How to Repair a Carbon Fiber Hood 

I just ordered a used seibon carbon fiber trunk for my RX8, total with shipping was $200, the condition looks exactly like this hood did, so for a bit less than $300 with the supplies used in this vid, i'm saving around $400-$500 thanks to this video. Thanks for posting, instructions are simple and well explained.

i am a professional auto painter and for the most part this is a well done video for the do-it-yourselfer. if you dont mind, there are a couple tips i can add that can make a large difference. 1)when wetsanding it would be ideal to have a virgin bucket filled with water and sponge (or a trickling garden hose to hold over the paper). the constant flow of water makes a massive difference in the paper cuttting.

I've been searching RU-vid and I finally found a good video to fix my hood! Thanks!

Doing it your self is priceless mate, you the man,

Very thorough!!! I gotta go work on my hood and trunk now! Great job!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to knock this video as this will work for many people. I am just trying to share my experience so someone else won't go through the same mess I did. This was actually one of the most helpful videos I found, it just didn't work in my situation..

nice DIY bro. I had been looking for something like this on youtube for a long time.

Great vid, bro! clean, direct and to the point. Thanks!

Great vid, couldnt be any more simple than that.

Wow that turned out beautiful.

Great video mate, I have a pair of Carbon Fiber seats in my car and the backing (where the material doesn't cover) looks like the clear coat has somewhat failed. I think using this technique I'd be able to restore them to look like new. Really appreciate the detail in the video.

nice men,finaly some one show and explain how to do it the right way,thanks, now i have someting to do this weekend

This is a really informative video. Thank you taking the time to make and post it.

You really went all out on this. Have you painted anything prior to justify buying the paint gun or do you use the paint gun any more after this project? Very good video. This will last a lifetime. Most hoods that people buy tend to just have a light cheap clear on it. If people did it this way, they'll never have a problem again. Good stuff.

bro you could not have encouraged me more, i cant really do this kidna stuff no equipment but i am gonna get it re done. i wish i could do it myself. :(

Great video.. Makes me feel stupid spending money on a paint booth.

GREAT WRITE UP. VERY INFORMATIVE.

Good job. I needed info on this

Joan, I thought the same thing about sanding down past the cracks, so I did, but the fact is they go all the way down to the carbon fiber. They will only magnify spraying clear on top of them kinda like a V shape, trust me, I just went through this mess. I have been told by a few custom painters to use a bar top epoxy clear and then use a clear with UV protection. I haven't tried it yet but I know for a fact the method in this video won't work if your hood has fine cracks.

Thanks to u video I fix my trunk in my e60 m5

2) always wash your hands before prepping for paint to prevent fisheyes (imperfections). 3) better paint=better results 4) paint store have filter/dryers that attach to your gun, they prevent oils/contaminants form your compressor

About the yellowing it should because ur sanding off all that yellow clear, and great vid , btw if you wet sand with sone 1500-2000 grit then buff and polish it will shine alot more.

great video u have made sir helped out a bunch

Nice Job Brother....ambitious project to do at home. I know nothing about painting with spray gun but this helped me out with my home paint job. Looks good

It is nice and does the job...but I would suggest that if you have a bigger budget to get a higher quality clearcoat. Our you can get a lacquer (CA has laws against lacquer but I hear it works great!)

It looks better. I am not sure what the original clearcoat looked like since when I bought the car the hood was already on it. You can always go with a higher grade paint or a lacquer.

@HyphyMovementZ no...the premixed duplicolor clear is a laquer based clearcoat, and is ready to shoot

@mrkingquang You can try it out. It might stand out from the current layer of clear coat which is probably duller then the new stuff that you will spray on. If that is the case, then you can sand it off and do the whole thing.

My next move is going to be to sand off the clear I just sprayed on it and then compound and buff it. I'll post here to confirm what worked for me once I do this and see if I can help others. Some people say I should have used a clear epoxy to fill in the holes just like what is used on BAR tops. I know it sounds odd, but I am told this is how most carbon fiber comes from the factories.

It's best to get a clear coat with uv protection in it. Last longer and holds high sheen better

well done bro....looks really good

Awesome video!

Great work bro

thank you this video was helpful to me keep it up

Nope. It has been several months now and the clear coat still looks great!

Great video !!!

How long did you wait after each layer of clear coat? That's where I messed up, Thanks. Great video by the way!

Thanks for posting

Hi Chefigo. Great video. I noticed you have hood pin locks on the hood. I'm thinking about buying those exact ones on Ebay. I plan to install them on a carbon fiber hood aswell. I was wondering if you could enlighten me on how to install them.

Great video very helpful thankz!!

cool! thx for posting! this really helps!

nice vid man. have sim issue. sun damage here, but same idea.

Great job. Still scary for a noob like me to tackle this kind of job though.

What i mean is that the fibercarbon cloth is never left out of protection, on his raw material looks or maybee yous has already a few years so at the time they havent discovered the sun resisting clearcoat.I dont know but that is not normal at list not on my parts.Thanks for your patience an i hope i have not ofended anybody!Have a nice one!

nice video man

looks great!

Great video will wheel paint (clear coat) in a can also work?

Good video

Yep. I used it and think it did a good job.

man youre pretty good

Nice video..another leason learned...thnks..

I wouldn't polish it until after you have painted it. You want the clearcoat to be able to adhere to the hood.

