Do you like to race and give your car
extra speed? Make it lighter so it will increase your mileage? Do you
want to personalize its look and make it as comfortable as your bedroom?
Ok, the last one was a joke.
There are a plenty of car accessories and exterior car products
available in the market. For the car enthusiast, depending on his
needs, he can use it as an opportunity to accessorize his car and
personalize it. He can even improve the aerodynamics of his car if he
wants to increase its speed and improve mileage. Popular movies like The
Fast and the Furious or MTV’s Pimp my Ride show the public what can be
done to improve and accessorize their car. Due to this subtle car body
kits marketing, aftermarket products have become highly in demand.
What is a hood?
A
hood is one of the most visible parts of a car and the least
complicated because it requires very little engineering. Manufacturers
try to make fancy accessories by using various designs in their
material. The wide range of choices available ensures that the customer
will find a range of choice that appeal to his taste.
Fiberglass hoods
Fiberglass
is a composite material consisting of fine glass filaments bound
together with resin. Light weight and widely used, it is almost
inexpensive. The rigid composition of the material allows for extreme
styling.
Fiberglass hoods are a cost alternative to manufactured hoods because it reduces the weight of the vehicle, is durable and easy to work with.
Fiberglass,
however, received a really bad reputation because of cheap, low quality
imports sold on the market today. Nevertheless, there are a lot of
quality fiberglass parts offered by quality manufacturers that do not
easily break and are not difficult to attach.
When
working with fiberglass, extra steps must be observed in the painting
process. You have to see to it that it is sanded absolutely smooth aside
from adding a smooth coat of primer, topcoat and a sealer adding more
work and expense in the process.
Carbon fiber hoods
Carbon
fiber is a material that involves taking together carbon filaments,
placing them under pressure and binding them with resin. Carbon fiber
was originally used in aircraft technology and is a more expensive
material compared to fiber class.
As it is light, installing a carbon fiber hood
greatly reduces the weight of the vehicle. The reduction in weight
allows the car to run on lesser power and fuel consumption. Because the
hood is right on top of the front wheels, lesser weight on the front
wheels gives the vehicle better balance when driving. The latest models
of carbon fiber body kits
possess cutting edge designs due to the material’s capacity to be
molded into interesting forms. Carbon fiber is used in racing cars being
of light and strong material. The only downside to carbon fiber hoods
is that if it breaks down, it has to be replaced.