DIY Carbon Fiber race Car Hood

Music by Infraction & Technoaxe

[@MPKPerformance]

I made a hood and bumper out of fiberglass from the knowledge I learned from watching your videos. Thanks for showing how it’s done.

[@schwarzwald-Black-forest]

HI.can you please send me a list of what i need for making car hoods and material link to buy and approx how much it cost to start this job? thanks

[@MPKPerformance]

@@schwarzwald-Black-forest Watch the videos from the OP he lays out all the materials you'll need and shows the process.

[@fetusness]

Coming from the easy composites series of tutorials/ it’s nice to see someone in the real world and how one would actually go about tackling a job like this. THANK YOU!

[@1967250s]

Beauty. I've wanted to make a lighter hood for my Porsche 944 for a while now (41 pounds! ), and this is a perfect lesson. Thanks!

[@Robert-vp6xf]

Your best video. Amazing. It actually consolidated everything you have said and done over the years with bonnets. Has to be the best tutorial out there. The sound was great and the music went with it. Very nice Bill.

[@amirfathirad2965]

I am so happy to see you made another video dear Mr. Pearson, it was a long time from your last video, your videos are like a bible to me on fiberglassing, thank you for all your hard work

[@RobertEHunt-dv9sq]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!! Thanks for posting I am dying to try this work for my race Spitfire. Cheers from Texas.

[@gordondaniels9718]

very nice explaination you make it look easy and mr universe at the end shows how light it is thanks

[@MindDezign]

So many years watching so many simple tricks thank you thank you thank you !!!

[@marcuslimbaugh4592]

Thank you so much for listing all chemicals and equipment

[@LilSkunkRacing]

That was a brilliant video. The music was perfect 😂 I couldn’t look away

[@legacyruss9091]

Started doing some small composites projects using these techniques. Makes it simple so it’s enjoyable work too!

[@BillsBuildandRace]

A common mistake of composite beginners is starting on to big (& expensive) a project first. Yes, learning on small jobs is definitely the smart way to go.

[@CherylCold]

Awesome. One day I'll get around to fixing my Lotus.... Had some practice during the lockdown repairing some very bad race bike fairings. Guess its a start.

[@estewar03]

Bill please come back.... it's been way to long. Hope you're in good health and to see some more frequent uploads

[@v8trikebyers756]

Great video. I make a small mold of the hinges then lay up a couple of 450csm then add steel with rivet nuts for the bolts then glass into place.

[@changodrift]

You help me believe I can make anything!! Thank you 🙏🏽

[@BillsBuildandRace]

That is exactly why I film & post these tutortials. Go for it!

[@tezsullivan6048]

Excellent demo, thanks Bill👍

[@kurtys61342]

Bill, I finally got around to making a mold for my hood. I did the layup a little differently, I used 3 layers of 450gm csm instead of the thin first layer. It came out very well and I am very happy with it. Anyway I am wondering what sort of shrinkage you would expect on a hood mold like this. It appears my mold has shrunk about 2-4mm in length and width. I ground it pretty close like you show in the video, and then hand sanded it to finish once I released it from the plug. it's now 2-4mm smaller in both directions - I really don't think I sanded that much off. Lastly how long should I have left the mold on the plug? I took it off about 20hrs after I molded it. Thanks for the video, very inspiring!

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Fiberglass shrinking is a bit of a myth. Resin shrinks up to 8 percent as it cures, but the glass reinforcement does not shrink at all. When the part begins to shrink, the glass reinforcement minimizes shrinkage along the length of the glass fiber. After layup I generally leave jobs overnight and release them the next day, so what you did was fine. I just sand the edges of my molds until I just see the mold edge ,which is why I always make my molds & jobs in contrasting colours. As soon as I see that mold colour of the edge I stop sanding.

[@stevo5640]

Excellent work Bill. Best Video yet.

