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I keep hearing about this problem in the older Tl's and changing the blend door fixed the problem. Not sure if u checked this are talked about it, just thought i would throw it out there for u
I keep hearing about this problem in the older Tl's and changing the blend door fixed the problem. Not sure if u checked this are talked about it, just thought i would throw it out there for u
Thanks for mentioning that, I did check under the driver's side, pulled the blend motor and moved the door freely with no change. If I remember correctly it just got hotter one way and the other way was warm not like the passenger side cold.
This is probably going to be the most frustrating thing I've ever dealt with on a car. I hope these parts fix it!
I did get the condenser replaced and have the passengers side torn apart. It was really pretty easy to get the entire blower unit out. The entire glove box comes out so there's lots of room to work, unlike the civic blower motor that I replace a while back. That was a PITA. Anyway, I'm stuck on the last 4 screws. There are 7 total screws, I have 3 of them out that I can see, but the last 4, I have no idea how to get to them. Where I think they should be I put my screwdriver and nothing.. Unless my screwdriver isn't long enough... It's a standard size screwdriver.... Seriously the last 4 screws after ripping everything out lol. I think the engineers like to screw with DIY'ers. Anyone have any tips on how to get the last 4 screws out?
Looks like major surgery . Your persistence paid off, well done !!
Thanks! Looks much worse than it really was. The manual is really pretty well done for instructions, although I wish it would include things like "Use a 12 inch screwdriver to remove the hidden screws..."
Originally Posted by myacuratl10
Glad u got it going!!!!! Now u can enjoy those hot summer days
Thanks, I'm looking forward to it, and looking forward to doing more fun stuff instead of maintenance stuff :-)
Bumper test fit last night.. Fit like a glove, amazing how they can make and ship a new bumper for $85 The new grill lines up nicely as well. Paint is next!
I'm not sure if its a perfect match or not at this point because the shine is off. A close up pic looks pretty close. ^Thanks for the site above, will give them a try next time if this doesn't work out.
Left is panel, Right is new painted bumper
The shine is waayyyy off though... I got anxious and put it on. I think I might have to try some wet sanding the clear with some 2000/3000 grit to try and match the shine, and buff it. It looks like shit. Prob should wait a few days though to do it.
Did you put a couple coats of clear on it? Wet sand and buff after u do the clear
I put on 2 light coats of clear 1/2 hr after the 3 light base coats, then another light coat today about 10 hrs later. It seemed like it had more shine just after the 2nd coat of clear. I have no experience doing this stuff. Was reading some wet sand/buff after 24 hrs, some like to wait 3-4 days or longer?
I ended up using 3 cans of dupli-color and 3 cans of clear total, 1 can per coat.
Getting closer but not there yet. A couple passes of Meguiars Ultimate Compound. It's a little more shiny. Can I just keep using this till I get the right shine?
I bought their polish as well, but thinking I might want to do this compound again in the daylight.
It doesn't match @ all. From certain angles it looks pretty close but I'm not really happy with it. I don't know if it's almost 8 years of polish/detail on the existing car surface or what but I think it's really off.
Have you clayed and waxed the car since you got it? You will never get spray paint to match a 7-8yr old car. When i got my last cars front bumpers painted i had to bring the bumper and the gas cover so they could match the paint. They wouldn't paint the bumper unless they had a reference to go off. Just try and get it as close as you can and either live with it or get it done by a pro. Try clay and wax before u get to crazy with it .
Have you clayed and waxed the car since you got it? You will never get spray paint to match a 7-8yr old car. When i got my last cars front bumpers painted i had to bring the bumper and the gas cover so they could match the paint. They wouldn't paint the bumper unless they had a reference to go off. Just try and get it as close as you can and either live with it or get it done by a pro. Try clay and wax before u get to crazy with it .
I haven't clayed or waxed since I purchased it. It really seems like the car has loads of wax/polish/ buildup or something. I'll try using the clay on the front fender, see if I can get it closer. Thanks for mentioning that! And I'm kind of glad that I didn't just drop the bumper and grille off @ the paint shop. I probably would have ended up at the same spot if they didn't have the rest of the car to match like you mentioned. And it would have been a more expensive mistake. I see now that it really takes some experience to color match the existing paint on an older car. Live and learn :-)
Here's a picture of the roof spoiler I purchased last year. At first I thought it was a really good match, but if you catch the right angle it looks way off. The spoiler looks like a closer match to the bumper for sure. The same with the OEM side moldings I purchased.
