PDA

View Full Version : ta-DAH!


FlashGorden
01-10-2010, 08:24 PM
I guess "Hello" is as good a place to start as any.

I'm new to the whole modifying your car thing. I've been an autotech for BBY and started working on cars there, got addicted to it during that short time and started doing some custom lighting to my own. I'll try to post some pics once I get what I did last year updated, new lights need to go in, and I clean my car. Been moving in my car, so it's a tad of a mess. I haven't done any hard mods to my car but am interested in learning about what can be done and what has been done.

I have an '08 Nautical Blue. It's the first car I ever bought. Love it to death, even though there's a funky smell in the summer when I cut the AC on. I think it may have something to do with the fan.

I plan on tinting my windows as soon as I can afford it. 10 in the rear and 40 if not 35 in the front. After that I'd like to change out my rims and tires for something that's a little more low profile. I'd like to go from the stock 16" Enkei's that came with it to some 17" Enkei RPF1 Type 2's. I don't know what tire I would stick on there, but I'd like something slim. I know there's a good bit of restorative care that I'd have to do to the paint to make it look really nice again.

Look forward to chatting with you all.

CHEERS!

SciFion
01-10-2010, 09:10 PM
Welcome to the forum Flash! :hands:

FlashGorden
01-10-2010, 10:11 PM
Thanks! I'm already checking out a lot of the mods you guys have done. I only have one problem with them..... I lack the funds to do them. There's some stuff I hadn't even thought of let alone knew you could do to the xD. I'm kinda curious how or where folks are getting the colored trim pieces for their interiors...?

TheLittleDeviant
01-11-2010, 09:17 AM
Welcome to the site.

as for the trim pieces... walmart... buy a couple of cans of spray paint, pull those pieces out, and spray them down...
there are plenty of mods that you can do with out paying big bucks, rear wiper delete, painting the interior and engine pieces, smoking the taillights/markers, black casing the headlights...

TIKI
01-11-2010, 09:33 AM
Welcome

FlashGorden
01-11-2010, 09:34 PM
Thanks for the warm welcome gang. XD

I've had some issues getting the center pieces to come out. Is it just a snap or pop clip? Or am I missing a screw somewhere in the assembly? And with the painting, how would be the best way to go about prepping. I presume; sand, alcohol wipe, prime, paint, add another couple coats, clear coat once or twice and then reattach. What grit paper, what kind of alcohol, and most especially which primer....? My big concern is in sanding and priming. I know it's going to be paramount to sand evenly and not create any unwanted or strange contours in the trim.

My other big question is, does anyone know if the may make black light ground fx?

Cylon_xD
01-11-2010, 10:18 PM
Aw'right! Another Nautical Blue owner! Welcome to the Forum, Flash!

Don't forget to go to the pull-down box in the bottom left corner of any forum page (just above that nice image of some nameless member's Nautical Blue xD!) and change that nasty RS1-orange color scheme for the forum to that most wonderful scion blue scheme instead... even though it's not actually a Nautical Blue color, at least it's blue of some shade... Yay! :hands:

FlashGorden
01-11-2010, 11:10 PM
I heard that. Lexi showed it to me last night. I was too busy reading through and looking at all the car mods and reading as many posts as I could.

SciFion
01-11-2010, 11:32 PM
It's a nasty blue..:yucky::naughty::signs8:

FlashGorden
01-12-2010, 12:06 AM
Yeah the forum blue is a tad harsh, but like Troy said, it's better than that orangey hue.

Cylon_xD
01-12-2010, 02:32 PM
haha, I like ragging on the RS1 guys all the time... to many of them on here anyway!! :bleh:

I mentioned right away after they released the color schemes that they should make the blue darker, this blue is too light, but nobody listened to me... what do I know, I'm just a lowly moderator, not an admin... lol.

TheLittleDeviant
01-12-2010, 03:44 PM
LOL, not even the admins have control of color shades... Mine would be black and silver :P

For Gorden's paint question, you need to start at the radio trim piece first and work your way down. There are no screws, just pull harder, its all clipped in.
I prefer Duplicolor or Rustolium paints, BUT, what ever you do, dont mix brands, pick one brand and only use their primer and paint and clear. As for the sanding you only need to lightly scuff it up, use 800 grit sand paper and only sand till there is no shine left on the pieces. Oh and I would suggest a clear coat that is medium gloss, if you use the high gloss clear coat your going to make a glare on your windshield that will make you run over small children... not fun to say the least...

FlashGorden
01-12-2010, 08:31 PM
...if you use the high gloss clear coat your going to make a glare on your windshield that will make you run over small children... not fun to say the least...

Don't you get more points for running over the small children? They're smaller targets and pretty quick.

Seriously though, thanks for the heads up. I'll take a look at what's available when I make it home this weekend. I'm debating between the nautical blue and maybe an ivory hue. The tricky part I think is going to be getting the trim pieces off the steering wheel. Those I am not looking forward to.

TheLittleDeviant
01-12-2010, 10:04 PM
Steering wheel trim is a different story, those you need to take out the airbag. My suggestion on that is to disconnect your negative lead to the battery.

FlashGorden
03-19-2010, 04:10 PM
Kind of feel like I should do a new introduction post...

Sorry for the sudden departure gang. I can ninja vanish like that in real life as well. I was in a bad job back when I joined and was working on getting out of it. I managed to dip out mid-January, and as such have been busting hump to make the bill payments I needed to.

There was a little issue with my pay rate at my current job, which appears to have finally been corrected. And I am now financially caught up with the City of Raleigh. There is no outstanding pay on their part.

Again, I do apologize for vanishing on you guys. I will try to stay up with you all. I have managed to join Twitter, thanks for another time suck Lexi, and have decided to start a blog focusing on water exercise, nutritional coaching, and training philosophy. Feel free to look into it and ask questions. I'd love to have an interactive readership.