[@FreakoRico999]

Just curious, after a lot of mods done to the Civic, what does it weigh now..?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

960g

[@andymutale368]

Nice

[@grimreaper5401]

Holy faaaak I was just about to spend 6000 dollars on carbon fiber parts and I just happen to stumble upon this video right now 😲😲😲😲

[@marcuslimbaugh4592]

I love this man. Wish we were neighbors

[@elliotwong8416]

Bill thank you so much for sharing

[@Em12k]

Very nice! Just picked up a cf hood for my 08 si at a smoking deal $400 bucks shipped! Would be cool to make custom carbon parts . Like a roof

[@lancerr7608]

Brilliant video and great soundtrack

[@bartvalencia697]

Wow the video is very helpful. Do you have any tutorial making the under frame of the hood and sticking it together?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Sure do. This one and part 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3imhmaXebyjmM0

[@living4adrenaline]

Very good, but how do you fit it to the car without the hood latch/ bottom part?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

This is for a race car - so bonnet pins need to be used to hold it down. The factory catch is redundant.

[@living4adrenaline]

@@BillsBuildandRace thank you

[@williamschristopher12]

Hello sir! Great video, not just for the subject matter, but how it shot, music, and editing…I have a couple questions: 1) would you recommend this a first time project? Or should I try something smaller to first? (Skateboard deck for example) 2) is there any online website that has a good starter kit, or should I trust buy what I need in separately… I just want to make fiberglass hood, no carbon fiber necessary, for a 1964 Mercury Comet…so I could cut a scoop/supercharger hole…my car is not pretty nor is it meant to be…thanks for your videos!

[@BillsBuildandRace]

1) "MASTERCLASS" in the opening titles of this video designate it as being a project for those experienced in working with composites. It is not a suitable project for a beginner, because if you make a mistake the costs when working with Carbon Fiber are very high. If you lack experience select "Playlist" at this channel's home page, then select "Fiberglass & Carbon Fiber Tutorials". There you will find 67 step by step DIY tutorials, and I would advise you to watch all of them, by which point you will have a thorough overall understanding of how to work with these materials. The very first one covers all the basics, and shows how to make a fiberglass bonnet, but like I said, go on to watch the lot. 2) I can't answer that until I know where you are. Do NOT buy a "fiberglass repair kit" from a hardware store as a starter kit, and the reasons for that are explained in the video "Avoid Common Fiberglass Mistakes"

[@gordiefrench5342]

Sir you do very good work I wish I had the skills to make this carbon fiber anything

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Start on simple projects of low importance with fiberglass. Learn with that material rather than CF because that is way too expensive to make mistakes with. And your mistakes with FG is how you will develop your skills. It's all do-able. Just give yourself time to grow your skills in this area. Mold & copy some object in fiberglass that doesn't matter, and see what that does for your self confidence!

[@terrykelsay6260]

You make it look so easy awesome job

[@domenicozagari2443]

Can you use butter instead of VAX?

[@Thiswasmeanttobeeasy]

I've done a few practice jobs in carbon fibre, now I think I am ready to make a sidecar fairing in carbon fibre. I was quoted $3000 to make one, but if I do it, would be heaps cheaper, and like you say in the video, it will just be painted.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

And your sense of pride in what you make and your ability to sculpt it exactly as you uniquely want will give you HUGE self satisfaction.

[@meostars]

Proper doing the lords work lad.

[@schwarzwald-Black-forest]

HI.can you please send me a list of what i need for making car hoods and material link to buy and approx how much it cost to start this job? thanks

[@kurtys61342]

Awesome video! I'm in the planning stages of doing a hood for my 91 talon. How many layers of 200g carbon cloth are you using? How many would you reccomend on a "drag" car that will see about 160mph trap speeds. Hood is approximately 55x55. I was planning on some honeycomb or other thickener along with framing.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

I used 3 layers of 200gm CF for that bonnet (which was for a drag car btw). By the time you then add two layers of100mm wide x 200gm strips of CF over re-inforcing tubes around the edge & across the middle you don't need any fillers or honeycomb. Trust me on this.

[@aliashtiani8246]

Im going to guess you used to shape surfboards. Very nice video and thanks.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Nope - never made a single one. Glad you enjoyed the vid.

[@jeronimodantas7792]

boa noite meu jovem me diga porque vc adicionou estas bordas

[@mightyeagle]

I think you might have just inspired me to get on with it and make my own hood

[@SuperTambo69]

awesome. I am going to make a CF air box for my race car

[@BillsBuildandRace]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWXKdqSGicl2iac

[@50thcam]

Awesome and very helpful video. I'm making a bonnet very soon and this this has inspired me more so to do it. Ive subscribed and you also appear to be local to me which is good.

