I am looking at making a carbon fibre engine cover for my car.

Although the standard car comes with a metallic cover, after market carbon fibre ones are available but very expensive.

Just wondered if I could get some general advice on the best way to go and which process means I wont damage the existing cover if used as a template.

I've attached a pic to help show the size and profile.

From looking at the general tutuiral videos and the shape of the engine cover it looks like a 'relatively' simple shape, but just want to ensure I dont go down the wrong path.

Any information would be appreciated.

Regards,

Lenny

Yes, you can make this part ... Not at all a difficult item.

You could make it in a simple setup, using the original cover, taking a mould from that, using the EC  unimould kit. (The standard kit does just around  0.7 Sq mtr. should be just about enough. )

Watch the EC tutorials of how to make the Car bonnet, just to get an idea of whats involved.

Then get a few meters of 200gsm twill and some glassfibre twill for the middle layers.

Unimould kit is just under £80, but you will get a mould that will make many engine covers ... 

You can then make the CF/glassfibre engine cover by wet-lay, laying in a thin coat of EC Coating Epoxy, leaving it to cure to a tack, then laying in the CF layer very carefully, to get a good cosmetic finish.
Use EC Laminating epoxy. You can work out how much you need...  lets put the cover at 0.7 Sq. mtr.  resin at 50/50  resin to cloth .. 5 layers of 200 gsm CF /glass =0,7 kg og resin + runoff and excess = 1kg "kit" of Laminating resin (EC EL2, Slow hardener) around £20,-
Once you have all the layers in there, put some peel-ply on and some perforated release film. you can buy a few metres of each from EC, they are cheap consumables.
use some old cloth to absorb the excess resin that comes up through the release film, weigh down the whole lot in the mould using plastic bags of warm water.

If you are very careful, methodical and precise, you can make a very nice cover.  Polish the top side (show off side  ) well, or if you have pinholes, imperfections, get it clear coated at an Auto paint shop.
Rip the peel ply off on the bottom, just before leaving it at the painters, they can then clearcoat it directly.

You will have to spend around £150 - 200 in materials, + the clear coating.
Compare that to the price of the aftermarket ones, and the time you spend on making it! 

Do not forget that you may well become "hooked" CF making is VERY addictive !!!   Maybe you get to grips with it and make several covers ... sell them on Ebay

Good luck..  
 

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103% of all people do not understand statistics...

Do not adjust our mind, theres a fault in reality :-)

Thanks Dravis for the response.

I am attending the training course in June, so am planning on going with several parts under my arms to discuss with the guy running the course and ensuring I buy all the right stuff.

Ive started buying some basic equipment and tried a bit of skinning with the skinning kit already.

Im also designing a bike frame, but this is still in the jig design stage (Nice father and son project), I'm going for the premade tubes for a first attempt before I go for anything more elaborate.

I can understand the addiction, this Carbon fibre appears to be the future............