Hood blanket, useful?

[norcal_cobra]

You should be able to get the blanket replaced under warranty if there are water marks on it as I did. Of course there is nothing to prevent this from re-occurring the next time you drive in the rain unless you do the hood blanket mod.

-norcal_cobra

 

[03 Red Cobra]

Originally posted by slythetove
These items are on the GT also.

The hood blanket is a fire device just as described above.

The hood blanket is there for sound insulation. If it was a fire device, then every vehicle sold in the US would have one and I know many Ford pickup trucks do not have the blanket so that rules out the fire device idea.

 

[JB]

Originally posted by slythetove
Yeah, I'm just playing Devil's Advocate with you JB.

I can appreciate that Sly, I enjoy doing it myself...of course, now I'm paranoid and I'll have to put it back on ;-)

 

[WSMSVT]

Rip it off :burn:

 

[slythetove]

Originally posted by Sonic Blue 2003
The hood blanket is there for sound insulation. If it was a fire device, then every vehicle sold in the US would have one and I know many Ford pickup trucks do not have the blanket so that rules out the fire device idea.

Not necessarily...

Some Mercedes Benz automobiles have side curtain airbags. Just because my Cobra doesn't have them is not an indication that they are not for safety in a crash.

 

[94SVT Coupe]

Some F150's get them some don't. No rhyme or reason to which ones get them and which ones don't. If you ask the dealer, he'll put one in if your truck didn't get one. My 2000 4x4 off road doesn't have one, my brothers 2000 4x4 off road has one. After three years and 40K+ miles, the paint on the *aluminum* hood looks perfect.

Since I'm NOT a "fire investigator" I cannot comment on the fire issue

 

[AzDropTop]

I don't know if it is good or bad to take it off, but mine's painted.

 

[[iSEPIC]]

I'm sorry to say, but if the engine was on fire, and the hood liner fell to cover it, that would NOT put the fire out. As there are plenty of other places the fire can "breath" --- Now if the hood liner turned into some powder compound, or liquid, I'd believe it, but the sample I was playing with did no such thing in my fireplace ;-)

 

[Lethalchem]

All good points, guys. Thanks for the info. I think I'll just take it off. I like being able to see the blue paint anyway If I find I need it down the road, then 65 bucks for a new one isn't going to break me.

 

[trey193]

Whats the ground strap thats connected to the hood blanket for???

 

[Brad]

I took mine off.. did a nice coat of zaino under there.. At shows it will look 100% cooler with the hood open!

 

[Brad]

Originally posted by trey193
Whats the ground strap thats connected to the hood blanket for???

Am tuning for the mach

 

[hwystr]

Hood blankets serve 2 purposes: electromagnetic shielding, noise reduction and appearance. Cars without steel hoods need a grounded foil-backed blanket for AM reception. I've never heard the fire blanket story - definitely urban legend. In the past, engine heat could damage the paint, but paints are better now and blankets aren't required for heat protection.

 

[boostedsnake]

Originally posted by Lethalchem
I was wanting to take it off because I purchased it with 700 miles on it, and the blanket mod was already done. Unfortunately, the right vent was done poorly, and looks awful. Instead of making the left one much bigger to match the right one, I might as well remove the whole thing. The right one is already too large IMO. Hmm, I suppose I could simply buy another blanket. ANyone know the cost? Probably something rediculous, I"m sure.

Here u go..........its only $65
http://www.fordpartsnetwork.com/03Cobra.htm

 

[CobraBob]

I'm leaving mine alone for all the reasons stated above. It doesn't seem to serve any real purpose to remove it.

 

[ntechnic]

Food for thought, I've seen three '94-'98's here in SoCal that have been running without the blanket for years. All three were modified, and more power means more heat.

All three have developed paint problems in the hood paint. The hoods look like the paint is slightly fogged, or murky. It's kind of hard to describe, but the hoods are noticably different from the rest of the paint.

I've never seen this effect in any SN95 that still had the blanket.

I just picked my car up from the body shop about an hour ago (yea!) after a month due to an accident. I was talking to the owner, who has been doing body work for about 30 years. I asked him about the blanket. He said you have to remember that paint never "drys," it's always "drying." When it actually gets dry, it cracks. Anyway, he said sure, you can remove the blanket and it might look great for years, but the increased heat exposure is cooking your paint all the time. That's probably why those three cars I've seen have developed problems. The extra heat has basically aged the hood paint faster than the paint on the rest of the car.

Since I plan on keeping this car for a long time, mine stays.

 

[[iSEPIC]]

My hood/bumper is so pitted with paint chips (from day 2 of ownership) because of the cheap a$$ paint, I'll be repainting my hood every few years anyways, so for me, its MOOT.

 

[ygohome]

I waited too long before trying the hood mod. I've repainted the blanket but it still looks like crap and it is flakeing apart. So I finally removed it yesterday and it looks much much better. I also opened up the two vents.

I may buy a replacement blanket latter on or see if my dealership will give me a new one after I show them how ugly it had gotten. but for now I like it without.

Note.... our hoods are a little diff from the 94-98's in that ours have the two functional scoops to help extract some of the heat.

 

[SID297]

Could I spray the blanket with some kind of water proofer to prevent it from staining? If so what should I use?

 

[99SVTcobraVERT]

scotch gaurd? lol man let me assure you that the hood blanket WILL catch fire and isnt going to snuff out a fire fuel'd by 39lb injectors,and a 255 pump. if you have time to cut the motor off to shut the fuel down then it wasnt a fire lol. fuel tends to EXPLODE not just catch on fire and say "hey look at me, im catching fire, better do something about it" for arguements sake i took a lighter to my old 01 blanket and it tourched like a bra from the 60/ 70's