Rockyfeller's newest mods and unseen PICTURES of my interior. LEDmaniac!!
#121
Drifting
#124
#126
BTW guys I get a lot of questions about a DIY for lighted door sills. They can be found here:
http://www.sbadesign.com/acurazine/sills/
Thanks to AdamNJ
http://www.sbadesign.com/acurazine/sills/
Thanks to AdamNJ
#128
I drive a Subata.
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crazy lol good job
#130
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I hooked my red footlights up to the headlights, so they come on when the headlights come on. That way, no switch is needed.
Last edited by Steven Bell; 05-30-2010 at 06:05 PM.
#135
Up till December 2008 then they never got hit and I was careful. Then they stopped working because water got in em. I intended to redo them at a later date so I didn't care about them anymore. I just redid my puddle lights 2 days ago and noticed 6 out of 10 of them were busted open, lol! They may have hit speed bumps, my car is pretty low, but I never recall hearing any of them crunch.
I had my car on lifts at Acura and other places. I tell these jackasses everytime that my car has lights on the underbody and they need to be careful when swinging the arms of the lift out. They always say "yea yea I know I know we always check!"......another case of; don't trust anyone's word. It's your property. Protect it and be an ass if you have to.
My new installation is now FLUSH! Wow what a time consuming job! I was actually driving around without sideskirts a few days so I could take my time and do it right. Basically this time I have 10 holes cut in the skirt backed by sealed plexiglass windows. The lights are now inside the skirt held by metal brackets....Only problem is the lights I used don't cast a proper focal beam. It looks stupid because the light that is cast on the ground is so diffused, it looks as though I have a LED strip under my car. All 5 light beams overlap. I have to make some kind of diffuser to spot the lights individually, that is the look I am going for. Shouldn't be a big deal, I'll figure something out.
This install is way cleaner than my last one, and I went to great lengths to weatherproof it.
I had my car on lifts at Acura and other places. I tell these jackasses everytime that my car has lights on the underbody and they need to be careful when swinging the arms of the lift out. They always say "yea yea I know I know we always check!"......another case of; don't trust anyone's word. It's your property. Protect it and be an ass if you have to.
My new installation is now FLUSH! Wow what a time consuming job! I was actually driving around without sideskirts a few days so I could take my time and do it right. Basically this time I have 10 holes cut in the skirt backed by sealed plexiglass windows. The lights are now inside the skirt held by metal brackets....Only problem is the lights I used don't cast a proper focal beam. It looks stupid because the light that is cast on the ground is so diffused, it looks as though I have a LED strip under my car. All 5 light beams overlap. I have to make some kind of diffuser to spot the lights individually, that is the look I am going for. Shouldn't be a big deal, I'll figure something out.
This install is way cleaner than my last one, and I went to great lengths to weatherproof it.
Last edited by rockyfeller; 08-21-2009 at 01:19 AM.
#137
Who needs a trunk? Lol! Yeah but I did a bandpass for 2 reasons
1) Though it doesn't look as good as a custom integrated enclosure but I am conviced it sounds way better. Not to mention a LOT cheaper.
2)It is removable when I need the trunk space.
And about the puddle-lights, it is love or hate and I have heard both. I still love em.....BTW I just did a reinstall last week with the puddle lights(OMG what a lengthy project!)......And this time the puddle lights are mounted FLUSH!!!
AND I just slammed the car lower a couple days ago. Just like I did earlier this year (too low, lol!!) and I have those WORK 19" wheels on there now......ATLP quads are comin on UPS so this car is gonna be complete within a month. Gotta get this dang UR pulley on too.
My car is LOADED to the brim inside out. Car turns heads all day. Project Rockyfeller is almost done! Pics to come!!!
1) Though it doesn't look as good as a custom integrated enclosure but I am conviced it sounds way better. Not to mention a LOT cheaper.
2)It is removable when I need the trunk space.
And about the puddle-lights, it is love or hate and I have heard both. I still love em.....BTW I just did a reinstall last week with the puddle lights(OMG what a lengthy project!)......And this time the puddle lights are mounted FLUSH!!!
AND I just slammed the car lower a couple days ago. Just like I did earlier this year (too low, lol!!) and I have those WORK 19" wheels on there now......ATLP quads are comin on UPS so this car is gonna be complete within a month. Gotta get this dang UR pulley on too.
