I got a professional photo shoot done of my 2011 Polished Metal Metallic TL SH-AWD Tech today. The photographer was....me! I used a Nikon D7000 with a 18-200 mm F/3.5-5.6 and a 35 mm F/1.8 lens. I used Adobe Light Room to process the pictures to give them a similar effect to what you see in the Acura brochures.

The car was Zaino detailed by myself last week....that's why it's so freakishly shiny. I love the way the car feels smooth like glass.

I got the OEM Sport Grill and Rear Trim piece (midnight chrome) installed by John Eagle Acura dealership.

I have clear bra film on the front bumper hood, fenders, grill, headlights, and fog lights installed by a local shop that I go to for all my tinting/clear bras. For my door edges, I have the official OEM accessory door edge film (3M brand) that I had John Eagle Acura install for me as well. I purposely took some close-up shots of the clear bra lines for those who are thinking about getting a clear bra and scared the lines are too visible. Trust me, the lines are not visible (at least on dark cars) and you won't regret getting a clear bra.

I have Silvania Silverstar Ultra 9005 bulbs for DRL/high beam and Luminics Ultra White H11 for fog light bulbs. I use to have Lumincs Ultra White 9005 bulbs, but HATED how it turned the entire reflector housing into a dark ricey blue. I took them out within a week.

I also have Philips 6000K Flash White D2S bulbs (not installed yet) and an HIDextra.com 6000K H11 fog light kit coming soon. I'll post pics of the Philips bulbs and HIDextra.com kit after I get those installed.

For now, enjoy my beautiful pictures!

 

You are a clear bra freak lol

Pictures of the GF please.


BTW looks great!!

 

Beautiful car and shots! Thanks for sharing.

 

Looks great

 

Ha...you've got a very observant eye...

 

car looks good pics are good quality.question on the Philips 6000K Flash White D2S bulbs.What does the flash white mean?Are they newer bulbs from phillip?Also where did you get them from?Iam looking to change my hid bulbs to something whiter than stock.Can't wait to see some pics of those installed

 

 

Look at the Philips website here:
http://www.lighting.philips.com.au/v...2_1&id=1053472

"Flash White" is simply a naming convention for the model of light. Here is how the naming works:

Flash Star - 6700K [I had these in my M3 and they are white with a purplish tint. They are clean looking, but I didn't like the purple tint that shows up on the edges of the cut-off pattern.]
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...ips+flash+star

Flash White - 6000K

Flash Cool - 5700K

Flash Clear - 5000K

Xenon HID Standard - 4200K

i bought my Flash White from Ebay member ultinon:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Phili...#ht_500wt_1182

The listing says item is located in Washington....but when I got them after 7 days, they were actually from Germany and had went through customs (that's a good thing!).

 

i think that the color TL you have and the grill in midnight chrome looks better than the 2012 TL. nicely done.

 

Seconded! Awesome pics!

 

Thanks for the compliment. I think that the Sport Grill looks best on dark-colored cars (PMM, Gregio, and CBP). I've seen the Sport Grill on a WDP, and it doesn't look as good (but still better than stock).

 

Car looks awesome.

 

Nice ride and beautiful pics.

 

I also have a PMM TL but a basic non-tech one. Just got my front grill and rear trim custom painted and have to wait 30 days for the paint to sit (April 2nd) to install a clear bra. I had the car since end of last December, so I’m wondering if it’s too late for a clear bra for my front. I don’t see any chips or dings so any suggestions guys? I have 2 choices with the clear bra; 1st choice would be 3M at a local shop with 3 years warranty at about $600 for the typical front protection, 2nd choice is Nano-Fusion Protection from Avery Dennison Paint Protection Film with another shop with a limited "life time" warranty at about $600 also.

 

Since your car is only 3 months old, it's still not too late to get the clear bra done, especially since you don't have any chips yet.

I don't have any experience with the 3M andAvery Dennison brands, so I can't comment on which you should get.

 

Nice pics, and great job at the photography!

 

car looks awesome nice pics too

 

Thanks man, I’ll just have to be careful till then.

 

TL looks fantastic. I was thinking of having the clear bra applied to the front bumper, mirrors and above the headlight area. How much did the bra detail run you ?
The TL has a large front end.... so I'd like to prevent all the little stone chips etc.

 

You should get the entire front end like I did if you want maximum protection to keep your TL looking like the day you got it off the lot. My front bumper, hood, fenders, headlights, foglights, side mirrors cost $750 with a lifetime warranty on parts and labor. I then went back to get the grill done for $150 (paid too much but he wouldn't negotiate any further).

