Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Autowirral Fibreglass bonnet

Im fitting a new bonnet to my car very soon, and im going 4 pins so its a lift off bonnet. Im putting a steel one on now but i was looking at fibreglass because its lighter. Of course i wanted Carbon but i dont have £450 to drop on one, that isnt even full carbon, still had a fibreglass frame, id rather spend that on go faster bits.

To the point though, i can buy a full glass fibre bonnet for £125. What does everyone think to getting a full carbon wrap all around it so it looks like cf? Yay or nay? It might be tacky and sort of cheating but i might be able to pull it off.

I could get a scoop moulding into it (only a little inoffensive one) for my intake safe in the knowledge i have a steel one i could put back on.

Dude...you should have put this up about 4 weeks ago. Im doing Compsites as part of the Motor Sport coure, and weve deigned and almost finished building our Carbon Fibre Creations.

If Id have known sooner, I would have made it my project, and you could have had a free carbon fibre/fibreglass bonnet. All I would have needed would be an old bonnet to provide the plug.


Id stick with Fibreglass to be perfectly honest, instead of the cf wraparound. Youd know you cheated yourself, and its only an extra expense.

Fair enoughs. That wouldve been cool though. What did you make in the end anyway? I reckon itd be interesting doing composites.

Ive got hold of a steel bonnet anyway now and ill keep it orginal and ill probably stick some extra pins on and use fibreglass bonnet for regular use and give them both to the next owner so he can return to originality.

If you cn live with the fact you know youve just wrapped it in carbonfire...then do it..who are we to judge?...

just spray it mate, look much better than makin it look like cf, and as already said, just an added expense for somethin that might not even turn out how u want lol

Unless your wrapping it in that sticky backed CF vynil you either need to make it out of CF or GRP. The Carbon sheet needs to be put on with the resin and if your going to do that you should make the whole thing carbon. Unfortunatly its not something you can stick on as an after thought.

Also carbon boots / bonnets made in the "laid up" method are no stronger or lighter than a GRP item - they just look different. The strengh in CF comes from the preperation and the way it is made with various resins / heat treatments / vacume forming. As a raw material, carbon sheeting is really no stronger than Fibreglass matt...

Also the direction of the single Carbon threads adds to the strength and the overall look, as well as the number of layers.

CF has no strength in terms of impact resistance, that is up to Kevlar composite. For what you need though, either standard bonnet as youve got, or a Fibreglass will do fine.


Ive made a Wing mirror and Attachment for my Project Dave, and helped create a Rally Light Pod for our Fiesta Rally Car, and Body work for an 89 Reynard Formula Ford...and an RF95 Formula Ford

Yeah, all the stregnth is in the weave and the kevler. Its just really light thats all. Im more interested in weight loss then looks though.

Ive seen some sheeting that does look bloody good, but then if you go to the expense of that.... you may aswell buy the real deal. I just wanted to put a twist on the fibreglass option.

Thats cool that craig. Is it similar to using fibreglass? Ive used that in work repairing bumpers and such.

Its a shame its all so expensive, and i have to proritise performance parts over lightweight panels.