Christmas Eve and my GTP Carbon Fiber Hood, a gift from my girlfriend, finally came in! The overall quality and construction of the hood is impeccable. The Carbon Fiber used is grade A and the weave is straight, smooth and flawless from front to back, and corner to corner. The edges are rolled and the underside is completely reinforced and laid out just like the OEM hood. It features a crystal clear UV protected coating guaranteed not to fade and or turn yellow. The rear hinges and front latch mount are dully reinforced with superior epoxy and acrylic bonding agents, that ultimately eliminate the need for aftermarket hood pins and or locks. The color is your typical black / gray carbon fiber tone, which can appear to look solid black and or hint a grayish gleam depending on the angle at which you're looking at it. It definitely blends in well on a black vehicle, and when caught on the right angle, its hard to even tell it apart from the OEM black hood.

Installation of the hood was a breeze! With the assistance of an extra set of hands, you can have the stock hood off and the new carbon fiber hood on in less than 30 minutes. Thanks to its meticulous fit and finish, everything lines right up. It requires no adjusting and or shimming, which is common practice with such aftermarket hoods.

Price wise, my girlfriend and I got an awesome deal on this hood, as it was the first one (actually a prototype) GTP produced and shipped. It was listed for $750, but we were able to pick it up with shipping and everything for $400 even. It's a pretty sweet deal considering everyone else is selling this hood for between $500 and $600 without shipping (avg shipping cost is roughly $100 on such an item). Since we basically opted to be the "test car" for the hood, and all went smooth, GTP is also sending us their carbon fiber trunk lid. Quite honestly I do not know how that will look or if I'm really gonna dig it, but I figured I would pick it up and check it out. Once again they hooked us up lovely on the price of the trunk lid as well, so I couldn't resist. It should be in by this coming up Monday, delayed in shipping due to the Holidays and whatnot. I'll have some pics and more info on it as soon as it comes in.

All in all, I'm very happy with this hood! The gray tones from certain angles actually picks up well and works excellently with the Volk gun metal rims! I know many of you who voiced their opinions on a previous carbon fiber hood post, dislike this mod. Stating it "rices out" your car, or its just too "Fast n Furious" as well as that it serves no real world purpose on the street, and all I can say to all that is to each their own - You're all entitled to your own opinions. It's all about personal preference and this is mine. I like it! I do however have my own dislikes about carbon fiber body components and that is that I do not like it on cars that are not black. In my opinion they simply look like a half-*** autobody paint / repair job, but on a black car, you can get away with it, and I think my pics justify that statement.

The hood definitely adds a bit more intrigue to a car that already turns heads everywhere it goes. Best yet, It's not a permanent modification. I can remove and replace it just as quickly as I put it on if I ever see fit to do so. Ohh and lastly, the whole weight issue! This was a touchy subject with most people saying, big deal, how much less could it possibly weigh than the stock hood, which is already lite, well the answer is an astonishing 10lbs less! The stock hood weighed in at approx 23 lbs and the carbon fiber hood weighed in at approx 13 lbs. In my eyes, and in those of any true tuner, that's a respectable savings in weight from replacing just one body component.

So bottom line, carbon fiber may not be for everyone, but if you're like me and truly appreciate its beauty, strength, and its race bred heritage, then you may just want to consider it as a future mod...



"See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a *****, but only enough blood to run one at a time."

 

Looks flat black to me =)

Honestly, CF Hood is a waste on our car. Stock is slightly a little heavier. The money is better spent somewhere else. But if it was a gift, oh well..

 

oh man thats sexy as hell! looks awsome! congrat man!

 

Hey Ducatiguy,

Can you post some more pics of this hood at different angles? In the one that you posted, the hood looks exactly the same as the stock hood... which is good....I also have the black coupe and am curious to see up close high resolution pics of this hood.

And yes, 10 lbs is a very respectable weight loss for replacing one pice. Just think, people spend $2~3 g's on new rims that save them maybe 3~4 pounds per rim, and you got a 10 lbs savings for only $400.... That is a great deal IMO and the hood looks great. Congrats.

Here's to alcohol : The cause of ... and answer to all of life's problems.

- Homer Simpson

 

Yo DucMan,
I don't know what everyone else is saying about carbon parts, but this hood look awesome. Can't tell the difference.
Overall, your ride is a bad a$$ one.

Speed.

2004 G35C 6MT DG/Gr/Prem/NAV/A.Pedals/C.Corners/C.Bra/PIAA [img]/w3timages/icons/cool.gif[/img]

 

On the black car it looks great!!
But on any other color including my Ivory Pearl to me it would look like you got in a wreck and you went and got a hood from the salvage yard , unfinished look in my view.

 

Looks good! Be sure not to use the buffer but use your elbows when waxing. I killed my clearcoat on the carbonfiber hood.

99 Supercharged PY Civic SI 13.8@101mph
03 BO G35 xx@xxmph...to be continued...

 

Solid, for the ppl into CF stuff.

Black / Black 2004 GcoupeMT. Premium. Splash Guardz.

 

i agree it looks totally bad ***

but to wickedG35's comment above the CF Hood
I QUOTE "Honestly, CF Hood is a waste on our car. Stock is slightly a little heavier. The money is better spent somewhere else"

that is 100% not true, at the Intense Motorsports G35 section, u can see that the hood is more than 50% LIGHTER than the Stock Hood.

http://www.i-m-racing.com/visracafihog.html

 

Sexy as hell!?!?! Are you kidding me? You can't even tell it's a CF hood from that pic, so how does it look sexy as hell???

 

Everyone is entitled to there own opinion...I think its awesome!

Are those carbon fiber carnard's on the stillen lip?

 

i agree too, the hood looks sick. If you dont think the hood "looks sexy" just keep your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself, nobody wants to hear negative comments, dont be a hater.

 

Ducati, looks pretty nice. As I said earlier, its alright on black cars, but that ghetto "came from the junkyard because I couldn't get it painted yet" look on other color cars just doesn't do it for me. I'd like to see a better pic with the CF grain against the black body panels if possible. I'm curious about the contrast.

To the others - 10 pounds saved definately isn't worth $400 to me, just stop eating cheese fries or maybe spend that $400 on a NX kit.

03.5 6spd DG/G aero pk/kit + Hyper Grounded
FX35 Blk/Brick Tech pkg
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and
emotional maturity." - Sigmond Freud, General Introduction to Psychoanalysis

 

Hey jesterprick, when did I ever say it looked bad?? Where was my "negitive" comments? I was simply asking why everyone thinks it looks so "great" when it looks like stock in that photo. Are you guys seeing some different pics then I am? So jester, unless you can get your facts straight, and know what the hell you are tallking about, keep your posts to yourself!! Thank you and Happy New Years!!