Voodoo's '04 WDP - Tastefully Dressed
10-26-2009, 01:06 AM
#1
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
Voodoo's '04 WDP - Tastefully Dressed
It came to that time of my life that my wife and I decided to start a family. My first daughter was born last March 11th, and the newest addition (another daughter) came almost three weeks ago on October 6th. This next step in my life required me to move on from my passion for the Miata and onto bigger and better things. Well, ok... the TL doesn't hold up to the handling capabilities of the Miata, but it makes up for it in style. 
I sold the "Miatae" and picked up my '04 5AT Navi from a local Acura dealership as a CPO vehicle last December 5th. It was bone stock and had 21,000 miles on the odometer. It was a previously leased corporate vehicle, and it was in damn good shape for a vehicle almost 5 years old. It was exactly what I was looking for in a car that would ultimately replace what I felt was one of the best affordable sports cars on the market. Apples and oranges, I know... But you get my point.
Here are pics of the Miatas that found other happy owners:
'95 Classic Red
'00 Mahogany Mica Special Edition
On to the TL...
The first few mods were trivial. The car had already come with rear tinted windows (actually, all four were tinted when I first saw the car come off the truck, but the dealer by law had to remove the front tint to meet state requirements for sale). I started with debadging the rear, added in some LED rear plate lighting, replaced my stock fog lamps with Nokya Yellows, put in a DRL module (my rather long commute requires headlights to be on most of the way due to driving an accident-prone two lane highway - save the HIDs!), changed the navi splash screen to an image more to my liking, and removed the mid-muffler and installed an aftermarket resonator (known around here as the "Stage 3" exhaust mod). Still mostly stock, but with a few hints of an enthusiast behind the wheel.
Bone Stock - Direct from the dealer
CCFL rear plate lighting
Cockpit w/custom navi splash screen
Navi splash screen - up close
Nokya JDM yellow fogs
I swore up and down to my wife that I was going to keep her stock, with an exception of a few small upgrades here and there. But having come from driving a Miata on a daily basis for the past several years, the TL was beginning to beg for more attention to detail.
My pocketbook told me to be careful, but I threw all caution to the wind and decided to upgrade the suspension and tires and add the A-SPEC appearance package on to bolden up the already aggressive look of the car in factory form. I opted for Tein S-tech springs matched with Tokico "Blues", and found a great deal on a full A-SPEC undebody kit with rear lip spoiler through the dealer where I purchased the car. Finally, I just recently changed out the tires from the god-awful OEM all-season Bridgestones to a more reasonably priced and better performing General Exclaim UHP summer tire. What a difference that made! It was driving a whole different car with these new tires. Honda Motor Company sure didn't do the car justice with fitting the TL with the EL-42's off the showroom floor.
So, here in current form, is my contribution to the Photograph Gallery, the Voodoo Family Truckster, better known in the family as just "the TL".
Showcasing the new stance with the Tein S-techs
A-SPEC underbody kit with OEM rear lip spoiler
Engine Bay - Pretty standard
The TL's illumination options:
Aftermarket DRL module installed
Standard 4300k headlamps
Headlamps with fogs
California Sunset
The Family Truckster - I feel bad for the leather
Any further plans? Not really. Wheels would be nice, but it's not in the budget anytime soon. Fortunately, I believe Honda/Acura made a decent effort in supplying the car with wheels that fit the bill. The stockies will probably remain for the life of the car. Unlike my other cars in the past, I will not be adding an intake or performance exhaust. The car has ample power for it's class, and the money that would be spent for these parts can go elsewhere... maybe an upgraded rear sway bar to stiffen up the rear end a bit, or perhaps some decent 4" exhaust tips to replace the stock ones.
The TL has fit like a glove for my everyday needs. Even though I do miss having a Miata in the family, I know that I've chosen a suitable replacement that will provide me with a safe vehicle for my family. Sure beats the mini-van or crossover!
I sold the "Miatae" and picked up my '04 5AT Navi from a local Acura dealership as a CPO vehicle last December 5th. It was bone stock and had 21,000 miles on the odometer. It was a previously leased corporate vehicle, and it was in damn good shape for a vehicle almost 5 years old. It was exactly what I was looking for in a car that would ultimately replace what I felt was one of the best affordable sports cars on the market. Apples and oranges, I know... But you get my point.
Here are pics of the Miatas that found other happy owners:
'95 Classic Red
'00 Mahogany Mica Special Edition
On to the TL...
