Death Metal's Journey (a DIY'ers Worklog for TL Perfection!)
12-18-2009, 11:50 PM
#1
Fearless DIY Guy
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
WORKLOG: 13 Days vs. Unwavering Zeal...an insane winter worklog!
Shit. Well, here's the background: Being a responsible American, I only mod when I have the liquid resources to do so (ibflame, bring it, but no thread-jacking), which hasn't exactly been the fruiting tree I'd hope it'd be this last quarter due to an absurd number of fall weddings my wife was a participant in. I had a back-up, though...in the form of a 2001 Maxima that was loitering around my driveway/garage. While I was hoping for a quick sale in the fall, Murphy and his dread ethos made their presence well known, so my 'fun money' was tied up in a huge black hunk of steel (albeit, a beautiful one at that) during a time in which daylight/warm temperatures were abound. ...fast forward to a few months later, and, long story short, she will soon be on her way to what promises to be a lovely home. Awesome..?
During this time I have been strategically mapping a 3-year plan for all mods I wish to perform to the TL, a fair portion of which is best completed in situ. SO, now that due fiscal resources have become available, a frenzy of transactions have occurred resulting in my front door becoming much-less a front door and moreso a receiving dock for all of the goodies on their way (kiss my ass, Santa - I won't be needing your services this year and the cookies are too damn tasty to let your century hardened arteries take another beating, you can thank me later).
I have off from work until Jan 4th (I really was planning this for awhile), which pits me and my TL dreams against the icy grips of winter and an ambition that shant be assuaged by those both natural and un-natural. This will require some pretty crazy shit, namely, how in the hell I am going to paint things in a freezing garage.
The goal? Complete the list in 13 days. The list? As follows:
EXTERIOR
A-Spec front lip
Custom grille w/ fiberglass cut-out
Paint Grille
Black-out Acura logos
Debadge
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlight Blackout
Custom LED turnsignal mod (no one on AZine has this...hope it'll work)
ZKW-r
Bodymatch Headlamp accessories
Bodymatch TL-S tails
Niteshadez TL-S tails, sidemarkers
Foglights w/ HID install
CCFL Angel eyes
CCFL Lisc. Plate
HID Reverse Lights
AUDIO
80sqft. Damplifier install
36sqft. Overkill Pro install
Upgrade Ground cable to 1/0AWG
Dom's PnP
Backup cam
Sub Install w/ Beauty Panel (Arc Audio 2500-XXK w/ 2x Alumapro Alchemy RX, SQ Model)
3/4 Din DVD Player install in center console (goin' for it, Rocky - wish me luck)
INTERIOR
Cabin Lamp LED Upgrade
Finish off LED install retrofit of OE bulbs
Custom 'mood' LED lighting
Ultrasuede headliner
Ultrasuede Sunvisors (this is the only thing I'm apprehensive to do, lol)
...and I think that about sums it up. The garage is organized, the list is set. I will lose some time between X-Mas and NYE, which fawking sucks, as well as Sunday night due to a concert (Cannibal Corpse, hell yes!!!) So in addition to all this I will ALSO be cooking a 7 fishes dinner.
Can I do it? Is this too ambitious? ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
Keep your eyes peeled, hell's wrath is about to be unleashed and only one will win.
During this time I have been strategically mapping a 3-year plan for all mods I wish to perform to the TL, a fair portion of which is best completed in situ. SO, now that due fiscal resources have become available, a frenzy of transactions have occurred resulting in my front door becoming much-less a front door and moreso a receiving dock for all of the goodies on their way (kiss my ass, Santa - I won't be needing your services this year and the cookies are too damn tasty to let your century hardened arteries take another beating, you can thank me later).
I have off from work until Jan 4th (I really was planning this for awhile), which pits me and my TL dreams against the icy grips of winter and an ambition that shant be assuaged by those both natural and un-natural. This will require some pretty crazy shit, namely, how in the hell I am going to paint things in a freezing garage.