My car is LOADED to the brim inside out. Car turns heads all day. Project Rockyfeller is almost done! Pics to come!!!
Last edited by rockyfeller; 08-27-2009 at 07:57 PM.
#139
^^ That question is covered in 1000s of threads and you will have to search for more details. I will give you a general answer here: You cannot play DVD in your stock system. You need an external DVD player. I am using Dom's unit with a backup camera that uses a plug n play adapter that installs into the navigation unit. I also have DCC's rare DVD switch that allows me to switch between the naviagtion and DVD modes. This is the story all about how I did it:
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/rockyfellers-dash-myron-davis-dvd-doms-unit-p-i-e-x3-wendys-camera-install-622410/
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/rockyfellers-dash-myron-davis-dvd-doms-unit-p-i-e-x3-wendys-camera-install-622410/
#140
Hey guys I wanted to address one more thing here....Might as well as this thread is loaded with info. I have gotten quite a few PMs about it so why not post it?
Rockyfeller's Headrest Monitors DIY:
OK this is not going to be easy to explain without pictures......maybe I can improve my explanation in the future but here is how I did it. Yes I did cut my OEM headrests. Sounds scary, took a lot of balls. But it was WAY more easier than I ever thought! The wiring took WAY longer!
I selected a monitor that BARELY fit the headrests so dimensions are crucial. Mine are 7.2" widescreen. You won't be able to fit anything bigger, trust me. They are thin so that's a good thing.
The monitor has an installation frame it snaps into. This frame is what I worked with for most of the install. In the end the monitor simply snaps into place. I traced this frame on a sheet of paper and cut it out. I now had a basic rectangular stencil of where to cut on the headrest. I centered it on the headrest and traced the stencil with a pencil. Of course I left about a 1" margin for safety so I wouldn't cut too much. Then I drew an "X" through the rectangle. I cut along the lines of the X stopping about 1" from the edge. I reflected the flaps of leather and cut all of the flap off except about 1". I did this to be cautious and to be able to do things carefully and slowly by test-fitting. Cutting less is better than more.
Then I cut about 1" depth of foam out of the headrest in a rectangular shape. Roughly the same size as the monitor. In between I would test fit the frame into the headrest by trial and error. I did this till the frame sat in the headrest just right. I made sure that the cut corners of leather fit snug under the frame and all the leather flaps were tucked under the frame.
The headrest posts go up into the headrest but there are also 2 separate metal posts inside the headrests to bother with. They are located towards the inner sides of the headrest posts. My screens were thin so I didn't have to bother with this but some people have had to cut them. I had to find a way to have the monitor's wire go through the headrest and out. I burrowed a deep hole through the foam just big enough to snake my monitor's cable through. I wanted it to exit the headrest right near where the headrest post is. I got my wire through with the male end of the LCD cable sticking out. I then burrowed 2 more holes deep into the headrests towards the headrest posts themselves. I drilled 2 small holes into the plastic headrest frame. I took a plastic cable tie and looped it through the holes and then looped it around the headrest posts. I did the same with the other headrest post. I pulled and tightened both sides and there you go, the headrest frames were installed. That's all that's needed to keep the headrests in. Best thing is you can just cut them away anytime you need to pull the LCDs out, nothing tricky there. Then I snapped the LCD into their frames.
The wiring for the LCDs originate from the back of the DVD player in the dash (look at the thread mentioned in the post above) from there the video signal is fed to a video signal amplifier. I did this so when I split the signal there would be no problems. I used a unit made by PYLE with 3 video outs. From there the 2 video wires were snaked along the left/right sides of the center console respectively under the carpet under the front seats. The wires emerge from a small hole in the carpet. You have to leave slack and compensate for the forward/rearward movement of the power seats. I entered the seatbacks by snaking them through. I managed them through without cutting. I had to remove the back of the front seats. I used cable ties and the wires stayed along the seat frames up towards where the headrest posts meet. I kept the female side of the LCD connector here. My LCDs are connected at this point under the headrest so you don't see it unless you pull the headrests up. Whenever I need to, I can pull my headrests off and unplug/plug my LCDs from the seat as a unit.
I also have monitor covers for when I am parked in the city/valeted or servicing the car. It really helps make everything stealthy. The LCDs are not particularly noticeable through the tint. Best seats in my private jet are in the rear ladies. First class.
