guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Hello all! Some of you may know I own an SSM 04 TL which has a progress thread here: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-p...-17%5D-840989/

With the SSM on its last leg with transmission slipping into neutral when coasting to a stop, and rust so bad I can't even jack it up from the pinch welds, the search for a "new" car began.

Just when I thought I was done with the TL game and would be completely fine settling with an early 2000s Camry, an opportunity came up - spatel83's WDP with 100k miles.

It already had the following done:
- A-Spec full kit
- ATLP V2 Quads + ATLP V2 J-Pipe + Race Pipe
- AEM V2 CAI
- Custom headlights that we made together back in 2014 + CBI bulbs
- Door handle puddle lights
- bmwoemshop roof spoiler
- thespoilerstore OEM replica trunk spoiler
- LED DRLs

I did some pictures of it in 2015:





Drove a couple hours on a beautiful weekend to go see it and agreed on a price









Picked it up and brought it home the following weekend:




Smelled something burning right when I got home and opened the door.
Walked around the car and traced it to the rear left wheel. It was so hot I could feel the heat radiating off it from a foot away.

Replaced rear left caliper and everything is cool again.

Swapped over custom tail lights from the SSM:

3 sets of tail lights required to get the look:
Base 07/08 Bezel
Type-S red brake diffuser - tinted by body shop using clear coat with hint of black. No vinyl tint or texture filled niteshade...
04-06 clear reflector







Swapped over OEM window visors



7440 cree license plate LED retrofit

T10 vs T20 lol





Dirty tips



Not perfect but shiny again. I'll have to buy a drill buffing attachment to get better results.





Shin Etsu on all rubber seals... this stuff is amazing.



Little details...





Swapped over Type-S shift knob, Type-S radio trim, and OEM front carbon fiber accessory kit. Base 07 comes with wood grain trim pieces so I had to swap the OEM "CF" pieces over from the SSM.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Type-S gauge cluster rings



Replaced burnt out puddle lights we installed in 2014 with new ones. Went with pure white this time instead of cool white.



HFL battery drain prevention...
Wired HFL to relay so that it only powers up the HFL when the car is on and cuts power when the car is off.
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-p.../#post16694360












Bought black weathertech mats to replace the tan ones... nice contrast now.




Woke up at 6am on a weekend to drive 3 hours away to pick up a Type-S front lip and A-Spec badge from @Nyordrms
Super awesome dude. One of the OGs here in Canada. Came back with Type-S rear bumper honeycomb trim, new lip seal, handful of sealed interior bulbs and suspension bolts added in.








Badge installed



Leather cleaning... Before:



Seat bottom done:



Clean:




Going from my Nexus 7 setup in the SSM to no music was sad lol
Had to pick this up from Black Market:



Honeycomb rear trim piece installed:

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

forgot how talented you are with the camera!
also, great job putting your spin on the WDP. great work!

I still have my TL and looks like we joined acurazine at the same time. (I joined at the end of Feb 2010, so like March)

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Saved a weekend to swap the Tein SS from the SSM over.
Got defeated by the driver side fork bolt seized to the bushing's sleeve.
Swapping over the A-Spec wheels and spacers made the day slightly less bitter.

She sits high, especially with 225 tires...



Used the weekend after to tackle it...
Eric The Car Guy says to disconnect end link and just pry the LCA down to deal with seized fork bolt in bushing.
Did not even come close to working for me.
Ended up having to drop the entire LCA + knuckle down (undo axle nut, remove tie rod, pop upper ball joint, unbolt end link, unbolt and slide out LCA from subframe) to clear enough room to get the shocks out of the fork.
Also swapped over the SPC rear camber arms from the SSM.

Don't mind the base headlights... they were "placeholders" while I work on custom headlights. Didn't even plug them in as I wasn't going to drive it until I finished the new headlights.



Type-s headlights in its original form with an oxidized lens. Can't believe how good these look unmodified.



The guts, with ZKW-R sitting on the side.