The first few mods were trivial. The car had already come with rear tinted windows (actually, all four were tinted when I first saw the car come off the truck, but the dealer by law had to remove the front tint to meet state requirements for sale). I started with debadging the rear, added in some LED rear plate lighting, replaced my stock fog lamps with Nokya Yellows, put in a DRL module (my rather long commute requires headlights to be on most of the way due to driving an accident-prone two lane highway - save the HIDs!), changed the navi splash screen to an image more to my liking, and removed the mid-muffler and installed an aftermarket resonator (known around here as the "Stage 3" exhaust mod). Still mostly stock, but with a few hints of an enthusiast behind the wheel.
Bone Stock - Direct from the dealer
CCFL rear plate lighting
Cockpit w/custom navi splash screen
Navi splash screen - up close
Nokya JDM yellow fogs
I swore up and down to my wife that I was going to keep her stock, with an exception of a few small upgrades here and there. But having come from driving a Miata on a daily basis for the past several years, the TL was beginning to beg for more attention to detail.
My pocketbook told me to be careful, but I threw all caution to the wind and decided to upgrade the suspension and tires and add the A-SPEC appearance package on to bolden up the already aggressive look of the car in factory form. I opted for Tein S-tech springs matched with Tokico "Blues", and found a great deal on a full A-SPEC undebody kit with rear lip spoiler through the dealer where I purchased the car. Finally, I just recently changed out the tires from the god-awful OEM all-season Bridgestones to a more reasonably priced and better performing General Exclaim UHP summer tire. What a difference that made! It was driving a whole different car with these new tires. Honda Motor Company sure didn't do the car justice with fitting the TL with the EL-42's off the showroom floor.
So, here in current form, is my contribution to the Photograph Gallery, the Voodoo Family Truckster, better known in the family as just "the TL".
Showcasing the new stance with the Tein S-techs
A-SPEC underbody kit with OEM rear lip spoiler
Engine Bay - Pretty standard
The TL's illumination options:
Aftermarket DRL module installed
Standard 4300k headlamps
Headlamps with fogs
California Sunset
The Family Truckster - I feel bad for the leather
Any further plans? Not really. Wheels would be nice, but it's not in the budget anytime soon. Fortunately, I believe Honda/Acura made a decent effort in supplying the car with wheels that fit the bill. The stockies will probably remain for the life of the car. Unlike my other cars in the past, I will not be adding an intake or performance exhaust. The car has ample power for it's class, and the money that would be spent for these parts can go elsewhere... maybe an upgraded rear sway bar to stiffen up the rear end a bit, or perhaps some decent 4" exhaust tips to replace the stock ones.
The TL has fit like a glove for my everyday needs. Even though I do miss having a Miata in the family, I know that I've chosen a suitable replacement that will provide me with a safe vehicle for my family. Sure beats the mini-van or crossover!
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10-26-2009, 06:20 PM
#10
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
WDP FTW! Tastefully done man
How's the ride and camber with those S-Tech springs? My TL needs a drop desperately
And +1 on cleaning your engine bay
How's the ride and camber with those S-Tech springs? My TL needs a drop desperately
And +1 on cleaning your engine bay
10-26-2009, 06:52 PM
#11
2008 Acura TL Type-S
Very Niiiice. The mods you've done are extremely tasteful and well-executed.
And congrats on finding an '04 with so few miles!
Watch out, that navi screen is going to give the kiddies nightmares...
And congrats on finding an '04 with so few miles!
Watch out, that navi screen is going to give the kiddies nightmares...
10-26-2009, 11:07 PM
#13
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
Thanks to all for the compliments given. My goal was to keep it as simple as possible. I'm pleased with the results thus far.
Yeah, I know... The engine area needs to be mopped up a bit. I wanted to show that I did something somewhat creative with the leftover "TL" from the trunk lid. I think it adds a little character.
Yeah, I know... The engine area needs to be mopped up a bit. I wanted to show that I did something somewhat creative with the leftover "TL" from the trunk lid. I think it adds a little character.
10-27-2009, 11:55 AM
#18
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
I'm just north of Sac, south of Marysville, in Plumas Lake. I work in Roseville and grew up in Antelope.
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/C...-p4481133.html
I put them in several months ago and have not had any issues. I try to take care with closing the trunk, as I understand the LEDs have issues after being banged around a bit.
10-27-2009, 05:39 PM
#22
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
Thanks. I opted for the springs over the coilovers due to the obvious price difference. I was a little worried that the ride height was going to end up too low or too high, but it turned out to be perfect. There is no going sideways over speedbumps, and the wheel gap between fender and tire is minimal. You probably will be very happy if you decide to go the route I did with the S-techs.
