Buda

iTrader: (1)

The pieces that others may not have done are:
ACURA
TL
A-spec
Hood trim for '07

The parts that I had done that would be more typical:
Grill - Shield piece
Grill - A emblem
Grill - Wing (cross bar) piece
Hood Trim - '06
Rear A emblem

I'll make sure to get breakdowns of cost from Alex per piece when all is said and done. I spend a total of 196 on parts, again that is for all 9 pieces. I bought the parts from Tim at hondacuraworld.com.

The license plate trim is being shipped to alex as we speak.

darksom1

You did the right thing, because damn if my ass doesn't have 2 traffic tickets coming up: 1 in May, and the other in June! Man, I got that damn CAI after those two tickets and I keep getting reminded by my friends that my next mod should be a hard-wired Valentine 1! Hopefully I can survive without another ticket before then!

darksom1

Hmm...I thought your boy hooked you up for the TL pieces? Maybe you explained that and I forgot...guess that's not too bad...it's less than what I paid, but close.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

Yep, I had mentioned that he couldn't get me the parts for cheaper then Tim could in the other thread.

It would have been less but I got that '07 piece as well so they could see what the black chroming could do for them.

brettallica

Free bump for a cool dude and a cool mod. Next one's gonna cost ya!

Buda

iTrader: (1)

^-- who was the bump for?

I hope to have some more info tomorrow on the black chroming status.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I was walking out of the gym to my car this evening. There was my baby sitting there staring at me with the stock grill and suddenly the vision hit me like a brick. My grill turned to black chrome, but it didn't stop there suddenly my head lights were cleared and blacked out. It was sweeeeet! Unfortunately I came back to reality.

Alex emailed me today and said all the chroming is finished. He just wanted to buff the pieces, which is not something he normally does but he wanted to as the pieces are larger than normal. I really hope the pieces get to me by the weekend so I can install them!

darksom1

Make it a reality! Do you feel savvy enough to do the headlights yourself like Brett did? Not me...the whole idea about my lights in the oven just doesn't work for me, but you like doing mods yourself...so try it! Hard to find someone to do it in your area...unless you live here!

Tell me after seeing TLs with and without cleared heads and A-spec kits, wouldn't you agree that they don't look right unless they at least have the kit? I think they are beautiful with both! I hate the bar on the grill, but that is at least ok, just not for me.

sandiegodrive

Man darksom! I still can't get over how good your grill looks!!!!!!

darksom1

Thanks! Just like we planned it huh? Makes me smile too man!

And it will look even better tomorrow when everything will be brand new freshly painted NBP!!

It's supposed to be ready by the time I get off work tomorrow! I can't wait!

brettallica

There was no one more reluctant to put their ~$1000ish set of headlights into an OVEN and bake them! I was fed up, though. I wanted those cleared headlights and nothing was gonna stop me. I figured that since so many other people had done it and posted their DIYs, and that I got some tips from a pretty credible source, I had plenty of information to make myself dangerous. Turns out, at least so far, that I did a pretty good job. I'm pretty handy when it comes to making custom stuff, but this was a whole 'nother level of modding that I'd never experienced prior to this. I guess what it boiled down to was: if I completely failed and the headlights were ruined, I could still just buy more and get back to normal. The only downside to the whole thing is I can't really offer myself a warranty.

Midnight_TL

okay i decided to go all black. the paint shop said they'll color match the grill NBP for me. So I'll throw some pics up when I get it done!

darksom1

This time get it done right so you won't have those chips! As if I have to tell you! I know you hated them!

darksom1

Guy who did mine say he would fix them lifetime of car!!!

brettallica

That's pretty awesome. I remember you saying that. I think Retrofit-Source offers a one-year warranty, which is also pretty good considering the type of work being done.

Too bad there's no one in my area who is offering this service, at least not that I've found through Google searching.

darksom1

I think it's a sweet deal! I'm sure in Cali, there is someone doing lights. Just gotta find them!

darksom1

Are you also painting the emblem "A" black? Total stealth mode?