[@jocrp6]

I'm confused on the mold part? can you not get a nice Finnish from just laying fiber on hood?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

No you can't do it that way because the smooth surface would be on the UNDERSIDE of the copied bonnet, whereas you need it on the top. The top side of a layup gives a rough, imperfect surface.... which is why you have to make your copy in the mold. You'd end up with a "female part", when you need a "male" product end result. Think of an orange. If you just poured plaster over half of it then removed that cast would the outer surface of the plaster be like the orange? Of course it wouldn't. And would the inside of that plaster mould be the shape of the orange? No - it would be a bowl shape - not a ball shape. Everything would be back to front.

[@aaronlehman9549]

Just a few notes. You vacuum bag it not only to save weight but also make the part stronger. That’s a lot of the reason why carbon is stronger than fiberglass. Less resin.

[@aaronlehman9549]

I think on this part you could’ve done a envelope bag which is a lot easier than the one where you bag to the actual mold. Huge fan. Not trying to mean or anything. That was just something i learned for the very last video I watched.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@aaronlehman9549 Yes that is all correct, but the weight and strength differences you are talking about between wet lay-up and vacuum bagging are really not that crucial to backyard race car builders. My wet laid up race car door weighed 4kg in CF compared to the steel factory's 27.5kg. Wet laying CF is challenging enough for most to try for the first time. If you add in vacuum bagging as well they just wouldn't attempt a project like this for themselves. There are countless videos showing how to make car parts in CF using vacuum bagging. IMHO a problem that creates is the idea that you HAVE to do it that way. To my knowledge I am the only composites fabricator that shows that is not the case, and HUGE weight savings are still there. No offense taken.

[@WorstPaperCut]

he really made a carbon fiber hood with no vacuum bag............welp saving this to the archives

[@paulandreotti1639]

My favorite place on KZbin.

[@Clufus671]

Is it possible to just put the mold release on a steel hood and do the carbon and vacuum process to have a carbon product?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Yes it is possible, but the thickness of over laying would make the copy larger than the steel original, and place the smooth side of the CF on the UNDERside of the hood. Think of doing that to an orange. The fruit's texture would be on the wrong side. It is not the way to go. Newchums are always looking for shortcuts with fiberglass and composites. There aren't any.

[@markcray5164]

If you put small 4" returns around the bonnet when making the moulds wouldn't you then have a neat edge shaped finished edge instead of the fibre ends showing?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

You are confusing how a mold is made for vacuum bagging rather than for hand wet layup. The "fibre ends" don't show because they are impregnated with resin, and even if they did it would be of no consequence on a mold.

[@markcray5164]

@@BillsBuildandRace thankyou

[@STAY-GOLD-VINYL]

How much US$ would you figure this would cost a new guy like myself? Want to make a hood just like this one minus the carbon fiber hood build

[@BillsBuildandRace]

That's a hard one to answer as I don't know the cost of materials in the USA - and CF varies tremendously and there are a lot of over chargers out there. Here in Oz it cost me around A$600 to make.

[@bug1941]

Excellent video!

[@davidgerard2471]

Well done bill great tutorial thanks

[@ChapmanAutomotive]

How about hand laying without making a mold. Laying directly on the part. Besides it being a little bit larger would that work?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

If only. No , as the top surface would be as rough as.

[@ChapmanAutomotive]

Sorry for late reply. Yea another youtuber made a wet lay up parts no mold but they all were 2-3 mil thicker

[@yunbow5630]

Hi there, should you please share the link of the resin you use?

[@doaburnout1205]

How much would a custom carbon fiber hood for a crown vic cost 🤔

[@BillsBuildandRace]

$1,200 for the CF bonnet (single skin race), plus $750 to make the fiberglass mold.

[@lukecowell7516]

Leave it out in the sun for a few days 😂😂😂😂 ...... I'm from the uk

[@haroldalvarez5274]

How much?? $$ did u spent on buying products to do This job?? Time or hora s ??

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Three days labour. CF costs depend on how you buy it & how many layers & how much frame re-enforcing you do - so anywhere from A$5 - 700.

[@NippyMoto]

How strong is the CF bonnet?

[@TheTorkerman]

Would woven roving and black tinted resin give a similar look for a lower cost Bill?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Doubt it. Tyros often forget that t hose glassy smooth black aftermarket CF panels are the result of the highest manufacturing standards & precision way outside the commoners car shed & experience.

[@ODGColornChrome]

How long have you been working with fiber glass, Kevlar, and carbon fiber? You definitely have skills!

[@BillsBuildandRace]

35 years

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@Power 2 Weight I have waded waist deep through huge failures over the years. And just when I think I can do no wrong and have this art mastered I have another massive failure. Not sure if that's encouraging or not for you! Bit of both I guess, but it's from all those disasters where we do our real learning. If you do not let them discourage you, & press on, that's how we learn our limits, the jobs to avoid, minimize mistakes in the future and develop our skill set.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@Power 2 Weight The irony of having a perfectionist father is that they never achieve it themselves. This is often accompanied by their personal history of starts but no finishes (classic trait of alcoholics too btw). And they pass all that on to their children. My father in law was one. You'd drive up in a faultless new car and he'd say "Couldn't you have got it in another colour?", or some other critical comment. Perfectionists even do that with their own work.You'd spend hours & hours doing some job for him he couldn't do for himself and - instead of thanks - his response was some negative observation. A friend of mine always has to point out the faults to me in his work, rather than just absorb my admiration. Perfectionism needs to be broken by accepting it is a myth, that we are mistake prone, IMperfect humans, and that our mistakes are what we can get our best learning from. If we can do that, we can replace a constant sense of failure and lack of motivation to start (because we know we will fail), with an enjoyment of doing new things, maybe just taking the first few steps and proudly stopping to look back at what we have achieved, correct our errors, and press on. Eventually we can even laugh at our mistakes. Broken car parts proudly hung on our shed walls are one way to do that!

[@petrolfix]

@@BillsBuildandRace that is one of the most inspiring things I've ever read. Well done on such informative videos, to the point so quickly, no bullshite, Fantastic.

[@bseries8826]

Thank you

[@Nonicknameprettypls]

That is so cool!

[@wildnfree223]

well done sir,

[@Viegginator_J7]

What if we want oem style eg carbon fiber hood

[@devdub7350]

Do you make hoods for people or is this for just you?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

No - this was made for a client. I have the mold, and mold and copy other bonnets as clients require. PM if you want to chat more via the Facebook link on this channel's home page.

[@rubenrobles7275]

Hey bud, did you use the porous foam insulation or the rubber kind?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Rubber, but it doesn't really matter as it just forms a shape over which the strips are over laid. That's what gives the strength - not the hot water insulation.

[@rubenrobles7275]

@@BillsBuildandRace yes, I did get it, but I was just thinking, the mold will be done in a vertical position. Any sugestions on how I can keep the insulation from falling while they dry? I also noticed when you apply your wax, you dontpolish it or wipe it, any reason why? Will the unwiped wax residue show on the finished part? I applied release wax on top of my release agent, is that overkill?

[@evo6swap]

Wow and thank you

[@naturalmystics-kd9vt]

What kind of resin are you using and what is the viscosity or the resin thank you

[@BillsBuildandRace]

I used Low Styrene Emission (LSE) general purpose poly resin for making the fiberglass mold, because it's cheaper and far less fumy than the others. For the CF lay up I used a two part epoxy resin that was slow cure (fifteen minutes working time). Both are locally made here in Australia.

[@donkm235]

Nice editing ! Keep up the good work

[@Numptee86]

Vacuum bagging isn't for cosmetics....its minimising the resin to carbon ratio, which minimises weight and increases strength.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

After working with composites for well over ten tears I think I just might know that, and those levels of maximized strength & minimum weight are only needed in the aeroplane and F1 industries.

[@stevel.2759]

So beautiful

[@traderryan713]

Challenge accepted! Nice.

[@bobboby2914]

so thanks

[@musikomax]

I heard there is a directional strenght to carbon fiber sheets, is it true?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

That is determined by the pattern of cloth used and how it is laid - but for general motorsport panels it is rarely a factor.

[@musikomax]

@@BillsBuildandRace Thanks, your video teaches valuable information. I thought the vacuum was required.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@musikomax That is a shed myth the commercial industry is happy to spread. Yes it IS the ultimate method, but is not essential as most would have you believe. I will get criticism back from the "experts" on this for sure.

[@bryancarrillo407]

good job !!!

[@bluedevil305]

Do you have a video on more detail how you made the mounting template?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

No I don't. It's just a bit of tin cut to the shape of the rear bonnet corner, which then has the bolt holes marked onto it for drilling. This is done by marking and measuring the bolt holes from the edge & transferring those measurements across to the tin. I drill small holes first, and then enlarge them if they line up correctly. It's only a bit of tin, so if you have to make it twice or even three times to get it right - who cares? You know it is correct when your outer template edges line up with the factory bonnet. Worse case scenario - if your inlaid mounts are a little off when you fit the bonnet to your car, you just over-drill the factory hinge mount holes as needed so you can move it as needed.

[@bluedevil305]

@@BillsBuildandRace one more question in the video when you put the steel tubing for the mounts on the hood do you wait for the resin to get a little tacky so it doesn't move on you ? Or do you just continue to wet lay it?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@bluedevil305 I just kept going to lay the mounts in wet for the best bond, and then double checked their positioning with the tin template after all lay-up was finished. Like I said above, you still have room for minor adjustments with the holes in your factory hinges if needs be.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@bluedevil305 I am confused. Gel coat was only used in making the fiberglass mold off the factory hood, along with poly resin & catalyst in laying up the fiberglass. That was stage one. In stage 2 the CF copy was made in that mold, (along with the laying in of the mounting brackets for the hinges), all done using 2 part epoxy resin (no catalyst, but parts A & B). So why are you asking me about catalyst & gelcoat in conjunction with the mounting template & hinge mounts??? They are two completely separate processes.

[@bluedevil305]

Is it ok to use any brand of pva mold release agent with this product?

[@xnadave]

Downside of being American: I initially read "kg" as "keg." (My two degrees in EE are apparently useless.)

[@lefthandedhardright8839]

Awesome~!!!

[@lethal1975]

I have been waiting for your videos on the house, did I miss something?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Probably not. The house is close to finished but I have two or three videos 3/4 made just waiting on final steps to complete them. Then I'll do a complete tour or the house.

[@tinoguarino6937]

Would a tin of car wax work instead of the floor wax

[@BillsBuildandRace]

No

[@tinoguarino6937]

@@BillsBuildandRace what if its carnauba wax

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@tinoguarino6937 Try a small test and see.

[@jstrndm945]

It does work, wax is wax. At least for me Oh made sure its a real wax, newest 'ceramic hybrid' shit makes the part looks dull haze and cant be removed 🤦‍♂️

[@ridinglacs]

You're the best

[@OTTO99571]

Are you normal at all? Look how he put the carbon seam all over the hood

[@ridinglacs]

@@OTTO99571 buy a large piece if you care. This man builds functional parts.

[@darrenreichelt5919]

can you do one of quarter panels?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Already done that several times. Just scroll through my fiberglass tutorials playlist. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWnXomZnlsShbtE

[@jdmcarcollection7263]

is that an R32 gtr Bonnet? if so how do i order

[@BillsBuildandRace]

No - it's a VS Holden Commodore. Where are you?

[@jdmcarcollection7263]

@@BillsBuildandRace in lockdown Victoria

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@jdmcarcollection7263 If you can get a hood to me I can copy it. PM if you wanna go further with this. Facebook links on this channel's home page.

[@jdmcarcollection7263]

My car arrives in about 6 weeks from Japan. I'll be untouched. Love your work

[@agent_soshi]

But mate, what if I just want a carbon fibre bonnet for “street cred”

[@burtbenz9964]

strength! Wedge y

[@dalebickham2666]

What are your contact details? A friend is after the same bonnet for a vs

[@BillsBuildandRace]

There are Facebook links to me on this channel's home page

[@TheTorkerman]

Nice to be first for once 👍🏼👍🏼

[@Connie-bf3vb]

XO

[@Martink9191]

you could have it even more lighter if you would have done vacumbagging. It would have removed unneeded resin and airbubbles.

[@jamaljones7448]

I need you to make me a custom bumper

[@thegenerousdegenerate9395]

*MoUld. Sorry, had to.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

I know how to spell. But one of the difficulties in uploading to an international audience is that spelling and grammar changes from country to country... tires vs tyres, mold vs mould (not the spelling on the release wax tin), fiberglass vs fibreglass, carbon fiber vs carbon fibre. Then there's the terminology differences "bonnet" in the USA but "hood" in Australia, trunk vs boot.... it's endless. Anytime you want to solve that for me let me know.

[@lumimobb]

So no need to prep gelcoat for fiberglass as long as its before 48hrs max? No light scuffing or anything?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Yes.