(and the 3m tape not holding up so well on the sides, looks like its starting to slide down with the curve)
I tried some claybar on the fender next to the bumper, it really didn't pick up anything like I've seen in some video''s. The clay was really clean after I was done. It still looks the same but being the first time I've used claybar I did like the feel of it so I'll definitely add that to my yearly routine on all of my cars.
I took the car to a local collision shop and they quoted $700 to do all the work/removal/reinstallation of bumper etc. I'm not really sure I want to do that. I think I'd rather have the nice paint on a 2012 front end conversion instead of the $85 aftermarket bumper/china grille. The guy did mention that I could try putting on heavier clear and see if that helps so that's what I'm thinking of doing. I've also been seeing where people sometimes lightly tint the clear to darken things up? Anyway, now I'm looking at HVLP guns, lol. If I royally F things up with this bumper/grille I'll probably just do the conversion.
700 seems very high, I took my bumper of and brought it to a shop with the gas door and he shot is for 175 and that was was on my 05 TL. Shop around for a better price. After you clay the fender you should throw a coat of wax on also.
I think you should cut your losses...you're already $100 in on a cheap bumper cover and spray cans...don't go deeper.
I'm a DIY guy but painting cars is an art, and one I only trust a handful of people to do properly (me not being one of them and I have experimented extensively).
I would get other quotes...expect $300 for paint on a bumper from what I'm used to seeing (not including bumper).
Why are you replacing your OEM bumper? damage? My paint buddy can work some serious magic with plastic epoxy and all his fancy primers.
On a budget car, there are places to save money, but IMO...the visuals are not one of them.
Thanks for the comments guys, I never realized how difficult it was to match paint. I understand metal and plastic bumper being different surfaces but this is really off to me, especially in the daylight. This angle is really bad.
The OEM bumper has 2 gashes in the front, which I knew when I bought the car along with rock chips you can see up close. It also has a small rust spot on the fender by the hood(the small piece that seems separate but isn't) which is the reason I'd like to take care of this myself so that I can know I can fix any issues should they arise in the future.
Took this before polish... Rust spot circled.
I really do like the paint and am satisfied with the job I did on the bumper, but it just doesn't match the rest of the car. I've had thoughts of dupli-coloring the whole car etc, lol(But seriously... I'm not going to do that). I've already talked to dupli-color, sent pictures and they are sending me a refund for the 5 cans which I did not expect at all.
I talked to a local sherwin williams automotive paint store and told him the situation. He was surprised when he looked it up that there were 21 different variations for NH737M code depending on VIN and theres been 40 different custom blends made. If I were just to order a pint of paint its $120, not including reducer/2k clear would put me over $220 just in paint supplies.(way to much $$ if i screw it up)
I asked him about the local Maaco down the street and he said that paint shop is good(same as reviews I've read). I called Maaco and quote for my messed up job now is $300 of course because they said they want to strip it all down and start from scratch, which really would be the best thing. So pay $100 in labor or buy a new $85 bumper again. I'd probably go with a new bumper(be it 2012 conversion or same)
I did call automotivetouchup.com and they said they use sherwinwilliams computer system to match as well. They take the highest percentage variation that is used and mix it to whatever that is when you order from their site. When I talked to sherwin williams, they said the highest is 70% that was used for this particular color code :-( They also have a match guarantee, and the guy on the phone said if it does not match they can try the other variations to get a match. They include cards with their paint so I can try the paint and clear on the card first and see if it's a match before I take the bumper off etc.
Still thinking about what I want to do, I'd like to give it one last shot for $50-$60. If I can't get it to look like its from the factory I'll cut my losses and get to a pro. Which is certainly well worth the $$.. I think I'm just stubborn in the fact that I can't do something. I think need to get over it :-)
Like you, I enjoy doing my own projects, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is a good feeling . Sometimes though, you just have to leave it to the pro.
If you go with the 2012 bumpers you have to chance the bumper lights. What Rockstar said is 100% true it is very hard to match colors, thats why i brought mine to a shop. I would have tried it myself but i was getting ready to sell the car so i didn't want to mess around. If you really want to do it yourself either go with automotivetouch up or your guy and paint the grill and see how that looks.
Also remember that on plastic, they put in a flex additive which can have an effect on the overall look. Think yellowing white bumpers on WDP.
Anyway, I really think you're nickel and diming yourself...
I guess I'm really lucky but my buddy worked about 15 deeper gashes than that on my CTS-V front bumper and you would never know they exist.
Do they like to do that...NO...because most painter's hate the body/prep...they want something easy to scuff and spray.
But a good one...will work with what you got (OEM!!!!!!!!!!!) and address your gash and paint it. I'd sell the aftermarket cover on craigslist and
find a REAL shop in your area with a skilled paint guy that knows what he's doing. Macco is the Walmart of body work so they'll always take the path of least
resistance.
