Just picked up a Black TL. Need design advice
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Just picked up a Black TL. Need design advice
Just picked up a 2004 black on black TL with 120k miles. Nighthawk black pearl. Navigation, DVD player, reverse camera, brembo brakes, type-s spoiler, Powder coated stock rims.
Im super stoked and so far it has been a blast to ride. I'm just thinking of doing some small aesthetic modifications and want to get everybody's input. Especially since I have no DIY knowledge, I'll probably be taking the car to a dealer to get certain parts off.
I want to vinyl the front grill part all black. Is it as simple as taking the grill off from the dealer and taking it to a vinyl place to go all black? Could I vinyl the front with the grill/emblem part on the car or would I have to remove it completely?
Also what tail lights do you think would be best with this color combination? I def thought 07/08 base would be the best but almost all of my friends and 100% of the females I talk to prefer type s lights all the way. I think the type-s appear to be honda civic bought aftermarket lights off ebay ish kinda vibe but the more i see them on other cars online, the more they seem to be growing on me. Do you think type-s, 07/08 base, leave it or perhaps even a custom tail light from a vendor here would be the best for this car?
Any other small mod advice for this would be appreciated
I've been lurking on these forums a while so it feels good to finally join!! Thanks!!
Im super stoked and so far it has been a blast to ride. I'm just thinking of doing some small aesthetic modifications and want to get everybody's input. Especially since I have no DIY knowledge, I'll probably be taking the car to a dealer to get certain parts off.
I want to vinyl the front grill part all black. Is it as simple as taking the grill off from the dealer and taking it to a vinyl place to go all black? Could I vinyl the front with the grill/emblem part on the car or would I have to remove it completely?
Also what tail lights do you think would be best with this color combination? I def thought 07/08 base would be the best but almost all of my friends and 100% of the females I talk to prefer type s lights all the way. I think the type-s appear to be honda civic bought aftermarket lights off ebay ish kinda vibe but the more i see them on other cars online, the more they seem to be growing on me. Do you think type-s, 07/08 base, leave it or perhaps even a custom tail light from a vendor here would be the best for this car?
Any other small mod advice for this would be appreciated
I've been lurking on these forums a while so it feels good to finally join!! Thanks!!
#2
Instructor
iTrader: (14)
i'd have those front windows tinted to match the rears, and im pretty sure you can follow the DIY and take the front bumper off and then you can take the grille off. and also my personal favorite tail light is the Type-S tails for sure. they will look good on a black car.
i would also get smoked rear sidemarker..or tint it.
i would also get smoked rear sidemarker..or tint it.
#4
Intermediate
Thread Starter
i'd have those front windows tinted to match the rears, and im pretty sure you can follow the DIY and take the front bumper off and then you can take the grille off. and also my personal favorite tail light is the Type-S tails for sure. they will look good on a black car.
i would also get smoked rear sidemarker..or tint it.
i would also get smoked rear sidemarker..or tint it.
type-s seems to be everyone's favorite!!! do u think i should paint the bezel or leave it chrome?
right now its 50/50 07-08 base/ type-s...awww decisions!!! lol
Last edited by Steven Bell; 12-01-2011 at 08:17 PM. Reason: Merged Posts.
#7
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Trending Topics
#8
Safety Car
iTrader: (7)
I vote 07-08 tails. Reason being is because when you get tired of the way they look, you can always send them in to a vendor to get it customized and painted to whatever you want...
my stock tails..
07-08 modified tails
You don't have to get it modified like the picture, you can get it modified ANY WAY YOU WANT. That picture is just an example to show you how the 07-08 tails can be modified to something else compared to the 04-06 tails which can't be modified for shit.
With the stock 04-06 tails you don't have any options but to completely spray tint it black, and to me when you spray tint tail lights all black it looks so cheap and cheesy. If you're going to customize your headlights or tails, please dont put black tint film over it, or spray it down with black tint spray.... Do it the correct way and open it up and get the actual internals of the headlights / taillights worked on.
