Finally put her back together, What do you guys think?
01-22-2005, 03:54 PM
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Finally put her back together, What do you guys think?
I'm getting my '05 ready for a car show next month. It will be in the Auto & Truck Outfitters' (ATO) booth at the World of Wheels Baltimore Convention Center Show the first weekend of Feburary. It took me a full Sunday to remove both bumpers, headlights, taillights, rear side markers, front grill, and install the A-Spec suspension. However, it took me the rest of the week to put it back together. But I think is was worth it... I had the taillights darkened along with the rear side markers. On the rear, I also added a small color back up camera through the A-Spec Lip. On the front, I opened up the headlights to remove the amber lens. Then, I smoked the inside. I wasn't too thrilled with the end result but after installing them back on the car they have began grown on me. When I first smoked them, the chrome back ground of the lamp assembly made the headlight look blue. But when they are on the vehicle the blue hue of the anthracite brings the overall look together. Do you argee? To conclude the front grill was also painted to match. The chrome A is the only thing that wasn't painted. More pictures will follow when I near completion. I still have many other parts to install.
Before
After...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ebs/tlrear.jpg
My only regret: I finished it late last night and didn't take it for a test drive to feel the new suspension and the Comptech sway bar. Now it is snowing. My TL is garage bound for the next couple of days. The pictures were taken just a few hours ago. Discus amongst yourselves...
Before After...http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ebs/tlrear.jpg
My only regret: I finished it late last night and didn't take it for a test drive to feel the new suspension and the Comptech sway bar. Now it is snowing. My TL is garage bound for the next couple of days. The pictures were taken just a few hours ago. Discus amongst yourselves...
01-22-2005, 04:03 PM
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It might look better clean and on a sunny day, but in those pictures it looks like you were going for a naval grey military look from the front. Honestly, I think it's overly-gray; pretty drab looking.
Mike
Mike
01-22-2005, 04:11 PM
#3
Moderator Alumnus
Please shoot more pics back in sunny days and write some review for us. Thanks for this posting.
Btw, except the final pic (too big), I edited your post to make other pics displaying directly. Wish you wouldn't mind.
Btw, except the final pic (too big), I edited your post to make other pics displaying directly. Wish you wouldn't mind.
01-22-2005, 05:15 PM
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I was thinking of adding a wing to the rear? Do you think the lip spoiler or the full spoiler would look better on my set up. Also, I found the full wing on ebay for $350.00 painted. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW Has anyone, gotten a better deal? It seems like that is worth it considering the the lip spoiler is $300.00 at http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WD1V Anyother places on the web selling these items painted for less?? Also, any sucess with the non-OEM spoilers?
01-22-2005, 05:19 PM
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I got my taillights smoked through a shop in Baltimore. They were a $100.00 for the pair. Its not a film, but actually painted. The paint holds up just like the factory paint on the car.
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01-23-2005, 04:04 AM
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Definitely show us some pictures of the tail-lights and also when the car is clean & it isn't snowing. Not sure if I particularly like the headlights, but props for being unique. More pics please...
01-23-2005, 04:13 AM
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Originally Posted by svtmike
It might look better clean and on a sunny day, but in those pictures it looks like you were going for a naval grey military look from the front. Honestly, I think it's overly-gray; pretty drab looking.
Mike
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01-23-2005, 10:02 AM
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XjoEnX: The inside of the headlight lens were painted. Sorry about the snow pictures, I will post some better ones when the sun returns to the mid-atlantic.
01-23-2005, 10:11 AM
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Pictures of the taillights (once again sorry about the snow from yesterday):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...sidemarker.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...taillights.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...sidemarker.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...taillights.jpg
01-23-2005, 10:19 AM
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did you paint the actual clear plastic lens of the headlights? if so, that will severly reduce the light output.
the headlights look much different compared to other blacked out ones.
the headlights look much different compared to other blacked out ones.
01-23-2005, 11:36 AM
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Car is unique to say the least. On an unrelated note, can you comment on the comptech exhaust? Was there a performance improvement? Is there any droning at various rpms?
Any chance at all you can post a sound clip??? I have been asking for someone/anyone to post a clip and have not had any success!!
Thanx in advance, and keep up the good work!
Any chance at all you can post a sound clip??? I have been asking for someone/anyone to post a clip and have not had any success!!
Thanx in advance, and keep up the good work!
01-23-2005, 02:16 PM
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Comptech Exhaust Review
The Comptech Exhaust is awesome. It is a really well contructed piece. The exterior noise is noticable when you start off the line. Outside exhaust notice sounds awesome not too deep like a V8 i.e. Mustang, and most importantly not high pitched like a 4 cycl. i.e Civic with go-kart exhaust. It completment the style of the car perfectly. From the interior it is less noticable and will probably be less when my back seat goes back in. I will have to comment later on the interior sound levels more throughly. (My back seat is still not in the car because I installed the A-spec lowering kit.) Without the back seat there is a lot of road and exhaust noise. As far as performance gains, I doubt anyone, including myself, could feel a 5 horse power gain in a 270+ horse power car. But the fun level has increased greatly. I have the 6spd tran. and it is a lot more fun to drive with the exhaust note mimicing my shifting habits. 1st , 2nd, and 3rd gears produce a "fun to drive" exhaust note when you give it some gas. 4th and 5th are mellow, slightly above stock sound. 6th is more exhaust sounding though. Not too much to be annoying on a long drive, a sound that definitely goes unnotices after awhile. I only mentioned it because when you shift from 5th to 6th you realize that the comptech system is back there. As far as $'s spent and its yeild goes... I think that it was worth it. After seeing how well made it is, compared to other companies that make exhaust, I understand why it costs $900.00 plus. Additionally, I really like the upgrade in terms of looks and sound. I didn't expect performance gains. When I want performance gains I will change my plugs to Denso and drop in the supercharger. I haven't even purchased an intake because I don't think the $ are worth it for 6 horse power max gain. (A stock replacement k&N airfilter is a better dollars spent /horse power gained ratio.) I believe the tips are 4" round. The look without the rear lip trim was so - so. So I went out and bought the front and rear pieces to the A-Spec kit, still saving for the sides. But I do love the Comptech tips with the kit installed. I now think the Comptech tips look a lot better than the stock molded ones. The stock ones blend into the back so much that they go un-noticed, expect for the black carbon build up on them. The 4" round tips show off the $$ you spent on the system and gives the TL a slighly sporter look. You could go either way but if you are looking to make your car look sports luxury (M5 seeming) then this would be one way to proceed.
01-23-2005, 02:18 PM
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How do you post sound/video clips. My digital camera can take video with sound. I am unsure how to host it on the WWW. I would like to include a video of the car at idle and off the line starts with the exhaust system. Thanks for the help.
01-23-2005, 09:22 PM
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Originally Posted by jorgebs
HOLY CRAP! thats my TL! I took that picture!!! Someone stole the picture off this site and put it up on ebay to sell their spoiler!!!
here's my pic
01-24-2005, 09:51 PM
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I will post more pictures of the car when it stops snowing. Here is a picture before I put it back in... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...rphotos020.jpg
01-26-2005, 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted by cTLgo
but didn't you get the smoked headlight kit from Rockblocker?
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