Low budget appearance upgrades?
Low budget appearance upgrades? Since there's a lot of people who show cars in this forum, I thought I'd ask for some advice on getting my Formula all spiffed up for the All-Pontiac show here in a couple weeks... So here's my dillema... I am pretty tight on cash right now.. but I want to do some things to make the Formula look a little better.
So let's say you have a budget of $100 to make an engine bay look better, and you can only spend $100 on everything you do total. I've already got the detailing covered, but I want to dress it up a little more.
What are some things you would do to the car?
So let's say you have a budget of $100 to make an engine bay look better, and you can only spend $100 on everything you do total. I've already got the detailing covered, but I want to dress it up a little more.
What are some things you would do to the car?
Put that 100 bucks towards a camswap. 
Or buy some 'Vette Fuel Rail covers off eBay (they are usually way less than 100$), sand down and fill them in, primer and spray whatever color you like, then put some Formula decals on them.
Or buy some 'Vette Fuel Rail covers off eBay (they are usually way less than 100$), sand down and fill them in, primer and spray whatever color you like, then put some Formula decals on them.
Hmm, paint the calipers
Take out the firebird sign between taillights
Get black bird stripes
Take side molding off
Overlay on the front bumper
Sand and paint some interior pieces
Get new tips ( assuming you can find cheap one)
Take out the firebird sign between taillights
Get black bird stripes
Take side molding off
Overlay on the front bumper
Sand and paint some interior pieces
Get new tips ( assuming you can find cheap one)
Originally Posted by BlackTA98 LS1
Hmm, paint the calipers
Take out the firebird sign between taillights
Get black bird stripes
Take side molding off
Overlay on the front bumper
Sand and paint some interior pieces
Get new tips ( assuming you can find cheap one)
Take out the firebird sign between taillights
Get black bird stripes
Take side molding off
Overlay on the front bumper
Sand and paint some interior pieces
Get new tips ( assuming you can find cheap one)
I actually bought the car with a blacked out taillight filler, and replaced it with one with the Firebird logo on it.. I like it that way.
Side moldings are already gone.
I have a chrome overlay for the front, but I think I'm gonna put it on my intake lid instead of the license plate insert... I thought it would be a bit much if I put it on both of them.
I like the interior stock looking.
I want new tips, but am going to buy a catback later this year, so I figured I'd just leave the stockers on there until then.
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buy a sheet of polished stainless steel or mirrored plexiglass, cut to fit over fuse boxes, battery, pcm, and anything else that's coverable, then get some decals or engrave and paint. Otherwise, buy some paint and tactfully hit a few pieces: lid, intake, MAF, etc. Do the !Wire mod and try to thin out/hide the other wires in the engine bay. Customized FRCs are nice, but probably out of budget, expect to pay 70-100 for a pair (shipped) off of ebay, then you need filler, primer and paint (plus a good amount of time). That's about all I've got for ya.
do the !wiremod, buy a new oil cap, clean the **** out of everything, remove ur washer fluid resivoir, paint ur bumper spports gloss black.
the bird on the lid sounds cool. u should sand it down and paint that too.
the bird on the lid sounds cool. u should sand it down and paint that too.
Originally Posted by 1SicV8
do the !wiremod, buy a new oil cap, clean the **** out of everything, remove ur washer fluid resivoir, paint ur bumper spports gloss black.
Planning on doing the !wire mod, though.
Originally Posted by 1SicV8
the bird on the lid sounds cool. u should sand it down and paint that too.
bust out some different grits sand paper and polish anything you can.
like the a/c canister thing, and the mass air housing and the throtle body. and anything that looks like you can polish.
like the a/c canister thing, and the mass air housing and the throtle body. and anything that looks like you can polish.
TECH Addict
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,853
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
If its mainly the engine bay you're worried about, get some Mothers and polish everything you can. Thats what I did. I didn't go the wet sanding route,(yet) I just got some terry clothes and went to town. Looks much better and cost me ~10 bux.
i would remove the windsheild washer thing cuz it cleans up the engine bay pics. ive seen it in person and it looks cleaner. just imo
i plan to remove mine, might relocate it to where the airpump is. just have to find a tank that small
i plan to remove mine, might relocate it to where the airpump is. just have to find a tank that small
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: NEW YORK
Ive taken out my washer fluid resevoir. It looks nice and clean. You don't have to remove anything (bumper) to take it out. Just make sure there is no fluid in it, or that you have a lot of towels. The washer fluid gets fed through the bottom of the resevoir, so once you pull it out, it will immediately start leaking all over the place. Trust me i know from experiece because I made that mistake....... 
You could also buy plexiglass and make battery covers and etc for your engine bay. Thats what I did, and I painted designs for it. Plexiglass is a bitch to cut though, it melts from friction and seals itself back up.
I will post you some pics tonight of what you can do for a cheap price.
You could also buy plexiglass and make battery covers and etc for your engine bay. Thats what I did, and I painted designs for it. Plexiglass is a bitch to cut though, it melts from friction and seals itself back up.
I will post you some pics tonight of what you can do for a cheap price.