We did this set in a 1×1 fabric, to match the M3’s OEM carbon fiber roof.
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We just got done with our first set of B8.5 “OEM” carbon fiber trim. We say “OEM” in quotes because its done with an 8HS fabric to match the OEM Carbon Atlas trim.
I’ve documented the entire process of how we manufacture these, from start to finish. Hopefully after checking out this blog post, you can get an appreciation of how much work goes into these.
It started a few months ago when we got a huge shipment of cores in direct from Germany. Along with many sets of trim, we got in 4 sets of B8.5 vent and MMI cores (and a few B8 vent and MMI cores too).
Here you can see the B8 vent and MMI (on top) compared with the refresh B8.5 vent and MMI core.
First step is to disassemble the actual vent and the MMI housing. This leaves us with just the part that will get wrapped in carbon fiber.
Next we tape off the tabs on all the vent. And then we wrap the full piece in super high tech protective film (Glad Cling Wrap).
Then we line the mold with the protective film.
We get our pour foam, measure it out my volume, and mix it up. You can check out more fun with foam pour here the last time we did molds for the original B8 vent and MMI pieces.
Now we put the part in the mold, and start pouring the foam on top.
A couple of more layers of foam are added until the part is completely covered.
After a few hours, the foam is hard and can be removed from the mold.
When you flip the part over, you can see the part just barely poking through.
A few days later, the foam is hard enough to start carving and sanding.
First step now is to take a small chisel and start to cut away foam from the part.
Slowly but surely, the part becomes more and more visible as we chip away at the foam with the chisel.
After a while, the full part is showing and we can start to use sandpaper to smooth out the mold.
Once the mold is completed, we prep the original part by scuffing it up. This gives the bonding epoxy we’re going to apply to it something to hold onto. Once the bonding epoxy is on, we can lay the fabric down.
The original part is placed back in the mold after the bonding epoxy is applied. The fabric gets laid down and a few strategic holes are sliced into it to help it wrap around some complex contours.
The whole setup goes into a vacuum bag, and a vacuum pump is switched on. The vacuum pump sucks all the air out of the bag, which compresses the fabric tight against the mold.
A few close up shots of the mold inside the vacuum bag while the pump is running.
A few hours with the pump running, and the mold is ready to come out of the bag. You can see how the fabric is perfectly formed against the original part.
The fabric has made it around the edges because of our strategic slits in the fabric earlier.
After the parts come off the mold, its time to start adding epoxy. Multiple layers are added to give the part depth.
Some close ups of two vent and MMI pieces. The top one is done in an OEM S4 fabric (8HS) and the bottom one is done in an OEM RS4 fabric (2×2 twill).
One more done in a custom red carbon kevlar.
When the epoxy is cured, the excess carbon is ready to be trimmed.
Then we detail trim, and sand the part smooth. It will be a bit hazy until after it has been clearcoated.
After all the parts have all been trimmed and sanded, its time for clearcoat. We use a high end automotive clearcoat for our parts, so they have a nice deep gloss.
After a wetsand and polish, and the carbon part is ready. A quick test fit shows that everything looks good.
Now that we know everything fits correctly, we flip the part over and glue the carbon fiber to the vent and the MMI housing. That’s it. We’re done.
A bunch more photos of the finished parts are below. We haven’t finalized pricing yet, but if you’re interested in having a set made, email me at matt@ocarbon.com.
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Starts off as a bare cap, wrapped in carbon. Having to drill out the holes for the chrome bits was pretty time consuming.
The chrome around the edge snaps into place and the rings are glued in from behind.
What started out as wood was ground down to make room for the added material of the carbon fiber, epoxy, and clearcoat.
Laying out the pieces, to determine how much to cut off the roll.
We went with a 20oz 2×2 twill carbon fiber.
The fabric is taped up and cut off.
After setting the pieces up, we apply a bonding epoxy to adhere the fabric to the core.
The fabric is laid down and the weave is straightened out.
A short time later, we’ve trimmed off the excess fabric and wrapped it clean.
In a few days, after the bonding epoxy has fully cured, we’ll start applying epoxy to the surface of the pieces to give it some depth. Stay tuned for more.
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Small dash and ashtray pieces.
On the large dash piece, we were able to retain the contours perfectly, which turned out awesome.
The carbon fiber wraps all the way over the top edge.
A few test shots to see what the pieces look like with the chrome trim. Hopefully we’ll have the rest of the set sorted in the next week or so.
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Price is $800, with a $400 refundable core deposit (core deposit would be refunded to you after you installed the carbon fiber trim and returned your original trim back to us).
Email me at matt@ocarbon.com if you have any questions or if you’d like to place an order.
