Hey everyone I just got my new CF hood today, man is it sweet looking. It was wrapped in bubble wrap & recieved some minor abrasions during shipping, nothing seriouse though.

Being this is my first CF, I was wondering what is safe to use on these hoods to get that skin rash off ! Also how do you all care for them in general ? Is there anything you should or shouldn't use on these hoods ? I was actually thinking of giving the hood its own wash mit, I know it is probably overkill but to think of how expesive it was it just seems right LOL.

I e-mailed the guy who sold it to me to ask these question & I am waiting for him to get back to me. In the meantime I fiqured I would post this & maybe it could help myself & someone else out too.

Thanks all :D

Why not just polish and wax? I don't believe it takes much to maintain your CF hood, but then again it also depends on the quality and how it was manufactured :D

i would say a normal car wash

I use water to clean my cf hood.

Wax it. I hear it also holds up better if you have it clearcoated before you put it on the car.

Thanks everyone, I pretty much figured that a normal wash & wax was the way to go. But it was an expensive piece & like I said, I never owned one so I didn't want to mess it up by just assuming !I know they are gel coated so I didn't know if chemicals would harm the finish.

I e-mailed the the place I bought it from last night before I posted this, & they said no chemicals for at least 2 weeks & then just wash & wax as normal.

So if anyone doesn't know & reads this thats the way to go !

What about hood lifts like the ones from Tein, would they be ok to run on a 7 lb. hood ?

Thanks again everyone :D

I havnt put mine on yet. But when I got it, I cleaned it with water and a micro fiber towel. Then I used 3M polish, 3 coats. Next I will hit it up with some Mguires wax. Its already shining real nice from the polish, but I want to seel it up with the wax.

What 3M polish ? Is it like a polishing compund or something ? Do you plan on running hood pins on your hood? My hood came with them & I don't know if I should put them on or not !

Thanks

From what i hear, the tein struts are very strong. To close the hood you have to be careful, and close it from the center, slowly. PM either Squirrel or Evil Dave, and they can tell you more.

Pinky

Thanks Pinky, I have talked to Squirrel on here before he is extremly nice & very helpful, Think I may PM him !

I have heard the same about the hood lifts thats what I was worried about.

I am however really torn about the hood pins. They came with the hood so I would imagine they should probably be put on, but I have never been a real hood pin fan :nope: !

But I also have my 5yr. old little girl who rides along with me :love: , so for her it's safety first.

What 3M polish ? Is it like a polishing compund or something ? Do you plan on running hood pins on your hood? My hood came with them & I don't know if I should put them on or not !

Thanks

3M is a Minnesota based comapny, you may not be firmiliar with on either of the coasts. They produce and dovelope a vast array of products. Thir car products are fukin expensive, and superior to anything on the market. Luckily my fiance has several family members that have been working for the company most of their lives lol. So I get it for next to nothing.

Google 3M, if ya want to get more info then what I can give ya.

This is my first c/f hood, and I want the pins too, but I dont want to crack or mess anything up. A guy in my car club lost his c/f hood to some wind, destroying the hood and his windshield last fall. I'm torn as to whether I should get the pins or not, just like you. My argument is...our cars are slow, and I dont drive real fast in my box.

Even with the car being slow, traveling at 60+ speeds will increase risk of the hood flying up. It happens to some yet happens to none. Just luck of the draw when the wind conditions are out.

Running tein hood shocks will not be a problem with CF hoods as I have many friends doing the above.

Just an update I have installed the hood. Took a couple of hours with all the drilling & such.

I did run the hood pins, It still ain't my thing but it doesn't look bad either. I know I am glad to finally have the CF hood & with the pins I know me & my daughter are safe !

Now if I can get a day without snow I can polish it up.

Thanks everyone for the help.