# DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor



## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

Like the title says... I am making a gauge pod out of the panel that hides the sunroof motor on MK4 Jetta/Golfs.
This isn't my first project... but what makes this one so cool is that its my first using carbon fiber!
The real idea behind making this was I want to start laying carbon fiber more often and on a larger scale... in the future fenders, bumpers and hoods are planned!
I bought a starter kit from Carbonmods.co.uk
They sell two kits for starters... For this application I will be using a skinning kit.. meaning I wont be using a mold and making a 100% carbon product... I will be using parts and laying the carbon over them.
The kit comes:
# 0.3sqm 2/2 twill 3k dry carbon fibre fabric
# 166g laminating epoxy resin base coat
# 166g epoxy resin top coat
# 166g epoxy hardener
# 35ml polishing compound
# 2 pairs latex gloves, 2 mixing pots, 2 mixing sticks
# 2 x 1" laminating brush
# 120, 240, 400, 800 & 1200 grit full sheets of wet and dry sand paper
 
Now lets get started!
The part I'm modding is
 
Yes... my headliner is dirty... no need for the comments... the headliner is being replaced later.
I've seen others put gauges, radios, turbo timers in a custom panel such as this. But I've never seen one outta carbon fiber... and I've never seen a step by step write up on it.
I went to my local junkyard and got a extra Sunroof motor panel like this... I was charged 5 bucks for it.. Its a great piece of mind knowing that I'm not ruining mine in case I don't finish this project.


The other thing I'm using is a steering wheel gauge pod for a Passat that I had laying around in the garage.
 
First thing I did was cut off all the extra plastic on the sides of the pod that hold it to the steering column.... I used a pair of tin snips like these to take the large portions off.... 
 
Then using a air grind tool I sanded down the sides to where I want them... it makes it easy to slowly take small portions off and be more precise.

trimming the sides till its flat against the panel I bought...
 

Next step is to sand down the pod so that the resin and carbon will adhere to it.
Using a piece of 240 grit sand paper I scuffed up the pod
 
Then I started to work on the sunroof motor panel... 
The cloth has to go!
 
After you remove the cloth there is still alot of cloth and resin attached to it.. so just take the air grind and sand off the rest of the crap on it..
 
All this sanding makes a mess!


Next step was figuring if I want the boob gap look????


No I'm not liking this look... so I cut the pod in half so I can close the gap!

More to come.... comments, and ideas welcome!

_Modified by mk4kimball at 12:23 PM 5-8-2009_

_Modified by mk4kimball at 12:38 PM 5-8-2009_


_Modified by mk4kimball at 12:41 PM 5-8-2009_


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

I did more today.. pics to come tomorrow..
No comments though huh.... No one has anything to say?


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## themightytimmah (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

How much for the carbon kit? I'd love to put a boost gauge in my mkv but I'm cosmetically unhappy with any of the options I've seen so far.


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (themightytimmah)*

I don't remember the exact amount cause it was in Euro... but I believe it was like 65 bucks converted.
There are US companies that sell carbon products online too... I just haven't seen one that sells a complete kit with all the stuff you need.
I'm currently in the bondo/ smoothing stage right now... I will post pics later!

Its turning out to be quite the time consuming project.. but I think it will look decent when done!


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## Ajlal24 (Mar 7, 2007)

I want to see how the actal crbon fiber looks like when resin'd and all...


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## VWeisgerber (May 2, 2008)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mk4kimball* »_No comments though huh.... No one has anything to say?

*GO PHILLIES!!!!!!*

_Quote, originally posted by *mk4kimball* »_
All this sanding makes a mess!


i would wear a red sucks shirt to get dirty in too cause you can just throw them away when you finish working for the day















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but really, pod is looking good sir http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
-zac


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## ArcticFox (Nov 4, 2005)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (VWeisgerber)*

Keep the pics coming. I was thinking about doing something like that in my car but not gauges but a small computer w/ dvd drive.


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (ArcticFox)*

I did some more today... I'm still at the garage.. But when I go home I will upload the pics from the last few days.


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

So I left off the other day where I had decided that I hated the gap left in between the gauges "Boobie gap" as I referred to it as.