To see some pictures of this set installed, check our gallery:
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The OEM trim is an aluminum stamped trim that looks okay. You’ll notice its got a nice chrome accent edge, which we’ll retain. It also has some nice contours on the pieces which we will try to keep as much as we can (the thickness of the fabric will dilute them a bit, but they still should be noticeable).
First step is to remove the chrome edges and peel back the aluminum. After that is completed, we grind down to plastic to make room for the carbon and to give the epoxy something to adhere too.
Then we cut the fabric down to size and get it ready for wrapping. We went with an 11oz 2×2 twill on this set. I wanted to do a 20oz 2×2 twill, but I was afraid of it being too thick and there being fit issues with the chrome accent on some of the pieces.
And now the fun begins and the set starts to take shape.
The door pieces are a lot thinner without the chrome accents. You can see the contours have been retained.
The dash piece is massive.
Love this shifter piece. I can’t wait to see how it looks finished.
That’s it for now. We’ll get epoxy on these over the next few days and do another update then.
To get an idea of how this will look finished, check our gallery, in particular the gallery of an e90 BMW:
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Be sure to check out our gallery to get an idea of what we can do for you:
Here are a few makes and models we’re looking for (got something awesome not on this list? Email me anyway):
Audi
BMW
Mercedes Benz
Any recent model of the following makes:
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First time we’ve ever done a CTS-V shift knob.
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We just got done with the silver “carbon fiber” trim on the oCarbon GLI and it turned out fantastic. I’ll get some better pictures added to gallery shortly. In the mean time, I’ll give a full run down on how we made these pieces for those that are interested.
First we started with the GLI’s original trim pieces and made some molds to help us conform the fabric.
Once the molds were done, the original pieces are ground down to make room for the added material of the fabric and epoxy.
Few quick coats of white paint so that the black pieces aren’t so different from the silver fabric.
Getting a fresh vacuum bag rigged up.
The pieces are laid on the raw fabric and tape is applied so that pieces can be cut out in the correct size.
Mixing up some bonding epoxy and applying it to the pieces.
The fabric is then placed on the pieces. No attempt is made to wrap them around the edges at this stage, as the fabric is way too rigid and will just curl back up.
The pieces are then put into the mold, placed into the vacuum bag, and the bag is sealed up.
The vacuum pump gets turned on, which sucks all of the air from the bag. Within a few minutes, the bag has pulled the fabric tight up against the mold.
The pieces are left to cure under a heat lamp for a few hours.
After a while, the pieces are carefully pulled from the bag.
The parts are starting to take shape.
After the parts have been removed from the mold, the excess fabric is trimmed off.
Epoxy gets brushed on, layer by layer.
After several coats, the epoxy is finally thick enough to allow the pieces to be sanded down without risking cutting into the fabric. The parts are placed into an oven for a post cure for 24 hours.
After allowing ample time to cool off from the heat of the oven, the parts are ready to be trimmed and sanded. All of the extra epoxy is ground off from the edges and the faces are block sanded smooth. This process leaves the parts a litte bit hazy.
Next comes several coats of high solids automotive clearcoat, to give the pieces a traditional carbon fiber gloss.
After clearcoat, a few imperfections are always present, so the parts are wetsanded with a very high grit sandpaper.
After a few passes on the buffer, they are all done and ready to be installed.
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We start with an e60 wood core that gets sanded down to make room for the extra material of the carbon fiber and epoxy.
After laying the pieces out on the fabric (we went with an upgraded 20oz 2×2 twill for the M5), we carefully cut it out to the appropriate sizes.
We then mix up some bonding epoxy and apply it to the pieces.
A few hours later, the fabric has been applied and the first major step on the trim is completed. This week, we’ll start adding epoxy to the pieces to give it the gloss and depth that most people associate with carbon fiber.
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The Jetta and GLI trim is interchangeable, so the guide should be the same for both. The Golf/GTI is slightly different interior trim, in both shape and size, but I’d assume the tabs and removal process will be very similar.
Tools needed:
1) small electronics screwdriver
2) t20 torx bit screwdriver
3) masking tape
Estimated time required:
45 minutes
Lets start with the tools needed. I prefer a small screwdriver over a regular one because the space I’m trying to wedge into is very tight. A regular sized screwdriver has a tough time getting in there, where as a small one works perfectly. I like to put some masking tape on the end of the screwdriver so I don’t scratch anything. The torx screwdriver is needed to drop the glovebox.
Start by putting a bit of the masking tape on the end of your screwdriver. This will prevent it from scratching any of the plastic on your trim or the door card.
Just fold it over a few times so that it is not too thick. Tear away any extra masking tape.
I like to start on the rear doors when I’m removing trim for the first time. This way, if I screw anything up, it won’t be more noticeable from the front seats. Take the freshly taped screw driver and wedge it in the top corner of the trim and the door card.
Lift it up slightly. This can be a bit tricky and it might feel like the trim is going to break. Just go slow and keep at it until you can get your fingers under there.
