Dan Gallagher

high prices are expected with porsche parts but if you do make a simple cheap hood that just lifts off and goes on with hood pins e-mail me im interested.

MD951

I agree, the prices are a bit on the high side.. I was thinking about making a couple cf hoods this winter when I get some time.. if I do I'll post some pictures here

Dan Gallagher

im sure it isnt nearly as easy as you make it sound.... but does anyone know anything about that liquid fiberglass stuff they were using on american chopper to make a seat? maybe with that stuff and a junk replaceable hood you could do something atleast racecar quality, you know looks good from 20 feet or 200mph

savage944

Dan G.

Yea I have seen that stuff and yes making the mold is mostly time consuming. I just got off the phone with my buddy. He concurs that its a matter of time. But as for the quality he is telling me if I jump in he will make the mold and the hoods in his shop, I have seen his stuff the quality is there.

All is stuff is Gellcoated reinforced, guess the only part needing prep is the bottom or engine side of the hood, that would need block sanding to prep for paint.

heck he is telling me that you can even cheat on the hinges. You use the hood pins front and back, but in the back you hook the pins to a piece of metal (aluminumn or some such) that bolts to the factory Hinges. Now you have a hood that can either be removed completly or lifted up and remains on the hinges... Of course I didnt ask if that requires any extra reinforcement??

I cant believe I am talking about this like I am ready to go into production of something (chuckle). Savage Soulitions brings you the Porche 944 Series Race hood hehehehe....

I would have to line up some buyers before I went down that road...

nine-44

I always used resin and mat, we made new corners for my Fiberwerks nose. No marker lights. Fairly easy to work with, jut a pain to make it look nice without a lot of body work. We spent a month of evenings and weekends to get the nose the way I wanted it. Fitment and mild mods.

savage944

Apparently its past my bed time... just looked at that last post I made... I cant spell...."soulitions" yea thats a word... solutions... hehehe

savage944

Nine-44

Yea from what I have seen watching my friend and his employees at work, the whole process is time consuming.. I mean their is all these layers and the resign, but man his hoods are durable and that smooth white gell coat finish is something else

xsboost90

fiberglass is heavy, and its a stupid material, it just kinda breaks up...leave it for the fords and chevys damnit. oh, and boats.

xsboost90

yeah, i watched a guy at my dads bike chop do that seat mold stuff, its cool. you lay out a clay barrier, pour the stuff, looks like oatmeal, then it drys and you have a cast or base to mount the seat that is molded to your frame. KINda cool

savage944

I am looking at some of my friends working, thinking about the whole process and I tell you I just dont see myself coming up with something like the one in the pic, but A proffessional... well yea... the white is so clean... and ready for paint.

I mean its just incrediable that a shop like my friends, small but busy can put hand laid quality parts, sell them for a fair price and to top it off will ship anywhere in the US and charges the actual cost and its FEDEX air express... that means 3-4 days even to very rural areas, no trucks, no bad handling... I can believe he has a special deal worked out with FEDEX... all that and even with shipping his hoods are under 450.00 and he doesnt skip on the packing, the boxes are rate at 200lb crush resistent.

SO How come, these other places want all this money and that doesnt include shipping. so after you pay 450 for a hood you have to pay some crazy price to have it shipped by freight/truck and worry about it getting mishandled....

????????

savage944

xsboost90

I dont know about heavy, supposedly a stock hood is 79lbs a fiberglass hood from these other companies is between 18-22lbs, so thats some serious weight savings, and if you are talking quatermile, I think its like every 100lbs you lose equals a tenth.

Lighter equals faster, track or otherwise... just a thought

As for breaking up, I dont know I have seen my friend do a demo and just pound and pound a hood and not break it up it just flexes a little and flexes back, no creases, dont marks no damage...

nine-44

Don't mind xsboost, he's mad cuz he's the one that helped me with my car, lol. I'd love to see more options as far as CF. I really love my hood, I haven't, but I'd bet I could sit in the middle of my hood without hurting it. The Racer Group is the company that I got it from, looks exactly like stock, inide and out, with the exception of being CF. I can lift it above my head with one hand. Perry 951 said it's about 10lbs, TGR told me they average about 12lbs. The main problems, supply, demand and competition. Basicly, if you don't like the price, go somewhere else, oh, wait, there is nowhere else. This is where you or someone with a plan like you comes in, driving down the cost due to competition. Good luck man

savage944

Nine-44

I want to see some pics of your ride, love to see that hood and nose...

Thanks for the kind words.... I didnt start the post to persuade myself into making hoods or getting them made as it where... mostly just venting and checking the mood and thoughts of others.

I tell you I could do it, but not really my thing, I am a wrench and tech head not so much the whole marketing and sales stuff... I suppose I could do it at cost IF I did it I am sure some people who buy some, worse case Ebay... but how many people are actually looking for a race style lift off hood.

I am sure it would look stock on the outside, but underside would be rather devoid of stuff... then again from what I have seen, wouldnt take that much to add mounts for hinges and the latch... still...

The main point of the post is what do people think about the prices and the whole situation.... especially like you said: "if you dont like it you can go someplace else...but their isnt someplace else to go... or if by chance you do find another place... they want more...

Maybe I am just fired up cause I want something for my car and I dont like the thought or feeling of having my walet raped... just because the name on the car is Porsche.....

shortyboy

how come other carbon fiber/fiber glass parts(other than euro cars) are cheaper?is it because they are expensive stock?well if thats the case,i'd never buy CF/FG parts.to me,a CF hood would cost ~$300.i'd pay that much plus shipping if someone came out with it.i'm guessing companies just want BIG proffits. my $0.02

924s_owner

This is what i learned from kayak industry ::

I checked my hood and came up with these figures and material constructions if i had to make a new fiber hood 924s for my porche.

- I would use my old hood for molding. If mods were needed i just create them from foam and filler on top of that.

- Mold using std. gelgoats and polyester resins with plenty of fibers & supportive wood to hold the shape of the mold.

- For new hood use sprayed gelgoat

- laminate with heat, gas, .... resistant industry quality resin. such as vinylester (derakane etc.)

- use 2-3 outter layers fo thin 165 - 250g /m2 wowen fiber and approx 5mm sandwish layer and same fibers on outside.

- for extra stifness you can make supportive ribs from same sandwish material or light wood.


for materials you need approx 4-5 kg of resin, 0,5 kg gelcoat and the fibers you can count from surface area. The hood would weight around 6-9 kg and it would be stiff as hell. for weight saving you can go down in materials but it would be in cost of stiffness.

The materal cost is 100- 200€ for one hood. Mold will cost 150 €. It will take a one week of labour working on evenings by 2 men.

CArbon fibers and other hitech 'gimics' are not worth the cost. They are just hard to work with. These things demand special vacuum tecnology for real 'moneyworth' results.

heve fun working with fibers but remember they are poisonous and real **** to work with gasmasks and gloves.