Carbonfiber SS hood for 98+ Camaro
02-14-2007, 02:14 PM
#82
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C-Wings also makes carbonfiber doors and carbonfiber "berger" panels for the Camaro.
I wonder if it would be possible to get a Camaro near 3,000lbs with a CF hood, doors, hatch, spoiler, fenders, and berger panel?
I wonder if it would be possible to get a Camaro near 3,000lbs with a CF hood, doors, hatch, spoiler, fenders, and berger panel?
Last edited by LawmanSS; 02-16-2007 at 10:22 PM.
02-14-2007, 02:17 PM
#83
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expect to pay big bucks for that much carbon fiber but it can be done.
my experience with carbon fiber is it never fits right and there is always too big a gap between hood and fender and it looks like ****.
my experience with carbon fiber is it never fits right and there is always too big a gap between hood and fender and it looks like ****.
02-14-2007, 02:59 PM
#84
In a street car about the only viable option for weight saving carbon fiber parts would be a hood. Carbon fiber doors? You're just asking to get stabbed to death in a side impact collision. The fenders on our cars are major supporting elements of the unibody and if you were going to contract someone to make an aftermarket carbon fiber mold of them (lots of R&D) you might as well have them Berger-ize them. The rear berger panel on our cars has to weigh 5lbs and the spoiler weight savings would be nominal. The rear hatch in carbon fiber with lexan glass would definately reduce weight but you would be knocking off a lot of weight off that back end. You'll want some lbs's back there to help you hook up. I've stripped off 3-400lbs and with a 4400 stall, 4.10s and ET Streets she still gives me problems every now and then.
You can shed 500-600lbs of weight pretty quickly...
...!abs, !ac comp/condenser, !both airbags/brackets, !both bumper supports, !carpet/insulation, !catback, !door panels, !heatshieling/heater core, !EGR/AIR, !rear seats, !rear seatbelts, !speakers/panels, washer fluid/resevoir, !stock seats to kirkeys, !stock k-member to aftermarket, !stock a-arm to aftermarket, +dry cell battery, +lightweight brakes, +lightweight suspension, + 1999+ gas tank (for 98models), +tq converter, + drag wheels, + fiberglass hood, +lexan everywhere.
But then you wouldn't be to streetable.
The only point I'm trying to make is that you can't really have it both ways. The weight savings comparable to the amount you invested in carbon fiber parts really isn't worth it unless you are willing to drop all the dead weight from everywhere else. The money you spend on getting the carbon fiber parts for ~100-200lbs less weight TOPS is going to be significantly more money than you would have spent to add a cam, better set of heads, FI, N20, etc. The CF parts are going to be more for looks, which I'm fine with, but until your car is stripped and maxed out at 10seconds I would steer clear from buying carbon fiber everything for weight savings because there are many other things that will make you faster for the money. People are going stock internal 11s without carbon fiber everything...
You can shed 500-600lbs of weight pretty quickly...
...!abs, !ac comp/condenser, !both airbags/brackets, !both bumper supports, !carpet/insulation, !catback, !door panels, !heatshieling/heater core, !EGR/AIR, !rear seats, !rear seatbelts, !speakers/panels, washer fluid/resevoir, !stock seats to kirkeys, !stock k-member to aftermarket, !stock a-arm to aftermarket, +dry cell battery, +lightweight brakes, +lightweight suspension, + 1999+ gas tank (for 98models), +tq converter, + drag wheels, + fiberglass hood, +lexan everywhere.
But then you wouldn't be to streetable.
The only point I'm trying to make is that you can't really have it both ways. The weight savings comparable to the amount you invested in carbon fiber parts really isn't worth it unless you are willing to drop all the dead weight from everywhere else. The money you spend on getting the carbon fiber parts for ~100-200lbs less weight TOPS is going to be significantly more money than you would have spent to add a cam, better set of heads, FI, N20, etc. The CF parts are going to be more for looks, which I'm fine with, but until your car is stripped and maxed out at 10seconds I would steer clear from buying carbon fiber everything for weight savings because there are many other things that will make you faster for the money. People are going stock internal 11s without carbon fiber everything...
02-14-2007, 10:55 PM
#87
Originally Posted by DRSITES
Fitment is great, finish as well. Only complaint is that it's too light! Body shop says it weighs just under 14 lbs, and the hood struts are just way too much for it, I'll try to have them depressurized, but I may have to go without...
And yes, please, take all the pics you can, especially after the fitment is complete. If it's a boatload of weight savings over a Z28 hood, I might pick one up. My car is in the body shop right now waiting on a wheel. Thought I was going to go with a Sunco, but for $300 more...
02-16-2007, 10:49 AM
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Agreed. The fenders don't have any structural importance, but they're also extremely lightweight, they're a plastic and fiberglass composite. Same thing with the Hatch and the Tail panel. The only way to shave notable weight off the hatch is with Lexan. Honestly I'm not going to try to say that this hood would even be that big of a difference from a stock/aftermarket Fiberglass hood, you can shave that weight difference by eating salads for a week.... but it is a huge weight difference over stock-steel hoods. I haven't weighed it, but the hood struts are 78-lbs struts, which in my sales experience are usually pretty close (i.e. est. 78 lb hood). Thats a 60 lb savings, and in my opinion, it looks pretty good too. I'll load and post more pictures now, though I don't think I have an underside picture yet, I'll go out there this afternoon and snap one.