My next step was to work out how I wanted the gauge to sit in my car...
I chose to have then slightly angled towards the drivers side of the car, as well as very slightly staggered one in front of the other. This brought up a few very debatable issues for me.
1:This pod project is not being done because I NEED these gauges to run my 500horsepower monster.. I have a 2.0 liter with the usual bolt-on's. I'm not actually in need of any gauges other then for looks. That said... turbo is a future plan and isn't something that I wouldn't be able to finance tomorrow if need be.
2: This project was chosen to be a first time carbon laying project.. something that if I screwed up and gave up on, I wouldn't beat myself up over. Something of a lesson in the process of carbon laying more then the final result.
3:I went into this project understanding that I would need to keep the angles of the pod very easy for laying the carbon cloth on.. nothing extreme. This was a issue when playing with configurations for the pod. I really wanted a aggressively staggered pod. where one sat farther back then the other. This idea was scratched because of the difficultly that I would see when it was time to lay the carbon and cover the staggered gap. I will explain this issue later when I lay down my measured cloth to determine the amount needed
Using the 2 newly cut pods I just placed the pods on the cover in the position I wanted them, and traced out the outside of the pods together where they will sit.


The next part was just drawing where to cut on the middle of the panel. You will need this opening to access the gauges and wires when they are in. This is very easy... just remember that you don't need to cut this hole too big because you can always open it up more by sanding it with the air tool later.

And cut the middle out that you just traced out...

here you see how the project is put together thus far....


Next step... And this is something that I would do differently! I used a quick drying 2 part epoxy to attached the pods to the cover. The problem was I used a compound that dried way to quick to work with. It had a hardening time of just 1 min. I made a good mess. Although i did get the gauges attached!


And the mess that was made...


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

Next step.... Wait 24 hours for the epoxy to fully cure...

At this point I wasn't happy with the shape yet. So instead of laying the carbon down, I have decided to apply bondo to create the shape I want.
I didn't take a picture of the bondo product being mixed... But to those who don't know how to use bondo its very easy.... Dump a small amount of bondo on a clean surface (we use Plexiglas) and add the hardener agent to it... mix till its all one color and in a soft puddy form. then just apply to the item you wanna ad shape to.
Once the Bondo is dry (about 30 mins) I started sanding the pod down to the shape I wanted... 
You may need to use several coats of bondo to achieve the final results you desire. I am on my 2nd coat... and may need to do a small amount for a 3rd coat.

closing the boobie gap!


Next....

SANDING........ SANDING........... AND MORE SANDING!
The other thing I should note to those who have never used bondo... You need to wear a respirator, or a mask, or something if you are sanding bondo in a closed area! Its not something you wanna breath in too much of!

So tired of sanding... and hungry... I went home for the night.
But below is to show how much progress we have made thus far... and how its going to look... I had one of my old gauges laying around the garage...


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## suspekae (Apr 28, 2009)

I cant wait to see this done...good work man


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## sacrifice_R (Mar 8, 2009)

def keeping an eye on this. nice work man


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: (sacrifice_R)*

Ok... So I'm leaving for the garage in a few mins... with the hopes of final prep... and the first layer of carbon being applied today!
Baring any other projects... and let me list the distractions... 
CRX getting a GSR swap
EF Civic (Early 90's) needs glass, dash, interior, and steering wheel
34 plymouth roadster getting a new built 355
Chevy Panel truck needs new motor
92 Ford Ranger needs new motor
Plus Daily mini projects that come pulling in!
Not to mention Seth's EG Civic... in the process of finishing the engine bay shaving (Brake lines fuse box, everything inside car)... all the welding is done, but the bondo is still being finished... then off to paint the whole car... then we can reassemble the custom interior, suspension, and drop in his Turbo LS Vtec
Not to mention I drive a Vdub.... so I will probably need something done major before the days over for my car....


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: (mk4kimball)*

just laid the final stage of glazing puddy! Should be dry in a hour or so...
After that its a quick sanding... clean off... then laying down the first epoxy resin need for carbon laying.
Stay tuned!


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## Ajlal24 (Mar 7, 2007)

You have me anxious to see this come out!