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I'm not sure if I'll do the headlights by myself or not. I want them color matched as well, so that may play a factor. I'll may have to do a core swap or something.

btw, I'll be getting the a-spec MT suspension soon!

darksom1

I thought that only drops down 1-1 1/2 inches? Also, you don't think making the lights NBP is overkill? I mean, they look hella good with the black the guy used on mine. I guess they will look nice, but probably cost a lot more for that paint, too.

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I could be overkill. I have time to decide as the headlight clearing wont' happen for a while yet. This black chroming thing and getting that suspension has gone over the remaining budget I had allocated for phase 1 changes. Heck I'm on v1.5 now.

I found out why alex has not shipped the parts yet. He is wanting them to cure naturally and then buff them before sending them out to me. He's giving them a 5 day cure time which is thursday and then will buff and ship so they'll go out friday or so.

I talked to alex about pricing for others. It turns out the job was more difficult on the bigger pieces than anticipated so I'm getting lucky as I was the ginea pig and he said I'm getting it for cost as I was the trial run on this. He is willing to put out prices on this for those that wish to contact him. I am in no way going to be a vendor and organize buys on this. I'll just pass along info and if someone wants to contact him then so be it.

Alex said he would give me 2 sets of costs. The first would be just for chroming the grill pieces which would be much cheaper option and I believe much cheaper than what bretallica got. The second option would be for the black chroming. That will be more expensive as the satin finish on the grill would be need to be chromed as well. Good new's for the '07 people as theirs is nickel plated, alex can just add more color which would cost much less. I'll post up what I find out.

I also want to make sure what I'm allowed to post with the mods first. Don't want to step on toes. This guy will not be getting on these forums to sell. This would just be an FYI for others interested in the black chroming.

darksom1

Good work Buda man! Good work! That's basically what Ethan (Trancemission) did when he originally introduced this idea. We just, or rather now you, ran with it. I think you should just refer people that want the info to his website or do a "one post" for those that are interested. The 07 seems to allow for a more deeper color when you do those pieces. They are lucky. Even Brett experienced that with the chroming.

Sooo, I guess that more elaborate grille job will be scrapped now that you have progress on this grille? Hey, did you hold the pieces up to the car so that you can see how they will contrast when you got that initial batch back? If so, you must've really liked it if you are going back for more...

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I haven't got any of them back. What I saw in the pics was better than what it looks like now so I went ahead and sent in the license plate trim, which they were working on today. I figure that if I don't like it, it'll just motivate me to have it painted black. Either way it will look better than what is does now.

Having that license plate trim of my car makes it look weird.

trancemission

If nobody wants to be a vendor for him or he doesnt want to be a vendor for us then I will just have to delete threads that pertain to him.

My goal was to find someone that plated plastic. Buda, PM me when you get everything done.

Don't post any prices in any thread till I can talk to Alex and the Admin...

darksom1

Hahaha! Post a pic so I can see! I wondered what that might've looked like if I did it.

darksom1

Next month it's birthday time and the gift has got to be tinting my whip! So, the pics are gonna slow down until I get that done. Meantime in between time, of the Grille Crew so far, Brett has checked in with his, yours truly has expressed hisself, and now we are waiting on Sandiegodrive, Rockyfeller, Midnight-TL, and last but not least...Buda! Which I am especially waiting to see as this could have been me with this mod!

So what's up? Show 'em whatcha got, show 'em whatcha got!!

brettallica

Not that this is too newsworthy, but my hood trim molding has just been received by the chromers at Chrome Pros Plating, so when that's done I'll just sell my black chrome TL-S hood trim molding (Black Market perhaps?) and have the super-sick matching chrome grill pieces.

darksom1

Where is Midnight_TL with that grille setup?

darksom1

Also, I don't know if I mentioned it before, but when the guy installed my grille previously, he screwed in the front emblem too hard so that it had two pointy peaks on the front of the "A" from the screws. I got that corrected last night, so that if you do take your "A" off and put it back on, be careful.

SteveP66

ok Darkboy here ya go...... added to your grill thread.

