Caj Darkmoon

The definitive answer is to leave it on because it's not good for your paint to have it off. On other cars that are better ventilated it may be different, but ours were designed with it there for a reason.

SOCKS_old

how would someone have a definite answer?!?!!

someone would have to A) take the liner off, and then B) have issues with JUST their hood paint, and be able to somehow attribute the peeling/faded paint to the heat.

and even if there were ONE case of the above, that wouldn't make it definitive. it could just be a rare thing.

tons of people have it off, and i have never seen someones hood only thats peeling that also has the liner off the car.

yeah the engine bay gets hot, but a hood will get just as hot if not HOTTER on the surface when it is outside in the sun.

Rixshark

Mine didn't have one when I bought it, and I've never had any issues relating to the paint peeling or anything. Thats both the factory paint, and my custom paint that I have now. I also drove around for the past year without a heat shield on the exhaust manifold, and even after that, I had no issues with the painted being destroyed.

But I also don't have that rubber seal that sits on top of the bumper, so theres a chance that cool air may force its way through and disepate the heat, but not that much.

So no, it shouldn't cause any damage to your paint....

likeyoumeanit

there is supposed to be a seal on my bumper? I think my car might be missing something.... so how important is this rubber seal?

DTN

^^ it's there to keep water out of the engine bay, as well as to provide the hood a piece of rubber to seat against instead of metal on metal.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Bullfrog @ Oct 13 2008, 02:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>So we have no definate answers to if taking it off will ruin the paint. Sometimes factory stuff is there for a reason. Anyone please feel free to sound off.</div>

It's there for sound deadening. I had it off of my car for 1 1/2 years. I drove plenty of long distances in 110+ weather with no problems with the paint. If you want it off or it looks like crap, take it off. Otherwise keep the extra 25 lbs on there. It dosn't really matter. Take it or leave it. Your engine will be louder outside the car without it on there.

stealth

ok well first i would like to say it wont do anything to have A) the heat shield off or B) to have that mat off

the heat shield has been off my car for almost 2-3 months and no problems, and my friends cavalier has had it off for however long he has had the car (around 5+ years) and his stock paint is still in incredible condition

the mat has NO effect on the paint, my friends cavalier has had it off for a long time now along with the heat shield and like i said above there has been no problem with his 12 year old paint

im going outside in a few minutes here to pull my mat off, didnt know it added that much weight but after reading this is see no use in it

Ericy321

Just to put this out there again, my brand new Accent came without one. Dont think they've changed the paint or anything to make it stronger or whatever. I doubt paint bubbling will be a problem as tons of cars (Even SRT-4s from what nate said, which get a lot hotter than our Tiburons) come without one.