She’s almost ready!

A few weeks back my RL was damaged from a recap shearing off a towed trailer and slapping into my front corner. I took the opportunity to service the car and make minor modifications, while making the repairs to the bumper.

I wanted to thank the Acurazine 2nd Gen. RL community in assisting me with increasing my knowledge, obtaining parts at discount prices, and expanding/presenting ideas. I am genuinely appreciative of what this forum offers. I hope to be a productive member to the community and I can now offer first hand experience with the following items.

Hear is the list of what has been done so far:

· 4 almost new tires (Stock Michelins-Black Market)

· Changed transmission fluid

· Changed transfer case fluid (Hypoid Gear Oil not ATF-Z1)

· Changed differential fluid (Both chambers-ATF-Z1 in each)

· Changed oil and oil filter

· Disassembled and repaired passenger front headlight (Vertical adjustment screw came out of it’s track and the adjustment gear was stripped)

· Installed new headlight controller (AKA: Ballast, inverter) Guess what??? NO MORE FLICKERING!

· Updated high beams to Cool Blue Type…Because they are cool!

· Upgraded fog lights to a white light 5,000K to better match the HID’s

· Installed front splash guard

· Installed fender well splash guard

· Installed side splash guard

· Adjusted the hood position


· Installed new cabin filter

· Installed new air filter


· Removed and thoroughly cleaned exhaust tips inside and out

· Seat buckle adjustment

· Repainted lower air grill

· Painted upper air grill (for a more aggressive look IMO). I copied this idea from someone on the forum. I can’t find the pictures anymore so I can’t find out who it was. But thank you. I like the look.

· Repainted front chrome accent parts

· Bumper: Removed, Filled in all scuffs, Sanded, Primed, Sanded


Remaining work to do:

· Bumper: Base coat, Clear coat, Buff, and install

· Paint Mud guards

I have determined all this would have retailed for approximately $3,600 vs. $850 in parts, tons of my sweat, and a little bit of blood. I already had the tools, purchased the service manual, and weekends were used to do the work.

She’s nearly back! As soon as my paint get’s here, I’ll finish up and should be rollin again by this weekend.

I will learn how to post pictures and display my RL once all the work is completed.

Future Mods:

Wood wheel and shifter
Rear deck lid
Sunroof wind deflector
Wood trim overlay for center console
I-Pod Adapter
Back Up Camera

 

Is that it? And you call yourself a car guy.....

WOW Steve! Congrats on the hard work. I am excited for you.

 

Steve, you can upload images here, in your own gallery, and they're easy to post.

 

Let's try this again.

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Ok, picture posting 101 completed.

This is just a work in progress picture. When the wifey saw the car in this condition I secretly thought she believed I was insane. I told her it would be ok.

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You did all that yourself? You are THA MAN. Very impressive. Far better than I would have done.

I cleaned up your first attempt at images above, too.

 

Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery....

 

How did you pain the chrome accent parts. can you suggest a chrome paint. My from chrome part of the upper grill is scratched and i want to pain it.
· Repainted lower air grill

· Painted upper air grill (for a more aggressive look IMO). I copied this idea from someone on the forum. I can’t find the pictures anymore so I can’t find out who it was. But thank you. I like the look.

· Repainted front chrome accent parts

 

That's ambition.
Good job.

 

See Acura emblem thread and look for my post on chrome paint. If you attempt this method, I caution you to be prepared for the inevitable. The paint will not be a perfect match with the factory chrome plated accents that will remain (No matter what paint you use).

I am not a huge chrome fan myself and always thought that the chrome accent pieces were a little out of place. That is, I would prefer that existing chrome accents to be body color. I did not want to have to repaint all the chrome pieces around the car so everything matched perfectly, knowing if I painted just the front the rest would not match. This is too much work and all but the front pieces were in good condition.

Since I completely disassembled the bumper, for othe reasons, it was a perfect opportunity to spruce up the chrome accent pieces. Especially since the front pieces had common debris marks and some coating coming off. Not that it looked really bad but I kind of got paint happy too.

So I decide to paint all the front chrome pieces and live with the difference (If I had too I could always paint the rest if it looked too awkward). The air grill, hood, emblem, and both corner chrome pieces would only be done. Too impatient to order the expensive "Killer Chrome", I decided to get some off the shelf chrome paint knowing it would turn out silver. Actually, I decided upon one that would be really similar to the look of stock rims (Aluminum). I would be painting all the front pieces and the front tires break up the chrome corners from the side pieces. The front pieces would match up with the rims. To top it all off I repainted the silver upper air grill black. I think all of this gives the RL a slightly more aggressive look. I hope it looks good when it gets put on the car.

I taped up the body colored portion of the corner pieces, scuffed (180 grit, 300, and 600).

Then I removed the hood piece and air grill piece and scuffed as above.

Spray lightly, let dry, repeat, repeat, and repeat. Spray light light coats. Don't try to completely cover it in one coat. Complete coverage should require a minimum of 2 coats. So my 4 coats is actually only 2. This just gives me more safety and makes a better quality job (IMO).

My chrome paint does not recommend a clear coat.

Used phone to take a couple of quick shots.




All pieces can easily be taken off but you have to remove the bumper to remove the corner pieces. You could do them still on the car (corners) but lots of masking off would be required. One only has to tape up the corner pieces since they are half body colored and half chromed.




So we will see how it turns out on the car.I know it will be nice. A member exists who painted the upper air grill black and his picture showed a more "aggressive" looking RL. I can't find the picture anymore and don't remember the member.

As mentioned, with my now silver rim matching chrome pieces, black air grill, and front tires breaking up the flow it all should work out for me.

 

Was it kinda like this?

 

Thank you very much for your info. I will try it. I really appreciate your time for the info.

 

It was a white car. Damn that looks good! Wondered what all black would have looked like. Definitely more aggressive looking.

 

Do you have the instructions to remove the front bumper. Some one scraped the bumper and I want to replace the front chrome accents. It was the one which was scraped the most.