Originally Posted by SteveP66
The grill swap I'm talking about is the 07 TL-S grill into my 06............both upper and lower grills.


I think the upper grille trim is too tall for the 06. I definitely know it isn't an exact fit. But come to think of it, I think I saw you on the thread where the guy did the modification to it. Is that true? You cutting it to fit?

THIS SHOULD BE IN THE GRILLE THREAD!!!

LOL - Yeah Crook did it - the grill is too tall so you do have to slice it in half in order to make it work. Looking at his finished product you would never know the difference. I like the honeycomb look of it......

Even more interesting......I parked next to an older MDX yesterday.....the grill on that sucker looks like a good fit for the TL.

(now where is that grill thread).....

darksom1

LOL! Nah, I just wanted it over here so everybody who is checking in on grille mods can see it (updates) and get ideas. Like I forgot to mention about my "A" until I was talking to you about grilles.

The older MDX grille sux to me as far as image! Too big looking to be on our car. When are you going to do your grille?

SteveP66

When I say older MDX I think it might be an 04 +

As far as when........I'll admit it - I'm a wimp.....worried about pulling the front bumper off for fear of getting in way over my head.

I have a week off at the end of May - maybe I'll try to remove the bumper and .....

1 - Mod/Swap the grill
2 - Insert the Accord fogs and lower 07 TLS grills

I'm probably a minority because I like the look of the wing or bar across the front of the grill. I'm just not a big fan of the grill (OEM) itself......I love the honeycomb look of the TLS one....

SteveP66

Here's the link to that thread in case anyone is interested.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ght=grate+grin

darksom1

Hey, that's the one that Buda was going to do. Speaking of which, where is Buda? And Sandiegodrive and Rockyfeller with their grilles?

^^Yeah, you are definitely the minority on that one (at least up in this thread)!!

SteveP66

LOL - I knew I would be.....where is my Chromed friend when I need him.....lol

Hey dark....I've read all the posts - searched the searches - read the 3 1/2 inch helms manual....and in all honesty how hard is it to pull the front bumper cover off?

Is it really as easy as it sounds/looks.......and putting it back on too....

darksom1

I've never taken it off myself, but the back is easier than the front is what I've heard. I wasn't there when the mech took mine off to do my lights. I always assume that for projects like that, you should plan to make a day of it (between taking breaks and multi-tasking). A lot of guys do it, but hey, they may be used to working on cars too. I am more like you, I don't want to damage jack, so I would rather pay someone, watch them, then I can do it the next time!

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I'm here!!! Waiting on Alex to ship out the grill and emblems. I emailed him last night to ask when they would ship out. I'm not sure if he was trying to get the license plate trim done first and then send them all out at once or not. Alex typically responds by 1pm so hopefully I'll get a response today.

Could be a busy weekend for me. Installing new grill/emblems, aspec suspension, looking for a new place to live, and helping 05TLRIDER with the tails install.

darksom1

Have you ever taken your front bumper off? Maybe you can help Steve. And about the a-spec suspension, that only drops 1 inch right? I thought about that, then thought I might want more later and also to adjust on the fly. So Tein SS Coilovers w/EDFC for me when that guy on here get's the strut right!

Buda

iTrader: (1)

I have not taken off the front bumper but I've looked at the Aspec lip install instructions, which of course show how to take off the bumper and it doesn't look that bad. I think it will be easy enough. I'm also going to try to get the '07 grill to fit at the same time I put on the new parts.

Alex just emailed me. He said that I should get the parts today AND he is posting pics of my stuff on his website. He'll send me the link when he has them uploaded. Looks like I'll be heading home early! I may start putting on the rear emblems tonight. YAY!

SteveP66

That is good news .... (wishes he could go home early).....lol. Let me know how you make out with the 07 grill. I was reading a post earlier today which said you could access the grill without removing the entire bumper - he went it from the top and from underneath - tight squeeze but he says he did it.

SteveP66

I just thought of something .......... Brett might know - after all he must have taken off his bumper to clear his lights.....

Hey Brett ?????

Front bumper removal....? Any words of wisdom ?