REVIEW: Ronin Speedworks Mazdaspeed Carbon Hood
10-13-14 | 06:58 PM
#26
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 132
Likes: 2
From: OC, CA
Hi guys, so a small update but hopefully with significant news. We've reached an agreement with our production house to take delivery of these hoods unpolished. That saves them time and brings their margins back in line with the fiberglass hoods, but hopefully also makes these dramatically easier for us to get.
We've dropped our prices to reflect the change since non-polished is a bit of step backward. That said we now are offering a fully blinged out UV resistant clear coat as an upgrade option if you so choose. Details are up on the website and we're once again taking orders for these.
FD Ronin Cowl Hood - Carbon Fiber
Just trying to make our albatross a little more attainable.
We've dropped our prices to reflect the change since non-polished is a bit of step backward. That said we now are offering a fully blinged out UV resistant clear coat as an upgrade option if you so choose. Details are up on the website and we're once again taking orders for these.
FD Ronin Cowl Hood - Carbon Fiber
Just trying to make our albatross a little more attainable.
10-15-14 | 02:40 PM
#29
Full Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 78
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver BC
Is the bumpsteer kits required with this hood for clearance in the LSX throttle body area? In my LS1 conversion I've used a Seibon hood without the bumpsteer parts. (I do not want to change the factory steering, & don't trust the bumsteer alteration). Your hood looks good & I may use it in my next FD conversion.
10-22-14 | 04:12 PM
#32
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 132
Likes: 2
From: OC, CA
Is the bumpsteer kits required with this hood for clearance in the LSX throttle body area? In my LS1 conversion I've used a Seibon hood without the bumpsteer parts. (I do not want to change the factory steering, & don't trust the bumsteer alteration). Your hood looks good & I may use it in my next FD conversion.
Effectively our hood should clear just about anything a stock hood would clear. I know of no issues involving Samberg's bumpsteeer parts. We use and recommend them. The same can't be said of other manufacturer's....
03-10-15 | 12:45 PM
#34
Carbon would take about a month at the least - still having issues getting those made. Fiberglass usually only takes ~1-1.5 weeks to ship out. Transit time will vary. For local pickup things happen a lot quicker, since transport and packing take a bunch of time/logistics. Hoods have to ship freight, but once they are in the truck they usually arrive pretty quick.
I know we have a fiberglass FD hood in stock right now, so sometimes folks will get lucky and wait time is notably reduced.
I know we have a fiberglass FD hood in stock right now, so sometimes folks will get lucky and wait time is notably reduced.
09-04-15 | 08:14 PM
#37
I got one and the quality was sub par and will need a decent amount of correction work to be to my standards... Hopefully the lack of availability currently is to correct their current manufacturing issues.
Fortunately despite the hood not even closing on initial install because it would hit the drivers headlight bucket. Had to open up my hinge holes to get the hood aligned properly. I was worried it was my car, so we dropped another stock hood on and it closed perfectly, so its not my car. Then the hinge wouldnt latch, had to grind out some material on the internals of the catch to get it to close. There are runs/blotches in the gel coat that will need to be sanded/polished out but the as delivered finish is worse than even the cheapest ebay hood. Fortunately mine will be painted and all issues can be corrected. But for 1200 dollars its absolutely unacceptable.
Oh back to the fortunately part, once we ruined my hinges on my car to get the hood rotated enough to even close. It does fit well enough and the gaps are consistent all around. The temps are completely stable now, even sitting in traffic with the a/c on. It works very well on a stock mount rad/intercooler setup for keeping water temps stable. IAT's still sky rocket in the stop/go traffic but id say they cool off 200% faster now.
Hopefully they are correcting these issues as its a properly functional hood that works as it should and looks suble enough for a street driven stock/body car.
Spent about 3 hrs polishing the hood, but it looks decent in this picture. Still glad I have it but was underwhelmed by the quality vs price.
Jason
Fortunately despite the hood not even closing on initial install because it would hit the drivers headlight bucket. Had to open up my hinge holes to get the hood aligned properly. I was worried it was my car, so we dropped another stock hood on and it closed perfectly, so its not my car. Then the hinge wouldnt latch, had to grind out some material on the internals of the catch to get it to close. There are runs/blotches in the gel coat that will need to be sanded/polished out but the as delivered finish is worse than even the cheapest ebay hood. Fortunately mine will be painted and all issues can be corrected. But for 1200 dollars its absolutely unacceptable.