Once you’ve got it up enough to get your fingers under the trim, start pulling gently. Use one hand on the top of the trim and the other hand on the bottom of the trim and eventually it will pull one of the tabs free. Once you’ve felt the first tab come free, work your way down to the next tab.
There are four tabs total. Just keep moving down to the rear of the piece as each tab comes free. Be sure you use a hand on the top and the bottom of the trim when pulling (I could only use one hand, I needed to use my other to snap the picture).
Eventually the piece will come free. You can see the locations of the tabs here.
One thing to take note of: sometimes the clips that are in the door will stay on the trim. Be aware of this and don’t lose the clips or your trim will not reinstall properly and could possibly rattle.
That clip should be in the door card like this.
If one of your clips does stay with the trim, just remove it and push it back into place.
Thats all there is to removing the door pieces. Repeat the steps for the remaining doors and get ready to do the dash.
You’ll need to remove your headlight switch first.
Start with the switch in the off position.
From there, you’re going to push in slightly. The switch will stop when you’ve pushed in far enough.
It doesn’t need to be pushed in very far, maybe 2-3mm at most.
While still pushing in, you’re going to turn the switch about halfway between off and on. Again, it will stop when you’ve gone far enough.
Doesn’t need to get turned very far.
From there, you can pull the switch free.
The turning mechanism retracts a small latch that keeps the switch in place.
Once you’ve got the switch out, you press the small tab here to get the wiring off.
With the switch out, use two fingers under the bottom left side of the piece and pull out. The trim is only held in with two tabs and should come out very easily.
Now we need to drop the glove box.
Do not attempt to remove the dash trim by pulling it out. You will bend (and possibly break) the trim. It is held in with torx screws, so the glove box must be dropped to get access to the back of the trim to remove the screws.
Start by removing the fuse box cover. Use your taped up small screw driver and start at the bottom.
Work your way up and 2 of the 3 tabs that hold it in place will come free. You can pull it off with your hands after that.
Next remove the torx screw inside the fuse box cover.
Then open up the glove box and remove the torx screws that are just below the trim on the inside of the glove box. They are recessed about 3-4 inches.
There are two more torx screws at the base of the glove box that need to be removed as well. One on the very left and one on the very right. Once these last two torx screws are removed, you should be able to drop the glove box.
You’ll need to disconnect the wiring harness that powers the glove box light. You can do this by pressing in the tabs on the top and bottom.
With the glove box fully dropped, you finally have access to the 3 torx screws on the back of the trim. Remove them and the dash trim will be free.
To reassemble the glove box, repeat the steps in reverse order. There are some tabs on the left of the glove box that will act as a guideline and will hold it in place while you’re redoing the torx screws. With these tabs inserted correctly, the glove box should be able to stay up on its own without any torx screws in.
Thats it! You’re done, and your new oCarbon trim is ready to be installed.
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We start with the raw fabric wrapped onto the original plastic parts.
Then gradually add epoxy resin. You can see that the kevlar doesn’t soak in the epoxy very well, so the texture of the fabric can still be seen somewhat on the surface. This will have to be aggressively sanded smooth after the parts are cured.
The radio face has multiple sections that will need to be drilled out by hand. This is, by far, the most time consuming part on the set.
These will go into the oven for a post cure in the next couple of days. After that, they’ll get trimmed and sanded smooth and ready for clearcoat.
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We took the original trunk trim and ground it down to make room for the fabric and epoxy. We went with a custom fabric to match the customer’s interior trim.
At first we were just going to wrap the front of the piece and paint the bottom black. But then we decided that would make the part incomplete and the CTS-V deserved better, so we wrapped the entire part and planned on cutting out holes for the trunk latch and the plate lights.
The customer requested that we remove the Cadillac logo, so we filled it in and sanded it smooth. The logo can no longer be seen.
Added several coats of epoxy.
Sanded smooth and clearcoated.
And the finish product.
]]>Discounts will be given to those who purchase multiple parts. More discounts will be given to those who can send their parts in to be wrapped (perfect for those of you who lock your Porsche up for the winter). It takes about 3-4 weeks to manufacture these parts, sometimes a bit longer, especially on the Porsche stuff as some of the pieces are complex.
Additional pieces can be made upon request. If you see a part you want done made by someone else, chances are, we can do it as well. We are a small shop (just a few guys in a warehouse out in Arizona) so we don’t have a ton of overhead and can make these parts cheaper than a lot of other manufacturers. Because our parts are custom made by hand here in the US, we can tailor your parts to you and wrap them in whatever fabric you want, in whatever finish you want. Silver, red, blue, you name it. We only use the highest quality fabric (11oz or higher weight, almost every other shop only uses 5.7oz – higher weight means more individual strands of carbon, which leads to a tighter, straighter weave) and pro quality epoxies that resist yellowing over time.
