Hey People,

Can anyone confirm that early 2nd Gen 7's were made with Aluminum hoods? If so, what's the weight difference between steel and aluminum and how can I find one and at what cost?

Thanks

 

I haven't put the different hoods on a scale, but just from lifting them with my hands, the aluminum hood weighs substantially less than the steel hood.

You will be able to find an aluminum hood if you look around long enough on E-Bay, and in the For Sale / Wanted section of this forum.

Prices will vary depending on the condition of the hood, and how badly the seller wants to clean out his garage. Prices usually range from $50 to $450.

 

Steel hood is HEAVY! Two hands to lift up
Aluminum hood is super light. You can lift it with two fingers.

 

Steel hood weighs ~ 60 lbs
aluminum hood weighs ~25 lbs n/a 30 lbs TII

 

So how about the black carbon hoods I've seen in a few pics. Where do we get those from?

 

My hood seems pretty damn light, how do I check to see if it is alluminum or steel?

 

Check it with that high tech Refrigerator Magnet diagnostic tool there in the kitchen .

 

If you are worried about weight, the difference between a steel hood and an aluminum hood is just fractions of a second in the 1/4 mile.
You might be better off taking the money you would spend on an aluminum hood, and buy engine mods with it to increase your HP.

 

I disagree. This is a huge weight savings, and it's not very expensive as far as mods go. Yes, it may only make fractions of a second difference in race times, but that's all you need to win. Besides, most of the really good go-fast mods will bump a car up into the next racing class, while the aluminum hood will not.

However, I do agree that the CF hoods aren't worth the money (performance-wise), as they generally only save about 1 lb over aluminum hoods. I realize that unpainted CF hoods are all the rage with Honda teenagers, but I don't think that they have a $50 aluminum hood option like we do, and all that junk about keeping the engine cooler is complete BS.

 

If you can find me an aluminum hood for $50, I will buy it!

 

I wanted to add that, I could put my "lard ***" on a diet and loose the 25 extra pounds, be healthier, and save myself realistically $250 to $300!
Then I wouldn't have to worry about the 25 lbs. weight difference.... Unless!, I was racing an ex-horse jockey who weighed 90 lbs.!!! Then! I would be in some serious ****! He would have a 135 lbs. weight advantage! that would amount to MAYBE .2 seconds!!
You never can tell who your up against!
On the other hand, he could be a BIGGER "lard ***" than me! The type that, when he dies, they will have to bury him in a piano case! With the proper mods, he still might beat me!
What the hell! Why worry about weight!???

 

100 lb weight reduction = .09 second in the qtr mile. Eat a steak and baked potato.

 

haha thats funny, good point.

 

I really question how much that weight difference would do for performance. If you're familiar with the CART racing series, you'll know that Christino Damatta weighs in at 120lbs. Paul Tracy on the other hand is 220lbs! A full load of fuel is 35gal of methanol. There is 4.5L/gal and 1L of H20 wieghs 1kg or 2.2lbs. (methanol is lighter than that) Total fuel weight would be 347lbs. This means when damatta's driving he's got an advantage. Everyone knows that decreasing the fuel makes a massive difference in wieght. Damatta's advantage is like 1/3 a tank when full! Despite this, Tracy is more than competitive! Andretti is not too far off, I'm guessing he's 200lbs. He's the most winning driver in CART history. (please don't bring up Andretti in F1)

 

So, does anyone on this list know what RX-7 models came with Aluminum Hoods, or was it just an option, if so, on what models?

 

I've got ~50# for a steel turbo hood and ~30# for an aluminum turbo hood.&nbsp You're looking at a 20# difference.

http://www.k2rd.com/FC3S/weigh.html

Most of the Turbo II's have aluminum hoods, but there are a few steel ones out there.

1989-1990 "GTUs" NA models definitely had the aluminum NA hoods.&nbsp There's some conflicts on whether other models had them, but it's a very good chance that a full-loaded convertible and some of the "lightweight" base models (i.e. Sport) might have them.

To check, lift the hood and check the latch area - the aluminum hoods have RIVETS that hold the latch on.&nbsp Else, just carry a magnet with you.




-Ted

 

I've got an aluminum TII hood that I'll sell for $75. It needs just a little work. BUT.....I won't ship the thing, ridiculous.

$75 cash & carry.

 

You are a little far from me to drive. I really don't care about the extra 20 lbs. I have anyway.
That would be a good deal for somebody that lives closer to you!

 

Damn 75 for a T2 hood wish I could get there to pick it up

 

my 86 GXL has a steel hood, my TII has an aluminum hood, and this has been the case with N/A(steel) and turbo(aluminum) hoods.

 

The VERY early '86 models had an aluminum hood. And they were the base models too. I know because i took one off of my friend car and put it on my '86 (which had a steel hood) Hope this helps a little bit. One thing is for sure....its Rare.

 

My 90 vert came with an aluminum hood, but I switched it for the turbo 2 hood.... very nice...