The goal? Complete the list in 13 days. The list? As follows:
EXTERIOR
A-Spec front lip
Custom grille w/ fiberglass cut-out
Paint Grille
Black-out Acura logos
Debadge
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlight Blackout
Custom LED turnsignal mod (no one on AZine has this...hope it'll work)
ZKW-r
Bodymatch Headlamp accessories
Bodymatch TL-S tails
Niteshadez TL-S tails, sidemarkers
Foglights w/ HID install
CCFL Angel eyes
CCFL Lisc. Plate
HID Reverse Lights
AUDIO
80sqft. Damplifier install
36sqft. Overkill Pro install
Upgrade Ground cable to 1/0AWG
Dom's PnP
Backup cam
Sub Install w/ Beauty Panel (Arc Audio 2500-XXK w/ 2x Alumapro Alchemy RX, SQ Model)
3/4 Din DVD Player install in center console (goin' for it, Rocky - wish me luck)
INTERIOR
Cabin Lamp LED Upgrade
Finish off LED install retrofit of OE bulbs
Custom 'mood' LED lighting
Ultrasuede headliner
Ultrasuede Sunvisors (this is the only thing I'm apprehensive to do, lol)
...and I think that about sums it up. The garage is organized, the list is set. I will lose some time between X-Mas and NYE, which fawking sucks, as well as Sunday night due to a concert (Cannibal Corpse, hell yes!!!) So in addition to all this I will ALSO be cooking a 7 fishes dinner.
Can I do it? Is this too ambitious? ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
Keep your eyes peeled, hell's wrath is about to be unleashed and only one will win.
12-19-2009, 12:15 AM
#3
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
I'm off until the 4th as well! Tell Santa to head my way then, I have a whole bag of cookies for him since my receiving dock was foreclosed due to the current economic hardships. If you start early enough you'll be done in time for Xmas! Post pics as you progress.
12-19-2009, 02:27 AM
#5
wow nice list.. i just did a bunch of stuff you have on your list!
-Doms, mood lighting, HID reverse, upgraded negative battery cable, reverse camera.. lol .. took me 3 weeks working every other day for about 1 hour and I JUST completed it 2 days ago.. I still need to post up the pics!
Anyways! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.. Pics of my install will be up soon.. =)
-Doms, mood lighting, HID reverse, upgraded negative battery cable, reverse camera.. lol .. took me 3 weeks working every other day for about 1 hour and I JUST completed it 2 days ago.. I still need to post up the pics!
Anyways! Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.. Pics of my install will be up soon.. =)
12-19-2009, 06:15 AM
#7
Trending Topics
12-19-2009, 09:24 AM
#9
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
I think you can do it man. By the looks of your other threads, you know exactly what you are doing. Good luck!
12-19-2009, 11:23 PM
#13
Fearless DIY Guy
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
DAY #1
Deliverables: NONE.
Well, today was an interesting day. Thinking that the Maxima was going to be picked up, the garage free for the TL, and work to commence, I woke this morning thinking that the forecast for 3-6" of snow would hold true...guess what...IT DIDN'T. I am a resident of South Jersey, and in case you were unaware of the matte, and unbeknownst to me, the forecast called for 24" OF SNOW. This is the biggest snowstorm to hit the area in 100 years.
I told the buyer that he would be recieving the car in magnificent condition, and I am not one to break my word, so I had to keep the Max in the workstation...but wait, it gets better.
After three iterations of performing up-right rows for at least an hour each, something MAGICAL happened around 7:30pm...I took these shots before hanging up the proverbial towel for the night...
After heading in, is see a pair of headlights coming down the street, and I think to myself (No fucking way...no...) YEP. THE CAR CARRIER SHOWS UP. A blessing in disguise? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The guy got stuck...TWICE. We eventually gave up due to the fact that while I am capable of pulling the Max out (and the TL in) without having the roads plowed (kinda need some space for turning), this will be a complete and total impossibility. Here's a profoundly crappy picture that cannot even begin to allude to the horror of helping this pour Georgian soul whom had the grave misfortune of pulling the short straw for this haul
So that's about it for today. Suck balls, but there's not much that can be done. Not happy with the matter, but I at least have some LED stuff I can work on tomorrow. (USPS really stands by rain, sleet, or shine).
Here's a holiday pic, I'm off to rest these incredibly weary bones.
Deliverables: NONE.
Well, today was an interesting day. Thinking that the Maxima was going to be picked up, the garage free for the TL, and work to commence, I woke this morning thinking that the forecast for 3-6" of snow would hold true...guess what...IT DIDN'T. I am a resident of South Jersey, and in case you were unaware of the matte, and unbeknownst to me, the forecast called for 24" OF SNOW. This is the biggest snowstorm to hit the area in 100 years.
