What did you do to your V today?
07-31-2016, 07:40 PM
#821
Nothing bit me, I was just tired of the pitting. When the sun would hit the windshield right I'd pretty much be blinded.
As for today... I pulled the front bumper to remove the grilles for powder coating, and to install new LED high beam bulbs. I was tired of the anemic conventional bulbs that were in there, so I'm interested to see how much of an improvement these are. They were expensive, so hopefully it's a noticeable improvement.
As for today... I pulled the front bumper to remove the grilles for powder coating, and to install new LED high beam bulbs. I was tired of the anemic conventional bulbs that were in there, so I'm interested to see how much of an improvement these are. They were expensive, so hopefully it's a noticeable improvement.
The headlight bulbs sound promising.
07-31-2016, 08:23 PM
#822
They're the 8th gen JDM ASTAR bulbs, about $100 on Amazon. I initially ordered the 7th gen, since they were a bit cheaper, but they didn't fit. (Fortunately I had a broken headlight handy to do a test fit a while back, and was able to return the 7th gen and buy the 8th gen before actually getting into the install. I would've been mighty annoyed had I pulled the front of the car off only to find the bulbs didn't fit!)
Initial impressions are very favorable. Those damn left lane blockers aren't going to miss my flash-to-pass now!
Initial impressions are very favorable. Those damn left lane blockers aren't going to miss my flash-to-pass now!
08-01-2016, 12:09 PM
#823
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Have the grill bead or sand blasted to roughin it up a bit before you have it powder coated. I had mine done a few months back and while its holding up better than paint, it still chips off. I guess the stainless is a little to slick for any finish to adhere to it for very long where and how I drive.
The headlight bulbs sound promising.
The headlight bulbs sound promising.
08-01-2016, 05:00 PM
#824
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Have the grill bead or sand blasted to roughin it up a bit before you have it powder coated. I had mine done a few months back and while its holding up better than paint, it still chips off. I guess the stainless is a little to slick for any finish to adhere to it for very long where and how I drive.
08-04-2016, 01:26 PM
#826
I'd be taking that back to whoever did it for you and telling them to try again. I had my grilles done originally back in 2009 and other than some rock chips here and there they still look fine. (Well, the upper one is a bit bent out of shape, hence the new one that is now at the shop to be coated, but the powder coat on it is fine.)
08-04-2016, 06:39 PM
#830
Took my car in for emissions inspection today. Failed due to bad gas cap. I replaced it when I first got the car 5 years ago. A little annoyed that the only place that stocks a cap with tether is the dealer--oh and that this one only last 5 years. Now I get to go pick up an $11 part for $28.
Also annoying, the AC isn't working and I'm not 100% sure why. Getting married in two months and don't have the extra coin to spare. Guess I'll just be sweaty.
If anyone sees me out in traffic and is equally dissatisfied with their aging POS-V, feel free to t-bone me. I'm over this car and the $2500 worth of problems it's accumulated in a short amount of time.
Also annoying, the AC isn't working and I'm not 100% sure why. Getting married in two months and don't have the extra coin to spare. Guess I'll just be sweaty.
If anyone sees me out in traffic and is equally dissatisfied with their aging POS-V, feel free to t-bone me. I'm over this car and the $2500 worth of problems it's accumulated in a short amount of time.
Last edited by BudRacing; 08-04-2016 at 06:44 PM.
08-06-2016, 07:15 PM
#833
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- Completed the grille powder coating job by reinstalling the grilles that I had removed last week. First, the grille-less look:
I don't remember having much trouble at all doing this the last time, but this time the upper grille seemed like it had ******* grown 1/2" in length and shrunk 1/2" in height while it was off being PC'd!
When I put the grille in place and put the push-pin into the upper center hole, the two holes at the upper corners didn't want to line up. 
And when I got those to at least be close, the lower edge of the mesh didn't line up right with the chrome strip.
I ended up putting the whole setup out in the sun while I worked on a couple other things, then came back to it. At that point I managed to get things to line up right, and it all seems to be good now that it's back together, but I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on the lower edge. It seems like the faux chrome is barely covering the bottom of the mesh in a couple spots.