If you’re interested in setting up an order or have any questions, feel free to email me at matt@ocarbon.com
Pricing:
Map covers – $425
Door pulls – $400
Instrument surround – $400
Ignition surround – $125
Hazard surround – $125
Radio – $500
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Now I know these aren’t the best photos in the world (they were taken with a cell phone) but they’re better than nothing. The owner has promised us legit photos with a real camera once the weather clears up. The red looks a little bright in these, its a bit more dark and subdued in person.
I’m really happy with how it turned out, particularly the center console piece.
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These parts were made with a custom 20oz 2×2 twill fabric, which uses almost 4 times as much individual strands of carbon fiber than a standard weave. More strands equals a thicker, tighter weave.
I’ve got more parts in the works for this car, so keep your eyes open for those soon. If you’re interested in having parts made for your Porsche, fill out our custom quote form and we can get you setup.
Full gallery can be found here:
http://ocarbon.com/gallery/porsche/joey
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Stay tuned for installed pictures.
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These sets just need to be polished and could be shipped out the day after payment has been made. Good opportunity to get a set that is ready to go without the normal 3-4 week lead time.
These sets were done in an upgraded 20oz 2×2 twill fabric (the same fabric that is found in the OEM RS4 carbon fiber trim). This upgraded fabric is normally $100 extra, but I’ll sell these two sets at the regular price.
Email me at matt@ocarbon.com if you’re interested in picking this up or if you have any questions.
Price: $600
Shipping: Free
Core deposit: $300 – this is refundable. Once you install the carbon fiber trim, you can return your original trim back to us and the $300 will be refunded in full.
Pieces included: Full 6 piece set, including 4 doors, 1 dash with quattro badge, and 1 shifter that fits both auto and manual vehicles.
Pics:
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Straight up trade, you send me your wood set and when I get it I ship out the aluminum set to you the same day. You pay for shipping your set to me, I pay for shipping my set to you. Read the post below, check out some of the pictures, and if you’re interested, shoot me an email at matt@ocarbon.com and I’ll get you set up.
I’ve got two of these aluminum sets I need to trade for wood sets. Both of them have a manual shifter. These sets aren’t in the best shape, they have a few scratches and a few nicks, but they’re perfect candidates for the DIY brushed aluminum modification.
Rules:
1) I only want to trade for a wood set.
2) As long as your wood set has all the correct pieces and none of the tabs are broken, I’ll take it. I don’t care how scratched up it is, how ugly it looks, if its painted, or if it’s wrapped in some ugly fake vinyl. As long as its wood, and nothing is missing or broken, we’ll be good to go.
3) Don’t waste my time. I’ve had problems with people setting up trades and then not following through.
Set 1 pictures:
Notes – The front ashtray tab fell out, I’ll included a new one. You’ll have to re-glue it on. There is also a bit of fabric under the Quattro badge. The rear ashtray is just the cover, you’ll have to keep your tub. You’ll also have to keep your chrome ring on your shifter and transfer it to this set.
Set 2 pictures:
Notes: Is in a little bit better shape than set 1. It does have mismatched plastic endcaps though (one is tan, one is black. Very odd). You can probably plastidip them both to get them to match. You will have to keep the chrome ring on your shifter and transfer it to this set.
If you’re interested in upgrading your wood set to an aluminum one, email me at matt@ocarbon.com.
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This texalium is actually an aluminum coated fiberglass (real carbon fiber can’t be colored or dyed) and is commonly called silver carbon fiber. I don’t make many of these sets: this is only the second silver B6/B7 set I’ve ever made and I don’t anticipate making that many more of them, so this is a pretty rare/custom set.
Email me at matt@ocarbon.com if you’re interested in picking this up or if you have any questions.
Price: $600
Shipping: Free
Core deposit: $250 – this is refundable. Once you install the silver carbon fiber trim you can return your original trim back to us and the $250 will be refunded in full.
Pieces included: Full 9 piece set with a manual shifter.
Pictures:
Some more in a different light:
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Before we start, the pieces look almost matte as they have been sanded down to 800 grit to make a nice, smooth surface for the clear to adhere to.
Only going to need a little bit of clearcoat for these sets.
First up in the booth are some ashtrays.
Look at that shine.
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Ready to play?
Clues:
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Up first is the speedometer cluster surround (it is upside down in this picture). It is some times called “the Batwing” for obvious reasons.
Up next are the door pulls. These will mate up with the map covers we made previously.
Last but not least, are thin strip pieces for the dash.
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In certain lights, the red looks dark and almost black.
But if you catch it at the right angle, the red starts to peek through.
The center console was done in black, to compliment the rest of the red trim.
The small cover under the radio. We’ll add the chrome tab right before we put it back together.
The radio piece. I’m really happy with how this turned out.
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