i tried to search but was unsuccessful in finding anything on c/f hoods. probly since most classes dont allow them as mods. my question is, at a novice driver school would my car pass tech if i had a c/f hood?

 

Yes it would.

But the class you would start out in is SM. The $$$ class.

 

CF hoods look cool, but do they real improve performance that much? I can understand that they lower the weight of your car, but man I think I could just take the spare and other junk out of my car and acheive the same effect. Does anybody know how drastically they effect performance?

I would consider it more if somehow the cf hood helped release hot air from the engine bay and cooled it off. In fact, better yet, just drive w/o a hood!

 

the difference is mostly aethestic. however, my carbon fiber hood is drastically lighter than my metal hood. real performance gains aren't as noticable though. i have a 50-75lb weight advantage on most drivers anyway, lol.

 

Carbon fiber hoods won't get ya much on the performance side, but heck, they stand up to the elements a lot better than paint. No chips, no rust....

 

Depends on the car. EVO8 hoods and STi hoods are very light so the effect would be felt less. On a Civic it can lighten the front a bit. My stock EX hood was about 40lbs compared to my carbon fiber hood at 12lbs. But you have to be careful what class it puts you in.

 

At a novice driving school, I would imagine that the best way to get that info would be to call the driving school you're planning to attend and ask someone there directly. Depending on the event and format, tech requirements may be different...although I don't see any reason why a cf hood wouldn't pass tech...unless it's installed with duct tape.

As far as weight reduction benefits--in many peoples eyes, anything helps. Especially reducing weight up front on a fwd car. but if you're a novice as you say....a little weight reduction up front really isn't going to help you figure out how to navigate a decreasing radius turn. I wouldn't worry about it right now if I were you. Just learn how to drive, and then worry about your car/classing. Go have fun!

 

Spoken like a true autocrosser