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Are Chrome Fuel Filler Doors Worthwhile?

Author: JasonLancaster
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Big, brushed aluminum gas caps high on the rear is an iconic part of the classic muscle car look. It practically screams out the car's muscle and power! Muscle car designers were inspired by fuel caps seen on race cars in the 50's and 60's. The fuel doors on these cars were big, so they would be easy to open and shut during pit stops, and made of metal durable enough the endure the aerodynamic stress of the racecourse.

Nowadays, many people want to imitate the muscle car look on their own car or truck with an aluminum-style fuel door. There a few companies which can custom-make fuel doors, using a variety of materials and styles. Some models can even be locked, keeping gas thieves away from your fuel tank.

Putco offers a chrome fuel door cover with embossed circular rivets arrayed in a ring around a flat center. The door is made of ABS chrome designed to mimic the same chrome that is used elsewhere on the truck, giving it a stock-replacement appearance. Installation is easy, and it uses adhesive tape to mount itself to your current door - no need to drill holes or use any glue. Since this is more of an add-on than an actual door itself, it's purely for cosmetic purposes, not practical needs. Another company, AVS, also offers a chrome fuel door cover that attaches with double-sided tape.

Chrome fuel door decals like the ones offered by Putco and AVS are just for show. They offer a great look at an affordable price, with most ranging in price from $35-$45, but little practical advantage. If you can spare the cash for the real thing, and have got a little spare time, then read on to learn about the AMI fuel doors.

AMI offers a number of fuel door styles, made out of billet aluminum for a rugged look. Their colour options are: an all-black door; an all-aluminum door either brushed or polished; or an aluminum door surrounded by a black ring. The doors also have the option of being lockable, which can obviously be beneficial. Another company offering a similar product is Rampage, although their designs use less rivets and colour options are limited to brushed or polished aluminum. Rampage fuel doors can be ordered with locks as well.

While it might seem appealing to be able to lock people out of your gas tank in this new era of rising fuel prices, it is important to keep in mind that with most trucks, it is very easy to get underneath the body and access the fuel tank directly. This means that when faced with a locked fuel door, a thief might decide to simply drill a hole in the bottom of your tank and drain your fuel out that way. Since the cost of replacing a fuel tank is a lot more than the cost of replacing its contents, you need to be sure that you won't be facing this kind of risk before installing a gas cap that locks. If your truck is stored in a garage or in a well-lit lot, then you shouldn't have any problems.

Ultimately fuel filler door covers can be an affordable and fun way to update your truck's look, such as with the stick-on door cover from Putco, or it can be a serious accessory, like with AMI's lockable billet aluminum doors. From a utilitarian perspective, AMI's locking fuel doors are the only models which offer benefits above and beyond just pure looks. AMI's fuel doors sell for about $85, with no extra charge for the lockable models.