BTW, if anyone cares The paint pattern will be typical manta pattern, silver over CF with a CF SS "Scoop." It will also have 1/8" pinstriped CF along the sides, joining down at the point. Pretty typical, just the reverse paint scheme as usually required. I'm also having CF Vinyls made for the back hatch/spoiler to match the hood; as I said, it didn't make enough sense to pay the extra cash for CF parts that didn't save much weight. Pics to follow
BTW, if anyone cares The paint pattern will be typical manta pattern, silver over CF with a CF SS "Scoop." It will also have 1/8" pinstriped CF along the sides, joining down at the point. Pretty typical, just the reverse paint scheme as usually required. I'm also having CF Vinyls made for the back hatch/spoiler to match the hood; as I said, it didn't make enough sense to pay the extra cash for CF parts that didn't save much weight. Pics to follow
02-16-2007, 11:04 AM
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Additional CF Hood Pics Okay, so this is what the hood looks like, unpainted (mind you it came pre-gelled for show, in case someone wanted to not paint it).
This Pic show the only place that the lines don't match up, and I think once I've got hood struts on it again, I can adjust it so that it'll line up there too.
This is just a view from the rear, showing again the overall excellent fitment, and kind of showing the cowl height.
I'll go take pics of the underside today, but I'll warn you of this: If solid CF is left unpainted on the underside, sun bleeds through it, so they spray it with a thin flat black that helps with UV absorbance. You can still clearly tell that it's CF. There's actually a portion left unpainted, undoubtably to show it's composite. I suppose it's possible that this is just a bottom layer and it's Fiberglass between them...but I find that really unlikely, especially since you can see through the holes to the other side.
This Pic show the only place that the lines don't match up, and I think once I've got hood struts on it again, I can adjust it so that it'll line up there too.
This is just a view from the rear, showing again the overall excellent fitment, and kind of showing the cowl height.
I'll go take pics of the underside today, but I'll warn you of this: If solid CF is left unpainted on the underside, sun bleeds through it, so they spray it with a thin flat black that helps with UV absorbance. You can still clearly tell that it's CF. There's actually a portion left unpainted, undoubtably to show it's composite. I suppose it's possible that this is just a bottom layer and it's Fiberglass between them...but I find that really unlikely, especially since you can see through the holes to the other side.
02-18-2007, 08:53 PM
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Thanks guys. I have to admit that the thought did cross my mind to not paint it... but I think my paint pattern will look awesome, and since it got painted on Friday, I'll know tomorrow how it looks!
The hood actually sits flush (except for a 1/8" raise on the passenger front corner), it's just the effect of black on silver, I'll re-photo tomorrow to better show the fitment. I'm also unfortunately going to pin the hood down, I didn't want to, but I'm using the locking pins, so at least they're sort of stream-lined. I just don't want to take any chances of having it come off mid-way down the 1/4, ya know?
And price- First of all, since no sponsors offer this, I think it's cool that I post this, but if not, I appologize, just let me know and I'll edit the info.
--I bought it off ebay through Octane Motorsports for a Best Offer of $530, plus $150 shipping. C-Wings (www.importfan.com) <-- and yes, I know, but they're the only guys that sell it! is the actual manufacturer, but buying it direct through them you'll pay $699 plus shipping. Add your paint cost, if you choose so, which for a reverse manta w/ pin striping cost about $350 at my shop of choice. A good chunk of change for something that just looks pretty, but I'm getting close to where I want to be power/time wise, and I figured since my car was already being fixed (rear-ended) and paint was being matched, I mine as well do this. I'll post pictures, lots of pictures, when I get it back tuesday. I'll probably start a fresh thread then though.
The hood actually sits flush (except for a 1/8" raise on the passenger front corner), it's just the effect of black on silver, I'll re-photo tomorrow to better show the fitment. I'm also unfortunately going to pin the hood down, I didn't want to, but I'm using the locking pins, so at least they're sort of stream-lined. I just don't want to take any chances of having it come off mid-way down the 1/4, ya know?
And price- First of all, since no sponsors offer this, I think it's cool that I post this, but if not, I appologize, just let me know and I'll edit the info.
--I bought it off ebay through Octane Motorsports for a Best Offer of $530, plus $150 shipping. C-Wings (www.importfan.com) <-- and yes, I know, but they're the only guys that sell it! is the actual manufacturer, but buying it direct through them you'll pay $699 plus shipping. Add your paint cost, if you choose so, which for a reverse manta w/ pin striping cost about $350 at my shop of choice. A good chunk of change for something that just looks pretty, but I'm getting close to where I want to be power/time wise, and I figured since my car was already being fixed (rear-ended) and paint was being matched, I mine as well do this. I'll post pictures, lots of pictures, when I get it back tuesday. I'll probably start a fresh thread then though.