- Finished the LED high beam install. When I installed the bulbs last week, I had left the rear access covers off. While I don't really think that introduces much risk of water or dust intrusion (I drove through some torrential rain this week without any sign of moisture getting in there), I figured for the long term it was better to have the covers on there. I didn't want to put the LED controllers inside the headlight housings, though, as I figured they'd be too hot. So, I put some holes in the covers, fed the wiring connectors through, then split some washer fluid hose and used that along the edges of the holes I made to protect the wiring and close the gaps a bit. It's not air tight like the covers are originally, but it's better than having a 3" gaping hole in the back of each housing.
The last pic shows one of the controllers zip-tied in place on the passenger side. Driver side doesn't have a similar convenient wiring harness to make use of, so I zip-tied it through an existing hole in the sheet metal below the headlight.
I don't remember having much trouble at all doing this the last time, but this time the upper grille seemed like it had ******* grown 1/2" in length and shrunk 1/2" in height while it was off being PC'd!
When I put the grille in place and put the push-pin into the upper center hole, the two holes at the upper corners didn't want to line up. And when I got those to at least be close, the lower edge of the mesh didn't line up right with the chrome strip.I ended up putting the whole setup out in the sun while I worked on a couple other things, then came back to it. At that point I managed to get things to line up right, and it all seems to be good now that it's back together, but I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on the lower edge. It seems like the faux chrome is barely covering the bottom of the mesh in a couple spots.
- Finished the LED high beam install. When I installed the bulbs last week, I had left the rear access covers off. While I don't really think that introduces much risk of water or dust intrusion (I drove through some torrential rain this week without any sign of moisture getting in there), I figured for the long term it was better to have the covers on there. I didn't want to put the LED controllers inside the headlight housings, though, as I figured they'd be too hot. So, I put some holes in the covers, fed the wiring connectors through, then split some washer fluid hose and used that along the edges of the holes I made to protect the wiring and close the gaps a bit. It's not air tight like the covers are originally, but it's better than having a 3" gaping hole in the back of each housing.
The last pic shows one of the controllers zip-tied in place on the passenger side. Driver side doesn't have a similar convenient wiring harness to make use of, so I zip-tied it through an existing hole in the sheet metal below the headlight.
08-06-2016, 10:32 PM
#834
I had a weird gap like that on my last PC'd upper grill. It was only on one side and I'm such an OCD nut, that I couldn't believe it was there when in chrome form and I somehow missed it. I don't know if perhaps the media blast shrunk the entire weave pattern and a few of these gaps creep up into view around the edges. The second grill I had done had no edge issues, before or after. So, I have no real hard data to add other than it happened to me too. 
08-14-2016, 03:12 PM
#835
TECH Apprentice
Took my car in for emissions inspection today. Failed due to bad gas cap. I replaced it when I first got the car 5 years ago. A little annoyed that the only place that stocks a cap with tether is the dealer--oh and that this one only last 5 years. Now I get to go pick up an $11 part for $28.
Also annoying, the AC isn't working and I'm not 100% sure why. Getting married in two months and don't have the extra coin to spare. Guess I'll just be sweaty.
If anyone sees me out in traffic and is equally dissatisfied with their aging POS-V, feel free to t-bone me. I'm over this car and the $2500 worth of problems it's accumulated in a short amount of time.
Also annoying, the AC isn't working and I'm not 100% sure why. Getting married in two months and don't have the extra coin to spare. Guess I'll just be sweaty.
If anyone sees me out in traffic and is equally dissatisfied with their aging POS-V, feel free to t-bone me. I'm over this car and the $2500 worth of problems it's accumulated in a short amount of time.
08-14-2016, 03:16 PM
#836
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Yeah I seen my front bolt on the driver side manifold is broke off so I'm assuming since my driver side motor mount was shot that's what caused it so I change them with the creative steel mounts what a pain in the butt hopefully I don't have a problem with the rest of header bolts when I plan to do long tubes one day
08-14-2016, 08:34 PM
#838
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Ran a night auto-x, decorating encouraged. 
Unfortunately when I washed the car this evening I discovered that the one cone I tagged took a chunk out of the paint on the bumper right under the passenger foglight. Bummer.
Unfortunately when I washed the car this evening I discovered that the one cone I tagged took a chunk out of the paint on the bumper right under the passenger foglight. Bummer.