The transplant complete... stock fresnel lens mounted in DRL area.



Tuning the ZKWRs with CBIs, and Morimoto spacer kit. Ended up with 3 spacers in one and 2 spacers in the other. No broken projector tabs either



Tinted the DRL lens for the fake quad projector look





Sealed up and restored the lens... crystal clear.





VLEDs V6 Triton 5k Switchbacks and LED fog bulbs installed.



No heatsink design due to AEM V2 CAI fitment issues. Not as bright as LEDs with a heatsink but I don't mind.






Stayed tuned for more!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Damn, this dude puttin in WORK!

EarlThePearl

iTrader: (4)

I love what you are doing to this 3G TL and your taste in MODS. Classy but aggressive.

MyGuti

Incredible! Glad to see you got back in a TL

Nyordrms

iTrader: (1)

Hey buddy, was great finally meeting u after all these years, glad u put all the parts i gave ya to work, sadly my tl went to its new home yesterday

keep up the great work! always loved ur old Tl when i first joined.

truonghthe

welcome back, you are the 5th person already come back to the 3g TL for more.

Abe_Froman

iTrader: (5)

Loving it! I hope the TL I just picked up gets to being half as good looking as yours.

I'm going to have to do what I did with my SSM and just copy all your mods.

SK8BOARD

Loving the progress.

spatel83

Can’t wait to see what else you end up doing to the car.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Funny you say, I haven't used the camera in a few years now!
I used to enjoy taking the SSM around the city and finding cool spots to take pictures, or looking on Flickr and seeing where people in my city were taking pics.
After the SSM started rusting badly, that journey stopped.

Thanks man!

Thanks! Have always had my SSM and still do... the passion died for it a few years ago, though. I was at the point that I would trade it for a car that I can drive over pot holes and park up next to someone in a parking lot.
Now the passion is back and I'm back to searching for what to do to the WDP

Man, it was great to meet you too!
Hope it went to a good owner that appreciated as much as you did. That car was a real gem, even without the front bits on

Thanks man!
I noticed a lot more people are coming back to the platform recently. These cars, when clean, are worth holding on to.

Oh man, it'll look good for sure... your SSM was insanely clean and sitting classy.
I just went back to your old progress thread to see pics of it but all of them are down

Thanks, man!

Up next is the nappa leather steering wheel wrap from Redlinegoods! The wrap came in after almost a month of waiting. Only thing I dread about is removing the steering wheel. Last time I rented a steering wheel puller and it stripped the threads on SSM... still got it off by brute force haha

Pair of TLs

Outstanding!

Nyordrms

iTrader: (1)

[QUOTE=guitarplayer16;16760246
Man, it was great to meet you too!
Hope it went to a good owner that appreciated as much as you did. That car was a real gem, even without the front bits on ]


Yah it went to a great owner, which made it easier to let go, he has a mint DC2 integer fully built turbo engine in it, was showing me pics, the tl is in good hands

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Incredibly well done sir! You're making me miss my TL

o4Komodo

iTrader: (2)

Nice upgrade dude. Glad to see you're still around as well.

new car is as clean as ever.

EddieOnAZ

Nice buy Congratulations man!

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

[QUOTE=Nyordrms;16760658]That is one seriously lucky fella to get your TL. Easily one of the cleanest 6SPD TL-S in Canada...

Thanks brother! Your WDP will always be missed by our community!

Been a while, man!
Hope you're doing good out in MTL. I'm not around the area anymore

Thanks buddy!
Glad to hear you're still lurking here! Never sell that TL of yours... too clean and rare.

So small update...

Parked the WDP across the street who's a long time family friend while roof was getting done.
WDP got backed into with his Porsche...

Initial damage: Flaked/peeled paint, scraped headlight, and scraped A-Spec lip...
Bumper needed repaint anyway so it wasn't a huge deal. I'm just so glad the headlight didn't break. Thankfully I sprayed 2K clear on them so the clear coat took the hit.



