Most BMW 3 Series carbon fiber hoods on the market come with a UV-resistant gelcoat, which is great protection again the clearcoat fading over time. The most popular brands of carbon fiber hoods are VIS carbon fiber hoods, Seibon carbon fiber hoods, and Carbon Creations carbon fiber hoods, and in general BMW 3 Series carbon fiber hoods are designed to bolt on to your vehicle using the factory latches. If you are having any trouble finding a carbon hoods for your car or truck, or if you have any questions about any BMW 3 Series carbon fiber hood listed on our website, please contact us.

Q: Will I have to paint my carbon fiber hood when I receive it?
A: No. In fact, for a lot of people the whole reason for buying a carbon hood is to get that new-age cutting edge race look. The hood has a clear-coat finish and can literally be installed on your car out of the box. Because carbon hoods are made to be installed without painting, they are often a more affordable option than fiberglass or steel hoods after you account for the paint cost. (For anyone who really wants to paint a carbon hood, it is indeed possible since the clear coat finish responds well to primer.)

Q: Do you have to buy hood pins if you buy a carbon fiber hood?
A: Hood pins are not necessary when buying a carbon fiber hood if it comes with an OEM metal latch, but we do recommend them as a safety precaution. They are sold separately on our website. If the carbon fiber hood does not come with a latch, hood pins are mandatory to be able to close your hood. We always suggest buying hood pins when purchasing any light-weight hood for peace of mind; you don't want any chance of your hood flying into your windshield while you're cruising along on the highway!

Q: The hood I'm considering buying from Andy's is vented and has openings in it that appear to expose it to rain. Should I be concerned about that? Will it be harmful to my vehicle if rain goes through those vents into my engine bay? Is there a way to protect against that from happening?
A: Adding guards could potentially defeat the purpose of a vented hood, which is to help cool your engine bay. Some customers do get creative and add their own diverters under the hood for a custom solution to the perceived problem, but you would have to figure out how to attach them and whether there's room under the hood in the first place. That being said, we have never heard of any problems running a vented hood as-is, and we've done it ourselves for many years without any issues to speak of.

Q: Why buy a carbon fiber hood?
A: Carbon fiber hoods give cars a fantastic custom race look that is very popular. Carbon fiber hoods come with a clear gelcoat that allows you to see the clean weave of the carbon fiber and that makes it so you don't have to paint your hood. Additionally, carbon fiber hoods are almost always lighter than factory hoods, so they can help you improve performance. Vented carbon hoods are a great option because they relieve your engine of trapped heat, are lighter weight than factory hoods, and give your car a race car appearance.

Q: How do you install a carbon fiber hood?
A: Carbon fiber hoods are usually OEM fit and finish which means un-bolting your factory hood and replacing it with the new lightweight carbon hood. Little to no modification is needed to get these to fit properly, and they often come with OEM metal latches for an easy installation. Nevertheless, hood pins are recommended for use with all carbon fiber hoods.

Q: Are there different "grades" or qualities of carbon fiber hoods?
A: Yes. The terms carbon is used loosely. Some companies make the entire hood (skin and skeleton) out of carbon. This is rare since carbon is an expensive material. Some manufacturers make the hood skin out of carbon, and make the skeleton out of fiberglass. Some companies make their hoods out of fiberglass, and paint it to look like carbon fiber, but call them carbon fiber hoods (but of course, they are just a carbon look, not actual carbon fiber). To know what "grade" a carbon hood is made of, look for details in the product description or manufacturer description.

Q: Are hood pins required for a fiberglass or carbon fiber hood?
A: We strongly advise using hood pins on all fiberglass and carbon fiber hoods, as they provide an additional level of safety should the main latch fail or if a strong gust of wind should peel the hood skin away from its skeleton. In addition, lift-off “race weight” fiberglass hoods require hood pins on all four corners, as they do not have provisions for latches or hinges.

Q: Do carbon fiber hoods require any prep work like fiberglass hoods?
A: No. Carbon fiber hoods come prefinished and ready to install out of the box, although they may require some adjustment to sit correctly. As always, we suggest adding a set of hood pins as an extra safety measure when installing lightweight hoods.

Q: Do carbon fiber hoods come pre-drilled for hood pins?
A: No. Since there are many different styles of hood pins available, it is up to our customers to drill the holes themselves to ensure a perfect fit.