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. please 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 this project using the fuel door off on my 93 probe base model that is currently being striped out. first step was to completely 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.

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 dragging 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 carrying the name brand stuff that i have used before in black. so hopefully this stuff will hold up as well as the name brand stuff.

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

ok now i have the back side of the fuel door painted. i started with the back first so when i flip it over (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.

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.

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.

ok now on to installing the laminate on the gas door. take your time here because the adhesive 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 flexible 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 stove for a few seconds. that was enough to make it a little more flexible. do not over heat the panel. you dont need the glue hot. it wont stick as well if you over heat it.

here is a pic right after the overlay was installed.

the next step will consist of trimming off a little of the excess material that is over hanging the edges. for this i used a good pair of scissors. 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.

now for the final steps you will need a dremil and a sanding drum. now this went a 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 Finnish 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 the carbon 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 snagged on something and be damaged. i went all the way down until i removed a little paint on the edge of the gas 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.

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

hope you enjoyed the how to.