i have a t2 hood of of an 87 how do you know if its aluminum or not?

 

use a magnet

 

so if the magnet do not stick den yes?

 

correct

 

Or pick it up. It's a lot lighter than the steel one.

 

the thing is that i never lifted a steel one. this is the first t2 hood i have gotten and im not sure

 

You should be able to lift an aluminimum hood with one finger, or get an apprientice at a power steering shop to close the hood by pushing on it. You'll instantly have dents in your bonnet that won't come out

 

i hope you dont have aluminum if you do . . sell it on ebay, and buy a fiberglass or carbonfiber one < dent resistant to extremes, good if you live in a place where it hails a decent amount

 

Whats wrong with aluminum? The steel one is the heavy one. Aluminum is the lightest hood thats stock from the factory for the 7. Why upgrade if its not nesecessary?

 

because the alum is soft and dents very easily. Fiberglass doesnt.

 

Oh I see, didn't think it was to big deal of a deal, I always thought it could be something that cna upgraded in a near future scenario.

 

duh what did you think i was getting at buy suggesting CF and fiberglass aluminum doesnt have a memory, when it bends it stays that way it doesn't bed back, that why they dont make springs out of aluminum

 

I was just saying its an expensive replacement. By the time our cars are this age they will have lots of dents and scratches (some here and there). Why toss out a hood that will sell for $75 to $150 bucks and buy a CF one for $600? Just doesn't make sense to me, even with dents (which can be fixed).

 

if you ram into someone with a cf or fiberglass hood hard enough, CRACK!! bye bye hood.

 

To the people saying that the aluminum hood dents easily, have you actually owned one? I've never gotten a dent in my aluminum hood, and its certainly not going to dent when a mechanic closes it. How about you just take care of your hood and it won't be a problem?

-Joe

 

2005 - 1987 = 18 years old

If the hood isn't horribly dented by now, then I'm sorry to say that your whole theory is down the drain.

BTW, hail will ruin a steel hood, too.

 

arnt all TII hoods aluminum?

 

no

 

The best way to test a hood to see whether it's Aluminum or not is to use a Magnet.. If sticks to it, then it's Steel.. If it doesn't stick then it's Aluminum. Very Important! Use the strongest magnet that you have as smaller ones may not stick on steel if the paint on your hood is too thick. So use a Healthy Meaty Magnet and use a cloth as to not scratch the paint.

 

Ditto

 

wait so dents wont come out of aluminum?!!? i have 2 that i was guna get fixed at the body shop when i paint my car..

 

That all depends on the dent really. Although, no dent will come out completely no matter what surface it's on (unless plastic i guess). You can push the dent out of aluminum and then use bondo to fill rest of it. You'd use the same technique on a steel hood as well.

 

so an aluminum hood will survive a crash, but a cf/fiber hood won't? are you stuipd?

 

well the latch hook is held on by rivets on aluminum hoods and welded or spot welded on steel hoods. thats the easiest way, and yes an 18 year old hood isn't dented by now what makes you think when its in your hands it will crumple, it is aluminum but its not aluminum foil. My turbo II has an aluminum hood, my friends 87 base has a steel hood, while my turbo2 is down we put my black aluminum hood on his red rx7 and it looks nice. but the scoop on my turbo hood made his coolant temperature go way down, especially over here in winter time the heat doesn't work as well. CF hood is almost a waste of money, it would cost more than a lot of our cars whole.

 

exactly^^^^

Fact is every hood has disadvantages. Alum may dent easier but its lighter than steel and cheaper than CF&FG. plus alum. can be repaired just as easily as steel if it is dented a little.