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## burton727 (Sep 22, 2008)

*Re: (Ajlal24)*

watching , not really my style but interesting thread.
props http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## VR6bangin (Mar 26, 2009)

*Re: (burton727)*

deffinatly interesting.... i think i might try it myself once i see the end result, but ill prolly go w/ a fiberglass version of this, not much one for carbon fiber http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: (mk4kimball)*

When I left last I thought I was ready to lay down some carbon.... After further view of the pod I was not happy yet with the shape....
So using Glazing Puddy I finally got the shape I wanted out of it. 
(be prepared to let give this glazing stuff more then usual to dry... took mine nearly 8 hours)


So while it dries... Keep yourself busy... I suggest sushi!

So some more sanding before primer! but its really coming to shape now!


So finally I'm done shaping the pod.... picked up some simple primer from Advance Auto for like 3 bucks... 

Laid down a layer of primer..... Now I'd doing this so that the pod is all 1 base color.. it makes it easy to see any stress cracks or issues from the epoxy and bondo stages. This is also where some people would probably stop... not wanting to add fabric or carbon fiber.


let the primer dry... should take only a few mins.

Once its dry take a sand paper (I recommend 80-150 grit) and just scuff the surface of the pod... make sure every area that you will be applying carbon fiber to. Once complete wipe the pod down with a clean rag and some rubbing alcohol (Save the booze for after)...



Next step I didn't take a picture of.. But I highly recommend it. Although this kit had just enough carbon cloth for this project it doesn't offer enough for any other project. I wish I had bought more cloth.... I recommend you take a spare fabric and apply it to the piece you are working with for reference and measurement. This will also give a a idea where any trouble with curves or holes are...
After that its time to cut out your measured amount of Carbon cloth to put aside.

And time for the hard part... These next steps are very important!
in a cup or a bowl (paper not plastic or foam.. the chemicals will eat through) mix enough of the black base resin to cover the item you are covering with carbon. then mix half that in the clear hardener resin.
*The best way to do this is with a mini scale that can measure in grams... So if you put 10 grams of base epoxy (the black resin) , then you should only apply 5 grams of hardener* 
Mix the resin well for about 45sec to a min

The bubbles are a sign of the chemical reaction happening between the base and the hardener. You will also notice a slight odor and heat coming from the cup.... this is ok. 
BUT REMEMBER! when mixing these chemicals to wear gloves, breathing mask if you have one... and/or be in a well ventilated area. Keep away from children, pregnant women, and animals.
Once your chemicals resigns are mixed you can now apply the base resin to the product you are applying carbon too. You want to apply thin layer over the whole product and make sure you dont miss any part of it. 




This base resin takes about 3 hours or so to get to its tacky stage... So stay busy!
This is what I did... My friend Jared and I (well mostly Jared) put in a built 355 in a 34 plymouth roadster that my buddy Tommy the Italian owns


In about 3 hours the resign will be almost dry and tacky to touch... at this point you can now lay your first layer!

Starting in the middle.. gently lay the fabric down (centered)

Gently start from the middle and work your way out by just using your fingers to contour the carbon to the device.



With a razor blade I cut out where the holes for the gauges are to be and tucked the carbon into the side of the holes, I also folded over the carbon over to the back side of the pod.

On the back I used Duct tape to take the excess carbon down tight



So this is as far as I have gotten so far.. I will be laying down the first layer of clear resin today... If the weather changes! Stay tuned...
And please send me comments, questions, or ideas... any input would be great!


_Modified by mk4kimball at 9:49 AM 5-14-2009_


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## 8VDualRounds (Mar 8, 2004)

That looks really nice man http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Great write-up and I cant wait to see the finished piece installed! 
BTW...Sushi=orgasminmymouth


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## Mr.Tan (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: (8VDualRounds)*

wow man! its certainly coming along fantastic, i can not wait to see the piece finished! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

updates later today... stay tuned!


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## Dropped 20v (Aug 23, 2008)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

pics.. i might do this for a fun/side project


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## burton727 (Sep 22, 2008)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mk4kimball* »_updates later today... stay tuned!

CANT WAITTTTTTTTTTTTTTT , actually tho.