Basically, where you see the clear bra line on the hood in this picture and down toward the front of the car, is completely covered. Basically, the entire front end of the car will be protected for the life that I own my car. Some people hate clear bras and choose to have their bumper re-painted every couple of years. To me, it's easier to just get a clear bra.

 

Nice Photos and nice car!

RE: Silvania SilverStar 9005SU DRL Bulbs
so what color do you DRL look? Do they still look yellow with these?

 

The SilverStar 9005SU still look yellow identical to stock when used as DRLs. As high beams, they are whiter (no blue at all). The bulbs when off are tinted ever so slightly...but still pretty much transparent.

 

No, silverstarts are similar to the bluish/white ones.
Great shots, man...that pearl really pops in those pictures!
That said, WOW...900 bucks it quite the investment. I told myself if i did every buy a new car I'd probably invest in that but you can get the bumper repainted a few times for that price.

Then again, there's nothing like preserving OEM paint etc.

 

LOL...you mean this person in the background?

http://gallery.me.com/frank.lin/1003...12994454370001

 

He was asking if the SilverStars look yellow when they are on as Day Time Running Lights....the answer is yes, they look yellow like stock.

But if they are used as High Beams, then they are much whiter than stock.

Clear Bras are always pricey. But its worth it. Say, you get your bumper repainted due to too many rock chips...and the next week...BAM...another flying stone hits your freshly painted bumper. You're probably going to live with it for a couple of more years (while it accumulates more chips) before you repaint. OR just get a clear bra and never have to worry about chips or repainting ever. I think one rock chip ruins the beauty of the car.

 

Looks smooth, Smoothie! Zaino has always worked well for me too-congrats.

2011 National AcuraZine Meet-Kansas City-June 12, 2011-Details Here!

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So the clear bra doesn't get indentations etc from the stones? If so, I could see it being a wise investment because realistically, you will end up upping the resale on it.

 

No, the clear bra is made out of strong material so that it can withstand the flying stones that hit you at 80 mph. I've had one on my M3 for over 2 years and my front end was flawless.

Clear bra is actually the first mod I do on every car and always get it within 1 week of purchase.

 

Looks good

 

Thanks, neal5653. After you get your RonJon kit installed, I'll give you a free pro photo shoot and post the pics in the Photography forum so everybody can see the kit. How about it?

 

Cool Smoothie. Nice offer.


2011 National AcuraZine Meet-Kansas City-June 12, 2011-Details Here!


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Car looks Awesome!!! also the pics are far better than Acura's PR photos

 

SMOOTHIE....You have done an amazing job with your photos and detailing of the car!! It looks FANTASTIC! I should get you to come and take some photos of mine although the pics I took of my 09 TSX turned out pretty good. I had to laugh when I was browsing through the photos cause I was wondering if others had noticed the picture of the g/f (wife) .. Funny how men react when they see a good looking woman! I think in this case its because you combined the two things most men fantasize about....Women and Cars. Had you put a picture of your girlfriend laying on the hood of the car with a BEER in her hand, my friend, I would have made a mess and had to throw my jeans in the wash! LMAO! Seriously, congrats on the great pics, an amazing car and what appears to be a VERY attractive spouse!!

 

Smoothie, where in houston did you get your clear bra from? And what brand?

 

Now there is a million dollar idea!! Better than Victoria Secrets!!

 

I got my M3 and TL done by:

X-Pert Tinting and Alarm
11231 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77031-3603
(281) 575-0371

The owner's name is Sonny, a real nice guy who does excellent work. He has contracts with BMW, Mini, Cadillac, Audi, and Ferrari and does all the work when owners buy a new vehicle and have the "dealer" clear bra it. It turns out the dealers just have an employee drive the car to X-Pert and either Sonny or his assistant (Jose) does the work.

Since you have a 2012 TL, you'd better call to see if he has the template for the 2012 TL. He may not have it (yet) since the car is so new.

 

shouldnt the be able to cut it without a template? ... its sort of like tint which can be done with computer cuts ... but u can also do it without a comp, right?

 

Clear bras are always cut with a plotter using computer templates. Nobody ever cuts it by hand. Cutting the film by hand will never get the perfectly straight lines that you need or get the exact shape that you need. For example, the TL grill is very complex to cut because of all the grooves and angles it has. No human could cut it perfectly.

Also, nowadays, all window tint is cut by plotters with computer templates as well. I would never take my car to get a clear bra or window tint, unless the shop has a plotter with computer templates.

 

My window tinter still cuts by hand.

 

Gorgeous car!!! Congrats. I was thinking about doing the clear bra myself