No, there shouldn't be any lines left on the hood. If you use a fine 1200 or 1500 grit wet-sandpaper at the end then you shouldn't really be able to see any lines (besides super tiny micro lines).

good video!!! thanks!!!

A couple WARNINGS... Mine did not work for 2 reasons. 1- I waxed my car just before I attempted what was performed in this video and as I buffed the fenders, my buffer got some wax along the edges of the hood. THEN I wet sanded the hood, cleaned it, and applied clear. BUT the new clear basically ran away from the edges which I didn't know got wax on it. 2- my clear was sunburned and had VERY small cracks, once the clear was applied the cracks were VERY noticeable as the clear did not fill them

@JohnyFear I used Meguiars.

That is a nice hood but sorry to tell you that you got a cip one i mean a quality hood or any par that is made in carbon fiber has a coat of resin that is covering the carbon cloth like 2-3 milimiters thick before the clearcoats thisway iven when the clearcoat starts peeling it never has that lok like it hapened to yours.Check up this itm and it hasnt been finished or iven clearcoated yet.BMW 325i carbonfiber steering wheel center.

did you have to sand after the clear coat dried or did you just using a buffing compound and then a polish compound? also how long as this clear coat held up on your hood for is it peeling early or fading?

Can you post the link of where you got the spray gun? I couldn't really hear you... please and thanks! And Also Where can you purchase and how much is a compressor?

I guess so. There are some videos on RU-vid of a guy that just uses spray cans. You should find it.

btw dont wax until months after painting

@bigggyB Not yet. Especially if you use a quality paint.

@xxdbriderklx110xx You want to wait until the previous layer is somewhat dry (tacky to the touch...but don't touch it! :) It depends on how humid it is where you are from and how fast the paint is drying. Don't let it completely dry though.

Do you recommend using rattle can because I don't have small spots like that. Just a big piece of clear coat on the side peeled off.

hi, i just recently found a hood like this i believe its a seibon carbon fiber hood for my 03 s2000, its the one with like 6 vents. Would i use the same exact process for that? and for the sanding how much did you use each different type of sand paper? Thanks!!!

I have a few question. if you dont mind answer me :) my hood is new so what do I need to do just to paint a few clear coats on it? how much waiting time between the 4 coatings (im planning to do 4 coats)? how long does the clear coat last on your hood?

start with the lower number 800.

did I just see a vanguard in the background

If the hood has been painted a certain color, do the same steps apply, but just with more sanding?

great vid. i'm not a fan of shiny clear coats, due to what quite obviously happened to you haha, and also because it adds extra weight and makes it more fragile... but this was very informative :)

Can you post the link of where you got the spray gun? I couldn't really hear you... please and thanks!

My hood still looks nearly as shiny as when I got it, but it yellowed. Any way to get rid of that? It doesn't have that black tint in the sun, it looks yellow and green. I used to wax it like every other week too. Once every other month with a sealant wax, and every other month with a simple Meguiar's wax.

@XxREAPER3024xX you can if you want.

My hood has some minor cracks too and I was planning on doing this. is there a way to fill those cracks. I guess if I sand it down until the cracks are gone it should work but I don't want to try it unless someone has done it before. I dont wanna mess up the pattern.

Do you think a 2 part clearcoat job would last longer than 2 years? parked indoor's.

Hi there. Am wondering if I can use clear coat of a spray can instead? Will it produce the same finish? Please advise.

How does clear coat you laid down compare to clear coat the hood had before it started to peel

I am doing the same on my carbon fiber hood. Did you have any lines from the sanding?

What happens exactly when you start rubbing with 800 wet does the cracking start to disappear

No. simply put... I tried it to see what would happen on an old hood and it lasted roughly two weeks and the paint came off again. I recommend just finding someone who has an air compressor and borrow it.

@chefigo would that be a store or a website.. and where did you get the compressor for the gun? You need that and a hose right? How much was that? :D

How long did this new coat last? Did you have to re-paint every year two? Any regrets or things that you would change?

Might carbon Hood it's just start it to come off what you think I should start sand it and paint it?

I was just wouldering. Do I polish after I wet sanded it? Plz and thank you

Could I use the same technique but instead of doing clear over the carbon fiber could i do paint then clear? it would be for fenders and i want to paint them the same color as my car.

what kind of rubbing compound do you recommend im gonna be doing a carbon fiber wing.

uhm I disagree with clear coats. proper system to use would be a uv protected and chemical resistant gel coat. carbon fiber and composites wick clear coats (basically absorb like a sponge). gel coats are the proper systems to use. otherwise dudes pretty spot on.

how does your hood look now? cuz i went to a macco and asked them about clear coating my hood and they said that it would bubble up if you put a clear coat on it

Which sand paper you use first?? 800, 100 or 1200?

do i not need to resand the recleared layer before i use a rubbing compound

Do you wet sand it after you were done clearcoating?

You should of used a 2 part clear. Cost more but better durability. Good vid though :)

has the oxidation returned since the repair?

I saw that you did this over a year ago,owis it holding up?

You should've sanded and cleared your headlights too lol

can you do this on a carbon and fiber spoiler?

has the oxidation returned at all?

Would a clear coat spray can work ok, instead of having to buy a spray gun?

Alright thanks!(:

most carbon fiber parts come with a gelcoat on it, just like fiberglass but clear. every carbon part ive had yellowed and peeled. it seems inevitable