Have you ever seen a car with a black hood? It’s a pretty rare sight, but there are cars out there that have them. So why do some cars have black hoods?
There are actually several main thoughts for this. Some people choose to paint the hood of their car black because it makes the car look more intimidating. Others do it as a way to show off their style or personality. And finally, some people choose to have a black hood because it helps keep the engine cooler. But what are the real reasons? The reality is that:
- cars with black hoods have been used for years as a solution to avoid reflections from the sheet metal to the driver.
- this trend began in the sixties in some competitive cars and its function was to avoid the impact of the sun’s rays in the driver’s eyes.
- matte black hoods were preferred as they created less difference in light and the circuit seemed to be seen better.
- Abarth reintroduced this trend in 2016 with its 124 Spider.
- Opel has also recently begun to offer cars with black hoods, this time as a nod to its previous models.
Keep in mind that several decades ago, cars had long and often more horizontal front hoods. The usual situation was for pilots to avoid getting the sun’s rays in their eyes during a race other than in endurance tests.
If the pilot was tall, he would see nearly the whole hood, and they did gleam that might bother you. That is why many drivers decided to paint their hoods black, of course not glossy black but matte so that these reflections were no longer an issue. Thus, also, the vehicle’s front view appeared to be in keeping with the road color, and because there was less difference in light, the track appeared to be better lit.
Can I paint my car hood?
If you want to have your car hood painted, there are two methods to go about it: doing it yourself or hiring a professional. Professional paintwork may cost anywhere from $500 to $500+, while do-it-yourself might cost as little as $70.
Is it difficult to paint a car’s hood black?
One of the most difficult things about painting a car’s hood black is making sure that the paint job looks good. This means that you’ll need to take your time and be very careful when applying the paint. You might also want to consider hiring a professional to do the job for you.
