One Months Progress

**Spykce** · 08-24-2008 07:41 AM

Well I bought my car almost exactly a month ago and thought I would share it with the Zine. If I ever get the money saved up lowering and new shoes are on the top of the list. Let me know what you think!

Here's how I took her home from the car lot:

She needed some shaving, the results:

A quick wash while I waited for my washer cap to finish drying:

Decided to give the tails some tint:

**Seerlah** · 08-24-2008 07:57 AM

Looks good

. Mod when you have sufficient funds, as that hobby (or addiction as many like to referr to it as) is not a cheap one. What mod you plan on doing next?

**Spykce** · 08-24-2008 08:04 AM

The car is at 112,xxx miles so the belt job is coming up soon. I've never done one myself on an interference engine and I am debating weather to attempt it or not. I have never run into issues on other engines but the risk has never been there.

I plan to get that done with and at the same time throw a snub mount in. The shop I asked about the belt job said they can install the mount for no extra charge if I go that route. After that I really want to get the car lower.

**Seerlah** · 08-24-2008 08:10 AM

My first mods were maintanance. New exhaust valve stems, wheel bearing, alternator and tires. Then onto real modding. There are many DIY write ups for a TB job if you want to try and tackle it yourself. Mine was changed by the dealer at purchase maybe 8k miles ago. But if I had to change it, I would attempt it myself. There is also a DIY for snub mount install.

Very useful site

**Spykce** · 08-24-2008 08:19 AM

Yeah the TB is the last thing I know of that needs to be done. I took care of the wheel bearings for the rear anyways, control arms, replaced the o2 sensors, came with new tires. I never heard of the exhaust valve stems being replaced. Is that pretty common?

Thanks for the link

**Seerlah** · 08-24-2008 08:27 AM

Not a common issue. I just had a leak somewhere and that is what I was recommended. Come to find out, there is still a leak. I will do valve cover gaskets and cam tensioner gasket in a couple weaks to see if the leak goes away. Not a big leak anyways, but still a leak none the less.

**Spykce** · 08-24-2008 09:14 AM

Well that's unfortunate. Tracking down a leak can't be any fun. Hope you get it figured out.

**fred2ka4** · 08-24-2008 10:33 AM

Nice car and it looks like a good platform to start from modding from. Happy modding .......

**generik777** · 08-24-2008 12:04 PM

Nice job on the tails, what did you use to do them with. O and you blurred your plate in one pic but not the other

**zrowcool** · 08-24-2008 01:41 PM

looks good... nice and virgin. I would start out with all the free stuff or at least all the stuf that costs very little money and it would get you used to your car and its layout if anything. I started with the debadging, then the clear corners (matter of taste). