Homemade Fiberglass Hoods
Fiberglass hoods are a more cost-effective alternative to manufactured hoods. Advantages are that fiberglass hoods reduce the weight of your vehicle and are also durable, as well as relatively easy to work with. Fiberglass hoods can be homemade in a two-step process by making a mold from the original hood and applying the fiberglass mats. Once the mold is made, it can be reused indefinitely.
Things You'll Need
- Original hood
- Tooling gel coat
- Bucket
- Sponge
- Gel-coat spray gun
- Boat wax
- Scissors
- Air compressor
- Air hose
- 8 to 10 1.5-ounce fiberglass mats
- Polyester resin
- Resin and gel-coat catalyst
- Felt rollers
- Air roller
- Hardener
- Small buckets
- Stir sticks
- Clean rags
- Respirator
- 400- to 800-grit wet sandpaper
- Paint scraper
- Safety glasses
Instructions
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Instructions
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1
Put on your respirator and safety glasses for protection against potential hazards.
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2
Find the same model hood that is going to be made to use as the model form. Cover the upper part of the hood with two coats of boat wax and hand buff with a clean rag.
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3
Lay the fiberglass mat over the hood to cut it to size. Leave a 2-inch overhang on all sides of the mat. To strengthen the mold, use eight to 10 layers of fiberglass mats. Use a clean rag to dust off the surface of the hood.
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4
Follow the instructions on the gel coat container on how to mix it with the catalyst. Pour the gel coat in the spray gun and begin spraying the first coat. It should cover the entire surface.
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5
Let the first coat stand for approximately 15 minutes before applying the next coat. Apply three coats of gel coat.
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6
Follow the instructions on the resin solution on how to mix with the catalyst. Use the felt roller to dampen the surface of the gel coat with resin mixture. Apply one extra layer of mat and wet the mat entirely, making sure there are no dry spots, air bubbles or wrinkles. Use the air roller to remove air bubbles.
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7
Allow the mat to cure until it becomes hard and cool to the touch (approximately one to two hours).
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8
Sand down the surface of the hood with sandpaper. Clean the dirt caused by sanding with a clean rag.
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9
Prepare enough resin mixture to repeat step 5 for the remaining layers of mat that need to be applied. Let cure before continuing onto the next part.
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10
Fill the bucket with water and use the sponge to wet the hood.
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11
Wet sand the gel coat with 800-grit sand paper to prepare the mold. It should be sanded smooth so defects will not show up in the mold layups. Clean the dirt created by wet sanding the hood with a clean rag and water. Once the surface is smooth, apply two to three additional layers of boat wax.
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12
Prepare additional resin mixture to repeat step 5 to add two layers of mat on the mold. Let the layers cure before sanding them down and adding the remaining layers.
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13
Break the hood free from the mold using a paint scraper.
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14
Cut the new hood to the dimensions of the original hood. Remove any excess sanding dust from the hood with a clean rag.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use fiberglass primer before applying a top coat of paint to give the hood a sleek, finished look.
Make sure the paint gun will spray gel coat because it is generally thicker than car paint.
Use caution when working with fiberglass and always wear protection.
References
- Photo Credit fiery hood image by John Sfondilias from Fotolia.com
