I had Prova units on my WRX before and loved them, so I splurged and picked these up through VividRacing:

They're great!

Any downside? Drill holes?

I see you got the ones intended for a Velocity Red car :)

Only downside was the $$... otherwise it was a 15 minute install:
1. remove the 2 hood bolts/insert hood shock plate/retighten bolts.
2. replace the factory bolt on the fenderwell with the included pivot-head bolt.
3. snap damper end onto pivot-head bolt
4. repeat for other side

You can have any color dampers you want, as long as they're red...
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/urltrurl?tt=url&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autoexe.co.jp%2Fproducts%2Fbo nnetdamper%2Fbonnetdamper.html&lp=ja_en

How much were these? I can get a kit for my focus for around $50. Might work for the 8 too.

Originally posted by shawrf1
I had Prova units on my WRX before and loved them, so I splurged and picked these up through VividRacing:

Can you give us a part number? I went to their site and couldn't find these.

Thanks!

shoot they sell for ~300... take a look :
http://www.boomplustoys.net/autoexe_rx8.shtml

in my smallest unobtrusive voice... "And what do these dampers do exactly?"

These take the place of the cheesy 'hood prop' which I feel cheapens the whole look of the engine bay.

The Euro-Spec cars come with these, or it is a Mazda option - could someone in the U.K. let us know how much and who to order from?

Pretty please....?
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.
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doc

UK cars come with the hood prop as standard. The "bonnet dampers" as they are known over here, are £99.95, which is more than a few of your $Canadian.

The hood of the RX8 is paper light aluminium, a fraction of a steel one, so its not going to kill you lifting it once a week or so to check the oil.

Cheers
---Dave

Originally posted by shawrf1
You can have any color dampers you want, as long as they're red... Kind of like the model T. ;)

thanks for the link squidward

I'm too cheap for that part
300 is high

Originally posted by brothervoodoo
Kind of like the model T. ;)
Hey wait, I didn't know you could choose red with those... :D
:cool: a red model T... now that's sumthin' :D

looks clean though...how fast does it come up??

does it make the hood bulge? i was hesitant on putting these on my miata a long while ago because of the chance it might bulge.

santino

XDEEDUBBX: The hood doesn't fly up, but (trying to relate it to something you may better envision) it comes up a tad bit slower than the navi screen popping up... or maybe a moderate-speed garage door opening... or about the same speed a 90y.o. with a tennis-ball-outfitted walker would lift the lightweight hood, but much more smoothly and with no groaning or complaints about what they were doing there, lifting your hood for your lazy ass.

santino: I'm afraid I don't understand about the hood bulging?

If you guys are in the area this Thursday: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?threadid=15575&referrerid=619

$350 is a bit dear :(

I ensure it looks cool with a touch of Euro feel to it.

I am not sure ---- $350... another $100 or so can get me a cold air intake.

I guess that by "bulging" santino means that the dampers are trying to push to hood open all the time... so when it is closed there is upward pressure from te dampers trying to open the hood, so making it "bulge" up...

I kinda like the idea though... looks kewl. Does the hood slowly open up by itself? Or do you still have to lift it?

how does it close? do you have to slam the hood down?

Originally posted by druck
UK cars come with the hood prop as standard. The "bonnet dampers" as they are known over here, are £99.95...Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but £99.95 is NOT $300 US. Where did that number come from? If they really DO cost that much, perhaps Druck could arrange to get some for those of us that are interested? :)
Originally posted by MadMAX
Does the hood slowly open up by itself? Or do you still have to lift it?
Originally posted by KC_RX-8
how does it close? do you have to slam the hood down?
My questions too.

Bulging: No. When closed, the shocks are exerting pressure parallel to the ground and towards the rear of the car... the hood wouldn't bulge b/c of that.

Opening the hood: You still need to reach under and undo the hood latch, then lift the hood about 4" before the dampers will do the rest of the heavy lifting... Their novelty is comparable to manual windows vs. power windows.

Closing the hood: Pull the hood about 3/4-way down w/one or two fingers and from 4" or so, push down gently to assist gravity so it'll latch solidly. Kinda hard to explain...

These may be really helpful for people with no opposable thumbs to use the hood prop. I have two, but I have to pace myself and reserve their use for important things.

UK dampers: If I had known... probably could've saved $100 or so... the things we learn...

Rob

I would be more concerned about bending or kinking the hood when first trying to close it... with the hood up, the strut support point is very close to the hinge point. If one of those struts siezes you could bend the hood...
Just a thought..

I'd still like to know if we can get these in the US...

Originally posted by MadMAX
I guess that by "bulging" santino means that the dampers are trying to push to hood open all the time... so when it is closed there is upward pressure from te dampers trying to open the hood, so making it "bulge" up...

...

I would be more concerned about bending or kinking the hood when first trying to close it... with the hood up, the strut support point is very close to the hinge point. If one of those struts siezes you could bend the hood...
Just a thought..


And then you get a nice new crease across your hood. :eek:

Oops. I'm with you, MadMAX, I wouldn't risk it. Call me conservative though!

Cheers,
Hymee.

So where is the Euro version? what is part #? how can we get some for less than $200?

Wait a minute. You said it got rid of the cheezy hood prop. but I see in the pic. it's still there. Hah, caught you! ;) Back to work and remove it!

*bump* answer the questions please... we are waiting.

If you don't mind could you post the extended and compressed dimensions from each end of the strut?

Why all the concern about damage?? There are a ton of cars in the market that come with these things instead of the cheasy hood props... heck my fathers 96 Explorer has them.

I don't think you actually need two given the light weight of the hood

I am working on a prop, obviously could not get the exact length made for Mazda, but rigged this up.

The strut is 'just a little' too strong, and the extension from the hood hinge gives it too much leverage, even with just the one strut.

Working on a kinder, gentler solution, I can get any size strut on sale at my local surplus joint for about $4 each!

S

Originally posted by pr0ber
Why all the concern about damage?? There are a ton of cars in the market that come with these things instead of the cheasy hood props... heck my fathers 96 Explorer has them.

I don't think you actually need two given the light weight of the hood

Given that the hood is made out of aluminium it is more prone to damage due to flexing. There is also a crease line built into the horizontal center of the hood that if an undue amount of pulling on the front edge of the hood just may bend it!

That is exactly the reason the gas strut people I saw about this chose not to get involved.

Originally posted by RX-8 friend
Wait a minute. You said it got rid of the cheezy hood prop. but I see in the pic. it's still there. Hah, caught you! ;) Back to work and remove it!

Re-check who posted the cheezy hood prop comment vs. who posted the pics. ;)

Originally posted by 93rdcurrent
*bump* answer the questions please... we are waiting.

Let me know what questions you're referring to and I'll try...

I can't make any measurements on the struts... I am currently a continent away from my car, serving a year in South Korea.

Rob

Originally posted by Rotary Nut
Given that the hood is made out of aluminium it is more prone to damage due to flexing. There is also a crease line built into the horizontal center of the hood that if an undue amount of pulling on the front edge of the hood just may bend it!

I thought that an earlier post mentioned that Mazda has designed struts that are being used on 8's in other countries? If so, then this should not be an issue unless there is a different hood being used as well.

looks nice, but I'd stick with the armbar..

Why spend 300 to limit your mobility to the rear from standing on the side. Don't you think it would get in the way o,f say, reaching in to access the rearward portion engine bay, for any reason?

hi rob again... how is korea? I've seen these in person on your old wrx... my friend bought it, its SOOO FAST! I raced it and I go to ride in it, all I got to say is DAYUM! I think he is having problems with the engine cuz its running way lean...