Year In Review a.k.a. 03tLsNBP's Progress Thread (56K unfriendly)
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 662
Likes: 48
From: Nova
Dude awesome job very clean, I had a couple questions, I am not as skilled as you in painting but I love the silver center console area did you paint over the wood grain runners on the side? I experimented with plasti-dip on my grill as well ended up looking shitty so I am gonna do a really good job just painting the center bar. Also did you get the headlights from unique style racing? I was gonna buy them yesterday but unfortunately i leave for college before they would get to my house and I don't have any tools to take out the headlights at school. How's the quality though. do you like em?
Dude awesome job very clean, I had a couple questions, I am not as skilled as you in painting but I love the silver center console area did you paint over the wood grain runners on the side? I experimented with plasti-dip on my grill as well ended up looking shitty so I am gonna do a really good job just painting the center bar. Also did you get the headlights from unique style racing? I was gonna buy them yesterday but unfortunately i leave for college before they would get to my house and I don't have any tools to take out the headlights at school. How's the quality though. do you like em?
lol i actually JUST commented on your other thread and then came here and saw this.
honestly, i am not a skilled painter. nothing i have painted on this car takes skill lol. search member Nexson if you want to see some real talent. he's done some amazing stuff.
anyways yeah i painted over the wood grain "boomerang" things SSM. but i left the door panel wood black marble because i actually liked the look a lot.
i usually just sand the part down with various grit paper ending with 600 or 800 grit. then i put 1-2 coats of primer, 2-3 coats of paint, and 2-3 coats of clear coat. i stick with using all Dupli-color products. i find they have the best rattle cans. of course SEM is way better, but it is not easily available in my area and is quite costly.
the headlights i bought from a member here. they are not the USR housings. they are OEM Honda. as for quality, i think the previous owner did a damn good job on em haha.
some updates:
7" widescreen portable GPS. In process of making a custom mount for it. It takes up too much windshield space.
Clarion SQR1331R 5.25" for the front. I loved them so much I ordered another pair for the rear. The 25W per channel output of the stock Bose head unit is enough for me. Im not really an audio junkie. But if I feel its getting too quiet Ill get a new head unit, no need to amp them.
New armrest, so comfy.
Red LEDs in the door handles (sorry cell phone pics)
and one more current exterior shot.
OEM front lip is in the mail
7" widescreen portable GPS. In process of making a custom mount for it. It takes up too much windshield space.
Clarion SQR1331R 5.25" for the front. I loved them so much I ordered another pair for the rear. The 25W per channel output of the stock Bose head unit is enough for me. Im not really an audio junkie. But if I feel its getting too quiet Ill get a new head unit, no need to amp them.
New armrest, so comfy.
Red LEDs in the door handles (sorry cell phone pics)
and one more current exterior shot.
OEM front lip is in the mail
yeah im still trying to figure out a cool way to do it. but i will def post when/if its ever finished.
it was a night and day difference from the stock Bose to these Clarions. really unbelievable. i didnt realize how crappy the Bose were. these babies are LOUD.
there is a tiny loss of clarity when you put the volume on/near max but i would never listen to music that loud anyways. im very happy with them.
fitment was fine though. i had to come up with my own way to mount them to the OEM plastic tray thing because the aftermarket speakers have 4 points and the Bose have 3. but there was no size issue or anything like that. very easy installation.
there is a tiny loss of clarity when you put the volume on/near max but i would never listen to music that loud anyways. im very happy with them.
fitment was fine though. i had to come up with my own way to mount them to the OEM plastic tray thing because the aftermarket speakers have 4 points and the Bose have 3. but there was no size issue or anything like that. very easy installation.
just found out my right headlamp is fogging up and it killed the HID bulb in there 
i guess now might be a good time to open the lights and get the halo working...
should i fix the moisture issue before getting a new bulb? i really dont want to since i dont want to do that work myself. so it would go off to Ack or Blackfirecustoms (since they are right down the road from me) costing me more money. i need to do my brake service first. dammit!
well anyways my new brake setup (parts will be ordered soon):
-brakemotive front rotors and pads
-Legend calipers
-SS lines
-Motul DOT5.1 fluid
i guess now might be a good time to open the lights and get the halo working...
should i fix the moisture issue before getting a new bulb? i really dont want to since i dont want to do that work myself. so it would go off to Ack or Blackfirecustoms (since they are right down the road from me) costing me more money. i need to do my brake service first. dammit!
well anyways my new brake setup (parts will be ordered soon):
-brakemotive front rotors and pads
-Legend calipers
-SS lines
-Motul DOT5.1 fluid
Perplexed....
So I go to the front of my car just now to see if the HID was still out and this is what I see...
My car thinks I have DRLs
They were somewhat dim, same brightness as the fog lights, and definitely not high beam brightness.
