04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Thanks brotha! I don't know if want to visit any NJ dump..

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Here's my attempt on using the SLR. Not sure if I was in the right settings but here goes nothing.
I also want to let the cat out of the bag. Even though I may claim my TL to be pristine condition, it does have some minor damages that happened many years ago and I never got them fixed due to being worried about the paint never matching. The rear bumper has damage from someone that backed into me. I lived with that since 2010. The left rear fender flare had been scraped by a shopping car back around the same time. I had filled it in and thought I knew anything about wet sanding and attempted to fix one spot and wet sanded a bit too much.

I had assumed when the car was paint corrected and ceramic coated, the detailers would have made the damaged area look 100x better but in fact, they didn't want to touch the area whatsoever. On the right rear lower fender flare line going to the A-spec I had a mishap 4 years ago and had brushed up against the Mercedes wheel. Had a paintless dent guy fix 95% of it where you couldn't see it (at the same time I had him remove all other dings) but the line is a bit distorted. As much as I try to keep it spotless, the car is a 2004 and it is 16 years old. Even though the brakes were done last year, they have surface rust from the lack of use. I am having the outer tie-rods replaced soon with an alignment. I bought the OEM tie-rods.

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Midnight Mystery

If I start taking paint correction jobs I'm going to try to avoid hitting "touched up" areas with cutting compound and a D/A...

I know compound or polish will pull off touch up paint easily... (Atleast in my experience)



So, what's your plan? Have the rear quarters repainted?



Your car is still wonderful man!!!

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

No, I won't have any of the body fixed because the damages are very minor and like I said the car is 16 years old, matching the paint is not an easy task. I've assumed the professional detailer would be able to knock down some of the touch up marks and make it look better. Whatever I did touch up around the car was pretty much taken off when they did the paint correction and ceramic coating. I ended up touching up the spots again. I've seen vehicles a year old that look like they went through a war zone. Dings, scratches and dents. For a 16 year old car with original paint (minus the front bumper), its not all that bad.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Wow...really? Touch up paint?
What a piece of shit.

MM, ain't no way anyone has let you near a polisher near their car. Get off the interwebs!

Seriously though, man...if you think yours is rough I'd hate to let you see mine.
That ain't shit and only you would see the imperfections because you're a perfectionist.
Pics look great...
Suggestion is to start off in program mode...for low light mess with aperture mode...I still haven't
mastered full manual mode...I don't like the scientific approach to art so I don't formally know settings
but I do know that depending on what I'm trying to do what I need to mess with.
Pics are great!

Do you want a suggestion to keep in mind?
Okay doing it anyway...
when you look at the car itself...it's not interesting on it's own in a photo...
it's the background and foreground that make it interesting with angles and
how the car is positioned...you'd be amazed what a foot over and lower or higher up
will do for how mean the car looks.
Again, my opinion...it's art...I'm not right, but those are my tips.
Much love, Gus.
J.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

To add to these mediocre suggestions, don't center the object in every frame. Backdrop will make the photo pop the most. It does take time to learn the cameras and a little editing goes a long way! I still haven't mastered mine.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Thank you for all the suggestions J! These photos are taking in manual mode (where my wife last left the settings). I'm still figuring out what's the best setting based on location and lighting. I do agree with everything you said. My biggest issue is the congestion in the area on the weekends, so picking a prime spot is tough. The pictures my wife took with the GWB in the back ground was done early Sunday morning 8 am. That park always fills up quickly, though it wasn't the warmest day but still fills up. I was trying to capture more detailed shots of the car. To be very honest i'm trying to be less of a perfectionist and just let some things be as they should. Also with me uptight about having everything spotless. What I fear the most is having kids and trying to deal with things being out of place, getting messy or things being destroyed. I will say you had me fooled because all your vehicles look pristine and minty. It's funny because Taco wanted to buy my TL (I wasn't all the serious about selling the car) so I showed him the damages I mentioned and he made it seem like the car was in a wreck. Hit me in the feels a bit. To see my TL living it's last life in Canada, nope. Wasn't going to happen.