Rockyfeller's Headrest Monitors DIY:
OK this is not going to be easy to explain without pictures......maybe I can improve my explanation in the future but here is how I did it. Yes I did cut my OEM headrests. Sounds scary, took a lot of balls. But it was WAY more easier than I ever thought! The wiring took WAY longer!
I selected a monitor that BARELY fit the headrests so dimensions are crucial. Mine are 7.2" widescreen. You won't be able to fit anything bigger, trust me. They are thin so that's a good thing.
The monitor has an installation frame it snaps into. This frame is what I worked with for most of the install. In the end the monitor simply snaps into place. I traced this frame on a sheet of paper and cut it out. I now had a basic rectangular stencil of where to cut on the headrest. I centered it on the headrest and traced the stencil with a pencil. Of course I left about a 1" margin for safety so I wouldn't cut too much. Then I drew an "X" through the rectangle. I cut along the lines of the X stopping about 1" from the edge. I reflected the flaps of leather and cut all of the flap off except about 1". I did this to be cautious and to be able to do things carefully and slowly by test-fitting. Cutting less is better than more.
Then I cut about 1" depth of foam out of the headrest in a rectangular shape. Roughly the same size as the monitor. In between I would test fit the frame into the headrest by trial and error. I did this till the frame sat in the headrest just right. I made sure that the cut corners of leather fit snug under the frame and all the leather flaps were tucked under the frame.
The headrest posts go up into the headrest but there are also 2 separate metal posts inside the headrests to bother with. They are located towards the inner sides of the headrest posts. My screens were thin so I didn't have to bother with this but some people have had to cut them. I had to find a way to have the monitor's wire go through the headrest and out. I burrowed a deep hole through the foam just big enough to snake my monitor's cable through. I wanted it to exit the headrest right near where the headrest post is. I got my wire through with the male end of the LCD cable sticking out. I then burrowed 2 more holes deep into the headrests towards the headrest posts themselves. I drilled 2 small holes into the plastic headrest frame. I took a plastic cable tie and looped it through the holes and then looped it around the headrest posts. I did the same with the other headrest post. I pulled and tightened both sides and there you go, the headrest frames were installed. That's all that's needed to keep the headrests in. Best thing is you can just cut them away anytime you need to pull the LCDs out, nothing tricky there. Then I snapped the LCD into their frames.
The wiring for the LCDs originate from the back of the DVD player in the dash (look at the thread mentioned in the post above) from there the video signal is fed to a video signal amplifier. I did this so when I split the signal there would be no problems. I used a unit made by PYLE with 3 video outs. From there the 2 video wires were snaked along the left/right sides of the center console respectively under the carpet under the front seats. The wires emerge from a small hole in the carpet. You have to leave slack and compensate for the forward/rearward movement of the power seats. I entered the seatbacks by snaking them through. I managed them through without cutting. I had to remove the back of the front seats. I used cable ties and the wires stayed along the seat frames up towards where the headrest posts meet. I kept the female side of the LCD connector here. My LCDs are connected at this point under the headrest so you don't see it unless you pull the headrests up. Whenever I need to, I can pull my headrests off and unplug/plug my LCDs from the seat as a unit.
I also have monitor covers for when I am parked in the city/valeted or servicing the car. It really helps make everything stealthy. The LCDs are not particularly noticeable through the tint. Best seats in my private jet are in the rear ladies. First class.
Last edited by rockyfeller; 10-14-2009 at 07:37 PM.
#145
I know, trust me I was scared to do it.....cut leather?? Something just feels wrong while you are doing it, lol. But it really is not that bad if you are careful.
I considered doing readymade aftermarket headrests but chose no for 4 reasons:
1) The leather/vinyl on the headrest may be black but not the exact color or worse, the grain might be totally off.
2) Most of the aftermarket headrests don't usually tilt. I don't know about you guys but I NEED this function! I found a couple that do but the screens weren't that nice.
3)There is a notch in the upper part of the front seatback where the headrest meets the seat. Theheadrest actually fits into this notch. An aftermarket headrest may be a different shape and may not necessarily fit in that same gap.
4)You have better options having an open choice of models of monitors. (Dimensions being your own limiting factor). Finding a better quality widescreen is more likely and of course the best end result is you will save money.