Put up a beacon on acurazine regions to see if anyone local to you can recommend a guy that knows a guy!
Good luck!
PS...for a spray can job...you did a fucking amazing job. Match or now...
also, remember...front bumper = rock chips...you want the right and high end up stuff on there.
Also that rust spot is small...THAT I would POR15 and then just add touch up to visually make it disappear from 5 feet away.
Car care is the art of smoke and mirrors and giving the appearance of perfection...not actual perfection. Not for a daily, at least.
Also remember that on plastic, they put in a flex additive which can have an effect on the overall look. Think yellowing white bumpers on WDP.
Anyway, I really think you're nickel and diming yourself...
I guess I'm really lucky but my buddy worked about 15 deeper gashes than that on my CTS-V front bumper and you would never know they exist.
Do they like to do that...NO...because most painter's hate the body/prep...they want something easy to scuff and spray.
But a good one...will work with what you got (OEM!!!!!!!!!!!) and address your gash and paint it. I'd sell the aftermarket cover on craigslist and
find a REAL shop in your area with a skilled paint guy that knows what he's doing. Macco is the Walmart of body work so they'll always take the path of least
resistance.
Put up a beacon on acurazine regions to see if anyone local to you can recommend a guy that knows a guy!
Good luck!
PS...for a spray can job...you did a fucking amazing job. Match or now...
also, remember...front bumper = rock chips...you want the right and high end up stuff on there.
Also that rust spot is small...THAT I would POR15 and then just add touch up to visually make it disappear from 5 feet away.
Car care is the art of smoke and mirrors and giving the appearance of perfection...not actual perfection. Not for a daily, at least.
Thanks for all the great info and you definitely have my wheels turning about fixing up the OEM bumper. The fitment of the aftermarket one is way better than I expected and I honestly can't tell the difference between the two as far as structure goes. I agree with you 100% on nickel and diming myself. It's really not so much about the $, but just the experience and seeing if I can tackle this kind of work. I think I could patch the gash in the bumper by sanding it down, fill in the low spots with some 2 part epoxy(or whatever bondo equivalent they use on bumpers) and feather it out so you'd never know it was there. It's probably a lot like drywall I'm guessing, with a little more attention to detail. If I take it to Maaco I really want to do the prep myself as I know I'll spend more time on it than they will. I'd just want them to match and lay down the paint. I've always heard the same about Maaco as well but after reading the reviews and talking to a few I feel pretty good about using them. There are 2 other Macco's nearby, I wouldn't take my car to either of them for sure. Looks like automotivetouchup has the 2k clear 2 part which I believe is some decent stuff. You apparently are required to wear an appropriate mask, if you don't it'll kill ya or something. Now that has to be some good stuff right? :-) Regardless of how I go I will definitely put some clearbra on to help.
That POR15 tip is great! I've never heard of the stuff. I'm already thinking about using it on calipers and rotors(if it holds up to the heat) and some other spots under the car.
Originally Posted by myacuratl10
If you go with the 2012 bumpers you have to chance the bumper lights. What Rockstar said is 100% true it is very hard to match colors, thats why i brought mine to a shop. I would have tried it myself but i was getting ready to sell the car so i didn't want to mess around. If you really want to do it yourself either go with automotivetouch up or your guy and paint the grill and see how that looks.
Thanks for mentioning automotivetouchup. If I decide to give it one last shot I'll definitely go with them. Someone had a writeup on all the parts for the conversion and think it came out to around $1500 without paint and that included the front underbody spoilers. Without that and aftermarket parts/bumper cover etc I think I can get it done for $620 without paint(already have the 2012 Grille). Some parts come pre painted and I think the colors for that year changed so I'd have to have those stripped and repainted as well. The fog light I believe he had listed $110 each, but I've found some on ebay for as low as $20 as the fit other honda models. Quality isn't the same in most cases of course. The grille would definitely be better than this china one that I have. I like the bumper on the 2009 how it comes to a point in the center, I think it looks a little more agressive than the 2012 which looks a bit more rounded. Still thinking about what I'd like to do.
Originally Posted by KarKraze
Like you, I enjoy doing my own projects, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is a good feeling . Sometimes though, you just have to leave it to the pro.
