Hello to all 3G TL owners. I, ladiesman217 am currently 17 years old residing in Toronto, Canada. During the spring of 08' I plan on buying my first car, which 95% surely will be a TL (the other 5% is leaning towards a Lexus IS350/IS250). I've been researching the TL for months now, and I do believe this is the car for me. Stylish looks, great interior, with advanced technology. The problem is, I am a newborn when it comes to TL or the fact of the matter is car customization, I absolutely know nothing about this topic, hence I came to you guys for advice. If you are wondering, if I read through the topics and utilized the search function on this forum, wonder no more as i already have. Anyone out their willing to answer my questions, your help is greatly appreciated. I have a budget of $45k, I'm specifically looking for a WDP, and to let you guys know a dealer used 04 - 06 TL runs about 27K to 35K here in Toronto (Of course prices are expected to drop within the next 6 months, when I actually go and buy the car). I forgot to mention but a used 07 TL-S costs about 38-43 K here. Finally, I am 95% sure I will be buying from an Acura dealer.

1. What TL model is worth more investing in, an 04-06 TL, or the 07 TL-S.
2. If I do decide to buy an 04-06 TL and it does not come with an a-spec kit, will I be able to buy the a-spec kit for the 04-06 TL from the dealer, and how much does this a-spec kit cost? Also, if they supply me with the kit, will they also install it for me as well, and how much will the installation of the cost?
3. From the pictures I've seen on this forum, I also want to lower the TL. Can anyone explain to me how this can be done, and where/who can do it for me? I also want to know how much the rear and front have to be lowered in order to achieve the best look. To let you guys know, I will be putting 19x8.5 rims on the car.

http://www.ronjonwheels.com/ronjonim...rge/atls70.jpg
http://www.ronjonwheels.com/ronjonimages/large/as98.jpg

^-- these two above links relates to question 3, I want the stance to be something like this, so how much do you guys believe the rear and front drop should be?

Thanks, thats all for now, but I will follow up with more questions, I await all of your responses =D

 

anyone?

*bump*

 

I will do my best to help you out:

1. TL Type-S all the way...there is no question.

2. If you are talking about just the A-spec body kit, you can email Tim@hondaacuraworld, who is a vendor on this site. I believe he can sell you the front/rear/side skirts for around $800. Try to find a body shop that will install the kit for you, as the dealer is always the most expensive. It really isn't too difficult to install, and many people on this site have done it on their own, but there is some hole drilling involved if you can handle it. Cost of install? That varies by dealer, but like I suggested, try to find a decent body shop to do it. The dealer will charge you at least the cost of the parts to install them, IMHO.

3. To get your car to look like that, you are going to have to drop it around 1.5"-2", but not any more than 2", otherwise you are looking at some bottoming out and possible rubbing issues. If you get coilovers, you can decide how low/high you want to go.

I hope this helps, at least some!

 

1. o4-06 TL or Base 2007 TL, these cars can accept the super-charger from Comptech if you decide to get it at a later time, otherwise the TL-S is the best bang for the buck.
2. You can buy it from Tim At Hondaacuraworld.com for about 799 shipped. Installation is easy and you can do it yourself, if not, it should cost maybe 400 bucks to do.
3. The suspension, get the Tein SS, these can lower the car the amount you want, I believe 2 inches max. Also you can buy a EDFC, which is a controler specifically made for this suspension to adjust the amount of dampining you want, either a really soft ride, medium ride or firm ride, it is 16 way adjustable. I think 1.75 should be good in the front and 1.5 should be good in the back to get the look you want.

 

no need to bump your own thread. people will answer if they want to

Do a search. There is alot of information here to help you...

 

What does this mean? What are your objectives?
For the most part, modifying a car reduces the value not increases it. The TL-S cost more initially and is factory modified already. It is also much less common than the (base) model. You can achieve your goals with either. Depends again on if the TL-S starts in the direction you wish to go. Keep in mind that it aslo has a larger, more powerful engine.

To lower the car, most go with a performance shock/spring combination. That combined with your wheels/tire can give you the look you are after. The A-spec can be ordered on the internet from a number of dealers ,it has been available on ebay off and on. Prices are much better than what your local dealer will do. You can install it or pay someone local to do it for you. Hope this helps a little.

 

Type S is nice. I have the stock 08 TL with full a-spec but when driving my brother's Type S, I can't help to notice how nice various little features are...not to mention the 3.5.

I'll tell you something about Lexus.

It's garbage. Drives like a camry. I drove it once and told the dealer it drove like a camry and walked out.

TL is the way to go!

Also see this for TL comparison of A-spec and Type S.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171657

My 2 cents

 

With the A-spec body kit, will the colour that i order it in be precise to the WDP, the last thing I would want is for the colour of the lip, skirt, and under spoiler, to not match the colour of the rest of the car. I have another question as wel

1. What is the difference between "clearing" and "smoking" out the headlights.

http://www.ronjonwheels.com/ronjonim...rge/atls67.jpg

^ In the above picture, are the headlights smoked or cleared out? & how did the owner do it. Sorry once again for the dumb questions, I'm a newb when it comes to this stuff.


http://cgi.ebay.ca/Headlight-Tint-Co...QQcmdZViewItem

^ Can I use the item listed on ebay to achieve the headlight look in the previous TL picture?

 

If you're going to buy an 08 next year wait for the redesign - I would be upset with myself if I bought a brand new car and liked the new version that came out a few months later..

[unless you're going used]

 

1. Due to the difference in materials (metal-plastic) of the body/bumpers+sideskirts, the same paint job will look a little off, even if they are both painted the same way, at the same time. This, unfortunately, is most pronounced in the WDP, since it is a "white" shade. But it is still pretty close.

2. In that link, the headlights look cleared and smoked.

3. These are overlays that you put on the outside of the headlights. The actual "clearing" and "smoking" of headlights involves taking the headlights out, and taking them apart, and some baking to clear them, and some other procedure to smoke them.

 

do you know where I can get the actual "clearing" and "smoking" of the headlights done?