And as for vinyling your grill, you will NEED to take your front bumper off and remove the front grill.. It's really easy. Everyone here was new at one point and were just like you, afraid to remove the front bumper due to 0 experience of working on any cars (the TL for ALOT of us was also the first car we ever owned and/or modified) You have to start somewhere.... Please don't be one of those modders that pay everyone else to do the work for them. That's lame in my eyes. Not a true car enthusiast.
It's kind of pointless to take your car to the dealer to have them remove the grill, than take the car to another shop to vinyl it for you.... In the end you'll be paying for labor for both the dealership and the shop and it'll end up costing you 3x as much as doing it yourself.
All you have to do is buy black gloss vinyl (~$30 or less) and remove the front bumper and grill and take your time and vinyl it yourself. Total cost would be what you spent on buying the vinyl, rather than the cost of labor for the dealership to remove the bumper and labor cost of the other shop vinyling it for you. Not only are you saving yourself money in the long run, but you're also getting hands-on work with your "baby" and that's where experience starts..
With little mods like that, I suggest you get into the habit of atleast attempting to do it yourself before you spend more than you needed to get it done by someone else. After all, it's your car. Get to know it better.
As for the tails, I don't really like the Type-S tails on NBP. Too much red for me. I would go for 07-08 tails or custom 07-08 tails.
Here's what "modified" 04-06 tails look like. It may look good lightly tinted on a red TL, but on a NBP TL i say NO! Completely blacked out tail lights on a black TL kills the contrast of the car from the rear and makes the car look like a huge black square block from the rear. Maybe it's the look you're going for? Not my cup of tea that's for sure.
my stock tails..
07-08 modified tails
You don't have to get it modified like the picture, you can get it modified ANY WAY YOU WANT. That picture is just an example to show you how the 07-08 tails can be modified to something else compared to the 04-06 tails which can't be modified for shit.
With the stock 04-06 tails you don't have any options but to completely spray tint it black, and to me when you spray tint tail lights all black it looks so cheap and cheesy. If you're going to customize your headlights or tails, please dont put black tint film over it, or spray it down with black tint spray.... Do it the correct way and open it up and get the actual internals of the headlights / taillights worked on.
And as for vinyling your grill, you will NEED to take your front bumper off and remove the front grill.. It's really easy. Everyone here was new at one point and were just like you, afraid to remove the front bumper due to 0 experience of working on any cars (the TL for ALOT of us was also the first car we ever owned and/or modified) You have to start somewhere.... Please don't be one of those modders that pay everyone else to do the work for them. That's lame in my eyes. Not a true car enthusiast.
It's kind of pointless to take your car to the dealer to have them remove the grill, than take the car to another shop to vinyl it for you.... In the end you'll be paying for labor for both the dealership and the shop and it'll end up costing you 3x as much as doing it yourself.
All you have to do is buy black gloss vinyl (~$30 or less) and remove the front bumper and grill and take your time and vinyl it yourself. Total cost would be what you spent on buying the vinyl, rather than the cost of labor for the dealership to remove the bumper and labor cost of the other shop vinyling it for you. Not only are you saving yourself money in the long run, but you're also getting hands-on work with your "baby" and that's where experience starts..
With little mods like that, I suggest you get into the habit of atleast attempting to do it yourself before you spend more than you needed to get it done by someone else. After all, it's your car. Get to know it better.
As for the tails, I don't really like the Type-S tails on NBP. Too much red for me. I would go for 07-08 tails or custom 07-08 tails.
Here's what "modified" 04-06 tails look like. It may look good lightly tinted on a red TL, but on a NBP TL i say NO! Completely blacked out tail lights on a black TL kills the contrast of the car from the rear and makes the car look like a huge black square block from the rear. Maybe it's the look you're going for? Not my cup of tea that's for sure.
Last edited by vietxquangstah; 12-01-2011 at 08:23 PM.
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801TL (12-06-2011)
#9
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Welcome 801-congrats on your new ride.
#11
Registered 3.5L Member
vitexquangstah pretty much summed everything up...As for the vinyl, you can do it yourself, just be patient. Bumper removal may seem to be a daunting task at first, but like you I had never done it before, and after almost a year of ownership, I can get it off in under 10 mins...
Here are pics of the wrap....
