Tiger Racing Hood after 1 year = :(

Darkside323

forum member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Posts
218
Reaction score
0
Location
Pasadena
Hello everyone. Well in reality it is a little over a year old now but I removed it from my car at 1 year (March 2013) because it looked horrible. Yes horrible because it began cracking at different locations. This was a sad day for me because hands down this was the most favorite Mod I installed on my car and Paul Brown is one of my Hero's. He was a really cool guy whose idea is totally functional and looks BAD ASS.
The most severe of the cracks are around the center inside section. The 1st crack began at around 4 months after initial install. It was small and I thought nothing of it but as time passed on the crack grew and new ones developed. My painter and I initially thought it was just the paint cracking but when the hood was sanded down we discovered the cracks going passed the primer and into the hood. Basically they start from within.
Since Paul Brown passed (RIP) I have no real direct contact to get the hood warrantied. Bill Garrett at Rehagen racing tried to help me out (thanks man) and pointed me in the direction of John at Chicane23. Once I was able to talk to John he informed me that the hood could not be warrantied because the Carbon Fiber version is not meant for daily driven use, only for race purposes. He basically said that the daily flexing of the hood at freeway speeds causes the cracking. I found this interesting because my daily commute to work consists of a 20 minute drive on the street. I'm pretty sure the stress a hood goes through in a race environment is substantially greater than on my daily drives. He did offer to give me a discount on a new hood but I could not take that offer.
I've talked to many race teams that run this hood and none have had this problem. Looks like I may have just gotten a bumb hood. Some say the problem may be in the resin of the bonding process. Guess we will never know. My purpose of this is not to scare people away from buying this hood but to vent because I am a really disappointed on my results with this mod. Any suggestions on how to fix it are greatly appreciated. I have spoke to Carlos (racebronco) and he mentioned that he might be able to fix it.

attachment.php


attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php
 

GrnBullitt08

Dale Jr
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Posts
15,081
Reaction score
199
Location
Northwest Indiana
Wow, I plan on getting one of these for my 2011 when the Procharger goes on... Hopefully I don't have the same luck. That's a $$$ hood.
 

Darkside323

forum member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Posts
218
Reaction score
0
Location
Pasadena
Sure is pricey. I saved for a whole year to be able to purchase it and get it painted. Sucks!!!!
 

Darkside323

forum member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Posts
218
Reaction score
0
Location
Pasadena
Thats about right. If you do get one might be better to get the Fiberglass version. Supposed to be more rigid and cost less.
 

weather man

Persistance Is A Bitch
S197 Team Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Posts
13,332
Reaction score
152
Location
MN
As reguards that hood. Cut your losses and find a replacement.
 

Darkside323

forum member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Posts
218
Reaction score
0
Location
Pasadena
I will give you 29.95 for it!! :naughty1:

Aww man you suck!!!! lol

As reguards that hood. Cut your losses and find a replacement.

Thats what I'm thinking. I did ponder getting the cracks flattened out and filled then just laying vinyl over it and call it a day. Just not sure if it will hold up.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Sharad

Site Sponsor
Official Vendor
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Posts
2,403
Reaction score
0
Location
Fort Myers, Florida
Thats what I'm thinking. I did ponder getting the cracks flattened out and filled then just laying vinyl over it and call it a day. Just not sure if it will hold up.

You could reinforce the bottom of the hood, THEN fill the cracks and repaint the hood.
 

mfergel

forum member
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Posts
2,354
Reaction score
4
Location
Richmond, VA
You could reinforce the bottom of the hood, THEN fill the cracks and repaint the hood.

He shouldn't have to do any work. My Cervini's hood hit a deer and is in better shape than that. That's a shame. Shouldn't have to spend that much money only to have a hood fail like that.
 

Napoleon85

forum member
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Posts
719
Reaction score
0
Location
Centerville, OH
No hoodpins? I'm sure this isn't groundbreaking information, but I would wager that a lot, if not all, of this was caused by the hood flexing too much.
 

Vorshlag-Fair

Official Site Vendor
Official Vendor
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Posts
1,592
Reaction score
107
Location
Dallas, TX
A friend of mine has painted a few of these Tiger Racing hoods. He lets the hoods sit out in the sun for 3-4 weeks (when new/raw) before he does any work to finish or fit them to the car. He said they need the hot-cold cycles to stabilize the composite, before they ever see paint. And he said he won't paint one for less than $1000, as these (like all composite hoods) take a lot of work to fit and finish perfectly. Most people aren't this patient.

Just passing on one opinion from a 30+ year experienced body man that has painted these. I've personally looked at these lustily for a year or more, and that hood is legal for the class I race, just can't make myself do it. The hassles with fitment, paint, cracking, and the hood duct openings are too far back - in my humble view. We will cut up and reverse duct a stock aluminum hood instead.
 

Roadracer350

forum member
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Posts
1,215
Reaction score
0
Location
Tulsa OK
A friend of mine has painted a few of these Tiger Racing hoods. He lets the hoods sit out in the sun for 3-4 weeks (when new/raw) before he does any work to finish or fit them to the car. He said they need the hot-cold cycles to stabilize the composite, before they ever see paint. And he said he won't paint one for less than $1000, as these (like all composite hoods) take a lot of work to fit and finish perfectly. Most people aren't this patient.

