Performance

Tinted Windows %35

I had just got the car, and I thought the first thing to be done was have the windows tinted. My parents paid for it and swore it would be the last and only modification they would ever pay for. The tinting was done at a place called Picture Perfect . They charged about $100.00 for what they said was a %35 percent tint job. My parents would not let me have it tinted under legal limit here in Maryland, which is %35. The man said my window were already tinted %50, however I beg to differ. He said that he would add %15 to have a net total of %35. If you take a look at the before and after picture, you be the judge. Although I was some what disappointed with the job, it was still a lot better than before.

Untinted Picture
Tinted Picture

Cleared Front Turning Signals

This mode was fairly tricky but worth it, because it was free. First, I removed the turning signals from the car and brought them my kitchen. I was initially just going to remove the amber piece of plastic with a needle nose pliers, however the plastic proved to be stronger that I had predicted. I had heard that a heat knife does the job, but I did not have one of these accessible. What did I do? Improvised! I heated my electric burner and placed a small screwdriver on it to be heated. The amber piece was part semi-circle, part half-cylinder (cut vertically). What I did with the heated screw driver was slowly cut the piece into three pieced that could be removed. After I figured out the process on the first one (which took about 1.5 hours), the second one was simple (maybe 20 minutes). Now, just clean them and replace them. They are very bright now, and I have got some compliments too. This is defiantly worth the time and effort.

Cleared out Bumper Signal
Stock Picture

Weapon*R Intake

Well, it took for ever to get here, because UPS messed up, but it is here. Installation took about an hour. Everything went smooth except how the short stocky V2 filter bumped into what I believe is some type of hood sensor. Turning the car on, I heard the sucking noise that everyone so commonly refers to. The engine idles now at a lower 500 RPM, where it used to be about 800 RPM. As I took a quick drive around I noticed the quickness and roar at WOT. I noticed gains in the high end and also a slight drop in low end. The appearance is great and makes the engine bay quite a bit more attractive. Cost was around $170 from NOPI in Atlanta. Weapon*R also gave me license plate frame, which I might put on.

UPDATE: As I mentioned above, the V2 filter did continuously bump into the hood sensor.  This caused the factory alarm to go of at random times.  What I ended up doing to solve this problem was removing the hood sensor all together.   Now the alarm thinks the hood is always open and never arms itself.  I plan on getting an aftermarket alarm anyway, so this is just all the more reason. 

Weapon*R Intake

PIAA 9006 Platinum Super Whites

The PIAA Super White replacement bulbs are distinctively more white than the stock bulbs. They light up the road and seem to reflect of everything they hit. I ended up paying around $80 for them. About a week after I ordered them I was kicking myself in the head when I started hearing about Philips Bluevision. For around half the price of PIAA Super Whites, they supposedly produce same brightness and frequency of light.

Eurolight Blue/Gold Ion Bulbs

I replaced the bulbs in the factory fog lights with Eurolight Blue/Gold Ion Bulbs.   It does improve the looks of the front of the car at night, but I am unsure if they really help in terms of lighting up the road any better.

 

 

 

Future Modifications

• Aftermarket Shift Knob & Cut down shifter

• Nakayama Universal Mufffler & Custom Piping

• Powerstop Rotors