Guest mr.makaveli Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 Anyone have an idea on weights of the following hoods? http://www.classicdatsun.com/new/240_glass.html http://www.arizonazcar.com/hoods.html Starting a 240z turbo project gathering info and would like to know which you think is better money non withstanding. I like the idea of the cooling ducts on the az car hood and the weight savings though I don't know how much it would be over stock in either case. http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=50-1440&Category_Code=7BSA That is my favorite hood so far, a little different but I think it would be much heavier than stock. Opinions please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love-my-V8-280Z Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 WARNING!! Stay away from ArizonaZcar WARNING!! I myself have called them and emailed them, attitude problems... Check the history you will find several bad stories... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 I must disagree. I've spent a bunch with them and Have nothing but good things to say about Dave and Arizona Z car. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love-my-V8-280Z Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 good, I feel bad, bad mouthing anyone.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 There's a new kid in town: http://www.betamotorsports.com/products/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 Very nice John, I hadn't seen these before! I love the 42lb weight savings on the rear hatch especially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicker240 Posted May 29, 2004 Share Posted May 29, 2004 I have bought a good bit of stuff at Arizona Zcar also,and although there were a few problems,nothing that Dave did'nt take care of.Really 1st quality stuff that is holding up quite well to my constant abuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramercyjam Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 There's a new kid in town: http://www.betamotorsports.com/products/index.html mmmmmmmmm. 10 lbs. Must have carbon fiber hood. Carbon fiber hood essential to my being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 So what is the practical difference between a fiberglass or carbon fiber hood that is pinned on? Just weight? Seems like John's been making a bit of a noise about "cheap" carbon fiber too. What's the difference??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Weight and strength. Actually, there's no such thing as "cheap" carbon fiber - prices have started to increase again for some types. What's "cheap" is how some CF parts are made. Ignoring fiberglass hoods that have a layer of CF over a fberglass core (I don't consider these CF hoods), making a hood out of two or three layers of CF cloth does create a very light hood. But they also tend to be fragile and can warp or move over time. Adding some kind of honeycomb core and reinforced mounting points makes a hood considerably stronger without adding much weight. It also adds to the time it takes to make the hood and requires bagging and 24 to 30 hours of curing time. Now, the big question is usage. Does it make sense for someone racing a $5,000 240Z to spend 10%+ of the vehicle's worth on a CF hood? Probably not. A fiberglass hood will work just fine for that application and give the racer 80% of the benefits. Also, if a racer does a lot of wheel-to-wheel in a series that turns a blind eye to contact on the track, fiberglass parts are probably a better solution. CF hoods are strong, but they still lose to a 2,000 lb steel vehicle. Also, CF and fiberglass hoods can be a pain for maintenance. Pinned on hoods need to be put somewhere when you're working on the car. They also tend to "fly" with any kind of good breeze if you set them down in a windy spot. A hood with the inner frame let's you avoid this but using the stock attachment hardware adds back some of the weight you're trying to eliminate. But, CF hoods they are pretty damn cool and you think that every time you pick it up to put it back on the car. And taking weight out of the top of the car helps it transition better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 What about spoilers for hatches? Are they more prone to come apart if you're using a fiberglass hatch? I know John Washington just started offering a "skin only" 7 lb fiberglass hatch. Seems like if you put a spoiler on that it would flex a lot, possibly come apart? Would it be better to get one with the inside frame if running a spoiler? Sorry for the extreme ignorance, and thanks for answering dumb questions. Hood and particularly the hatch seem like the best things to do, because they get that high weight off the car, but I don't want to get something and have it last a couple races then be patching the glass... Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mr.makaveli Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Well as long as we are asking dumb questions , here's a good one. I am not familar with carbon fiber hoods. Can they look as good painted as a fiber glass one? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 The rear hatch I sell (built by Benchmark Composites) has a full inner frame whether its made from CF or fiberglass. I'm running a pretty good sized aluminum spoiler (as seen in the pitcures) on the CF hatch and I've had no issue. My car still has the rubber gasket around the hatch opening and that's what the hatch is pressing down on. I don't know how well a hatch skin will stand up to some downforce, but we are looking at maybe 200lbs max even with the most effective rear spoiler. Now, if you were runnign a wing... A CF or Fiberglass hood can be made to look rear nice under paint. You do have some surface texture with CF or fiberglass, but a light skim coat of spot putty and a couple good primer coats can get rid of that. On my web side, the picture I have that implies a fiberglass hood is really my CF hood painted. It cost me $600 to have my hatch and hood painted. FYI... the guy that I take my car to for paint is Mitch Lanzini - the guy that paints all the cars on the Overhaulin' TV show (http://Http://www.lanzinibodyworks.com). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zachb55 Posted May 31, 2004 Share Posted May 31, 2004 There's a new kid in town: http://www.betamotorsports.com/products/index.html mmmmmmmmm. 10 lbs. Must have carbon fiber hood. Carbon fiber hood essential to my being. YOU SEE THAT CAR FOR SALE???????? ARGGGG, my dream Z only 31,000 with a trailer! who wants to donate to the "help zach buy a kick ass car" fund? any takers? ok maybe im on my own but its mine baby! -Zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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