I love looking at a project after I'm done and thinking.. yeah.. I did that... It is a really good feeling for sure. When it comes to pros, I either have bad luck or I'm just way too picky when the work is completed. Like Rockstar said, about trusting only a handful of people. I have a hard time handing my car over to someone that I just met and trusting that they will do quality work. I think part of it is that I don't want to set myself up for dissapointment. I do the work, well it's my fault and I can't complain. If I'm capable of doing something(or think I am) I always try to do it myself. When/If I reach the breaking point I'll hand it over to a pro and gladly fork over the cash :-) I don't feel like I'm @ that breaking point yet... The A/C problem I was almost there, but this bumper not quite yet which is why I'm still a bit indecisive about what I'd like to do next :-)
Sure thing, man...
well, the POR is a catalyst...you put it on and it kinda absorbs into the rust...then you can paint over that IIRC.
See, there are even so many different variations on the bondo, epoxy etc...you make the repair...you pay good money for pro paint...then in flexing to put bumper on car bam...your prep shows through or cracks.
I only say this because I've watched and learned with and from my close friend that is now a pro painter at Acura and he has a decade of trial and error under his belt and he's STILL constantly learning something new.
I love your attitude about it! Maybe I'm swaying you cause it reminds me of what a bitch I am!
To do it right DIY, imo...you'll need a lot of mistakes and good quality XYZ and experience...I wasn't willing to do that to end up with amateur results. LOL.
Same with welder...I've bought the same arc welder 3 times from harbor freight in hopes of doing my own exhaust work and every time I return it and pay a pro.
Sorry, I meant to say does the bumper match the fender. It doesn't to me. I'm catching myself looking at the bumpers/fender color match everywhere I go now. A lot of the cars out there don't match @ all even newer cars I'm seeing, so weird! Something is wrong with me, lol :-)
Thx for your input. Yes exactly^^, I think appears darker as well. I was going through some pictures that I took a few months ago of my TL. I remember taking that one b/c I thought the sky looked pretty cool and the trees flowering etc(Too bad it's a crappy cell phone pic). That is a shot of my OEM bumper.
I think the darker that the front is the less noticable it is to my eye anyway.
Here is a shot on other side of the car from the same day the other picture was taken, it's a tad bit darker as well, but I don't think it would be noticable unless you were looking for it. The rear looks a little darker as well in certain light. I think it has a lot to do with the metallic in it. The way the light shines on the metallic, or how the metallic was sprayed on. Along with plastic vs metal body, very difficult to get it to match.
Here are a couple of other pictures. One in the rain, other in sunlight of the front. Even the tow hook plug in the sunlight looks way off(I used the one from the OEM bumper it's $$$)
Just some bug guts accumulating... I haven't done anything with it yet, driving it around as is for the past couple of weeks, Still undecided on what I'd like to do. 2012 full conversion, try to repaint.. don't know yet. I've been dealing with wood rot on our little over 10 year old house. Apparently the builders decided to use some cheap mdf looking stuff for the exterior trim. Replacing it with PVC trim. Priorities :-)
Ohh and I did get a can of POR the other day, still have to try that on that rust spot.
Still driving the TL as is, it's become less noticeable and probably isn't noticeable to most. I was looking up pictures of cars with the same color and saw this from MotorTrend back in '09. The front bumper looks darker than the fenders, and the back bumper looks lighter than the body, similar to what I've got going on. If you are really looking for it, its there.
Also came across this picture. I really like this look, someone has some photoshop skills. How would one get those fake vents on the sides of the bumper? I also like the chrome shield with no A along with the 5 spoke. Of course I'd have another pair of doors in the back :-)
This is an awesome build thread, love all the maintenance and the fact that it was a high mileage build. Please keep it up, one of the better threads i've seen and you are very handy!
It's officially been exactly 1 year since I purchased this car with 230,000 miles. Almost one year since I started this thread. What did it cost and would I do it again?
Here is what the car needed over the last year:
Here are the tools that I needed to purchase:
I would surely do it again! The car has been running better than I could have imagined over the last few months. I know this isn't the most popular thread, but I appreciate all of the comments/input that I've received from everyone over the past year.
Thanks all!
Funny, I ended up doing a budget buy/build on a higher mileage Audi A3 and I had you in the back of my mind.
Every purchase I've made for the car, save for the new grill, has been for functional improvement only. Gotta keep costs down!
Thanks for sharing, man...love the breakdown.
I'm lazy to add to my own spreadsheet, what was that total of the year since you got it?
06-17-2017, 02:05 AM
. Your persistence paid off, well done !!
I haven't done anything with it yet, driving it around as is for the past couple of weeks, Still undecided on what I'd like to do. 2012 full conversion, try to repaint.. don't know yet. I've been dealing with wood rot on our little over 10 year old house. Apparently the builders decided to use some cheap mdf looking stuff for the exterior trim. Replacing it with PVC trim. Priorities :-)
