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I think the short answer to making a carbon fiber hood would first be to make a good mold of the hood. If you're just copying it in carbon fiber, then use wax/PVA as a mold release, spray gel coat, wait for gel coat to cure (air-inhibited though, so only exposed surface stays tacky, then reinforce with as much fiberglass as you care to.when mold cures completely crack the sucker off the hood and repeat the process only using epoxy gel coat, carbon fiber, and make a male part from your new female mold. I would say vacuum bagging is essential for the weight/strength/delamination thing. you don't need a *****load of vacuum... maybe 22-25" inHg.. so vacuum pumps from mcmaster or grainger should work... use a slow-curing epoxy so you have time to work and let it cure evenly... as far as vacuum bag supplies go... i've done layups with just a bag and mastic sealant, but you could (and probably should) go as far as using a peel ply and breather ply under the bag to ensure even press and soak up excess epoxy. It's not impossible to do without big or expensive machinery... all you really need is good information a few bucks and strict attention to detail. just a sidenote... you'll probably need to bury some hardpoints to mount hinges to like a piece of metal you can drill and tap into after the part cures... maybe consider that too as you build your mold/parts. that's my 2c.
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Carbon Fiber
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