I told the buyer that he would be recieving the car in magnificent condition, and I am not one to break my word, so I had to keep the Max in the workstation...but wait, it gets better.
After three iterations of performing up-right rows for at least an hour each, something MAGICAL happened around 7:30pm...I took these shots before hanging up the proverbial towel for the night...After heading in, is see a pair of headlights coming down the street, and I think to myself (No fucking way...no...) YEP. THE CAR CARRIER SHOWS UP. A blessing in disguise? ABSOLUTELY NOT. The guy got stuck...TWICE. We eventually gave up due to the fact that while I am capable of pulling the Max out (and the TL in) without having the roads plowed (kinda need some space for turning), this will be a complete and total impossibility. Here's a profoundly crappy picture that cannot even begin to allude to the horror of helping this pour Georgian soul whom had the grave misfortune of pulling the short straw for this haul
So that's about it for today. Suck balls, but there's not much that can be done. Not happy with the matter, but I at least have some LED stuff I can work on tomorrow. (USPS really stands by rain, sleet, or shine).
Here's a holiday pic, I'm off to rest these incredibly weary bones.
12-19-2009, 11:43 PM
#14
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
lol.. Murphy stikes again.. Thanks for keeping us entertained though. Nice Pics.
12-20-2009, 01:44 PM
#19
Intermediate
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Jersey
Age: 38
Posts: 39
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Im from South Jersey too, Vineland. My drive way looks like yours. I wish I could take out my TL, but its gonna stay parked for a few days till this melts.
good luck on the build, im ready for the updates.
12-21-2009, 09:35 PM
#24
12-22-2009, 12:38 AM
#26
Fearless DIY Guy
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
DAY 2
DELIVERABLES: NONE
Well, Day #2 of the big dig. PURPORTEDLY, our Georgian friend was to be coming by today 'pon early morn to carry said car...but that did not happen until noonish or so. Nonetheless, he came, and upon a much more agreeable scene to take teh delivureh
I gave thumbs up...
...wherein up and away we went...
...and doggeh had his say...
...then I popped a top to my homie.
FINALLY, SHIT. Took long enough.
...so it was about 4:00pm when everything was all said and done, and with a concert at 5, and pregaming to be had, mods just weren't happening that night. As if I had not already had my balls well tenderized, my friend and I braved the tundra and arrived at the venue only to discover IT HAD BEEN RESCHEDULED. Nice. No website update, no calls, no e-mails, NADA.
I finished the night with about 9 beers in total and called it a day. On to day 3...
DELIVERABLES: NONE
Well, Day #2 of the big dig. PURPORTEDLY, our Georgian friend was to be coming by today 'pon early morn to carry said car...but that did not happen until noonish or so. Nonetheless, he came, and upon a much more agreeable scene to take teh delivureh
I gave thumbs up...
...wherein up and away we went...
...and doggeh had his say...
...then I popped a top to my homie.
FINALLY, SHIT. Took long enough.
...so it was about 4:00pm when everything was all said and done, and with a concert at 5, and pregaming to be had, mods just weren't happening that night. As if I had not already had my balls well tenderized, my friend and I braved the tundra and arrived at the venue only to discover IT HAD BEEN RESCHEDULED. Nice. No website update, no calls, no e-mails, NADA.
I finished the night with about 9 beers in total and called it a day. On to day 3...
12-22-2009, 01:05 AM
#27
Fearless DIY Guy
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
DAY 3
DELIVERABLES: Trunk deadening, rear interior strip-down, trunklid deadening
So I guess I started at what, 2 or so? There's hella work to be done on the trunk, so things started simply enough with removing the trunkliner and all the other associated BS. I paid an arm and a leg for shipping on my deadener, and it paid off. Finally, something is going right.
Almost...
So here's what we have. I am using 80sqft of Damplifier and 36sqft of Overkill Pro, from Second Skin Audio. I am going to do the trunk, trunklid, reardeck, and doors. While I am at it, I am going to use the OKP to replace all of the crap medical gauze Honda elected to use at cushioning, maybe I'll save it for some of my co-workers bleeding vaginas.
