Carbon Fiber Hood

[tgv121281]

Guys need some advice.....www.customcarbons.com has a c/f hood for the 3 and its priced at $499, then I found these guys who are alot less...is there significantly different grade levels?? Why so cheap?? Check it out...
http://eccmotorsports.com/enter.html

Let me know what you all think, I dont have any problem with paying more for a higher quality product, but I do have a problem with paying more for something thats not noticable....as I'm sure everyone else does...

 

[CarbonMz3]

I got the cheaper one... here are the pics, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it...

 

[tgv121281]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was wondering when someone would friggin answer!!lol

Can you do me a BIGGGGG favor??? can you take a bunch of pics and email thme or post them here?? My email is tvalenziano@yahoo.com I'd love to see closeups, the edges, underneathit, where it meets w/ the headlights, and where it the grille is...also did it come predrilled w/ the holes for the washers??? are you putting them on your new hood?? Was installation a direct replacement using all the same bolts exactly the way the OEM one is??
Was the hood a PERFECT fit?? Did you need to do any modifications???

I would reallllllly appreciate all this info from you...I know I'm being a pain in the ass, but please bare with me!!!!!!!! You are the man!!! (bowdown)

 

[CarbonMz3]

I'll have to take pictures tommorow, but as soon as I do, I'll post them with explanations...

 

[tgv121281]

You are da man, what else can I say......if there's anything I can help YOU with in the future...say the word

 

[mobomelter]

hey carbonmz3 how much was your hood? and does it utilize the stock latch and grille?

 

[tgv121281]

fyi here's the site....www.eccmotorsports.com

price is there, as for the other questions.....wait for him to get back to you...

 

[CarbonMz3]

the hood latch is fine, but the grille is another issue. I was gonna explain more when i posted the pics, but its a pain... I could only put 3 bolts on it because of the hood shape. However it caused no problems with clearance or being too loose. Hope that answers your question.

 

[CarbonMz3]

Too add on to the problems, there are only two more minor things. MY hood was little more down on the driver side(fixed with a washer), And you have to buy an aftermarket windshield washer nozel(I just put the stock one on, but had to break the bottom piece so it will fit. The cause of it, I can't put my hoses back on it) I didn't want to spend $20 on the stupid chrome with led light.
I'll illustrate more with pics, hopefully tommorow!

 

[mobomelter]

bummer. i'm trying to find a hood that is pretty much an exact replacement but made out of carbon fiber.

 

[tgv121281]

Well motomelter, customcarbons.com has one as well that is $500....thats why I started this thread...I wanted to know which was better....try contacting them and asking them about what Carbonmz3 was mentioning...if it has the same problems, then we'll go the less expensive route...if it EXACT, then we have to make a decision of whether or not to spend the extra $$$.

I'm really interested in seeing how you resolved everything Carbonmz3, so please let us know-thanks!!!!

 

[mobomelter]

yeah he said you had to buy an aftermarket windshield washer nozle. i had those on my focus and they were useless. so its worth the extra money if i can find an exact copy of the stock hood in carbon fiber.

 

[pb4ugoout]

dont want to rain on anyones parade here but wanted to inform. there is another thread that popped up recently about fading on VIS hoods. They have been on the car for about a year and are starting to turn yellow. Now i realize that you didn't buy VIS and i commend you for that, but with carbon fiber you really really get what you pay for. I recently bought a DG hood for my MSP and it was 550 plus shipping. I have seen many c/f hoods on many different cars. Every single VIS hood i have ever seen has had some sort of defect, wave, ripple, spot, whatever, in the weave, and none have ever fit perfect. Now my hood doesn't fit perfectly but i chalk it up to a handmade one at a time product, but my weave is perfect. I'm not trying to say that those who purchased the less expensive hood bought a bad product. I am just saying please be careful. find someone who has had a hood, made by the company in question, on his/her car for at least a year. ask them if it still looks the same as day one or if anything has changed. just trying to help people get the most for their money. VIS claims their hoods will not fade, however there is proof in pictures that the hoods are turning yellow. just watch out folks

 

[Brian MP5T]

Nice Hood!

 

[CarbonMz3]

Sorry guys, diddn't get a chance to take pictures last night(late night at work), I'll get on it tonight after work. I forgot to tell you about one MAJOR detail about the hood! I couldn't use the stock bolts on it(you can if you have a dremel tool and make the whole bigger, I don't have on...), but you can use other things(I used screw,washer, and anchor) to hold it in place(it's alot tighter). Anyways I'll take pictures and try to explain more tonight.
And about fading... that's just when they use the crappy UV protective spray, and gets the greenish overtone on the clearcoat. I personally don't have that problem(I did with my prelude's hood), but theres nothing you can do about(not under the warranty). It just like getting a bad batch of cookies~you dont know until you get it.

 

[tgv121281]

Just to clarify, the hoods we are talking about arent VIS right? This is another make you are talking about??? Or is it a TYPE of hood that certain companies make?? Just want to make sure...this is a big investment after all...It's hard to find someone thats had it for a year b/c most of the products just came out...But I sincerely appreciate the info, and you're not raining on anyone's parade...Like I mentioned below, I dont care about paying more as long as the quality is what I'm paying for, and I'm not just gettin screwed out of money...

 

[CarbonMz3]

Yeah just to clarify, it is the ECC motors one. Not to bash the company, but just stating the fact about what came through the mail to ME. And what I had to do so the hood will work.

 

[pb4ugoout]

wasn't saything that you would have to find that specific hood but if the company has been around for a while try to find someone who has one of their products. someone has to have one somewhere. i'm sure there are are a few on cardomain.

 

[CarbonMz3]

Alright, here we go!!! First I'll start off with the hood bracket issue. I couldn't use the stock bolt(no dremmel tool), so I used anchor and screws instead. Also, I had to put a washer on my driver side bottom one to get a better fitment of the hood. Next 2 pics shows the quality of the CF(bad azz shiny!). Moving on~, this pic show the one bolt that I could not do on the grill because the dang thread can't come through.... And the last one for this post is the hood latch. I don't remember who asked, but it is fine and is no problem(???).

 

[CarbonMz3]

Ok, to continue, these are pics of the fitment of the hood. I tried to get some pics of the important areas where the fitment is supurb! And to get on to our last topic of issue, it is a pic of the windshiel washer nozzel. It is on there, but not functional. Like I said before, I needed to buy the aftermarket windshield washer nozzel(not interested).