howto: diy cf gas door for $34

LowClassCC · March 15th, 2008, 09:30 AM

ok before i get started i am posting this for the people that would like to give this a try. if you feel that this mod is stupid plese do not post. this thread is just intended to show one way to do this and save a few bucks doing it along the way.

this same basic concept can be used in many ways on many different items. so dont just stick to the normal look when things are not avalable. do it yourself!

please excuse the spelling and such. i was not good at english through school nore do i have the ability to type with more than three fingers. im just a car guy.

EDIT**

sorry for the double post but the text was well over 7500 char's so it was nessasry.

LowClassCC · March 15th, 2008, 09:30 AM

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06891Small.jpg

ok now that the carbon fiber is in i have started on this project. i am currently working on it for my 93 probe gt so pics will be posted soon to show how it was done. plese note this project is using real carbon fiber not some cheap vinal cf look crap. this also is just an overlay not a production vacuum formed or molded piece. if you are looking to save a few ounces this is not for you. but if you are looking to gain the appearance of the real thing then read on.

i started tis project using the fuel door off on my 93 probe base model that is currently being striped out. first step was to completly clean the part to remove all the dirt grease and grime. im sorry i did not take pics of the part before cleaning but just to give you a visual it took me about 45 mins to get it clean.

here are the pics of the fuel door after being cleaned.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06693Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06694Small.jpg

now that im done with that part its time to repaint the fuel door. this project is being done on a budget and i have opted to save a boat load of money buy painting the part myself. and to save even more money i will be using spray paint as opposed to draging out my compressor and air gun. the spray paint i have chose is black appliance epoxy. i am using ace hardware's store brand due to no local store is carying the name brand stuff that i have used before in black. so hopfully this stuff will hold up as well as thename brand stuff.

here is a pic of the can of paint i am using so you can get an idea of what it is.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06692Small.jpg

ok now i have the back side of the fuel door painted. i started with the back first so when i flip itover (after it drys) to paint the front any scuffs that find there way into the door will not be visible on the finished product. here is a pic of the back of the fuel door once painted.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06707Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06708Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06709Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06710Small.jpg

now that the front has been painted the only thing left is to wait for it to fully cure. once the paint has fully cured it will be time to lay the carbon fiber laminate. here are the pics of the fuel door now that painting has been finished.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06711Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06712Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06713Small.jpg

so now that the painting has been finished and dried completely its time to start the overlay. now first off we have to cut out a piece of the carbon fiber sheet. you will want to cut the piece a little over sized than needed. this way you can trim it up to a perfect fit. to cut this carbon fiber laminate i use a simple razor knife. be sure you use a new blade. take your time and go slowly. make multiple passes. you do not want to cut it in a single swipe. it took me around 5 to 8 passes to get each side cut. now if you notice that the newly cut edges are not perfect dont worry because that is why you cut the piece a little over sized.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06714Small.jpg

ok now on to installing the laminate on the gas door. take your time here because the adhisive is something you dont want to have to "restick" do it right and once and you will get better looking results. now the cf laminate is flexable and can conform to curves. but i found if you heat the cf up slightly it bends alt easier. to heat it up i just held it above my wood stive fo a few seconds. that was enough to make it a little more flexable. do not over heat the panel. you dont need the glue hot. it wont stick as well if you over heat it.

here is some pics right after the overlay was installed.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06715Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06716Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06717Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06718Small.jpg

the next step will consist of triming off a little of the excess material that is over hanging the edges. for this i used a good pair of sissors. if you dont have a sharp pair handy get some and dont be cheep because they will be cutting real cf. at this point you do not want to cut all the excess off. just try to limit it to around 1/8" to 1/4". i cut mine around 3/16" to 1/4".

this is how it looks now.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06719Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06720Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06721Small.jpg

now for the final steps you will need a dremil and a sanding drum. now this wenta little quicker than i expected. i figured the cf would go through at least a few of the sanding drums. but i was amazed when i was able to funish it out with just the one i started with. take your time on this step. a high speed sanding drum can ruin the finish on the face of thecarbon fiber very quick and you dont want to have to start over. gently work the edges down till they are flush with the edges of the gas door. you dont want any of the cf to overhang or it could get snaged on something and be damaged. i went all theway down untill i removed a little paint on the edge of thegas door. at that point i knew i had it flush. then all that is left was to repaint the edges and seal up the edges of the cf. for this i used a black enamel paint marker from testors. after 3 coats i had the missing paint covered and the edges partly sealed. i put on 4 more coats on the edge of the cf overlay to make sure it was good and sealed. here are the pics of the finished product.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06763Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06764Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06765Small.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06766Small.jpg

carbon fiber overlay = $24
apliance spray paint = $6
testors paint pen = $4
total spent = $34 with enough supplies to do a second one!

hope you enjoyed the how to.