...as with anything we've encountered thus far, of course, there's problems. So, the deadener is as stiff as my ex in the sack, maybe a bit colder to boot...which translates to one thing: NO ADHESION. But I had a back-up plan. First plan was to use a heat gun...it would get quite hot, then fail to stick. Shit. Ok, let's get crazy. So then I heated the oven to 300F, baked for 4 mins, then played hot potato all the way to the garage. This kinda-sorta worked, but not quite. Aside from butyl vapors that were making me reminisce of "experimental" days, I had to face the fact nothing was working. But why? ...then it dawned upon me. The cold steel of the trunk was acting as a massive heatsink that quickly caused any tack to shrivel faster then a proper man before the Playboy centerfold of a Rosie O'Donnell photo shoot. So I decided to let the mat warm up in the laundry room and let my task light bring the mess up a few degrees. About 2 hours later, YESSSSSSS, we're in business.
I forgot just how much goddamn work trunk deadening is. I wanted to make sure I wrapped any free-standing beams to ensure no errant waves can wreak havoc on any otherwise placid aural environment. Time for a recharge, coffee + instant coffee/espresso + hazelnut = awesome. Speaking of awesome, I also forgot that deadening is akin to jerking off barbed wire. That pumice soap is gonna feel GREAT in a few.
Time for the lid.
Since we're all about calling attention to all things awesome, how did you guys miss this character? He and his twin are on both sides.
Time to skin the inside. I also started on the outside when I finally gave up. Maybe it was the caffiene crash, but I am really blaming it on the absolutely abhorrent drivel known as the 'Jimmy Fallon Show'. It only reaffirms my loathe of TV and has me convinced that if said show constitutes humor...ehhh, fuck it, I'm too tired to come up with a clever punchline right now. Anyway, enjoy, more deadening and some LED work tomorrow.
DELIVERABLES: Trunk deadening, rear interior strip-down, trunklid deadening
So I guess I started at what, 2 or so? There's hella work to be done on the trunk, so things started simply enough with removing the trunkliner and all the other associated BS. I paid an arm and a leg for shipping on my deadener, and it paid off. Finally, something is going right.
Almost...So here's what we have. I am using 80sqft of Damplifier and 36sqft of Overkill Pro, from Second Skin Audio. I am going to do the trunk, trunklid, reardeck, and doors. While I am at it, I am going to use the OKP to replace all of the crap medical gauze Honda elected to use at cushioning, maybe I'll save it for some of my co-workers bleeding vaginas.
...as with anything we've encountered thus far, of course, there's problems. So, the deadener is as stiff as my ex in the sack, maybe a bit colder to boot...which translates to one thing: NO ADHESION. But I had a back-up plan. First plan was to use a heat gun...it would get quite hot, then fail to stick. Shit. Ok, let's get crazy. So then I heated the oven to 300F, baked for 4 mins, then played hot potato all the way to the garage. This kinda-sorta worked, but not quite. Aside from butyl vapors that were making me reminisce of "experimental" days, I had to face the fact nothing was working. But why? ...then it dawned upon me. The cold steel of the trunk was acting as a massive heatsink that quickly caused any tack to shrivel faster then a proper man before the Playboy centerfold of a Rosie O'Donnell photo shoot. So I decided to let the mat warm up in the laundry room and let my task light bring the mess up a few degrees. About 2 hours later, YESSSSSSS, we're in business.
I forgot just how much goddamn work trunk deadening is. I wanted to make sure I wrapped any free-standing beams to ensure no errant waves can wreak havoc on any otherwise placid aural environment. Time for a recharge, coffee + instant coffee/espresso + hazelnut = awesome. Speaking of awesome, I also forgot that deadening is akin to jerking off barbed wire. That pumice soap is gonna feel GREAT in a few.
Time for the lid.
Since we're all about calling attention to all things awesome, how did you guys miss this character? He and his twin are on both sides.
Time to skin the inside. I also started on the outside when I finally gave up. Maybe it was the caffiene crash, but I am really blaming it on the absolutely abhorrent drivel known as the 'Jimmy Fallon Show'. It only reaffirms my loathe of TV and has me convinced that if said show constitutes humor...ehhh, fuck it, I'm too tired to come up with a clever punchline right now. Anyway, enjoy, more deadening and some LED work tomorrow.
