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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

carbom bonnet? or not?


a98pmalcolm

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hay guys, just wondering what peoples opinions on carbom bonnets are?

 

Im quite interested in the abflug one which is this one

 

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3039/bonnetq.th.jpg

 

and this is my car

 

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8903/14072009275.th.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/3294/14072009276.th.jpg

 

coold thing i was thinking aswell is that it would mach the carbon on my TRD spoiler.

And most importantly reduce weight.

 

Its not just a standard carbon bonnet either its a new type of carbon called Hybrid Carbon so its lighter than the normal carbon bonnets.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks :)

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you will not drop the weight much (if at all) with a carbon bonnet as the stock comes in from memory at 11kg, being ally they are surprisingly light when you lift them off, the other thing i dont like is i have yet to see any aftermarket bonnet that fits properly and with carbon you have no chance of rectifying any issues without ruining the effect

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I like carbon bonnets....... if they're painted. I think the whole carbon / matt bonnet is very dated and Fast and Furious stylee. Just my 2p worth though, everyone likes different things.

 

I'd say leave it as it is, but it's your car, do what you think looks nice to you ;)

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I like carbon bonnets....... if they're painted.

 

Why have one if you think you'll paint it though? It's a serious question. :)

 

I thought there are 2 reasons why people fit carbon bonnets:

1) to save weight

2) to look good.

 

If you paint it, surely you negate most of (2): it'll look similar (not the same) to the rest of panels if you paint it in the same colour, and IMO it'll look like a panel replacement done on the cheap if you paint it a different colour.

 

I can't comment on (1) because I haven't compared weights, but if I was spending a few hundred pounds on a body panel for a specific purpose (i.e. saving weight), I'd want to know that it was fit for that purpose in the first place (i.e. significantly lighter than the stock part). Other replies on here suggest that they might not be much lighter.

 

Carbom :)

Edited by stevie_b (see edit history)
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I can't comment on (1) because I haven't compared weights, but if I was spending a few hundred pounds on a body panel for a specific purpose (i.e. saving weight), I'd want to know that it was fit for that purpose in the first place (i.e. significantly lighter than the stock part). Other replies on here suggest that they might not be much lighter.

 

i think this really is a very popular misconception, everyone knows (thinks) carbon is light but the reality is that applys to the mega expensive baked in an autoclave (vacuum oven) stuff, the carbon we get is largely wet lay which is basically glorified fibre glass, although this is a bit unfair as you can make wet lay carbon a bit lighter than fibreglass due its better better strength. With a bonnet the other thing is just how light the stock item is, if it were made in steel (with the reinforced hinges it would also require) it would probably come it at over 30 kg so the carbon (or fibre glass) would represent a good saving, however take a stock bonnet off and for their size they are laughably light at 11kg, carbon fibre 8 - 9 kg, throw in a set of the inevitable bonnet pins to make sure the ill fitting thing doesn't fly off at speed and your pretty much back to square one

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The KnightRacer carbon ones are 6kg IIRC, if you remove the OEM latch system & replace with pins there should be a good 5kg saving, not great I know but at least it's coming off the correct end of the car :)

 

thats not to bad a weight saving i was going off the findings on SF :)

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Carbon fibre was meant to be painted over, but some people liked to show off that they had carbon fibre pannels, so left the weave showing.

If you're not obsessed with weight saving, but like the look of it, then go for it, as people have said the standard bonnet isn't that heavy.

It's down to personal choice though. I like the look of cabon fibre on some cars, but not on others.

Think of your car as a whole, and not by each seperate part, and aim for a certain look and stick with it, otherwise you may end up with lots of random parts ruining the look of your Supe.

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yer its knight racer im in contact with! there using the hybrid carbon which is lighter than the standard carbon thisis what the spent there time (kindly) explaining:

 

But now, we have discontinued that range of carbon as we have developed a new type of carbon which we call "Hybrid Carbon".

 

Regular carbon bonnets which you find on the market now are only real carbon on the surface under the gel coat, if you looked on the underside of the bonnet you will see a thick layer of fibreglass and a fibreglass skeleton. Overall weight is often not much less than the standard, and in some applications even heavier. Approximately 10-20 percent is carbon fibre.

 

Hybrid Carbon bonnets use a real carbon skin, with our new Hybrid Resin which is a lot stronger, shock resistant, and requires no extra fibreglass re-enforcement meaning it is significantly lighter than regular carbon bonnets. Only the skeleton is FRP. Approximately 75-80% is real carbon fibre.

 

In our top of the range "Hybrid Carbon COMPLETE" even the skeleton is real carbon fibre, making the complete construction 100% carbon fibre.

 

 

so its a good quality one. also the air scoops will help cool the engine down, also has the exits for heat...helping in performance (not alot) but every bit helps! if the carbon look does go out of "supra fashion" as such and i my self go of i can get it sprayed for 150 diblets!

Edited by a98pmalcolm (see edit history)
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Totally depends upon what you like but then that's always the case. Personally, i've toyed with the idea of a CF bonnet but have come to the conclusion that it would be a bit too much really - I mean looks wise not cost (although now i think on, not cheap either!)

 

Would always be a cosmetic thing though, not about weight saving although I'm suprised the difference is as negligible as it is

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Why have one if you think you'll paint it though? It's a serious question. :)

 

 

Carbom :)

 

Well for me the only reason I would buy a carbon bonnet is if it was part of a group of other replacement weight saving parts and my goal was to shed as much weight from the car as possible. I wouldn't buy one purely from an aesthetic point of view.

 

I'd paint it because I don't like the look of carbon fibre bonnets left as they are.... some people like them, some don't ;)

 

EDIT : Just noticed that's pretty much what Tannhauser said lol

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lol thanks for all the thoughts guys :) really mixed views.....i think im goin to go for it as i really like the design of the bonnet so either was its a winner...try it as carbon then maybe paint it in the future!

 

I'll post pics up if i do go for it in a new thread! But only post a reply in the thread if there nice replys ;) hehe

 

Thanks again all...feel free to keep posting replys up

 

Thanks as always

 

Paul

Edited by a98pmalcolm
typo lol (see edit history)
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