This project consumed hours and I don't have the final version done, but I've got an interim fascia cover that looks pretty good to me. This is a camera phone photo, so the quality isn't the greatest:
The size and placement of the cutouts around the knobs isn't quite as good as I'd like, but everything else fits perfectly. In a nutshell, this is what I did:
1. I took a photo of the factory fascia, then cropped and resized the photo to the exact size of the actual fascia.
2. I pasted the photo into SmartDraw, a drafting program, then using the software's tools I drew the appropriate shapes over the corresponding openings (buttons, display, CD slot, etc.). I deleted the photo from the resulting diagram and had a pretty close actual-size diagram to create a template. Because of the parallax error that resulted from taking the photo so close to the fascia, the size and placement of some of the openings wasn't quite right. I did some measuring and adjusted these.
3. I printed the template to actual size, then taping the template to a piece of .015" thick, adhesive-backed carbon fiber, I etched the outline of the openings with an X-acto knife.
4. I then cut out the openings in the carbon fiber sheet with the X-acto knife. This took forever.
5. Comparing the cut-to-measure sheet with the actual radio, I then adjusted the size of the openings with a Dremel Moto-Tool with a shaping attachment. When I created the template in SmartDraw, I had made the openings as close to the actual dimensions of the buttons as I could, so the fit around some of them was a little too tight initially. I figured it would be easier to expand some of the openings if it was necessary, than to try to make the radio look good with too-big openings in the carbon fiber fascia cover. It was really easy to adjust the openings' size with the Dremel.
5. Once I had the openings sized to my satisfaction, I used some rub-on Datamark letters for the POWER/VOLUME, AUDIO/TUNE and PUSH/MODE letters. These were sprayed with Datakote spray.
6. Once everything was dry, I slapped that puppy in place.
Eventually I will . . . at my leisure . . . work on a piece that's perfect. This one is about an 8 or 9 on a scale of 10, and it's a vast improvement over the worn fascia.
I probably spent 30 or 40 hours on this, though someone who's not a complete ham-fisted knucklehead could do it a lot faster. Much of that time was spent researching materials, buying supplies, and creating the template. The cutting of the carbon fiber sheet was tedious, but not all that difficult.
Thanks again to Howard, my LS-driving pal, who helped a lot. I probably would have given up on this had he not put so much time and effort into this himself.
I do like the look of the carbon fiber. It's dark gray in color (described as graphite) and adds a not-too-flashy bit of a high-tech look to the dash. Since I've got some left over, I've been thinking about adding a bit here and there to dress up other interior bits and pieces. However, I'm mindful of the fact that it's but a small step from "tasteful accent" to "wretched excess," so I'm trying to exercise some self-control. ;)