My wife has a better eye for that stuff. She also does graphic design / production for a living. Works for a big corporate company. She wants to go out on the weekends do more photoshoots. As long as the weather is great for the weekend, we can pick a few spots and do another photoshoot.

cu2wagon

Aw, don't let cockmouth's shitty comments bring you down. He was just on a big alpha manly man kick at the time and just wanted to neg you to lower your self esteem so he could try to slip his stinky little willy into your no-no zone. You don't need the stress of associating with a mark ass bitch like that; you're much better off with a 16 year old car than a tacobitchass.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Ahaha, it's all good brotha. I'm past all that. He was all over the place on here and caused a lot of issues.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

so even to a friend of the forums he tried to do the ole what a piece of shit bring your price down
good riddance to that guy.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

That's the sad world we live in. No such thing as book value when it comes to my TL. There's this 2007 WDP TL-S 6MT for sale here in central Jersey going for 18K. Low miles, ATLP exhaust some other things but the car is far from clean (headlights are hazy, interior looks dirty, ect). I was joking with one guy and said you're better off buying my TL for 18K and at least have something different from the rest and have a clean car. The guy sent me a PM and discuss and actual price.. Needless to say, I told him I wasn't serious about it. Once a week I get asked on IG if I'm willing to sell the supercharger. My response is always the same, Sure, yeah you can have it with the car. I'm not going back to N/A. I've enjoyed the extra bit of power the last 7+ years and for the time I removed the blower to have it fixed, the TL felt like it was running on half cylinders. The truth is, I know what the TL is for me and it's not a high performance vehicle. It's a fun car with that's running on a half decent supercharger and the fun factor of it being a 6MT in a world of automatics. The X3 M40i is fun, loud, pretty damn fast and feels like 2019 vs driving a 2004 vehicle that isn't as tight and well insulated.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I'm with you on that...
it is what it is...
and for that I love it and accept it.

Also, if someone wants to hand you 18K for it...
Be pragmatic...that's a lot of money for a 16 year old car
no matter how well maintained. Plus, your bumpers are fucked.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I had an Israeli landlord back in 2013...
he would show up every month in a different car to get the check...
He had a towing company too.
He would tell see me washing and waxing the black TL.
He said, you love that thing, right? I said yeah...
He said, IMO...only love your wife and kids and family...not cars.
They are pieces of metal...enjoy it and if you can make some money
for the family...sell it and move on to another one.

Really hit me.

cu2wagon

Counterpoint: You can let other people ride in your car without being labeled a cuck. So,

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

If anyone was really willing to give me what I'm asking which is 15k, I'd sell it and put the money away. The issue with myself, is it worth it to me to sell it? I've owned the car for 14 years now. I would rather hold on it it hits 20 years old and see if if I can make it worth my wild on bringatrailer.com. My parents tell me all the time to sell it because I dont enjoy the car. It sits under a cover in my driveway 90% of the time. What your previous landlord said is correct. At the end of the day it's an object that has zero feelings towards me or anyone. On the flip side as car enthusiast, we have our own connection to these objects. I wont know how I'd feel about the TL being sold, til the day it happens. That car is me in a nutshell. Would be nice if I had a child to pass it along to and keep it in the family. My wife and I have discussed starting a family next year. Most of these guys who "want" to buy my TL arent all that serious. MOST will say "15k for a 2004 TL, fuck that overpriced pos". If anyone is serious, I'll consider it.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

Granted I didn't have my KBP for as long as you did but when I sold it I had the worst feeling in the world. Now that time has passed, I don't miss it yet since it would still be in storage but it is nice to know I only have to maintain one vehicle at this time and am in a spot to buy another newer car for the weekend driver when I come across the right one. It was a great car but as J said, its only a materialistic thing. Since selling, minus my truck fiasco, I have more money sitting around for other things which is always nice.

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

i've had my type s since new in 2008 and i've had a few pretty solid offers (and some tough financial scenarios) where i considered selling. the one time it got semi serious i got extremely sad, it was like i was being punched in the gut over and over. i know it's just a material thing but this car got me into cars (blood sweat and tears) and a whole new community and it would be tough to give up. the only chance i'd give it up is for the right price and already knowing what my next car is going to be (come on already new type s...).

when we had a tough financial situation, i told my wife i can sell my car and she laughed saying "i can't picture you driving a camry or corolla or something else." it was true. my next car will have to be a step up as i enjoy driving a good car more than most people do (like all of us in the thread do)

and with your TL being so damn clean, i can see you feeling the same way

MyGuti

I'm with most of us on here as car enthusiasts. We enjoy the vehicles because they give us some sort of emotion and we share a connection. I've contemplated selling my 6mt as well, but not seriously, just to basically let's see how much ppl offer...total dick move on my part lol.

But when you consider what else is out there in terms of reliability, cosmetics and with a manual transmission for this price point, not many cars can even compare. This is one of the biggest reasons as to why I can't see myself move on, this is in addition to the emotional connection to the car.

More than likely I will be keeping the car until it dies, my plan is to teach my son how to drive manual once he can reach the pedals.... He's not even 2 yet, so I got awhile to go. But as we all do, we get continuous compliments on these cars and I catch myself looking back at it more often than not. I can't say that for many other cars out there, especially for being this old.

