Aluminum Hold Questions

[mwg968]

I just bought an aluminum rear decklid and saw a number of sellers offer an aluminum hood. I was hoping members could shed some light on their experience with aftermarket aluminum hoods. I’m not interested in spending 10k on a factory one so I’m only interested in the current production quality.

Specifically hoping to get answers to the following:

1. Are there multiple manufacturers or someone who makes a better product?
2. is the Quality significantly worse than steel reproduction units?
3. is it true that the hoods are so soft that they dent with a hard Finger press?
4. Am I correct in my understanding that the weight savings is ~5lbs?
5. besides the decklid, rear license panel and hood are there any other aluminum parts worth considering?

Anyone with horror stories or long term problem free enjoyment that could chime in would be greatly appreciated!

[RickWhite]

I posted pictures of mine in my build thread. In short, looks great, stampings are good, etc. It will deflect with slight pressure, but thus far, no dents. I track the car, it lives in a garage with children, etc. You will worry about it, so if you are weighing this expense vs something else, something else is probably a better bang for the buck. No way would I spend 10k on a factory one.

I don’t know the exact weight savings, but it is substantial.

[mike66]

I've bought and used 3 aluminum hoods fromt 3 different sources so far. All of them had the same problem, i.e. the edges to the lower, flat middle section of the hood were not as sharp as on steel ones. Same experience with rear panels, edges are kind of rounder. And one of the aluminum hoods even had edges of different lenghts right and left. Really strange... My guess is that they use the same presses but aluminum reacts different. But... the weight savings (in the front) are worth it anyway :-)

[Nordschleife]

If you don't mind sharing, Mike & Rick, which manufacturer(s) and/or seller did you choose?

I have been considering an aluminum front hood (or possible the alternate aluminum-skinned version with steel frame instead?) and would like to make the smartest purchase possible. Thank you!

Best,
Andy in New Hampshire

[mepstein]

I used to sell the aluminum hoods made by Dansk. I would be surprised if there are other manufacturers. Its not perfect and won’t have the exact same look as the stock Porsche lid but we felt the curve of the hood (once it was latched down) was much better than fiberglass lids. It’s a lot lighter than the stock lid as well.

[RickWhite]

Mine is Dansk. I think there may be another German manufacturer, but I (mostly) defer to my shop and they were very happy with the fitment. As you can see in the photos, it isn't perfect, but then given my car is 75% a DE car until it gets the full RS clone treatment, I don't really care if the panel gap is slightly off. Plus, with the straps, you have to fiddle a bunch with it to get it perfect and I don't care that much about having symmetric gaps on my front hood. You can't see it from the driver's seat regardless! My targa is for sweating the details because it is mostly original. The coupe is for the driving. Well both are for the driving, but I don't wash the coupe.

[mwg968]

Mine is Dansk. I think there may be another German manufacturer, but I (mostly) defer to my shop and they were very happy with the fitment. As you can see in the photos, it isn't perfect, but then given my car is 75% a DE car until it gets the full RS clone treatment, I don't really care if the panel gap is slightly off. Plus, with the straps, you have to fiddle a bunch with it to get it perfect and I don't care that much about having symmetric gaps on my front hood. You can't see it from the driver's seat regardless! My targa is for sweating the details because it is mostly original. The coupe is for the driving. Well both are for the driving, but I don't wash the coupe.

According to Aase (the only site I found that listed the weights. The aluminum hood is 5lbs lighter than the steel version. I find this difficult to believe as the rear decklid in aluminum is also 5 lbs lighter than the steel equivalent despite being about 1/3 the size. I assume this is down to the need for much thicker structural sections on the hood contributing to a higher weight. If anyone has weight confirmation that would be great. 10lbs lighter starts to feel like a worthwhile compromise. 4-5 lbs and I’d likely stick to steel.

Regarding the front tie down straps either in leather or rubber are there any risks in mating the soft aluminum of the hood to the harder steel of the bumper? Thanks for everyone who has replied.

[mepstein]

I no longer have one so I can’t confirm the weight savings. It felt like more than 5 lbs. The reproduction aluminum hood isn’t nearly as thin as the rear engine lid. I do have one of those and it’s seriously light. The metal can be distorted with a light touch. It’s very fragile.