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## burton727 (Sep 22, 2008)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (burton727)*

Still waiting


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (burton727)*

The weather wasnt great today... so I was stuck having to let the clear epoxy cure inside.
first thing I did was mix the clear epoxy using a 2 part epoxy, to 1 part hardener. Again I recommend that you use a scale to measure out the amounts.
Mix the epoxy for a good amount of time... approx 2 mins.. You will notice a heat coming from the mixture... that's a sign of the hardener reacting.
Using a paint brush apply a layer of epoxy... I like to go a little heavy on the application because I know I'm going to be heavy with the sandpaper and its going to help me not ruin the carbon fabric when I go nuts with the 80 grit.


And once its coated all over you need to let it sit and cure... First layer should take about 8-10 hours to totally cure and be ready for sanding.

With 6 hours of drying time gone by.... 


In the morning I will begin the sanding and breaking down the first coat of clear...
Probably break out the dremel and go at the inside rings where the gauges slide into..


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## FuzzyVW537 (Feb 22, 2008)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (mk4kimball)*

looks good!


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## burton727 (Sep 22, 2008)

*Re: DIY carbon gauge pod near sunroof motor (kaipyroami)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: (Mr.Tan)*

Sorry for the couple days wait..
So I let the pod cure for 24 hours. At this point I was already about 80% happy with how it looked. But it still needs a few more steps...
First thing I did after letting the clear cure for 24 hours is to sand down the high spots on the clear.
Using a 320 grit paper I started to work on sanding... I then worked up till I got to 1200 grit. Also Please make sure you wear gloves.. carbon sanding can cause rashes! I wore gloves for 90% of the sanding... the other 10% gave me real itchy fingers for the last few days... it developed into a slight rash and I had to get ointment to cure it... its no joke

next thing was cleaning up the pod... folding over the carbon cloth over the sides made the cover no longer fit into its location in the headliner... and the holes in the pod where the gauges are housed are now too small for the gauges to fit.
So I took a air dremel and cleaned up the insides of the pod's gauge holes (got rid of all the extra crap carbon inside too).... I also sanded the sides down so the would fit in the headliner.

I also cleaned up the underneath.. all that carbon that was folded over.. the tape, and the epoxy all over the place...
50% cleaned up:

99% cleaned up:

Now clean off the pod with rubbing alcohol... this will get any of the crap you sanded off completely off the product and will allow you to see the shine that it will have during the next clear coat application
 

Next step was to fit the unit with gauges into the headliner to see how it looks and fits... (note these aren't the gauges I will be running)
One thing you need to make sure you do is completely clean off the metal tabs of any carbon resin or epoxy... these clips need to flex for this pod to fit correctly...


one thing I was worried about was the weight of this pod and if it would mount with gauges... With all the bondo on it i think I may have doubled the actually weight. After further thought about steps I have taken and what I would do different I think I would have used expandable foam to close the gap and make the shape I wanted. Next project will have this instead of bondo.
But for now the pod fits fine and is holding without any weight issues or threat of falling.
More to come!


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## Dropped 20v (Aug 23, 2008)

*Re: (mk4kimball)*

nice write up & nice sig


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## TheDrizzLe1763 (Oct 4, 2007)

*Re: (Dropt_Jetta_01)*

nice DIY man


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## beanroccos (Jan 4, 2008)

keep up the good work


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## 1badg35 (Oct 6, 2008)

hey if you didnt adhere the carbon so well to the plastic/bondo part, you would have been able to take it off of the mold once it had dried an just used the carbon. then there would be no weight and it is still real strong. i have been working with the stuff for a while, and have come to this myself after an issue with weighing parts down. i usually spray super 70 around the part just to get the carbon to stick to it temporarily, and then once the resin dries, lightly separate the two


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## mk4kimball (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: (1badg35)*

This is something I certainly thought of. One option is if I decided that I wanted to make more of these I could create a mold and vacuum mold the carbon into this shape.
The hardest thing really was my commitment to this project. I've had lots of family stress causing me to be distracted.
I layed another layer of clear... but I'm not happy with it... so i will be redoing it... Pics to come


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## kidd14 (Sep 27, 2001)

*Re: (mk4kimball)*

sick project man...keep updating..can't wait for the final product.


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