12-22-2009, 01:24 AM
#29
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
watcha got against da Roots & my man Jimmy? lol..Looking good so far, sad to see the Maxima go but Daddy only has room for one toy.. I think with your schedule it should go something like:
- Trunk
- System
- Headlights
- Grille
- Aspec
- LED's
- Headliner
- Sunvisors
12-22-2009, 01:28 AM
#30
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
lol.. yeah.
12-22-2009, 01:34 AM
#31
Fearless DIY Guy
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Not my cup o' tea. I never said anything about the Roots, though...they know how to lay it the hell down
Not a bad suggestion! I am going to take it in this order...but we still have good time to go....
...worst case scenario, I don't get the DVD player or the LEDs done...which is not a big deal, I can finish that on a weekend. My main concern is the trunk/headliner/bumper region work, namley due to the lengthy breakdown/install process, and envisioning worst case scenario, they are kinda/sorta parts that would prohibit me from driving to work safely/legally, lol Either way, hella work, let's git' 'er done!
Looking good so far, sad to see the Maxima go but Daddy only has room for one toy.. I think with your schedule it should go something like:
- Trunk
- System
- Headlights
- Grille (then parts off to paint while I fiberglass)
- Headliner
- Fogs
- Painted parts install/finish headlights
- A Spec
...worst case scenario, I don't get the DVD player or the LEDs done...which is not a big deal, I can finish that on a weekend. My main concern is the trunk/headliner/bumper region work, namley due to the lengthy breakdown/install process, and envisioning worst case scenario, they are kinda/sorta parts that would prohibit me from driving to work safely/legally, lol Either way, hella work, let's git' 'er done!
12-22-2009, 01:42 AM
#32
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
Not my cup o' tea. I never said anything about the Roots, though...they know how to lay it the hell down
Not a bad suggestion! I am going to take it in this order...but we still have good time to go....
...worst case scenario, I don't get the DVD player or the LEDs done...which is not a big deal, I can finish that on a weekend. My main concern is the trunk/headliner/bumper region work, namley due to the lengthy breakdown/install process, and envisioning worst case scenario, they are kinda/sorta parts that would prohibit me from driving to work safely/legally, lol Either way, hella work, let's git' 'er done!
Not a bad suggestion! I am going to take it in this order...but we still have good time to go....
- Trunk
- System
- Headlights
- Grille (then parts off to paint while I fiberglass)
- Headliner
- Fogs
- Painted parts install/finish headlights
- A Spec
...worst case scenario, I don't get the DVD player or the LEDs done...which is not a big deal, I can finish that on a weekend. My main concern is the trunk/headliner/bumper region work, namley due to the lengthy breakdown/install process, and envisioning worst case scenario, they are kinda/sorta parts that would prohibit me from driving to work safely/legally, lol Either way, hella work, let's git' 'er done!
Your plan looks good.. Can't wait to see your work on the Headlights & Headliner.. We'll be waiting on your next update!
12-22-2009, 04:56 AM
#33
nice job dude! your list is impressive. ill be watching. while you're at it you could also remove that black foam shit on each side of the wheel wells in the trunk and add deadening there too. then after that you could just put it back on. i did it on mine.
your LED work is awesome
your LED work is awesome
12-23-2009, 11:37 PM
#34
Fearless DIY Guy
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Ok, so here's the latest: we're being hit by an 'arctic blast', which means that it's not cold, it's 20F or so rendering it near impossible to work without cursing life, so work has been slow going. I'll admit now - there's not a snowball's chance in hell all of this is going to be done in 13 days, but wtf, we'll get as much done as we can. Here's just a few update shots, more to come on the 26th. I suppose the good thing is that I'm loaded with projects up until the end of spring, at least. :p
12-24-2009, 10:07 AM
#37
Drifting
Not to thread jack, but I set a two day project for myself and finished late last night. I painted my grill AM, got 10,000k HID's and installed led license plate lights. Here are some pics...once again sorry to thread jack, I just didn't feel it was necessary to open another thread...
??
12-24-2009, 10:29 AM
#39
Not to thread jack, but I set a two day project for myself and finished late last night. I painted my grill AM, got 10,000k HID's and installed led license plate lights. Here are some pics...once again sorry to thread jack, I just didn't feel it was necessary to open another thread...
its like saying..
don't mean to be rude but.. blah blah blah blah blah....
12-24-2009, 10:42 AM
#40
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
:thief: