Celica Forums General Discussion Exterior carbon fiber vs regular

is the carbon fiber stronger or the metal hood stronger. me and my frend just got into an arguement about which is stronger. i know that if you crash wit a carbon fiber hood it wont bend. it might crack but metal will bend.

IMO: The midgrade carbon fibre you get for most hoods is not as strong as the stock steel hood. It will smash but stay in once piece, kinda like saftey glass. High grade Carbon Fiber line they make McLaren's out of is super strong.

Metal will always beat carbon fiber! Carbon Fiber is a lightweight and looks good. (kinda like Oscar De La Hoya, pretty boy! )

but then when i got into an accident my hood was hella messed up. and when my frend got into accident his hood was just cracked a little

What hood do you have and what one does he have?

Carbonfiber... after meeting a large tire-scrap on the freeway at over 80mph

While the stock bodyparts (poly Urethane) survived without damage, the Carbon Fiber's clear-coat was pretty much shot to hell... basically making the carbon fiber's display unatractive to say the least

i like Carbon Fiber

i have oem and he has carbon fiber. so carbon fiber is easier to damage then metal

I think the good Carbon Fiber is baked in a hyperbarric chamber (under intense air pressure) & its twice as strong as regular carbon fiber, or you can make it half as thick.

Regular carbon fibre is probably just baked in a non-pressurized oven.

Cosmetic carbon fiber is the lowest grade, basically like Fiberglass. Its just molded & you let it dry.

That's they way I understand it anyway ...

Small impacts the metal may dint & the Carbon Fiber may be unharmed. Big impacts, steel will win.

Carbon Fiber may be unharmed with an impact... but the Clear Coat will be damaged... and cracked

And some clear coats may even change color or become smokey yellow if they are not protected from the engine's heat or parked in the sun for majority of it's life

...Haulin_A_Doo, recommend a hood manufactured with the specs you described

yes plz do doo