Gus I would hang onto it, see what 20 years brings you in terms of prices. It's just unfortunate that you don't get to drive it often, but hey how many times do we see cars coming out of storage that haven't been driven in years!? I think you'll be fine, if your not in a pinch and the cars paid off, just be patient.

Again, car looks wonderful, your cosmetic flaws made me chuckle, I remember by wdp and what a bitch it was so have that touch up paint even get remotely close to matching. But your TL is a very clean example, and that redid interior with the supercharger to boot is a big plus.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

You and J are right. The fact is, it's a materialistic thing. That void of not owning it after 14 years is another thing all together.

You have a stupid clean TL so I'm not surprised. I've seen a lot of 3rd gen owners sell their TL's and really regret it. Over time you see most of them still regret selling the TL and saying there's nothing out there that came close to what they felt about the TL. When it was time to find my wife another vehicle, I considered selling my TL. My wife was not having it. She got very upset with me. She knows that if we were ever in a jam, I would sell the TL. She feels that I will forever regret doing it. I am the same way, I couldn't picture myself driving a Corolla or a civic. I'm all about buy something you like and don't mind the payments (all within reason) instead of buying something that you will always regret. Best of luck for the new Type-s. I hope it's not a let down.


I really appreciate your post, just like the others as well. I laughed when you mentioned the cosmetic flaws and you're spot on with the damn touch up paint.. I'm guilty of it as well. I've half entertained the idea of selling the TL and doing what you said, seeing what people are really willing to pay. My whole game plan was to hold on to my TL and keep it as my "classic" car or whatever our generation would consider as classic cars. It would be nice to show my kid(s) the value keeping something like this and the meaning behind it. It's 14 years worth of different experiences, people I've met, shows that i've been too, the hard / good times, you name it. I joke around with my wife and tell you "remember when we went to the car show in ocean city?" and she'll be like "yeah the last fucking time the car actually saw more than 2 miles" My wife is pushing me to take the car out more and enjoy it as life is too short to worry about the small stuff with it. The car hasn't hit 100K, and I'd like to keep it under that so long drives are out of the question. I don't drive it out in anything other than a sunny day & low traffic. This year, I do plan on attending shows and trying to enjoy the car more and worry less about the small stuff.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

Just don't post it on the 3G facebook page full of poors. If you do, let me know I will get my and enjoy the comments!

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

That's for shit sure.

Midnight Mystery

Dude just fallow your heart... Or do what you know you'll feel the best about...


I've been critically thinking lately, and sure, you get out of your comfort zone, but damn, to think about anything too deeply like not having your car anymore or looking 20+ years into the future can make you get overwhelmed. IDK... It lead me into a dark place where I deeply realized my own mortality and now all I think is life is a void doomed to disappearance...

Totally off topic but thinking too deeply or allowing yourself to do something you know you will regret is tough on your mind and if your not strong like that it can create a domino effect.

Moving 4 times and losing/selling over 5 cars in a few years has been challenging on me that way.

I really doubt this would happen to many people though...

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

I just meant sell it if some retarded number came across your desk.
Otherwise, sentiment and the collaborative blood sweat and tears would make that a regrettable decision.
When I think about my V Wagon being gone the ONLY reason IDGAF is because I sold it for more than I
paid and got to do 20K miles and 2 years worth of doughnuts. Maybe the money wasn't worth losing Majofo's
respek though.


And FWIW...even with my fleet of vehicles...the TL-S is the first set of keys I snag to drive to work almost every
day since I got it registered back in my name.

JORTS

Gus, man its been a while. i haven't posted on this site in many many years. but i still have my 06 WDP 6MT!! she is still going strong have ~135k miles...NAVI DVD player stopped working and i cant even set the clock ha but she is rock solid besides that. she is dirty, my ASPEC rims are all scratched up but i plan to keep driving her until she is dead!!

Gus you were great when i lived in Northern NJ back in the day and worked at Park Ave Acura. you hooked me up with new brembo calipers....remember that? good times!!

DONT GET RIDE OF YOUR TL...SHE IS ONE OF THE BEST!! this tread is the only one i will read on Acurazine these days!! dont want that to end!!

I hope all is well with everyone!! let me know if anyone makes it to New Orleans!

Seth

Midnight Mystery

You're in NOLA? I live in Metry!

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

run, dude. far away.

JORTS

nice!! i work in Metairie...haha small world...will have to get together sometime..wave me down if you ever see me driving...i work at lakeway towers at the foot of the causeway

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Normally I'm the type of person that thinks about things in a lot of detail. I try to make the best decision for whatever i'm heavily focused on.

