91-01 NSX Type R Hood Thread; End All Threads

[MvM]

I have had the VIS NSX-R hood on my NSX since 2007.
First it was on my '94, now it is on my '98 NSX. In both cases I had it painted.
I like it a lot The fitment is perhaps not 100% OEM, but it comes pretty close.
The gaps between the hood and the side fenders and the gaps between the hood and the front lights are a bit larger than than those with the OEM hood, but otherwise the fitment has been excellent. Curvature is the same as that of the fenders.
Weight of the VIS hood is the same as the OEM hood.
Installing the windhield washers was a pain and there is no built in solution for the washer tubes.
The only downside on this type of hood is that the raised part in front of the opening tends to catch stone chips really easy.
But that goes for every NSX-R hood I think, especially if you drive it on the track.
So my hood should more or less get a new paint job.

Currently I am using the Dali Racing air duct, but just received the Downforce air duct. With the current air-duct and the underbody covers, the NSX-R hood really does make the front end of the car much more stable at high speeds. Since the original NSX-R does generate some downforce, I expect mine does as well.

 

[Nukem]

I heard some of the Downforce had some hoods that had issues with the curvature of the hood.

 

[davidf]

LMK how the DF duct works with the VIS hoods shallow vent. Pics would be awesome. I've considered this but was skeptical about that.

I have had the VIS NSX-R hood on my NSX since 2007.
First it was on my '94, now it is on my '98 NSX. In both cases I had it painted.
I like it a lot The fitment is perhaps not 100% OEM, but it comes pretty close.
The gaps between the hood and the side fenders and the gaps between the hood and the front lights are a bit larger than than those with the OEM hood, but otherwise the fitment has been excellent. Curvature is the same as that of the fenders.
Weight of the VIS hood is the same as the OEM hood.
Installing the windhield washers was a pain and there is no built in solution for the washer tubes.
The only downside on this type of hood is that the raised part in front of the opening tends to catch stone chips really easy.
But that goes for every NSX-R hood I think, especially if you drive it on the track.
So my hood should more or less get a new paint job.

Currently I am using the Dali Racing air duct, but just received the Downforce air duct. With the current air-duct and the underbody covers, the NSX-R hood really does make the front end of the car much more stable at high speeds. Since the original NSX-R does generate some downforce, I expect mine does as well.

 

[Rope]

LMK how the DF duct works with the VIS hoods shallow vent. Pics would be awesome. I've considered this but was skeptical about that.

I will take a picture of it tomorrow, I have done this on mine but I added more to the duct so that it raises up and sits against the hood.

 

[USAFguy22]

VIS installed 2 years ago

Pro's:
9+/10 fittment
Price (payed $450 new from a local Primer)
Quality is decent, would like to swap the mesh with something els)
Allows use of spair tire

Cons:
No keepers for the windshield washing lines (not a big deal)
The proper duct from SoS is discontinued
The rear edge facing the winshield could've used a little more sanding
Bottom not CF

Overall extremely happy with it, I was even able to snag the old SoS ducting that works great with the hood, however the ducting isnt compatible with some sway bars as well as the front lower NSX-R brace.

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[Hagasan]

When I had my VIS hood I just drilled small holes in the underside of the hood to fit the washer pipe clips.....It's so easy. Look at your stock hood and copy...

 

[davidf]

That's a very nice duct.

VIS installed 2 years ago

Pro's:
9+/10 fittment
Price (payed $450 new from a local Primer)
Quality is decent, would like to swap the mesh with something els)
Allows use of spair tire

Cons:
No keepers for the windshield washing lines (not a big deal)
The proper duct from SoS is discontinued
The rear edge facing the winshield could've used a little more sanding
Bottom not CF

Overall extremely happy with it, I was even able to snag the old SoS ducting that works great with the hood, however the ducting isnt compatible with some sway bars as well as the front lower NSX-R brace.

[IMG=http://s51.photobucket.com/user/decomator/media/3185640A-8B36-4E29-B4D8-CE01148A1525-39518-0000451BA66BC1C4.jpg.html]

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[PainIs4ThaWeak]

Apologies for reviving a dead thread, but does anyone have any current info to add to this subject? The current information here is nearing "historical" data, and may not still be applicable. Especially for those who are in the market to purchase an NSX-R hood.

(Eg. Is DownForce hoods still suffering from poor fitment? Any other recent success/horror stories with NSX-R hoods?)

