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Carbon Fauxber DIY

I’m not generally a big fan of carbon fiber trim, but this stuff may very well change my position.
fabric
As I was preparing for the recent JCW steering wheel installation project, I thought it might be a great opportunity to get rid of some of the silver trim I don’t like in the MINI. I have tried unsuccessfully to paint small trim pieces in the past, but it was very difficult to get a really high quality finish on small plastic parts using only rattle-can paint. I was looking on ebay to see how much carbon fiber trim pieces cost for the JCW wheel and all three pieces would still cost $240 or more which is ridiculous. Just replacing the existing plastic pieces is $120. Then I found this carbon fiber fabric from Psyspeed.
stretch fabric
I bought a yard (36×55 inches) of the glossy black carbon fiber fabric. It is very stretchy and has a really nice texture. (Remember “Pat the Bunny“? Kind of like that.)
supplies
All you need is a good pair of scissors, a good automotive contact adhesive, and a clean surface to work. Keep in mind the angle of the weave as you lay out your pieces.
coating
Wearing gloves, spray two coats of adhesive on the parts to be covered (front and back edges) and let sit for 2-3 minutes before starting to work.
stretch
Stretch the cloth evenly over the first piece and work the material until it covers evenly and smoothly. Stretch to wrap the edges.
reverse
Trim the material so that you can overlap the back by about half an inch. Make small cuts in the edges and pull the material taught, making sure you don’t change the tension on the front.
complex shapes
If you are patient, you can work the material to cover some very complex shapes. You just have to decide when you want to stop. The single yard is probably enough to cover most car interiors.
round

Starting with this:
begin
And ending with this:
finish

Just don’t go crazy with your new found power, or else you might find yourself covering everything with the stuff…
covered door