I hear you on that. I can only imagine someone walking up to me and saying "I'll give you XXXX for your TL" and the offer is a retarded figure, sure i'd hand over the keys. Even with the X3 M40i, I still have the urge to take the TL out for a spin. As you guys already know, it's not a daily driven vehicle. I can't see myself using it as a daily even if it was my only vehicle. I'd still drive something else.

SETH! Holy hell brotha! It's great to hear from you! Thank you for the super kind words man. Yes! I certainly remember those days. It's been 8-9 years since i've worked for Park Ave. There are only a few very well done and clean 3rd gen TL's still around and some that are posted here. Rockstar has a beautiful KBP TL-S and his threads are some of the best on Acurazine, as well as others that posted here. I'm happy to know you still have your TL! New Orleans, wow man, that's a huge difference from NJ. I'm sure you're happy not to deal with the winters. I hope you and the family are doing well. I'm very happy you chimed in!



ON A SIDE NOTE

I'm having the main 4 oxygen sensors being replaced as we speak. No CEL, but over time these sensors get lazy and being they are original with 99,000 miles, I figured it was time to replace them. Bought the Denso sensors from rockauto. They are also going to check over the entire car including a very detailed inspection on the front end. If all checks out, I told them to do an alignment. I had overhauled the front end 5 years ago.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Picked up the TL from the mechanic on Friday night. They replaced the (4x) main oxygen sensors up front. I figured it was time since they were the original ones. They also checked the entire front end and did an alignment. Yesterday I wanted to clean up the TL a bit and check under the hood. I wasn't too thrilled that they didn't cover the engine bay with a towel. The technician left all his tools on the top of the manifold cover which resulted in some surface scratches as well as some scratched to the carbon fiber panels. It was 28 outside yesterday so I did as much as I could without waxing any panels ect. If it's better today, i'll try to use some light compound to buff out some of the lighter scratches and wax them. Needless to say, this is why I'm not a fan of anyone working on my TL. I replaced the sensors with Denso. I asked for the old sensors back (just in case of an issue) and noticed someone tried to fix a half broken wire on the rear top O2 sensor. Seems like the last shop while doing the valve covers, must have accidently hit the wire and instead of owning up to it and replacing the sensor, the technician put electrical tape around the wire and pulled the sleeve down to hide it. For anyone interested the stock sensors are from NTK. Which autozone or advance auto supplies. They are a bit cheaper than denso sensors. I'll be heading out soon to work on the TL.

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Midnight Mystery

That's my favorite building in NOLA! I used to take pictures of it all of the time. Here's one from last summer.




I have a 2006 Accord and we also have a 2007 RDX.

I'd love to meet up one day!

I just moved back from Gulfport. Living in Metairie and working in Slidell.

I'm looking to get into mobile auto detailing on my off days. Probably in the next few months.

JORTS

yup that's my building i work on the 31st floor (it is a 34 floor building). i have an amazing view of the lake from my office!

Midnight Mystery

That sounds awesome! I bet you could see Mandeville at night from up there!

About 10 years ago, I did a project on about six or eight buildings in SE LA... We're lucky to have a nice skyline down here.

ACCURATEin

Good to see your TL is still around!

I'm about to install a steering wheel in mine later today.

Maybe you need a new mod to rekindle the excitement!

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Eric. I haven't seen pictures of your TL in a very long time! I've been going back and forth with ossman on getting some custom tail lights done, since obtaining CDM's are extremely unlikely.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Thanks J,

But you the real MVP here. You inspire everyone across the car nation! Happy birthday brotha. Hope you have a great day.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

How in the fuck did you remember that?
Thanks, man...
and
Naw bro...I'm just an old guy with an asshole and an opinion.

ACCURATEin

Yeah man, your TL is so clean still.

And yes, it has been a while since I took any photos. I've been keeping her in the cage for quite some time. I drove the thing to the gym earlier.

Some custom tails would be nice! I wonder how much a pair of those will set one back.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Facebook brotha LOL!

Thanks man! Doesn't it feel great to drive it after it's been sitting for a long time? Happens to me all the time. Ossman gave me a rough number on doing the tail lights were IMO for custom made, a great price. He knows how meticulous I am with the TL so I prefer next to flawless condition tail lights.

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Wifey and I went out for a quick photoshoot today. Nothing crazy, keeping low key.

While the world has gone nuts, the car guy in me is still doing my thing. Did a quick photoshoot today with the X3 M40i and the TL. Wifey ordered a fake "carbon fiber" M shift cover. I think it looks alright. We've put 30 miles on since the tune and it's definitely a different animal.


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