If you want more details, check out my progress thread...good luck!!
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-photograph-gallery-96/bigpzs-progress-thread-updated-04-11-2012-a-814812/
Here are pics of the wrap....
If you want more details, check out my progress thread...good luck!!
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-photograph-gallery-96/bigpzs-progress-thread-updated-04-11-2012-a-814812/
#19
Intermediate
Thread Starter
I vote 07-08 tails. Reason being is because when you get tired of the way they look, you can always send them in to a vendor to get it customized and painted to whatever you want...
my stock tails..
07-08 modified tails
You don't have to get it modified like the picture, you can get it modified ANY WAY YOU WANT. That picture is just an example to show you how the 07-08 tails can be modified to something else compared to the 04-06 tails which can't be modified for shit.
With the stock 04-06 tails you don't have any options but to completely spray tint it black, and to me when you spray tint tail lights all black it looks so cheap and cheesy. If you're going to customize your headlights or tails, please dont put black tint film over it, or spray it down with black tint spray.... Do it the correct way and open it up and get the actual internals of the headlights / taillights worked on.
And as for vinyling your grill, you will NEED to take your front bumper off and remove the front grill.. It's really easy. Everyone here was new at one point and were just like you, afraid to remove the front bumper due to 0 experience of working on any cars (the TL for ALOT of us was also the first car we ever owned and/or modified) You have to start somewhere.... Please don't be one of those modders that pay everyone else to do the work for them. That's lame in my eyes. Not a true car enthusiast.
It's kind of pointless to take your car to the dealer to have them remove the grill, than take the car to another shop to vinyl it for you.... In the end you'll be paying for labor for both the dealership and the shop and it'll end up costing you 3x as much as doing it yourself.
All you have to do is buy black gloss vinyl (~$30 or less) and remove the front bumper and grill and take your time and vinyl it yourself. Total cost would be what you spent on buying the vinyl, rather than the cost of labor for the dealership to remove the bumper and labor cost of the other shop vinyling it for you. Not only are you saving yourself money in the long run, but you're also getting hands-on work with your "baby" and that's where experience starts..
With little mods like that, I suggest you get into the habit of atleast attempting to do it yourself before you spend more than you needed to get it done by someone else. After all, it's your car. Get to know it better.
As for the tails, I don't really like the Type-S tails on NBP. Too much red for me. I would go for 07-08 tails or custom 07-08 tails.
Here's what "modified" 04-06 tails look like. It may look good lightly tinted on a red TL, but on a NBP TL i say NO! Completely blacked out tail lights on a black TL kills the contrast of the car from the rear and makes the car look like a huge black square block from the rear. Maybe it's the look you're going for? Not my cup of tea that's for sure.
my stock tails..
07-08 modified tails
You don't have to get it modified like the picture, you can get it modified ANY WAY YOU WANT. That picture is just an example to show you how the 07-08 tails can be modified to something else compared to the 04-06 tails which can't be modified for shit.
With the stock 04-06 tails you don't have any options but to completely spray tint it black, and to me when you spray tint tail lights all black it looks so cheap and cheesy. If you're going to customize your headlights or tails, please dont put black tint film over it, or spray it down with black tint spray.... Do it the correct way and open it up and get the actual internals of the headlights / taillights worked on.
And as for vinyling your grill, you will NEED to take your front bumper off and remove the front grill.. It's really easy. Everyone here was new at one point and were just like you, afraid to remove the front bumper due to 0 experience of working on any cars (the TL for ALOT of us was also the first car we ever owned and/or modified) You have to start somewhere.... Please don't be one of those modders that pay everyone else to do the work for them. That's lame in my eyes. Not a true car enthusiast.
It's kind of pointless to take your car to the dealer to have them remove the grill, than take the car to another shop to vinyl it for you.... In the end you'll be paying for labor for both the dealership and the shop and it'll end up costing you 3x as much as doing it yourself.
All you have to do is buy black gloss vinyl (~$30 or less) and remove the front bumper and grill and take your time and vinyl it yourself. Total cost would be what you spent on buying the vinyl, rather than the cost of labor for the dealership to remove the bumper and labor cost of the other shop vinyling it for you. Not only are you saving yourself money in the long run, but you're also getting hands-on work with your "baby" and that's where experience starts..