 

[Zoom]

I have a DF hood - fitment is very good. It's not 100% perfect, but if installed properly it looks stock. The front left side is slightly raised over the fender, but not enough so that you'd notice it without looking specifically for it - and i suppose it's because my driver side fender is a bit lower (these cars were manually adjusted).

 

[PainIs4ThaWeak]

Per TURBO2GO:

Wow a thread on prime I didn't chime in on... Amazing... LOL

I've seen so many 02 hoods in person from Procar to downforce to VIS and Seibon. I still believe for your money Downforce makes the best fitting and longest lasting hood. I've had mine for like a decade now... And it still looks and fits like OEM. Their early ones weren't as good and some are still floating around on the used market but they fixed that a long time ago.

Many hoods look and fit pretty well when you get them. They just don't last. They warp, they lift, the clearcoat yellows, parts separate....

Many people say "oh I bought this hood cheap it fits perfect":.. Talk to those people in 5 years. How a hood ages is what matters.

My hood has seen 10 NEW ENGLAND sub zero winters and hot Summers. It's never changed shape, structure or look. When [Zoom] (the last post) says his is a little high on one side, his fender may be a little low. No two NSX's are the same. When you remove a fender you'll notice the builder used a lot of C washers to raise or lower a fender and get a "match" on this hand assembled car. He's saying it's the hood, but you can easily use washers and change that relationship like OEM did.

Peter at DF uses pretty high quality materials. It's not always the cheapest. The resin or clearcoat material probably costs him more, but long term, it lasts longer. Seibon also makes NSX-R wings. It's shape is just different. When I sold TK gurney flaps that were designed for a genuine R wing, they fit the downforce but they never fit Seibon or a number of other brands because the others were just off.

 

[Zoom]

To be honest you have to know where to look at. I didnt go through the pain of adjusting the fender for that subtle difference in gap..
Also the scoop is the real thing, you have to lose the spare wheel, but then it matches the DF scoop or the NSX-R replica perfectly.
(edit) photos speak better than words

From this distance it looks the same on the other side, pretty much. There's also a very subtle additional gap on the front right headlamp if you pay really close attention to it. IMHO it cannot be any better given the nature of these cars.

 

[davidf]

FWIW, there is a trick to making these fit even better, {gapwise anyway}. Honda leaves little to no adjustment room on their hinges. A good dremal and a few minutes to open up each hole allows you to even out gaps all around, front to back, side to side.
You will be much happier with the results.

 

[Nukem]

Has anyone else made the type R aside from SOS and ProCar? One that fits the VIS?

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

I just picked up a backyard special hood. Trying to figure out if the duct on it is considered deep or shallow as I would like to get the inner downforce duct if it will work.

The underside of the hood though does not look like the actual NSX-R hood or downforce once.

 

[96 NSX-T]

I have been off and on about getting a carbon fiber R style hood for some time. Now I am finally getting serious. I have done all my homework. So the real question is- VIS or Seibon? On here, most of you have bought and are happy with VIS. I haven't seen too much chatter about Seibon. I bought their R style wing about 2 years ago. They sent me 4 wings before I finally got one that did not get cracked in shipping. I just can't go through that again. Anyone that has anymore info/opinions for me on which hood to get would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!

 

[Honcho]

I have been off and on about getting a carbon fiber R style hood for some time. Now I am finally getting serious. I have done all my homework. So the real question is- VIS or Seibon? On here, most of you have bought and are happy with VIS. I haven't seen too much chatter about Seibon. I bought their R style wing about 2 years ago. They sent me 4 wings before I finally got one that did not get cracked in shipping. I just can't go through that again. Anyone that has anymore info/opinions for me on which hood to get would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!

Personally, I think the Procar is by far the best fitting hood. I've seen a few at NSX gatherings over the years and could not believe it wasn't a genuine Honda part. Detlef duplicates the factory method of bonding the upper hood surface to a fully-functional lower CF frame. It's really amazing and fitment is 10/10. The VIS and Seibon parts can be nice if you get a good one, but I believe they are a single piece and would require significant prep work if you wanted to paint them, for example. The Procar is so flat and smooth that you can paint it with minimal prep. Even in CF gloss, it looks like a factory part.