The paint on this bumper was horrible since I bought it... I drove around the block and I guess the wind took off the chunk of paint. I can put my finger under the paint and peel off more chunks if I wanted



Upon removing the bumper, found the headlight bracket bent.



Wet sanded area with 1500 grit...



Polished with PlastX and 3M compound using Porter Cable DA...

Back to as good as new. Can't find any cracks in the headlight lens but I haven't washed the car yet to see if it will fog up. Fingers crossed...



New headlight bracket from dealer



Sprayed with Rust Cure Formula 3000 to prevent rust


Wired up the Triton V6 dimmer wire - at full brightness at night, it's ridiculous and glares as if you're running DRLs at night.
I would also not spend the $220 on them again in the future. As a turn signal, the amber is quite mediocre. I was expecting BMW LCI level brightness, but they are only merely or similarly bright as the Cree turn signals I have in my SSM.



All reassembled... ready to get price quotes for paint.
The "tear drop" behind the headlight and near the fender was already there when I purchased the car.



New license plate holder to replace deformed and oxidized old one.


New cabin air filter from Amazon

Abe_Froman

iTrader: (5)

Really glad to see that the bumper and/or the lip were not punctured. A respray should have it looking perfect again.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

So sorry to see. Thankfully no completely horrible damage!

EddieOnAZ

[QUOTE=guitarplayer16;16763324]I'm actually selling it to a good friend of mine this coming week :P

I browse azine infrequently but I saw your name pop up so I had to check in

EddieOnAZ

may I ask where you got the foam for you armrest from?

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Worse case if that happened would be to repaint and swap the Type-S bumper from the SSM and find a junk yard one in SSM

Yes sir! All in all, about $65 out of my pocket for the new headlight bracket since the bumper was due for a repaint anyway.

I got it from Fabricland. One of those items they sell by the foot! It wasn't cheap though
It's not labelled or anything so I assume it's generic foam. Nothing fancy with memory foam. Not even sure if it classifies as high density foam.
Haven't driven the WDP enough to find out if it'll hold up to resting my arm over time but it sure looks better!

Small update... got new trunk LEDs!
I've purchased "direct replacement 18 smd" style license plate LEDs in the past and can't recommend them enough because the output is just insane. EndlessRPM sells them and iJDMtoy sells them.
I like to buy from eBay though because they probably all come from the same plant in China.

Found out that there are now "direct replacement 18 smd" trunk LEDs. Ordered from ebay instead of iJDMToy.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/393313215006...gAAOSww1dfB9fi

As I expected, insane pure white output.





Comparing to the cold cathode tube setup I have in the SSM (any OGs here remember those days we used cold cathodes for license plate LEDs? )




The cold cathodes light up more but with less intensity (compare light output on bumper). The new direct replacement LEDs are so bright and intense, it's hard to believe all the light is coming from a single source.
Hell I had to ghetto rig the SSM by zip tying the cold cathode tubes to the top trunk liner

Highly recommend the new style LEDs.

Tyrone503

Unfortunately all sold out now

Found another supplier however.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Led-Trunk...erId=101084863

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

That was quick! I posted the link when there were 3 left

Thanks for sharing the link to a new supplier.
Lots of eBay listings still for them but looks like all ship from china and would take close to a month to arrive.

Here's the listing from iJDMToy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/14304208889...1&isGTR=1#shId
$15 and free shipping really isn't bad if you can't wait.

Slpr04UA6

Wow, you’ve transformed this Very Nicely!

Any updates?

I saw a post regarding the brake light/cruise control stop switch installation in another thread (can’t find it now), and wanted to know if you could tell me the adjustment process for reinstallation of a new switch. Thanks!

thoiboi

oh my lord... Cold Cathodes

I remember when they used to be the BEE's KNEES for custom PC cases as well..



and don't forget underglow


The new car is looking great, well done T!


Needs moar dragons in the pics though

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Thanks Tim! Glad to see you're still around.