Oh back to the fortunately part, once we ruined my hinges on my car to get the hood rotated enough to even close. It does fit well enough and the gaps are consistent all around. The temps are completely stable now, even sitting in traffic with the a/c on. It works very well on a stock mount rad/intercooler setup for keeping water temps stable. IAT's still sky rocket in the stop/go traffic but id say they cool off 200% faster now.
Hopefully they are correcting these issues as its a properly functional hood that works as it should and looks suble enough for a street driven stock/body car.
Spent about 3 hrs polishing the hood, but it looks decent in this picture. Still glad I have it but was underwhelmed by the quality vs price.
Jason
Last edited by Jason94R2; 09-04-15 at 08:18 PM.
09-04-15 | 11:28 PM
#39
Yeah...i think i knocked some tiles off the one tunnel 
Drove the car 1900 miles in 100* heat, HPDE at NCM in Bowling Green KY, auto-x'd(2 drivers too, so 2x as many runs) it and got mid 20's for MPG...such a good car.
Could not have done that with the stock hood and my current setup. Stock hood gets so hot in that kind of heat i cant even open it w/o gloves..lol
Jason
Drove the car 1900 miles in 100* heat, HPDE at NCM in Bowling Green KY, auto-x'd(2 drivers too, so 2x as many runs) it and got mid 20's for MPG...such a good car.
Could not have done that with the stock hood and my current setup. Stock hood gets so hot in that kind of heat i cant even open it w/o gloves..lol
Jason
06-16-16 | 02:31 PM
#42
I got one and the quality was sub par and will need a decent amount of correction work to be to my standards... Hopefully the lack of availability currently is to correct their current manufacturing issues.
Fortunately despite the hood not even closing on initial install because it would hit the drivers headlight bucket. Had to open up my hinge holes to get the hood aligned properly. I was worried it was my car, so we dropped another stock hood on and it closed perfectly, so its not my car. Then the hinge wouldnt latch, had to grind out some material on the internals of the catch to get it to close. There are runs/blotches in the gel coat that will need to be sanded/polished out but the as delivered finish is worse than even the cheapest ebay hood. Fortunately mine will be painted and all issues can be corrected. But for 1200 dollars its absolutely unacceptable.
Oh back to the fortunately part, once we ruined my hinges on my car to get the hood rotated enough to even close. It does fit well enough and the gaps are consistent all around. The temps are completely stable now, even sitting in traffic with the a/c on. It works very well on a stock mount rad/intercooler setup for keeping water temps stable. IAT's still sky rocket in the stop/go traffic but id say they cool off 200% faster now.
Hopefully they are correcting these issues as its a properly functional hood that works as it should and looks suble enough for a street driven stock/body car.
Spent about 3 hrs polishing the hood, but it looks decent in this picture. Still glad I have it but was underwhelmed by the quality vs price.
Jason
Fortunately despite the hood not even closing on initial install because it would hit the drivers headlight bucket. Had to open up my hinge holes to get the hood aligned properly. I was worried it was my car, so we dropped another stock hood on and it closed perfectly, so its not my car. Then the hinge wouldnt latch, had to grind out some material on the internals of the catch to get it to close. There are runs/blotches in the gel coat that will need to be sanded/polished out but the as delivered finish is worse than even the cheapest ebay hood. Fortunately mine will be painted and all issues can be corrected. But for 1200 dollars its absolutely unacceptable.
Oh back to the fortunately part, once we ruined my hinges on my car to get the hood rotated enough to even close. It does fit well enough and the gaps are consistent all around. The temps are completely stable now, even sitting in traffic with the a/c on. It works very well on a stock mount rad/intercooler setup for keeping water temps stable. IAT's still sky rocket in the stop/go traffic but id say they cool off 200% faster now.
Hopefully they are correcting these issues as its a properly functional hood that works as it should and looks suble enough for a street driven stock/body car.
Spent about 3 hrs polishing the hood, but it looks decent in this picture. Still glad I have it but was underwhelmed by the quality vs price.
Jason
Will post pics later.
