Carbon Fiber Hoods

Precision Proformance sells one, it's actually right on the front page of their website as a special. It looks to have the late style Pantera Si type cooling vents.

http://www.precisionproformance.com/pantera.htm and click on the photo. Sells for $795

Julian

Get the exact measurements of both your hood and the hood you are thinking about buying.

When I replaced mine with a fiberglass one, it didn't fit. It was to big. It was no big deal since it was fiberglass and can be sanded down easily to fit and then painted. Which I did.

However, if you plan on leaving the carbon fiber hood in it's natural state with the fibers showing through the clear coat, doing anything to the edges is going to tear up the carbon fiber threads along the edges and your only recourse will be painting it to hide the damage caused by the sanding to the threads on the edges.

At least that's been my experience working with natural finished carbon fiber that's been clear coated anyway.

Good point coz. I was thinking of haveing an opening in the top large enough to let all air pass through the top. This way I can close off the bottom. This takes away the aerodynamic "hovercraft" effect. I like the PP hood but wondering if there are eny with bigger holes.

What you could probably do is get a hold of PI and have them, have the maker, enlarge the holes when they make you one and before they do the final layer of carbon fiber and clear coat it.

I would also give them the exact measurements off your current hood that you know fits.

I haven't seen any hoods with bigger vent holes other than the ones your talking about.

I may just open up the hood when I get it. I have seen a few people open them up more. I could probably do it in a way where the opening is trimmed and painted but left the rest of the hood CF. It wouldn not be the best looking but I really like the idea of ducting the air out the top.

I know what you mean and it's a great idea.
When I went with the fiberglass hood, I now see the amount of upward force the airflow is causing under the hood.

At higher speeds, 70+, my hood starts to bow up. All I have on my hood vent wise is the 2 little hibachi type vents.

I really like the GT-40 style hood, but I haven't seen anyone that makes this type for the Pantera yet.

Don't forget to have them put the gurney flap just before the openings to deflect air over the hot air coming out. Just like what Mad do did to his.

I don't remember exactly which issue of PI it was but there was feature of a GR5 car with a GT40 style hood cut out.The car with the Yellow stripes over the top.I dont recall if it mentioned the brand of the hood or if it was fabbed. It had a pic of the trunk showing the front of it cut out for the hood to slope in. I lend my mags out to spread the word so I cant tell you which issue it was exactly but I think It was the one with the two GR4 cars on the cover?

I'd have to look at which issue it was when I get home tonight, but it was Nathan Giles EX3 Pantera. He did some pretty extensive mods all in steel, GT40 style hood, air scoop in the roof and extra wide GT5 flares etc. See the mods here http://www.ex3.com/racing/bodymod.html

This was a $$ no concern transition and according to the web site done by Maverick Racing Unlimited in Mesa, AZ.

I'm sure someone will lay up a hood to your specs, if it were me I'd give Kirk Evans a shout he's a wizard when it come to composites.

Julian

Juloian I have looked quite a bit at that one. I know it ain't pretty but it may do what I want. I may even buy a carbon fiber good and fabricate a duct myself. I was just hoping some one offered it so I didn't have to sort that out too.

Comp2,

Question is are you set on having a CF hood?

It would be inherently easier and likely a less costly option to convert a steel hood. Just make two cuts, roll down and weld in some triangular infill pieces. Precision Proformance advertises a number of 45 degree hood vents (and even skins) in both steel and aluminum.

There were two hoods on ebay this last week that sold for around $250 each.

Julian

quote:

Originally posted by Joules5:
Comp2,

Question is are you set on having a CF hood?


Julian

Probably. I like the lightness and the strength. I wouldn't worry about it on the push button but I think I can keep this car under 3K lbs. That's my goal anyway.

Apart from the hood, what do you do to the front trunk to get air to flow through that??? It looks like the bow of a boat and I am certain something would have to be done to it to get air to flow through it.

I know it does but funtionally it's what I want. Maybe you can call it "anti-bling". By laying the radiator forward there is quite an area that can escape through the top. By exiting the air out the top instead of bottom it should help reduce the lift at high speeds. The air is normall ducted through the radiator then under the car which acts like a hovercraft.

Comp2,

I'm with you on the functionality issue, and as an owner of a very expensive Carbon Fiber hood, I can tell you if I had to do it all over again, I would do aluminum or steel.

Oh sure, the CF hood is lighter (6-7 lbs vs around 35), so light in fact you do NOT leave it propped open on breazy days. And in spite of me having it painted to match the rest of the car to avoid "the rice look", over time the paint shrinks and the weave shows.....argh!

Lastly, I have yet to see an aftermarket hood in either glass or carbon that "fit right", they all seem to have that 24" long arch around the headlight area that protrudes upwards 1/4" or so. But if you want to give it a try, get one of the hoods without vents from P.I. (your gonna cut your own anyway), buy some raw carbon mat from Tap Plastics and give it a whirl.

To make it worth while, I would re-configure the hood latch to something more modern like electric/remote release.

quote:

Originally posted by comp2:
I know it does but funtionally it's what I want. Maybe you can call it "anti-bling". By laying the radiator forward there is quite an area that can escape through the top. By exiting the air out the top instead of bottom it should help reduce the lift at high speeds. The air is normall ducted through the radiator then under the car which acts like a hovercraft.

Oh yeah Gary. I agree 100 percent. I was just saying it is a bigger job than just buying a hood and slapping it on. A well thought out air flow pattern will act like a wing on the front of the car, holding to the road as you blast over 200 MPH>

Low and behold, carbon fiber hoods on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PANTERA-CARBON-FIBER-HOO...dZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

That is the same picture as Precision ProFormance has on their website. I understand that it is a good hood for the money spent. I was told that it is fiberglass covered with carbon fiber and only $795.00 and I have seen carbon fiber hoods for twice that or more.

Also I understand that Nathan Giles body work was done all in steel by a place called Leonards restorations, or Restorations by Leonard something like that, which is in Phoenix, Az. down by the state fair grounds. Dan from Maverick Racing finished everything else on the car, which was originally started by Larry Pond almost 8 years ago, who then sold things to Dan.

Here's another approach:

http://www.carbon-goeke.de/

Click on "DeTomaso Panthera"

quote:

Here's another approach:

http://www.carbon-goeke.de/

Click on "DeTomaso Panthera"

Ken Green (not on this list) got taken for a carbon fiber piece from an outfit/guy in Germany. Like about $2000.

This may the the guy. I'll check and get back with the info.

Larry