MakatoMotors · March 15th, 2008, 11:34 AM

i love the idea but how moldable is this... would u say be able to wrap a center console?

norcalcasey · March 15th, 2008, 11:42 AM

great job! it will look great on my white GT! just out of curiosity where did you get your REAL CF? its hard not to find the fake stuff...

LowClassCC · March 15th, 2008, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakatoMotors

i love the idea but how moldable is this... would u say be able to wrap a center console?

the 12"x12"x.015" piece that i used was delivered in a box that was 4x4x14 so it is slightly flexable. but i dont see being able to do the bends as tight as the center console would need. for something like that you would need to start from thebeginning and use cf fabric and not the pre finished stuff that i used.

now getting larger pieces and using them for say a moon roof overlay would work. that is the reason i bought the small piece to see the quality and useability before i invested in more of it to redo my rusty moonroof with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by norcalcasey

great job! it will look great on my white GT! just out of curiosity where did you get your REAL CF? its hard not to find the fake stuff...

i just did a search for "real composite carbon fiber panel " form google. this will find you the material. i cant and wont post a link to the site due to proketalks terms and conditions about non vender sites.

colored kevlar premade sheets would also be something thatyou could use if you was looking to add a lil bit of color other than black to the car.

norcalcasey · March 15th, 2008, 12:27 PM

thanks i just ordered a 12x18 sheet, should be able to get 2 or so out of that. What else would look good CF'd?

***c-man*** · March 15th, 2008, 12:31 PM

Added to the FAQ.

March 15th, 2008, 09:30 AM	#1
LowClassCC BANNED for Probe'n Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Indiana Age: 34 Posts: 1,465	howto: diy cf gas door for $34 ok before i get started i am posting this for the people that would like to give this a try. if you feel that this mod is stupid plese do not post. this thread is just intended to show one way to do this and save a few bucks doing it along the way. this same basic concept can be used in many ways on many different items. so dont just stick to the normal look when things are not avalable. do it yourself! please excuse the spelling and such. i was not good at english through school nore do i have the ability to type with more than three fingers. im just a car guy. EDIT sorry for the double post but the text was well over 7500 char's so it was nessasry. __________________ Don't Forget To Register Your Probe At The To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.** To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by LowClassCC; March 15th, 2008 at 09:33 AM.

