Ditched the matte black hood wrap on my 1LE!
 

...and much happier!

I just wasn't feeling the OEM matte black vinyl wrap on the hood of the ZL1 1LE, as it didn't match all of the other blacks on the car. I think they should have gone with a satin vinyl wrap that matched the rockers.

We ripped it off, disassembled the hood, then polished out the carbon fiber because they (all) have a lot of sanding marks, swirls, haze, etc. Then I coated the carbon fiber, and wrapped the hood (and the rest of the car) in STEK paint protection film for the ultimate in clarity.

All of the details will come out in the future videos (performance mod video to be released within the next 24-48 hours), but you can clearly see that I added Forgeline wheels, Michelin 4S tires, tinted windows, etc.

Everybody who has seen this car before and after prefers the look without the matte black hood.

https://i.imgur.com/vH0TpBe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YQI9ZP5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7T7FCxI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/i5mnB25.jpg?1

And for the obligatory artsy shot...

https://i.imgur.com/PzGVAKI.jpg?1

well done!

I like it. That looks great!

I have been considering this as well. I like it.

Do the Forgelines match OEM offsets? Or did you have to use spacers?

Looking forward to your new videos.

The flat black didnt last too long on my car.
I just had it swapped out with a satin wrap a couple weeks ago.
I agree - definately looks better with the satin.

Looks awesome! :thumbsup:Got a glimpse of it this morning when I dropped off my 1LE.

Now what Todd? I was looking forward to you guys showing us the right way to maintain the matte hood! Car looks great btw...

Thank you!

Thanks!

Thanks! The wheels are OEM-spec in terms of size and offset.

I may run satin at some point...figured I would go with the stripped-down look for a while!

Thanks, and sorry I missed you when you stopped by! Hopefully I'll get a chance to chat with you when you pick it up.

This IS the best way to maintain it! :)

We added Suntek over the top of the matte hood, it gave it a deeper black satin look...much better.
Just a heads up.

Yes, we've done that to some 1LE hoods too, and it does look better. It still doesn't match the rest of the black trim on the car though.

Great looking ride!

What was your process for polishing the carbon fiber? Can it be treated just like standard clear coat?

Than manual say not to "wax" it so that has me concerned that it needs to be treated differently and like you said it needs some polishing.

Thank you.

Yes, you treat it just like paint because it's clearcoated. Like I said, every single carbon fiber insert looks "less than good". I have yet to see any carbon fiber from any manufacturer that can't be improved upon...OEM or aftermarket.

I did a multi-stage polishing process that really brought out the clarity and detail in the carbon fiber. As you can see from the before / after photos below, clarity was improved significantly. Now you can clearly see all of the individual strands.

"Before" condition: sanding marks, buffer trails, haziness.

https://i.imgur.com/c9McTwT.jpg

"After" condition.

https://i.imgur.com/V8IfeTr.jpg

Clarity!

https://i.imgur.com/IckGv6v.jpg

Reflectivity and depth (Before applying any coating)

https://i.imgur.com/ujREICt.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0gQP76S.jpg

The Red 1LE is much more beautiful without that matte wrap!!!

Thinking of doing the same with my future Black 1LE.

Here's their performance upgrade video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-KaODPI_oc

I've been watching this progress. Gorgeous car!!

Car looks great without the hood wrap

what size wheels are you running?

He said they're the same size/specs as factory. 19x11/19x12 with 305/325 Sport 4S.

Wow what a difference in the carbon fiber. Thank you for the info Todd, I now have a project for the weekend :thumbup:

Looks way better. I hate that hood wrap.

Mine is done in Expel Stealth and appears to match the mirrors, rockers, splitter and diffuser. I like it as it's a signature of the 1LE models.

Wow, night and day! :first:

I have never liked the matte hood on any 1LE ever. It looks terrible and I want paint on my car, not stickons.

Very nice

Thank you!

Thank you. OEM sizes and offsets.

Thanks, and have fun!

Thanks.

Thank you. The same process happens on the wing as well.

I hear ya.

Thank you.

If I ever get any 1LE, that will be the first thing I would do, get rid of the wrapped hood. Looks great

DAMN!!...That CF sure looks great! Is that something we rookies/mortals can do with a DA polisher and some esoteric products? What products are recommended!

Yes, you can achieve that result with a proper DA, pads, compounds/polishes, and time. I polished my hood vent with Adam's Finishing Compound and their White pad and it came out crystal clear as well. There are many other options out there, perhaps Todd will recommend them or show them in their next video on it.

Thank you.

Well...yes, and no. I do talk about this in video 3 (1 and 2 have been published). DIY'ers can make a huge difference with the right combination of tools, products, and techniques. Even a 1-step process can achieve amazing results that would make most people very happy. Be sure to check out video 1 and 2 and subscribe so you get notified when the rest of the 6-part series is released.

OP do you track your car? I know the intent of the black wrap is to limit hood glare on the track. Wondering if you have a comparison to make without it.

When I tracked my 5th gen 1LE, the hood wrap made a big difference. I was actually considering a wrap for my ZL1 just for that reason.

The car is beautiful by the way!

Thank you, and yes I do. The hood is so flat relative to your seating / viewing position that I simply don't see how that would make much of a difference. I also tint the windshield on all of my cars, and that addresses glare from any and all angles.

That's good to hear. Mind if I ask how tall you are? I'm 6'5 and I place the seat as low as I can before the steering wheel is at a weird position. I also tint all my windshields..lol. First track day in two weeks so I'll just run without the wrap and see what happens. May have just saved me some trouble.

I'm only 5'9", but keep my seat up pretty high.

Let us know how the trackday goes!

Soooooo much better.

You fixed the only thing I don’t care for on the 1LE. That would be my first “mod” as well. Looks terrific!

Looks Great. The Matte doesn't work on Red

The matte looks like s--t imo period. No matter what color 1LE I would get, it would be off the car on the first day.

Anyone happen to have a 1LE in Nightfall Grey that's removed theirs??

Thank you!

Thanks...love the looks now that it's gone!

Thanks, and agreed.

Thanks.

I wouldn't use the term "simply" for this. You can't really get "all" of it off without removing the hood insert. Then they have edge-prepped the crap out of the vinyl, so all of the edges are stuck on like glue. You'll want to disassemble, use light heat, take your time, have good adhesive remover, then I'd recommend polishing out the hood by machine afterwards because you'll most likely mar / scratch the finish while you're removing adhesive.

What a politically correct way to say it was a PITA to get off. :laugh:

I suppose its a flavor thing. We have a NF gray car and the matte hood works really well. Especially after the Suntek was applied.