I checked to see if I had the brights on. I didn't. More . When I turned the brights on, the right high beam bulb went out. I think this is more than a bulb or ballast issue...
When I put my regular low beams back on, the high beams did not come on again.
There is a ghost in my electrical system.
My car thinks I have DRLs
They were somewhat dim, same brightness as the fog lights, and definitely not high beam brightness.I checked to see if I had the brights on. I didn't. More
. When I turned the brights on, the right high beam bulb went out. I think this is more than a bulb or ballast issue...When I put my regular low beams back on, the high beams did not come on again.
There is a ghost in my electrical system.
Maybe someone can confirm this as I've never had a light out until recently, but I think when one of the HID low beams go out, the car automatically turns on the high beams, but not on full power.
Does the high beam light on the dash come on but dimmer than it should be?
Notice how if you turn the high beams on, the fogs and the low beams turn off, but in that picture you took, both beams are on, but the highs aren't on full blast.
Assuming my little 'theory' is right, its kind of a nice feature, if you have a light out, the car compensates and turns on the high beams on a lighter setting automatically.
Does the high beam light on the dash come on but dimmer than it should be?
Notice how if you turn the high beams on, the fogs and the low beams turn off, but in that picture you took, both beams are on, but the highs aren't on full blast.
Assuming my little 'theory' is right, its kind of a nice feature, if you have a light out, the car compensates and turns on the high beams on a lighter setting automatically.
Hmm you are right. The high beam dash light was on very very dim but I didn't think anything of it. But now it makes sense. I guess ill have to swap the bulbs later today and see if its a bulb or a ballast issue.
Skidpad testing
I don't think I've seen my TL clean in months... she is my workhorse since I failed to find a working 4x4 winter beater with a manual tranny for under $1000.
I don't think I've seen my TL clean in months... she is my workhorse since I failed to find a working 4x4 winter beater with a manual tranny for under $1000.
She's all ready for tomorrow's brake service
Rear seats are out cus I was cleaning up some wires from when I did the sub/amp install.
So that's:
Legend calipers
Brakemotive front rotors and pads
Motul DOT5.1 fluid
Russell SS lines
Can't wait to feel the difference!
Rear seats are out cus I was cleaning up some wires from when I did the sub/amp install.
So that's:
Legend calipers
Brakemotive front rotors and pads
Motul DOT5.1 fluid
Russell SS lines
Can't wait to feel the difference!
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 61
Likes: 5
Maybe someone can confirm this as I've never had a light out until recently, but I think when one of the HID low beams go out, the car automatically turns on the high beams, but not on full power.
Does the high beam light on the dash come on but dimmer than it should be?
Notice how if you turn the high beams on, the fogs and the low beams turn off, but in that picture you took, both beams are on, but the highs aren't on full blast.
Assuming my little 'theory' is right, its kind of a nice feature, if you have a light out, the car compensates and turns on the high beams on a lighter setting automatically.
Does the high beam light on the dash come on but dimmer than it should be?
Notice how if you turn the high beams on, the fogs and the low beams turn off, but in that picture you took, both beams are on, but the highs aren't on full blast.
Assuming my little 'theory' is right, its kind of a nice feature, if you have a light out, the car compensates and turns on the high beams on a lighter setting automatically.
OP - love what you have done so far. Looking good.
Now im back to the stock intake with reso delete and I actually prefer its stealthiness. Its nice and quiet.
Update on brakes:
There is definitely less bite than with my old Yellow Stuff but those pads absolutely trashed my old rotors. The brake feel is more ... linear. It feels really nice but I wish there was more bite at light pressures on the brake pedal. Maybe the guy didn't bleed the brakes properly but I trust him. He's worked on 2G TLs before.
Ill update again after I bed them in.
There is definitely less bite than with my old Yellow Stuff but those pads absolutely trashed my old rotors. The brake feel is more ... linear. It feels really nice but I wish there was more bite at light pressures on the brake pedal. Maybe the guy didn't bleed the brakes properly but I trust him. He's worked on 2G TLs before.
Ill update again after I bed them in.
i took off the side skirts and front lip so that they wouldnt get damaged in the shop. also took that opportunity to paint the skirts black. they were DEP before.
I'm in love again 
18X8 +45 A-Spec wheels on 235/40R-18. No fenders rolled, Rear bumper tabs cut partially. No rubbing on bumps.
Thinking about 10mm spacers all around and rolled rear fenders...
18X8 +45 A-Spec wheels on 235/40R-18. No fenders rolled, Rear bumper tabs cut partially. No rubbing on bumps.
Thinking about 10mm spacers all around and rolled rear fenders...
I'm a thrill seeker in my
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 907
Likes: 18
From: Edmonton, AB
Why do our cars just look so damn sexy when done nicely. She looks awesome man. I love that near total blacked out look with the high contrast of those dark silver A-Spec wheels.