10-27-2009, 08:33 PM
#23
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
The S-techs ride very close to stock. I can hardly notice a difference, especially with a tire that has a softer sidewall. Camber is just out of factory specs. I don't have the stats in front of me, but at this point I'm not going to invest in a kit. It will all depend on how the tires wear after this latest alignment.
Hopefully I'll be investing in a drop soon.
10-29-2009, 06:38 PM
#25
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My first few attempts produced a lag time of a few seconds before it came up, and then it only stayed up for a couple seconds before going to the nag screen. I ended up following the directions given in one of the sticky threads in the Electronics forum, but slightly reduced the size of the picture that the instructions were indicating would work. Voila! Splash screen worked like a charm!
11-01-2009, 07:20 PM
#26
Phmbm12
It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My first few attempts produced a lag time of a few seconds before it came up, and then it only stayed up for a couple seconds before going to the nag screen. I ended up following the directions given in one of the sticky threads in the Electronics forum, but slightly reduced the size of the picture that the instructions were indicating would work. Voila! Splash screen worked like a charm!
01-03-2010, 11:48 PM
#30
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
Update - A Minor Facelift
The holidays have come and gone, and I finally got around this past week and installed the Type-S tails & sidemarkers and the window visors. I wasn't a fan of window visors on cars (trucks were ok in my book), so I had to throw caution to the wind and install them to see if I really liked them. If not, they were going on the BM. Fortunately, the OEM ones look pretty good, so I'm gonna stick with them. It rained all weekend, so it was a nice option to have the window cracked while it was pouring outside. So, I figured I'd post a few pics to update my thread. It's nothing many of you probably already haven't seen here before, but I'm still proud of my TL and I like to show it off to other enthusiasts. So there. Enjoy!
Oh... excuse the quality of some of these. I was running out of daylight, and my little point and shoot camera was struggling with the ambient light.
Quad tips on stock mufflers with UA6 tails
Newly TL-S tail/sidemarker lights
TL-S tails and new window visors
Showcasing window visors from the front
Side view
Enjoy!Oh... excuse the quality of some of these. I was running out of daylight, and my little point and shoot camera was struggling with the ambient light.
Quad tips on stock mufflers with UA6 tails
Newly TL-S tail/sidemarker lights
TL-S tails and new window visors
Showcasing window visors from the front
Side view
01-04-2010, 02:06 AM
#32
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
I just paid the extra money and got the OEM ones. Hondacuraworld has a tail/sidemarker combo package that is decently priced, and there are no shipping charges. The lip spoiler is the OEM accessory, which ran me somewhere in the market of over $200. IMO, its the best looking one available.
Thanks for the praise!
Thanks for the praise!
01-04-2010, 09:52 AM
#33
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
Looking great man! Sometimes simple is better
I really need the A-Spec kit now
I really need the A-Spec kit now
01-05-2010, 10:48 PM
#36
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
The lip spoiler is the "base" accessory. The Type-S spoiler is a little bit bigger than that. Not to mention, a LOT more expensive.
Thanks! I seem to think so. Probably one of the least expensive around as well.
Thanks! I seem to think so. Probably one of the least expensive around as well.
03-15-2010, 12:41 AM
#37
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
Ass Shots
I've always been a fan of phat asses... Here we are showcasing the new tails, customized by AckTL05. Again, photography isn't my cup of tea, so pictures are from a simple point and click model with no flair.
Let's review the transition from Plain Jane to Hot Lips Houlihan.
Jan '09 (after a good debadgin')
Summer '09 (sporting her new short skirt and long jacket)
Thanksgiving '09 (four holes are better than two!)
Christmas '09 (TL-S tails: From Guess to Gucci)
Spring '10 (jptl04's TL-S tails, replicated by AckTL05: From Gucci to Prada)
More?
MOAR!!
Let's review the transition from Plain Jane to Hot Lips Houlihan.
Jan '09 (after a good debadgin')
Summer '09 (sporting her new short skirt and long jacket)
Thanksgiving '09 (four holes are better than two!)
Christmas '09 (TL-S tails: From Guess to Gucci)
Spring '10 (jptl04's TL-S tails, replicated by AckTL05: From Gucci to Prada)
More?
MOAR!!
03-15-2010, 01:00 AM
#39
Area on my XM
Thread Starter
03-15-2010, 08:13 AM
#40
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
"Four holes are better than two!"
Awesome commentary on the pictures man! I just woke up but I'm laughing my ass off.
The tails looks great. I really like them
Awesome commentary on the pictures man! I just woke up but I'm laughing my ass off. The tails looks great. I really like them