Just passing on one opinion from a 30+ year experienced body man that has painted these. I've personally looked at these lustily for a year or more, and that hood is legal for the class I race, just can't make myself do it. The hassles with fitment, paint, cracking, and the hood duct openings are too far back - in my humble view. We will cut up and reverse duct a stock aluminum hood instead.


Why a "reverse duct"? Isn't the design to "pull" hot air out?
 

Sky Render

Stig's Retarded Cousin
S197 Team Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Posts
9,463
Reaction score
357
Location
NW of Baltimore, MD
While I feel for you, OP, that hood was never sold as a "street" hood. Furthermore, I know of very few carbon fiber exterior parts that hold up even remotely well to being outside all the time.
 

kevinatfms

EX-ford tech(6 years)
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Posts
1,780
Reaction score
8
Location
MD
this is why i went full fiberglass. more of a reason why other companies have strayed away from carbon fiber.

too much material removed from the center section of the hood. im sure it was light and looked fantastic but not worth it after 1 year. ill have my fiberglass one done and be on my car for quite a bit longer before i ever need to touch it up(unless i crash, which is often).

OP, what year car?

While I feel for you, OP, that hood was never sold as a "street" hood. Furthermore, I know of very few carbon fiber exterior parts that hold up even remotely well to being outside all the time.

shouldnt matter. unless by street hood, they meant should be stored in a climate controlled garage and not driven at extreme speeds. its their way of getting out of the warranty.

also, i could understand from a company on ebay but someone who sells these to the Ford teams?!? id be pulling one of these over the phone --->:rant:
 
Last edited by a moderator:

SoundGuyDave

This Space For Rent
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Posts
1,978
Reaction score
27
Just to insert a note of sanity here... The carbon-fiber piece is designed by a race team, intended to be used on a race car, and marketed to racers. Cosmetics comes something like fifth or so on the list, and FAR after function, weight, legality, etc. Most race cars are wrapped, not painted, and flexing/cracking won't show under the wrap. In addition, the hoods have a finite life expectancy, usually failing from body contact with other cars or walls.

Please understand, I'm not saying that anybody that buys one and DOESN'T race is making a poor decision, what I'm trying to remind people is that race parts for race cars do not necessarily equate to the wisest thing you could put on a street car. Dampers that have to be rebuilt every few thousand miles would be another example.
 

weather man

Persistance Is A Bitch
S197 Team Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Posts
13,332
Reaction score
152
Location
MN
Tiger Racing Hood...really wouldn't expect a warranty with a name like that and its intended buyer.
 

Darkside323

forum member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Posts
218
Reaction score
0
Location
Pasadena
Hello again everyone. Thanks for all the comments. Although I love the hood it was a mistake and I hope others can learn from this. It is a race car piece. When I bought the hood directly from Paul Brown RIP I had a list of questions for example, Will the carbon version be ok on the street? Yes. Is the hood latch enough to support it? Yes, it will teeter totter a little but will not unlatch. Unfortunately he is not here to confirm or deny this. I'm sure he would of warrantied my hood and used my current hood to learn from it.
Carbon is very inconsistent and wavy and the weave pattern through the paint was visible and that along with it's wind tunnel testing proof is why I loved it. It looks awesome and does it's job. Most likely I will get it sanded, filled and covered with satin black vinyl. My car is not a race car yet but I'm building it for that. No other hood comes close to this one. GT 500's make a lot of heat and this hood did a great job of flushing it out. Buyers be informed. Have a great night everyone.
 

PLee

forum member
Joined
Dec 9, 2010
Posts
258
Reaction score
0
Location
Livonia, MI
Just to insert a note of sanity here... The carbon-fiber piece is designed by a race team, intended to be used on a race car, and marketed to racers. Cosmetics comes something like fifth or so on the list, and FAR after function, weight, legality, etc. Most race cars are wrapped, not painted, and flexing/cracking won't show under the wrap. In addition, the hoods have a finite life expectancy, usually failing from body contact with other cars or walls.

Please understand, I'm not saying that anybody that buys one and DOESN'T race is making a poor decision, what I'm trying to remind people is that race parts for race cars do not necessarily equate to the wisest thing you could put on a street car. Dampers that have to be rebuilt every few thousand miles would be another example.

^^What he said. To compare this hood to a Cervini's hood is a huge mistake. Race part; function over form. If it were me, I'd bond some aluminum bracing under the hood to stiffen it some. Would take lots of time to do a nice job, but would be worth the effort in my opinion. Then I'd sand/grind out the areas w/ the cracks, repair, and re-fill/smooth. I don't think I'd use normal off-the-shelf filler here, though. There are fillers intended for flexible applications (bumper covers, etc). Check out the SEM and 3M products. The paint itself could be applied w/ a flex agent to reduce the cracking. Fear not, all is not lost.
 

Support us!

Support Us - Become A Supporting Member Today!

Click Here For Details

Sponsor Links

Banner image
Back
Top