carbon fiber

[lilldevil]

Anyone gotta clue if anyone makes a carbon fiber hood for the Saturns? Can one be fitted off of another, say Honda?

[Herb]

I believe that somewhere on this message board that there was a person looking for people who wanted carbon fiber hoods. A manufacturer will make the hoods only if they can make a certain amount of hoods. I would suppose this is due to productions costs. You could try to look back at the topics on this board or maybe someone else will respond.

[SCTT]

I am making a list of those that want carbon fiber hoods myself included! I need to know what year and model your car is and I'll see how many of us will go for it.

Dayle Crane - 2001 SC2

[AdAm]

i have a 2001 sc2, carbon fiber hood would be sweet :)

[BrAnDon]

I've got a 92 Sl2 that would look sweet with a carbon fiber hood

[Whelan]

Hey,

Be careful using a composite hood. My friend has one for his Mustang and I have known many others who have bought them. They can develop stress cracks very easily and because they are pre-cut, can bend during shipment and also fit awkwardly, they will go on, but they have been known to have the edges lift up and become uneven with the rest of the car.

[SCDYNE]

That brings up a good point. There are different techniques used in building carbon fiber products. Most of us are exposed to fiber-glassed carbon fiber where the technique is the same as it is in fiber glassing except the cloth used is carbon fiber. This is not that big of a deal if the epoxy used matches the stiffness you expect. If it's too stiff stress cracks form and if it's too soft it flexes under wind stress. This flexing can be prevented by using hood pins, but not everyone wants that look.. Costs about $600 to do.
The other technique is Kelmed Carbon fiber. This is where the beginning is about the same as the fiber glassed way, except that the product is baked in a Kelm for a length of time. This gives the carbon fiber the flexibility, strength, and heat resistance it's famous for. Costs about $1500 to do, because of volume and required Kelm size.

There are other techniques used, but they are not a solution here. Spun carbon fiber thread like how the nose cone of the X-33 is built is for forming complex 3D objects with strict tolerances. I don't even want to imagine what it would cost for anything done this way as only a hand full of facilities in the US have the ability to do this one being FiberSet in Mojave Cali where the JSF and other Aircraft parts are made..
The last technique is injection molded carbon fiber. It's just like injection molded fiberglass technique and just not a solution in this case...

I have seen the Gen2 SC2 Hoods from AeroDuo and they are nice but VERY flexible and even see through..
If I could have it my way I would produce all the body panels from Carbon fiber and use a pearl iridescent gel coat for finish. It would look Hot!

[Abe95SC2]

Adam:

Do you mean Kiln instead of Kelm or is this some new sort of equipment that I have not heard of??

Just wondering,
Abe.

[SIYAM]

i have about 19 square feet of raw carbon fiber. it is kinda like cloth, but i have no ideas how to harden it. does anybody know, because it would make my hood scoop look really cool. thanks
Ian

[Cheeks]

Catalyst, tell me more about these gen2 hoods you speak of, would they fit a 97sc2? I like the idea of a see through hood, that would be original, especially around here (as if mine doesn't stand out enough, its the only modified saturn here, that looks decent anyway). There are possibilities with this though...

[SCDYNE]

ya, I'm taking about the process of heating the unit at high temperatures for extended periods of time. Kiln or oven. I don't know how I screwed that up so many times...

The way you would harden your cloth would be to get some epoxy resin and mold it just like you would fiberglass. I must warn you though if you are not expierenced with this process practice a lot before you jump in with both feet. It can be dangerous and if mixed wrong could cause a fire..
Have you ever burned yourself on JB Weld? Well imagine 10 times the chemical reaction.

Most automotive paint supply shops have the proper stuff to buy and you can even find books on how to do it too.. If you have ever made a Piñata or paper mashie this is about the same except here if you get the glue on you it doesn't come off and leaves chemical burns..

AeroDuo's hoods are just standard cross woven fiber hoods. My reference to them being see through is refering to the fact they are thin enough to see shadows and light through them. I didn't mean they were made from polyester or Lexan. You can order them from <a href="http://www.carbonfiberhoods.com" target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://www.carbonfiberhoods.com</a><!--auto--> $699. Check it out they are OEM style and fit from 1997-2000. They are made by fiberworks.
I wish they would design a 2001+ model with a hood scoop like the Celica or close to that, it looks so kewl..

[SCDYNE]

That's Fiber Images not Fiber Works. <a href="http://www.fiberimages.com" target="_blank"><!--auto-->http://www.fiberimages.com</a><!--auto-->
OH, F##K Me! They are located in the heart of Aircraft technology research and development. I was looking at the images on the site and thought, "Damn that looks like the industrial park on 6th Street East in palmdale." After searching the site for a contact form I find the address, they are located in Palmdale Ca. Where I live.
Let me make some phone calls tomorrow and see what we can get done. I have access to the different year cars so if they don't already have units available I'll see about getting some made. Fiberimages doesn't sell to the public, but if they make them we can get them via a distributer..

I think my dream of having an all carbon fiber Saturn is going to come true.....

[SoCalSaturnsGuzzis]

Okay, this is an interesting thread. But I gotta ask this question. All these lightweight, aftermarket hoods being discussed have to be for "off-road use only", right? I can't imagine a carbon fiber hood would be street legal. Seems that such a hood would be mostly for poser value, and the money would be better spent on other go-fast goodies?

On motorcycles, unless you're into racing, carbon fiber goodies might look cool, but on a cost per hp basis, they don't add up, and they don't last longer than stainless or other metals. Carbon fiber front and rear fenders for my '95 Moto Guzzi Sport cost over $500, and the weight savings are laughable, especially since I don't have a rear fender to begin with!

Surely, for the cost of a carbon fiber hood, one could get some suspension and engine parts for the same amount money (upper strut tie bar, head, tb, header exhaust, etc)? Such mods would definitely get you more hp for the buck, as opposed to a carbon fiber hood?

Robert Brooks
Fillmore, CA

[Heartbeat - '95 SL2]

SoCalSaturnsGuzzis' comments got me thinking. Wouldn't carbon fiber hoods also make the car more unsafe in the event of a crash? I thought the hood was part of the crumple zone which absorbs energy.

[Abe95SC2]

Saftey be damned!! Carbon fiber is cool!! :)