Auto Accessories - Carbon Fiber Hoods

Ok let's talk about one of the most used and installed auto accessories in the market right, carbon fiber hoods. So exactly what is carbon fiber?

carbon fiber is a form of graphite in which these sheets are long and thin. You might think of them as ribbons of graphite. Bunches of these ribbons like to pack together to form fibers, hence the name carbon fiber(CF). These fibers aren't used by themselves. Instead, they're used to reinforce materials like epoxy resins and other thermosetting materials. We call these reinforced materials composites because they have more than one component. CF reinforced composites are very strong for their weight. They're often stronger than steel, but a whole lot lighter. Because of this, they can be used to replace metals in many uses, from parts for airplanes and the space shuttle to tennis rackets and golf clubs.

In this case the use is automotive hoods or bonnets as they are called in Europe. I haven't really found at what time the first CF hood was made, but most parts that are developed and are innovative usually come from development for the racing industry. The fact that CF has the highest specific tensile strength of all the reinforced materials (composite materials), and it has a high strength to weight ratio and low coefficient of thermal expansion. So for a racing vehicle part it is the perfect material. Bottom line: lightweight, strong, and great under heat.

So the industry catches on and they integrated it in almost every facet of the automotive industry. Hoods, fender, spoilers, mirrors are just some examples of where CF has caught on. But we are here to talk about hoods. So a hood can be as much as a 1/4 of your whole car. Adding a CF hood reduces weight(some manufacturers say up to 60% weight loss) and has great heat disipation qualities, if it has vents it can reduce the heat in your engine compartment by as much as 25% according to some of the greats in the industry. Now unfortunately I could not find any official unbiased results so I am going with what manufacturers are saying.

Now as for styles there are lots to chose from and this is what makes these auto accessories so perfect. Vents, no vents, mesh, original, and let's not forget in our shop alone we can get different colors: red, blue, yellow, gray and black to name a few. The industry has expanded enough that if someone needs custom work it is possible and this is what auto accessories is all about.

WARNING! Most people don't know that there different grades to CF; Grades A, B, C are the most popular. Grade A is what you are looking for and whom ever your buying should know this. Because the manufacturing of CF is not an exact science different grades are used to establish the quality of products. I am uncertain if it is a trend in the industry at this time but sellers might be tempted to pick up substandard parts and sell them as such. Buyer be warned.

Spool Motorsports.com specializes in the auto and truck accessories and performance industry with over 100,000 products ready to make your dreams come true. With over 15 years of experience in the aerospace and automotive industry Erik "Rex" Rexach owns one of the up and coming auto and truck accessories business in the internet.


By Erik S Rexach