Carbon Fiber hood?
#3
05-14-2015, 01:44 AM
Depends on a lot of things honestly. I'm pretty new here, but I have been on BMW forums for years and those guys go crazy over carbon fiber parts.
How many people here track their Fit? I assume not many.
Is it double sided carbon fiber? Or single sided with a fiberglass skeleton?
How much weight savings would the CF hood offer? How heavy is the stock hood vs the possible CF hood? Carbon fiber is pretty expensive, and although it's getting cheaper as time goes on, the Fit is already pretty light and cheap. How much would the hood affect the handling?
How many people on here mod their Fits focusing on cosmetics? Even if people don't track the car, the modding community might be interested just for the looks. I know BMW people put on mirror caps and other minor CF accents (which actually add weight...) just for looks. People with more money and people who track their cars tend to buy the CF trunks, hoods, bumpers, etc.
What's the price? My BMW's Seibon hood was almost $900. Seibon trunk was $400 "used" from a private seller but actually unused as in never mounted.The diffuser was $300. The price an average BMW owner vs an average Honda Fit owner is willing to put into cosmetic mods may be different.
I have a friend who has a contact at a carbon fiber factory in China. At one point I investigated starting a CF part business with him. This wasn't just a fleeting idea, we thought that if it could be profitable, we would dedicate ourselves to it. He was interested in lightweight rifle components, I was interested in lightweight car parts. We wanted to create CF parts with higher quality control than in most China-made carbon fiber, but with the advantage of a lower price. We tried to figure out how our possible profits would fare versus the cost of a mold (the most expensive thing), plus materials, labor, shipping, etc. We eventually both decided that the demand was not enough for the parts in either case. Gun lovers don't care too much about weight savings, and BMW owners already had plenty of options for CF parts. The markets that didn't have as many parts available (such as 1 series), were not large enough to have enough of a consumer base to justify the cost of production.
I think a carbon fiber hood would be pretty cool. It could shave a few lbs off the front of the car and balance the weight distribution better. I'd buy one for a reasonable price. But personally, I don't know if the cost of making a mold and actually weaving the fiber and producing the part would be cost efficient at all. I know there are Fits that perform at motorsports events, but I think unless you're wealthy and eccentric that there's no reason to make your own mold, etc, or else you'd be out of a lot of money.
How many people here track their Fit? I assume not many.
Is it double sided carbon fiber? Or single sided with a fiberglass skeleton?
How much weight savings would the CF hood offer? How heavy is the stock hood vs the possible CF hood? Carbon fiber is pretty expensive, and although it's getting cheaper as time goes on, the Fit is already pretty light and cheap. How much would the hood affect the handling?
How many people on here mod their Fits focusing on cosmetics? Even if people don't track the car, the modding community might be interested just for the looks. I know BMW people put on mirror caps and other minor CF accents (which actually add weight...) just for looks. People with more money and people who track their cars tend to buy the CF trunks, hoods, bumpers, etc.
What's the price? My BMW's Seibon hood was almost $900. Seibon trunk was $400 "used" from a private seller but actually unused as in never mounted.The diffuser was $300. The price an average BMW owner vs an average Honda Fit owner is willing to put into cosmetic mods may be different.
I have a friend who has a contact at a carbon fiber factory in China. At one point I investigated starting a CF part business with him. This wasn't just a fleeting idea, we thought that if it could be profitable, we would dedicate ourselves to it. He was interested in lightweight rifle components, I was interested in lightweight car parts. We wanted to create CF parts with higher quality control than in most China-made carbon fiber, but with the advantage of a lower price. We tried to figure out how our possible profits would fare versus the cost of a mold (the most expensive thing), plus materials, labor, shipping, etc. We eventually both decided that the demand was not enough for the parts in either case. Gun lovers don't care too much about weight savings, and BMW owners already had plenty of options for CF parts. The markets that didn't have as many parts available (such as 1 series), were not large enough to have enough of a consumer base to justify the cost of production.
I think a carbon fiber hood would be pretty cool. It could shave a few lbs off the front of the car and balance the weight distribution better. I'd buy one for a reasonable price. But personally, I don't know if the cost of making a mold and actually weaving the fiber and producing the part would be cost efficient at all. I know there are Fits that perform at motorsports events, but I think unless you're wealthy and eccentric that there's no reason to make your own mold, etc, or else you'd be out of a lot of money.
#4
05-14-2015, 01:58 AM
Ive actually got a 3D scanner, cnc router, and 2 100 yard rolls of carbon that have been sitting around, 2k and 4k I need to look further into what it would cost me and hours invested but shouldnt be to bad I'll try to get some numbers together and get making the one for my car so we know weight differences and such, my plan it to do two layer cf skin and skeleton 100% carbon
#6
05-17-2015, 04:17 PM
Welcome to our forum
I have moved your thread to the correct section to allow you to gauge interest in a GK CF hood
Please note that if you would like to sell this product you will need to be a vendor to do so but you may gauge interest without becoming a vendor
I have moved your thread to the correct section to allow you to gauge interest in a GK CF hood
Please note that if you would like to sell this product you will need to be a vendor to do so but you may gauge interest without becoming a vendor
#7
05-18-2015, 08:59 PM
GK and be something like the peice pictured on this fit extending the hood out a little on the top edge covering the wipers cleaning up the airflow http://www.bodykits.net/images/bodyk.../166545/00.jpg
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