With little mods like that, I suggest you get into the habit of atleast attempting to do it yourself before you spend more than you needed to get it done by someone else. After all, it's your car. Get to know it better.
As for the tails, I don't really like the Type-S tails on NBP. Too much red for me. I would go for 07-08 tails or custom 07-08 tails.
Here's what "modified" 04-06 tails look like. It may look good lightly tinted on a red TL, but on a NBP TL i say NO! Completely blacked out tail lights on a black TL kills the contrast of the car from the rear and makes the car look like a huge black square block from the rear. Maybe it's the look you're going for? Not my cup of tea that's for sure.
im actually leaning toward the type-s because of the red and how it matches the red breaks i have on my car. it kinda has been growing on me for the past week, giving it that sporty look. i love how it looks here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcubedp...n/photostream/
and ill def be doing the vinyl myself!! only probably so much wrong i could do to screw it up lol
#20
Intermediate
Thread Starter
http://www.uniquestyleracing.com/20actlty3smr.html or you can look at this site for tails
would black smoked prob be the most recommended combination for my car or would that be too much black perhaps?
and i like your black acura tl! something for me to look up too! ha
what kind of tails do you have? do you have a back shot? they look pretty good from what i can see
Last edited by Steven Bell; 12-06-2011 at 08:44 PM. Reason: Merged Posts.
#21
Pro
#23
Safety Car
iTrader: (7)
He was just trying to point to you the potential that your stock wheels have if you were to paint them "Gloss Black" instead of "flat/matte black" like you have right now.
I agree with him, black glossy stock wheels matches the paint coat of a black car alot better than a flat/matte black wheel.
I've seen a few audis and 350z/g35/g37s that were black with all black tinted tail lights and some of them do look good... But I still wouldn't ever do that to my black TL...
I think you would be alot better off getting 07-08 Base or TL-S tails. However if you do decide to go with the TL-S tails, please DONT SPRAY TINT IT ALL BLACK.... I mean this is my opinion again, but Type-S tails are beautiful and expensive. I can't tell you how many people i've seen with tinted type-s tails..... that pretty much just RUINS the unique touch that the Type-S tails adds. If you spray tint it all black it pretty much just looks like any 04-06 or 07-08 tails tinted all black..
Pretty much I'm saying if you plan on spray tinting your tails all black, your better of buying cheaper 04-06 tails and spray tint it all black, it will look exactly the same as a 07-08 base/tl-s tail that is spray tinted all black.
Once you get tired of it.... you'll just have to buy new tails because most of the time it's not possible to remove the spray tint that was sprayed on so pretty much (in my eyes anyways) the tail lights are ruined. Even if you decide to open the tails to have it modified internally (if its a 07-08 base/tl-s tail) you still won't be able to see the custom work because of the dark spray tint on the outside of the tail.
This is why I say if you (not just you specifically, but ANYONE) want to get your headlights or tail lights worked on, do it right the first time and get them worked on INTERNALLY. Don't go the cheap route by applying dark tint film or dark tint spray to the exterior. Looks cheesy and cheap, but yet you see so many cars out on the roads (not just acuras) that do it anyways. Most of the time it looks ugly as hell too.
I'm not talking shit about any member on here that has their tail lights spray tinted black though. I've seen a number of WDP TL's that have all black tinted tails and it actually looks pretty hot because it adds contrast. All white car, all black tails. Contrast. All black car, All black tails = no contrast.
Hope you get what I mean!
Last edited by Steven Bell; 12-06-2011 at 08:44 PM. Reason: Merged Posts.
#24
Intermediate
Thread Starter
He means his wheels when he said "Black glossy stockies"
He was just trying to point to you the potential that your stock wheels have if you were to paint them "Gloss Black" instead of "flat/matte black" like you have right now.
I agree with him, black glossy stock wheels matches the paint coat of a black car alot better than a flat/matte black wheel.
He was just trying to point to you the potential that your stock wheels have if you were to paint them "Gloss Black" instead of "flat/matte black" like you have right now.