My 2 cents.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/214002-Procar-NA2RR-cf-hood

 

[bogle]

Anyone have experience with the ATR dry carbon hood? Seems like it is also super high quality, but it’s hard to find reviews

 

[Honcho]

Anyone have experience with the ATR dry carbon hood? Seems like it is also super high quality, but it’s hard to find reviews

It's also a 2-piece hood and up there with Procar. I wouldn't be surprised if Detlef and Christian used the same guy, actually LOL.

 

[MaxGeek]

I have an ATR 02+ hood. It's dry carbon (prepreg) so it does not have a glossy finish. The finish is in no way bad, but it does have some pin holes that would need to be filled before painting. Prepreg also doesn't have that 3D carbon look as the carbon material looks more "squished" because of manufacturing process. So even with a clear coat it probably won't look the same as a wet lay up. I'm not experienced with after market body panels, but I would say the fit is good. Without the hood bolted up the gaps to the headlights look good (maybe slightly larger on driver side) and the shape of the hood matches the fenders. When bolted up to the hinges the driver side headlight gap is large. So I'm thinking I need to modify/adjust the hinge for installation. I actually plan to get my hood cleared to fill the pin holes. Then run it that way for a bit before painting it body color.

I'd say the ATR is primarily for painting body color as the carbon isn't as showy and mine also has some carbon imperfections. The Procar is more expensive, but it comes clear coated and from pictures the carbon finish looks perfect. This would probably be the better way to go if you intend to keep the CF look.

This is what I mean by pin holes in my CF hood. My CF buddies say this is pretty normal with prepreg unless you're like Boeing or a huge manufacture.

 

[bogle]

Great to know! Interesting on the pinholes. I had no idea they’d be common with prepreg. Any pics of the hinge gaps or the car itself with the hood?

 

[MaxGeek]

This is how the headlight gaps looked when I had the hood bolted into the hinges.


This is how it looks aligned without the hinges attached.

 

[Impulse]

Thats pretty dang good for a smaller shop production item.

I might have to explore their offerings! Thanks for posting the pictures. Do you have any of the underside you can share?

 

[96 NSX-T]

Personally, I think the Procar is by far the best fitting hood. I've seen a few at NSX gatherings over the years and could not believe it wasn't a genuine Honda part. Detlef duplicates the factory method of bonding the upper hood surface to a fully-functional lower CF frame. It's really amazing and fitment is 10/10. The VIS and Seibon parts can be nice if you get a good one, but I believe they are a single piece and would require significant prep work if you wanted to paint them, for example. The Procar is so flat and smooth that you can paint it with minimal prep. Even in CF gloss, it looks like a factory part.

My 2 cents.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/214002-Procar-NA2RR-cf-hood

Without a doubt, Procar would be my hood of choice if I were from THE LUCKY SPERM CLUB with unlimited $$$. They have the BEST looking products ever. So I will have to settle for VIS or Seibon. My experience with Seibon hasn't been fantastic, and I have been doing my homework and a lot of you seem to like VIS. So that will probably be the way I will go.

 

[NSXnZ]

How much is a procar or ATR hood? Just curious now…

 

[BBVNSX]

I also have ATR hood (pop up version).

When I was looking for the vented CF hood my goals were:

- I wanted a hood that worked with the OEM NSX-R radiator duct, as the plan was to go full front NSX-R undertray.

- I wanted OEM look on a real race part that worked as supposed and that I would not be afraid to use without hood pins at high speed.

- Since I wanted OEM look, exposed clear coated CF was not a concern for me, as my plan was always to paint it. As a side note, looking at it, I would say that if you get the hood professionaly clear coated, it will look very nice.

I can't coment on other brands, but I doubt you can have a full "P&P" hood, as our cars were hand built, and to have a factory perfect fit you will always need to adjust things like they dit at Tochigi Plant . Things will get even more complicated when you add full undertray, radiator duct ( designed for rhd car) and all the seals from OEM part, and want everything to work as supposed.

I'm in the midle of the install, and will update my build thread when done, but I can attest ATR parts, hood is no exception, are high quality cf parts designed and built as supposed!

My gaps, and fender/headlights alignment are close to perfect, but to install all the parts I didn't take any shortcuts. If the plan is just to unbolt one hood and bolt the cf hood, you probably won't get the same OEM perfection you had with the original hood (because that hood was also adjusted on factory).

Mechanic working on the car was quite impressed with the quality and alignment/gaps of the ATR CF hood.

Just my 2 cents