I considered doing readymade aftermarket headrests but chose no for 4 reasons:
1) The leather/vinyl on the headrest may be black but not the exact color or worse, the grain might be totally off.
2) Most of the aftermarket headrests don't usually tilt. I don't know about you guys but I NEED this function! I found a couple that do but the screens weren't that nice.
3)There is a notch in the upper part of the front seatback where the headrest meets the seat. Theheadrest actually fits into this notch. An aftermarket headrest may be a different shape and may not necessarily fit in that same gap.
4)You have better options having an open choice of models of monitors. (Dimensions being your own limiting factor). Finding a better quality widescreen is more likely and of course the best end result is you will save money.
#147
I will. Sometime. Just been busy. And when I am not, I'm lazy. lol. Cold out now, I should have shot pics in the summer. I've been putting off the purchase of a D-SLR like a Nikon D-90 for awhile now......Had I bought it, you know the site would be bum rushed with pics.
I was going to shoot an HD video featuring ALL my mods. Look for that in the spring. My car is pretty much complete at this stage so it will be the anthology of my car.
I was going to shoot an HD video featuring ALL my mods. Look for that in the spring. My car is pretty much complete at this stage so it will be the anthology of my car.
#149
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www.Oznium.com carries them.
#154
As mentioned before, I bought the strips from another member who was briefly a vendor. That was back in 2006 when flex strips were a new thing. You can find similar strips all over Ebay or Oznium as Steven mentioned cheaper nowadays.
I bought the LEDs back in 2006 from Tec-Toys. They were the best at the time with mini-12LED bulbs. He offered a lifetime warranty. He has since disappeared, lol. I think 3 or 4 have them have blown but again interior LEDs are readily available now. I am planning to upgrade to SMT boards. I find them FAR more reliable and brighter. For installation refer to the thread snake mentioned.
freetempo, I installed a separate DVD player. This is linked to Dom's unit. This is the thread about it: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=622410
2morrow. Here is a link about my grille: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/rockyfeller-asks%3B-how-should-my-grille-look-631329/
I bought the LEDs back in 2006 from Tec-Toys. They were the best at the time with mini-12LED bulbs. He offered a lifetime warranty. He has since disappeared, lol. I think 3 or 4 have them have blown but again interior LEDs are readily available now. I am planning to upgrade to SMT boards. I find them FAR more reliable and brighter. For installation refer to the thread snake mentioned.
freetempo, I installed a separate DVD player. This is linked to Dom's unit. This is the thread about it: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=622410
2morrow. Here is a link about my grille: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/rockyfeller-asks%3B-how-should-my-grille-look-631329/
#156
Thanks, I know man. Well I finally have a D-SLR. I don't have skills like some people like Faiz but I'll try. I am going to get my rims on, a few more mods, some bodywork done and the car will look fresh. I will take some good shots with video in a couple months once the car looks tip-top.
#157
Dude the car looks great! A couple question. 1 how did you get the headrest done cuz they look clean. 2 I just got my TL and im still kinda new to the Acura scene . . . but are the silver Acura plates on the bottom of the door seal lit up? The car looks great and i can wait to mod mine.
#158
Theres a guy on ebay who makes them in a 3"x3" size. I asked him to make it half size. He said no. I offered to pay extra and he made them. I don't know which guy he is now. My decals were on there perfectly fine until a month ago. (That's over 4 yrs of use) I destroyed almost of all of them from my head or maybe a gfriend's head.....gettin a lil too busy in the car, lol. I need to get them remade now. I'll let you know who to go to once I track someone down.
#159
Drifting
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They are the "Centercaps" stickers from GrafiXpressions.com, although I cannot find them on the website. I emailed Tom to see if they are still available, but they may be a custom order thing now.
I replaced the 2 that fell off with a pack of 4, so I still have extras, if needed. You may want to consider ordering 6 or so.
Its a decent look, but embroidered would be so much better.
Rocky---how about some new pics, bud?
I replaced the 2 that fell off with a pack of 4, so I still have extras, if needed. You may want to consider ordering 6 or so.
Its a decent look, but embroidered would be so much better.
Rocky---how about some new pics, bud?
Last edited by dwb993; 05-25-2010 at 07:35 PM.