I agree with him, black glossy stock wheels matches the paint coat of a black car alot better than a flat/matte black wheel.
i agree the matte looks a little diff in the day but at night no one can tell. i might try to get them priced for a repaint in gloss! it would look better esp since my paint is really shiny and glossy.
esp girls love to dish out compliments even though they dont know what there talking about like....ohhh nice rims or sexy lexus you have there! haha
This is my opinion, and my opinion only. I believe all black tinted tail lights on a black car is a bit overkill. Kills the contrast on a nice luxury vehicle.
I've seen a few audis and 350z/g35/g37s that were black with all black tinted tail lights and some of them do look good... But I still wouldn't ever do that to my black TL...
I think you would be alot better off getting 07-08 Base or TL-S tails. However if you do decide to go with the TL-S tails, please DONT SPRAY TINT IT ALL BLACK.... I mean this is my opinion again, but Type-S tails are beautiful and expensive. I can't tell you how many people i've seen with tinted type-s tails..... that pretty much just RUINS the unique touch that the Type-S tails adds. If you spray tint it all black it pretty much just looks like any 04-06 or 07-08 tails tinted all black..
Pretty much I'm saying if you plan on spray tinting your tails all black, your better of buying cheaper 04-06 tails and spray tint it all black, it will look exactly the same as a 07-08 base/tl-s tail that is spray tinted all black.
Once you get tired of it.... you'll just have to buy new tails because most of the time it's not possible to remove the spray tint that was sprayed on so pretty much (in my eyes anyways) the tail lights are ruined. Even if you decide to open the tails to have it modified internally (if its a 07-08 base/tl-s tail) you still won't be able to see the custom work because of the dark spray tint on the outside of the tail.
This is why I say if you (not just you specifically, but ANYONE) want to get your headlights or tail lights worked on, do it right the first time and get them worked on INTERNALLY. Don't go the cheap route by applying dark tint film or dark tint spray to the exterior. Looks cheesy and cheap, but yet you see so many cars out on the roads (not just acuras) that do it anyways. Most of the time it looks ugly as hell too.
I'm not talking shit about any member on here that has their tail lights spray tinted black though. I've seen a number of WDP TL's that have all black tinted tails and it actually looks pretty hot because it adds contrast. All white car, all black tails. Contrast. All black car, All black tails = no contrast.
Hope you get what I mean!
I've seen a few audis and 350z/g35/g37s that were black with all black tinted tail lights and some of them do look good... But I still wouldn't ever do that to my black TL...
I think you would be alot better off getting 07-08 Base or TL-S tails. However if you do decide to go with the TL-S tails, please DONT SPRAY TINT IT ALL BLACK.... I mean this is my opinion again, but Type-S tails are beautiful and expensive. I can't tell you how many people i've seen with tinted type-s tails..... that pretty much just RUINS the unique touch that the Type-S tails adds. If you spray tint it all black it pretty much just looks like any 04-06 or 07-08 tails tinted all black..
Pretty much I'm saying if you plan on spray tinting your tails all black, your better of buying cheaper 04-06 tails and spray tint it all black, it will look exactly the same as a 07-08 base/tl-s tail that is spray tinted all black.
Once you get tired of it.... you'll just have to buy new tails because most of the time it's not possible to remove the spray tint that was sprayed on so pretty much (in my eyes anyways) the tail lights are ruined. Even if you decide to open the tails to have it modified internally (if its a 07-08 base/tl-s tail) you still won't be able to see the custom work because of the dark spray tint on the outside of the tail.
This is why I say if you (not just you specifically, but ANYONE) want to get your headlights or tail lights worked on, do it right the first time and get them worked on INTERNALLY. Don't go the cheap route by applying dark tint film or dark tint spray to the exterior. Looks cheesy and cheap, but yet you see so many cars out on the roads (not just acuras) that do it anyways. Most of the time it looks ugly as hell too.
I'm not talking shit about any member on here that has their tail lights spray tinted black though. I've seen a number of WDP TL's that have all black tinted tails and it actually looks pretty hot because it adds contrast. All white car, all black tails. Contrast. All black car, All black tails = no contrast.