You'll need to twist to unlock the brake switch which should let you slide it closer or further from the brake pedal and twist it back to lock its position.

I've had the steering wheel off the car for the past couple of months trying to rewrap it with nappa leather from redlinegoods...
So far no good.. doesn't want to come together without a lot of wrinkles so I'll have to contact them and see if they can provide some input.
To me it looks like it wasn't cut great but we'll see what they say!

Thanks man!

Excited to take some pictures of it this year!

truonghthe

Eric the car guy had a video that was done on the 05 RL on YT, its super easy and take like 3 mins. I had to replaced mine on the RL and the WDP TL.

Slpr04UA6

^It ended up being just the plug on the brake pedal! It was cracked, and once replaced the tail lights don’t stay on anymore. Thanks!


Back to Guitarplayers car! Sorry for the questions, appreciate the help.

M.I.N.O.

iTrader: (1)

Congrats on the new pickup and customization! Very impressed with your attention to detail. It was your 04 SSM that inspired me to get my 04 SSM, before selling it for my 08 WDP Type-S.

I noticed that you switched over the window visors from your old ride to the new one. Any tips on how to remove them without any damage to the visors or car surface?

Thanks!

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Thanks, man. I wish the SSM was in the same shape as it was back then.

The best way to remove it is with a heat gun. I've had bad experience with floss scratching paint to "saw" off 3m tape so I just heated until I was able to pry with my fingers. Just remember to move the heat gun around so it doesn't heat up one area too long and melt the visors.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

Quick update. Moved back to Ottawa in March and started a new role.
Got a ride back to my parents (about 6 hours away from Ottawa) last weekend with a friend to bring the R3 up.

The WDP started up and pulled out of the garage since November:



Took it on a drive around the neighborhood to warm up and change the 2 year old oil/filter.

I've had the steering wheel wrap from Redlinegoods for about 6 months and hated how it fit. I must have rewrapped the steering wheel 4 times trying to get it to look good.
The wrap was just not cut right and too short around the spokes.

I spent too much money on the wrap (it being nappa leather) to give up and finally accepted it will have wrinkles and creases.
The secret to stitching it to minimize creases is to lightly stitch it together as stage 1. Then stage 2 is to pull the threads tight.
Pulling the threads tight from the start causes the leather to eventually bunch up and cause creases.

Overall, I'm happy I didn't give up and it looks/feels way sooo much better than before despite the creases.



I'll need to come back on a separate occasion to bring the WDP to Ottawa. For now it's parked back in the parent's garage.

Hopefully I'll have updates later this year.
It needs new tires mounted on the A-specs (Cooper RS3-G1), an alignment (probably need new toe arms, most likely seized), new front end links, aluminum pedals from SSM, bumper respray, Type-S rear spoiler and Sarona roof spoiler painted WDP.

Diamond6SPD

are those 18 x 8.5 a-spec wheels all around? 20mm spacers? LOVE IT

truonghthe

The steering wheel looks good tho, them wrinkle will be iron out over time.

Chad05TL

Where did you get your wheels from, and what color or part# are they?

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

They are! 15mm front and 20mm back.

Thanks man! So far with it sitting in garage and being driven 500 km since install, it hasn't shrunk any

The A-Specs came on my 04 SSM at purchase. OEM finish still. If you're asking about the Type-S wheels on the first pic, they didn't come with the WDP when I bought it. They were OEM from a junk yard if IIRC.

Small update, got my front bumper, front lip, roof spoiler, and Type-S spoiler painted.

Haven't driven the car because it has bald tires due to when I had bad alignment on the SSM (steel wires are showing).
I have Cooper RS3s in the basement waiting to mount. But first I need to do an alignment especially after lowering. Before I do an alignment I have to cut off the old toe arms as they're likely seized.
I'm also planning to refinish the A-Spec wheels before getting the new tires mounted. Just everything one after another to be able to drive it around.

Will update with pics soon!

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

It's been so long that I forgot how to take pictures and edit them but here's something