benben01

yeah.. will probably leave it alone... Matte black looks unfinished and gloss black is too prone to scratching..

Zelaya

iTrader: (1)

Hey there Ben, good transformation you have done there. Those wheels are hawk and neck breaker if you ask me!!!! I'm a amateur photographer and your daughter been 10 yrs old she is doing a great job. Who is doing your steering wheel wrapping? reason I ask because I've been contemplating on doing this mod for my RL.

benben01

Check out http://www.dallassteeringwheel.com/

Turn around time is 3 biz days. The quote I got for thick pad in alcantera/perforated leather combo ~$400 plus return shipping. The donor wheel I got off of ebay for $50 shipped. Altogether still less than OEM sports steering wheel and it's ultra-exclusive

Zelaya

iTrader: (1)

Yes I did checked that site but the guy who answer the phone couldn't give me a straight answer as far thickness. Have you done yours? I do have a extra wheel that only have 2k miles of usage until the the owner replaced it.

Zelaya

iTrader: (1)

This is how I want mine but just perforated on the sides and leather for top and button but the guy couldn't tell me what thickness he used on this wheel.

http://www.dallassteeringwheel.com/p...kPad_Front.jpg

KillerG

oem sport leather is like 350~ no? and are you gonna install this yourself?

benben01

The extra padding is 1/8" thick boosting the overall circumference by 1/2". I am shipping my wheel out on monday. I am guessing I will have it back in the early Feb. You can stop by and check it out before you get yours done.

benben01

$350-$390 +S&H is close enough for gov't work. Yeah, I will install it myself.

Zelaya

iTrader: (1)

Yes I will take your offer on that.

Slade037

Did you install the majority of your mods by yourself or did you get em all done at a shop?

MrOtocinclus

Man, I love this thread, great pics and car.

PyroDave

i concur.

benben01

I do all the installs myself. My garage is fully stocked with 2 air compressors, 2 low profile floor jacks, jack stands, and all sorts of hand and power tools. Call it my moment of Zen when you have 4 kids running around and a demanding wife lol. More pics to come soon....

MrOtocinclus

How about some pics of your garage? I'm very envious as my "garage" is the sidewalk outside my apartment building. Should've seen the looks on some people's faces when I was installing the icebox with the bumper off of the car.

benben01

Been there and done that. We lived in an pretty nice apartment complex for a year while we were housing hunting. I had the front bumper of my Speed3 pulled off for an FMIC install. The neighbors, much to the chagrin of my wife, were smoking hot. They would come by and say "so nice to have a mechanic in the building.." Which reminds me of another story for another thread.. One of those hot neighbors confessed to my good friend and a neighbor, that she had the hots for my hot wife LOL

MrOtocinclus

Pics of wife and neighbor or it didn't happen.

Unfortunately most of the people who came up to me were homeless guys asking if I needed help on my car. I did have a group of "smoking hot" people pass by, though. They were hot-boxing in their Lexus with 22s and they got a huge kick out of seeing the bumper on the ground!

benben01

Didn't happen at least not to my knowledge :P

ed_423

!!

i live a unit full of asians, and when i work in my garage having the bumper out, everyone walks by and llook at me like im doing a huge construction or something.

but again, no hot females came by to comment :/

maiku

iTrader: (9)

One awesome ride... One of the best i have seen.. I like what you have done sir !!! F14's with 275-35-19.... priceless !!!

benben01

Thanka Maiku! I figured it was silly to stretch a skinny tire on wide rims.. Never understood that look. Kinda like the trend of walking around with jeans hanging 1/2 way off your ass

farmdog

That wheel/tire combo is right on the money.....I love the staggered setup..my favorite view is of the ass of a car. I'm an ass man

benben01

+1

ed_423

tobwac

^

benben01

For those who've asked about the 2nd cat delete and exhaust note. Enjoy...

ed_423

ben , how come youe cat delete produces such great sounds while others dont produce much at all

benben01

I dunno.... All i did was removed the 2nd cat and replaced it with a diameter matching pipe. Simple right? The exhaust note is perfect now and zero drone. Kinda suits the personality of this car. Oh yeah.. I am old and have a few years of modding under my belt

mrstak

iTrader: (1)

ed only brings the hot males to his yard...and they're like it's better than yours, damn right, it's better than yours. he can teach them but he has to charge

mrstak

iTrader: (1)

+1 on pics of the garage.

24boosted

Looks awesome, nice aggressive stance with fat functional tires. I'm not into the stretched tire hellaflush look that all the kids are into.

spdandpwr

wow, im not a fan of how that sounds and I used to have a civic si without cats. I think with some good resonators, that tone can be deepened to be a bit more mellifluous, lol.

benben01

I know the sound you are referring to and this is definitely not like that. It's not loud at all. What you heard were 5K revs.

ed_423

Hey Ben. With 275 in the rear I know it's not stretched at all. Does that mean anything lower than 275 is a stretch for 9.5 rims?

benben01

yup.. technically. But I think you will have to go with a 255 or narrow tire start looking stretched. If you look at most tire manf. specs for 275/35 or 275/30 series tires, it will show the ideal rim width is 9.5 with a range of 8.5-10

ed_423

Ohh thanks! I'm asking because I DON'T wanna stretch lol

benben01

Here are some pics of my humble garage...

my $20 ikea shelving solution



My home depot white board special for laying out vinyl and clear bra film



Vinyl and clear bra tool kit



Tool boxes...



Another tool box, air compressors and floor jacks

Zelaya

iTrader: (1)

How much the compressor cost you. I've looking for one.

ed_423

awesome garage!

i have one more tire question:

since you are running 275 in the rear for 9.5 rim and it's NOT stretch, while running 245 in the front. how come defcon runs 245 and yet his arent stretch?

thanks ben.

benben01

It was ~$300 from Sear a couple years back during a black friday sale. If you are getting one to run and impact wrench, get one with at least 25 gallons and 150PSI.

benben01

Defcon's is a lil stretch. The manf tire specs for that size is a 8.5" width rim on a 245/35. In Defcon's case the lip is not as protected as with a 275/35 tire.