open eventually. I hate the way the pins look so thats why I don't have a CF hood.

Erik

 

Turbo, sorry to hear that your hood broke, I was thinking about getting on the GD on 5th gen CF hoods, after reading this thread about the several incidents, I think I'll take up a complete fiberglass hood w/ vents and have it painted. Hoodpins are a must.
Sorry you had to go through this, FI better replace it, or refund your money, cause I think you are very unsatisfied w/ the product.

 

I'd say they do too. At first I was surprised to see the subject being that carbon fiber broke since it is a good material. But when he said the hood flew up that's different. That really is dangerous. DOT might want to know about this co.

 

I dont want to put the blame on your, but if you didnt have the Hoodpins, then this was bound to happen. Seeing as it didnt break your window in anyway your very lucky. Hope you take the hoodpin route if you ever decide to get another one.

 

I agree, see my post above.

Erik

 

I read

 

Please check the link and provide some feedback. An alternative is in the works.
CF wish list

 

I know tons of people with CF hoods and no one that I know has ever had the fiberglass frame just separate from the CF surface. I think it's rediculous to assert that it is in any way turbo's own fault that they sent him a POS hood. If the hood fails structurally, it is NOT his fault. Now if he didn't have it LATCHED properly and it flew up at him thats one thing, but these things have have hardened steel latches (I know, I had to grind on mine) and failure of the hood structurally has nothing to do with hoodpins. Sure hoodpins would have prevented the hood from flying up at him, but it is not within the realm of reason to say it's his own fault that FI shipped a defective and structurally weak hood.


BTW turbo that sanded down area is on every hood, just another flaw in their mold. My first hood they didnt sand that bump down at all, on my 2nd one they got it pretty good.

 

I while back Cheston recommended hood pins because the hood is to light for speeds above 65.

 

I thought that little aread was part of every CF hood, I kinda like that part.

 

I thought that too...on everyone I see its like that... I hope the ones that are being made for the 3rd gens fit right, I'm gonna be ****ed if they worst fitting than OEM...$450 down the ****ter!

 

That sucks man. I was gonna get one, but not after all the problems I've heard now...

 

That happened after the hood hit the windshield and repeatedly hit until he pulled over. Basically if it was secure it might not have happened and if it did happen after that it would be bad quality.

Erik

 

Hmm, seems like theres 2 understandings:

1) the whole thing flew off, hit the car repeatedly, and then seperated.

2) the thing seperated from the underside/frame, and the rest flew up and hit the car.

Turbo, wanna clear it up? My first gen was seperating inside, I might still have pics of it.. but they replaced it for me. The original fit like ***, the 2nd Gen fits a lot better.

As for hoodpins, if it is situation #2 .. that has nothing to do with hoodpins, tho they woulda helped hold it down. It shouldnt have seperated while driving.. if it did that means it wasnt cured to the frame.

 

thanks for people's kind words...

my fault? id say could be but in this situation i think its no, simple fact that i was driving under 35mph, if i was on the freeway going 100+mph then that would be a different story. anyways...it still shouldnt flip up. there is a safetly latch that keeps the hood down even if its popped up...(like not shut completely)

i know a few maxima guys with carbon fiber hoods, no hoodpins, that have no probs, i have alot of Honda friends with caron fiber hoods, no pins and no probs. My friend's 600hp Z has a carbon fiber hood and we've gone 160+mph in it and it didnt flip upwards. I think this is more then enough evidence or proof that hoodpins arent "necessary" but are "recommended"

btw, this happened the 1st day i took out the car after installing the hood. i was planning to get hoodpins soon.

 

Keep us posted on what FI has to say...
35mph, that explains it... It woulda been ugly at 65mph+...

I wonder if they can reinforce it from underneath still.

 

hehe i juss realized i dont have FiberImages phone number...

anyone got their info??

 

www.fiberimages.com

just a fax#... Email/call Mike at Motivational, he can get you the number... I've informed him of this thread, too...

 

661.274.9500

 

man, been calling for 2 days....no one answers! suck

 

Hmmm... maybe it's time for a Palmdale meet.

 

I have a CF hood on my burgundy max...
first, it took them a month and a half to get it to me. when it got here, there was a chip in the left corner (could be the shipping company's fault) Once I put it on, the center is too high so it is raised up above the fenders by about 1/4 of an inch, the back and front fit level, so can't raise it or lower it. My hood also came with a dull spot on the passenger side front. Lastly, the latch where it supposed to hook onto, doesn't latch on securely, so if you pull up on the hood hard enough it'll pop open, which got me to buy hood pins.
Personally, I would not get anything from them again. I've been told that I would have my hood within two weeks, but it took 6 weeks, and they never call you back, after they say "Let me call you right back"

 

Just wondering, do you guys have a gap about 1/4 inch wide on the passenger side of the hood? It seem the driver side doesn't have much of a gap, but the passenger side does. I just wonder should I worry because I don't want water getting into engine bay if it rains or when I wash my car because I got the Hanabi HIDs setup. I don't want water splashing onto the wires and control box.

 

Every defect described in every thread about these hoods is on ALL of the hoods. The passenger side bulge in the middle, the blemish on passenger side front that they tried to sand down but didn't complete, etc. They are all identical, and every hood has them. It is a problem with their mold. Basically their mold is fcked. I have 2 hoods and both of them are identical.

 

thats ghey.....is there anything to do about it?? does Fiberimages even care that their hoods have defects?

 

So, should I worry about the water or not? I thought about putting some weather strip on the side to block out any water, but that will look kind of dumb.

 

I seriously doubt that there would be enough water to screw up your electronics. You could always be careful and reposition your ballasts.

 

its up to you

my hood fits better than alot of the other ones i've seen, my problem i had a few times water get on the belts and it squeaks alot :-D

and uhhhmmm it seems like i get more dirt in the engine bay after the CF hood

now I have the CF hood Fiber Images gen one and guess what? I've been 130mph + hehehe and no hoodpins

Fiberimages has major quality control issues, Matt just got ****ed by them like alota other people have

I have the defects like everyone else even though my fitment seems to be pretty damn good hehe

there is no fault on Matt, hood pins are an option maybe a safety option... BUT its not like I see people on their Max's putting in extra crush zones or other safety ish in their car.

If Fiber images sold their hoods WITH hoodpins I would understand that we should put them on

 

Are you sure it's not all the driving you do through California?

 

Jesus Matthel, it never ends with you. I swear, if it wasn't for bad luck, you'd have no luck at all.

 

You got some pics of your carbon fiber hood? I want to see how "good" the fitment on your hood is.

Btw, I just ordered a set of Sparco hood pins. I noticed my hood was kind of flapping when I was on the highway today. Just in case, you never know.

 

ask any of the west coast Maxi guys Chunger and Matthel know... its not poerfect but it is better than most! you can see puics if you check out the Stillen Day coverage this weekend

and the hood does flex on the freeway especially with crosswinds

 

yea i know....i must be cursed or sumthin...maybe i should juss go stock. Stock is best! hehe.

Cumalot, is there any pics of the Sparco ones? i really hate to get hoodpins but looks like i will be getting some. wanna get as small as possible.

when i first saw Malik's hood, i thought the fitment and stuff sucked...but now that you think about it, his is like one of the best! hehe