Hope you get what I mean!
ill def be keeping the tail lights clean. i guess im considering the all black look because ive seen lexus is350s and beamers pull of that look and it looks freaking sexy! i was just hoping that maybe i could try and go for that but id def want to see another person with a black tl that have the black/smoke tails before i end up going that route. i havent seen too many murdered out tls here. if i were to go that route, id get these tails:
but it looks like right now im slightly leaning towards just the tl-s lights no mods. i was thinking about painting the bezel black but i think the contrast looks good and it looks very simple and clean. maybe its because im getting older and simple/clean looks more appealing these days lol
Last edited by Steven Bell; 12-06-2011 at 08:45 PM. Reason: Merged Posts.
#25
Safety Car
iTrader: (7)
oh i see! thanks for clearing that up!
i agree the matte looks a little diff in the day but at night no one can tell. i might try to get them priced for a repaint in gloss! it would look better esp since my paint is really shiny and glossy.
esp girls love to dish out compliments even though they dont know what there talking about like....ohhh nice rims or sexy lexus you have there! haha
i agree the matte looks a little diff in the day but at night no one can tell. i might try to get them priced for a repaint in gloss! it would look better esp since my paint is really shiny and glossy.
esp girls love to dish out compliments even though they dont know what there talking about like....ohhh nice rims or sexy lexus you have there! haha
#26
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Guys, in the lower right hand corner of each post, the middle icon in a multi-quote button. It allows you to respond to more than one person in a single reply.
Please give it a try!
Please give it a try!
#28
Intermediate
Thread Starter
just wondering...do you get complimented on that black setup alot? its def unique.
i have a hard decision to make!!!
#30
Man, I told myself I'd keep my ride stock. But dammmmnnn...these mods are looking nice. I'm sort of thinking of removing the yellow/orange parts on the headlights, but I know if I did it myself, I'll mess something up.
#31
3rd Gear
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Age: 36
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Hey guys, new to this. I just picked up a black '08 TL type-s and was thinking about tinting the stock tailights on it. I like the original but want something else. Just wondering if anyone has a picture of the stock type-s taillights tinted on theirs to see what it looks like before i do it?
thanks
thanks
#32
Hey guys, new to this. I just picked up a black '08 TL type-s and was thinking about tinting the stock tailights on it. I like the original but want something else. Just wondering if anyone has a picture of the stock type-s taillights tinted on theirs to see what it looks like before i do it?
thanks
thanks
Heres with the lights on:
Last edited by 06tl4life; 01-31-2012 at 04:04 PM.
#33
Safety Car
iTrader: (7)
hey guys, new to this. I just picked up a black '08 tl type-s and was thinking about tinting the stock tailights on it. I like the original but want something else. Just wondering if anyone has a picture of the stock type-s taillights tinted on theirs to see what it looks like before i do it?
Thanks
Thanks
#36
Safety Car
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AWESOME START..
2007-2008 Type-S tail lights, Cleared headlights,
A-Spec body kit, Tein SS coilovers, Type-S rear side markers,
swithback front turn signal LED's. Interior LED's from V-LED.
Tint in front. Thats for an awesome start.
Aprox cost- $2,400
2007-2008 Type-S tail lights, Cleared headlights,
A-Spec body kit, Tein SS coilovers, Type-S rear side markers,
swithback front turn signal LED's. Interior LED's from V-LED.
Tint in front. Thats for an awesome start.
Aprox cost- $2,400
Last edited by JD TL-S; 01-31-2012 at 04:27 PM.
#37
Instructor
Loving this thread discussion so far, I just got a NBP 08. I love my tails the way they are but one member on here does a lot of great work with the headlights I'll update with pics and a name when I get home
#39
Instructor
Here's the vendor/member I was talking about Acktl05, check out the links at the bottom of his page for some ideas
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/custom-tail-lights-head-lights-acktl05-759299/
Here's a great pair of tails done by him
[QUOTE=jauman;13497302]
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/custom-tail-lights-head-lights-acktl05-759299/
Here's a great pair of tails done by him
[QUOTE=jauman;13497302]