UFO Sightings

What would the classic look of American muscle cars be like without a fat, brushed aluminum gas cap perched high on the rear? This iconic look is popular for how it unabashedly flaunts a car’s power and muscle. The design originally came from racing fuel caps on cars in the 50’s and 50’s. Race cars needed big fuel doors that were easy to open and shut during pit stops, and they needed to be made of metal so they would be strong enough to handle the aerodynamic stress of racing.

Many people now like to dress up their modern cars with the gorgeous retro look of an aluminum-style fuel door. There are a few companies offering fuel doors which can be customised for material and style. Some doors can even be locked, keeping away would-be gas thieves.

Putco makes an ABS chrome door cover which mimics the chrome used on the rest of the truck body, so it has a stock-replacement appearance. The door has embossed circular rivets arranged in a ring around the flat center. The cover can be installed very easily, using adhesive tape to stick the cover onto the existing fuel door. No drills or glue is needed. The Putco cover is for visual enhancement only, and doesn’t affect performance practically. Another company, AVS, also manufactures a chrome fuel door cover which can attach using double-sided tape.

Stick-on fuel doors, like the models from Putco and AVS, aren’t terribly useful. They can absolutely look good on the right truck, and considering how inexpensive they are, with a price range of $35-$45, then more power to you if you decide to get one. However, if you’ve got some extra funds and a little time on your hands, read up on the AMI fuel doors below.

AMI creates fuel doors from billet aluminum, which results in a rugged look. There are multiple colour options: all-black; all-aluminum which can be either brushed or polished; and aluminum door with a black ring around it. Rampage offers doors similar to AMI, but with less rivets in the design, and with only brushed or polished aluminum available for colour. Both AMI and Rampage fuel doors can be ordered with locks.

Being able to lock your gas tank might seem like the best way to keep it safe from would-be fuel thieves, but it’s important to remember that it’s very easy to access a fuel tank directly from underneath the truck body. Persistent fuel thieves who aren’t deterred by a lock on your fuel door might gain entry simply by drilling a hole in the bottom of your fuel tank. Replacing a fuel tank is significantly more expensive than replacing stolen gas, so make sure you have ways to avoid this problem before buying a lockable gas cap. Keeping your truck in a garage or well-lit lot should be enough to keep it safe.

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.

Filed under: Vehicles