March 15th, 2008, 09:30 AM	#2
LowClassCC BANNED for Probe'n Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Indiana Age: 34 Posts: 1,465	http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06891Small.jpg ok now that the carbon fiber is in i have started on this project. i am currently working on it for my 93 probe gt so pics will be posted soon to show how it was done. plese note this project is using real carbon fiber not some cheap vinal cf look crap. this also is just an overlay not a production vacuum formed or molded piece. if you are looking to save a few ounces this is not for you. but if you are looking to gain the appearance of the real thing then read on. i started tis project using the fuel door off on my 93 probe base model that is currently being striped out. first step was to completly clean the part to remove all the dirt grease and grime. im sorry i did not take pics of the part before cleaning but just to give you a visual it took me about 45 mins to get it clean. here are the pics of the fuel door after being cleaned. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06693Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06694Small.jpg now that im done with that part its time to repaint the fuel door. this project is being done on a budget and i have opted to save a boat load of money buy painting the part myself. and to save even more money i will be using spray paint as opposed to draging out my compressor and air gun. the spray paint i have chose is black appliance epoxy. i am using ace hardware's store brand due to no local store is carying the name brand stuff that i have used before in black. so hopfully this stuff will hold up as well as thename brand stuff. here is a pic of the can of paint i am using so you can get an idea of what it is. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06692Small.jpg ok now i have the back side of the fuel door painted. i started with the back first so when i flip itover (after it drys) to paint the front any scuffs that find there way into the door will not be visible on the finished product. here is a pic of the back of the fuel door once painted. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06707Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06708Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06709Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06710Small.jpg now that the front has been painted the only thing left is to wait for it to fully cure. once the paint has fully cured it will be time to lay the carbon fiber laminate. here are the pics of the fuel door now that painting has been finished. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06711Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06712Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06713Small.jpg so now that the painting has been finished and dried completely its time to start the overlay. now first off we have to cut out a piece of the carbon fiber sheet. you will want to cut the piece a little over sized than needed. this way you can trim it up to a perfect fit. to cut this carbon fiber laminate i use a simple razor knife. be sure you use a new blade. take your time and go slowly. make multiple passes. you do not want to cut it in a single swipe. it took me around 5 to 8 passes to get each side cut. now if you notice that the newly cut edges are not perfect dont worry because that is why you cut the piece a little over sized. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06714Small.jpg ok now on to installing the laminate on the gas door. take your time here because the adhisive is something you dont want to have to "restick" do it right and once and you will get better looking results. now the cf laminate is flexable and can conform to curves. but i found if you heat the cf up slightly it bends alt easier. to heat it up i just held it above my wood stive fo a few seconds. that was enough to make it a little more flexable. do not over heat the panel. you dont need the glue hot. it wont stick as well if you over heat it. here is some pics right after the overlay was installed. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06715Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06716Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06717Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06718Small.jpg the next step will consist of triming off a little of the excess material that is over hanging the edges. for this i used a good pair of sissors. if you dont have a sharp pair handy get some and dont be cheep because they will be cutting real cf. at this point you do not want to cut all the excess off. just try to limit it to around 1/8" to 1/4". i cut mine around 3/16" to 1/4". this is how it looks now. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06719Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06720Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06721Small.jpg now for the final steps you will need a dremil and a sanding drum. now this wenta little quicker than i expected. i figured the cf would go through at least a few of the sanding drums. but i was amazed when i was able to funish it out with just the one i started with. take your time on this step. a high speed sanding drum can ruin the finish on the face of thecarbon fiber very quick and you dont want to have to start over. gently work the edges down till they are flush with the edges of the gas door. you dont want any of the cf to overhang or it could get snaged on something and be damaged. i went all theway down untill i removed a little paint on the edge of thegas door. at that point i knew i had it flush. then all that is left was to repaint the edges and seal up the edges of the cf. for this i used a black enamel paint marker from testors. after 3 coats i had the missing paint covered and the edges partly sealed. i put on 4 more coats on the edge of the cf overlay to make sure it was good and sealed. here are the pics of the finished product. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06763Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06764Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06765Small.jpg http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...06766Small.jpg carbon fiber overlay = $24 apliance spray paint = $6 testors paint pen = $4 total spent = $34 with enough supplies to do a second one! hope you enjoyed the how to. __________________ Don't Forget To Register Your Probe At The *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

March 15th, 2008, 11:34 AM	#3
MakatoMotors PT Master Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: LaX, WI Age: 25 Posts: 4,950	i love the idea but how moldable is this... would u say be able to wrap a center console? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 82k, 5spd, Black 17's, 25% Carbon Tint, Hid lo and hi's, Led interior, ULTRA SLOW! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

March 15th, 2008, 12:31 PM	#7
*c-man* God Mod Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Socal's Surf City Age: 31 Posts: 21,563	Added to the FAQ. __________________ Chuck \| ProbeTalk's Mega Moderator \| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \| 3.7L S Grand Touring \| Rotora BBK, C/F engine cover, AutoEXE springs To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \| 2.7L GK boost'd \| Eaton supercharger To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. \| 2.5L ZE nitrous'd \| SOLD!!! To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

March 15th, 2008, 11:42 AM	#4
norcalcasey PT Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Auburn, CA Age: 22 Posts: 499	great job! it will look great on my white GT! just out of curiosity where did you get your REAL CF? its hard not to find the fake stuff...

March 15th, 2008, 12:27 PM	#6
norcalcasey PT Regular Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Auburn, CA Age: 22 Posts: 499	thanks i just ordered a 12x18 sheet, should be able to get 2 or so out of that. What else would look good CF'd?