Saving money? Buy 'aftermarket' instead of 'OE' Car Hood Specification

In these dark days of economic recession we still have to put food in our families mouths, pay the mortgage...and buy a new car hood when necessary. But you don't need to necessarily go for an original specification replacement, as some 'aftermarket' alternatives are actually designed and made better, whilst saving a sometimes considerable ammount of the replacement cost.

An 'OE' hood basically means it has been built to the exacting original specifications...i.e. seams in the same places, same texture of material etc. Aftermarket hoods have sometimes had years and years of design and research, so a car model, like an MX-5 for example that has been out for 20 years now, sometimes has a hood that has been designed over a number of years by full time hood designers, rather than in the original factory design which may have possibly been subject to time constraints and one which hadn't had rigourous testing in all conditions.

As it happens, the OE MX-5 roof is a fantastic design, even after 20- years, but don't not consider the budget aftermarket alternative which could shave up to £100 off the final price. Most casual observers wouldn't even know the difference between an OE and an aftermarket in most cases anyway.

At the end of the day, you pay your money and you take your choice, and what we're saying is that cheap doesn't have to be nasty...