oooo hostility(sp)
i gotta go wit VQ on this one...
CF isnt rice
Rice-a-roni is

and stop this rice thing sheesh...
just say its ugly...
why we have to use rice?

 

This is a perfect example of a jack-*** ricer... "Awwww yeah, I got's the CF hood, *bling* ***** fuggin *bling*... Oh ****, I rolled my car because my CF hood didn't make me a better driver."

 

Do you understand anything about lessening rotational mass and the obvious benefits of a CF driveshaft? Are you a racer? Did you join NASA or SCCA? Gonna put a banner on your dad's Z?

Enjoy your CF hood. OH BOY!!! You sheared 7.865 pounds off the front end with you your CF hood!!! WOO HOO!!!

 

after reading everyone's thoughts on the CF hood. I think it really comes down to the look of the car. Even though saving 5-7 lbs is nice, most people wont be racing the car or in a postion where the investment of the hood, and other light weight items will make big pay offs on daily driving.

dan

 

EXACTLY.

 

Do YOU understand that being a better driver is the greatest investment you can make? Before going mod happy, how about enrolling in a performance driving school or spending some time in a kart. Otherwise, you might end up like the guy in the ITR pictured above.

 

I don't think the "rice" comments are due to the fact that the hood is CF, it could be fiberglass for all I care, if it has a proven improvement at a price I could justify I would probably do it BUT NOT in black, please for esthetic reasons paint the thing. I think the "rice" comments are coming more from the "look" than from any improvements it may offer. I am not that old but I grew up wanting to have as much of the car in the same color trying to remove any chrome that may be on the car and paint the same color of the car so to see a hood like the pictures you have shown just goes against my human nature. But as somone said "if it floats your boat" go for it, I just don't want people to start think that this beautiful 27-37K car is just a toy for 'moronic" mods and we start to be compared to Civic's and the like.

 

droidekaus...there's no reason to get all over VQ.

Obviously you and i agree on the driving part and the look. But that doesn't mean VQ's idea is dead wrong.

If he seems more inclined to have a Show car look, fine with me.

Chill with the lecture

dan

 

Agreed. Sorry, VQ. No more...

Bottom line is that IMO there is very little tangible benefit for a CF hood on a daily driver. It's all for show, again IMO, and the only people who get a hard-on for one are other enthusiasts.

 

Thank you!

Speaking of which, JManz, did you get my PM about the possibility of having a Competition (Road Racing / AutoX) forum?

 

I personally like the style of the CF hood, but generally with lighter colors that offer a significant contrast. Personally, I don't consider something rice until it begins to detract from performance, or is WILDLY distasteful. Painting your metal hood black to make people think it's CF is rice. Owning a CF hood, imo, is not.

Back to the picture-

I dig the CF hood, but the non color matched bodykit doesn't do much for me. It reminds me a lot of a Prelude that is often parked near the Golds Gym that I go to. He added a bodykit but hasn't gotten the money together to paint it. I suppose it might help if it's very obviously painted, but still, not my thing.

Nice photoshop job, though!

 

Primered cars and / or unpainted body kits are the worst. If you don't have the money to paint it, don't put it on your car until you do.

 

To each his own.

I go back to the '60s, and a few factory Muscle Cars had flat black hoods. Early Shelby Mustangs had fiberglass hoods. Some Ford GT40's that raced at Lemans had flat black hoods. Back then, the idea was to reduce the suns reflections.

Then, as now, some people want to make their daily driver look as cool as real race cars.

As for me, I'll be quite happy with the aluminum hood, with OEM paint, thank you.

But those black 5 spoke NISMO single nut wheels, well that's another story

Peace

 

uhh to each his own... but to the certain indivduals that have taken such a high horse preachy attitude against RICE... a big middle finger to you.

I dont subscribe to the ricey kid image either, but for some of you to take such aggressive positions against other people's individual tastes just because you think you are on such a higher level of "street show car vs. track go car" knowledge and consciousness is complete BS.

If you dont like something then ignore the post... people interested in carbon fiber hoods were enjoying the thread and appreciating the photoshop efforts of the guy taking the time to do it.

i'm just tired of so called "mature" old fart traditionalists taking the elitist "i'm older, smarter about cars so you shouldnt waste your money on things i consider rice" position.

By the way... i DO NOT consider an UNPAINTED carbon fiber hood to be RICE.

nuff said

 

Hey guys,

If you want the very best quality CF hoods at a great price, you want to contact Hammerhead Aviation in California. Their roots are in aviation, and so they know exactly how to make CF parts that actually fit like an OEM piece.

Us S2k guys have a choice of J's Racing (vented, $1k), Fiber Images (about $600), Mugen (vented with CAI bulge, $2400) and Powerhouse Amuse (vented, $2500) hoods and quite frankly people have been disappointed with the Fiber Images hood and the way it fits. The Mugen fit and finish is absolutely OEM quality, but for that money it should be. The J's Racing is a good hood, but not perfect, currently the best bang for the buck. The Amuse is the hood everybody worships (expect them to make one for the 350Z), but is rediculously expensive. It only weighs about 5 lb though.

Anyways, Hammerhead is currently designing us a Powerhouse Amuse style vented hood and projected cost is only going to be about $600. They are designing a drainage system in the hood so that water does not pour through the vent onto the electronics when it rains. Also, they are pulling a few pounds out of the stock aluminum hood's 20lb weight.

So, I can keep you guys posted on what they turn up, they should have design sketches ready in a couple of weeks.

But if I were you guys, I'd stay away from all the rice shops and search out the best quality that may be a little off the beaten path. The 350Z deserves nothing but the best (at an affordable price, of course!)

 

CF is a matter of taste and functionality.
I personality like them, but I wouldn't want one on a chrome silver and there are other mod that that give performance per dollar.

I think most of us are annoyed with "ricer" not because they have CF etc.. but 1. because of their exhaust, those damn things are so loud and 2. they think the public road is a race track.

 

A vented CF hood can reduce your underhood temps by over 10 degrees Celsius. That ain't a bad reason in itself to have one. Nobody yet knows how hot/not the 350Z runs.

 

Some might think a CF hood is ricey since a lot of ricer civic people , specially here in L.A., They spray paint their hoods black to make it look like a CF hood while it isn't. It basically looks like **** but it's a good laugh when you see one on the street.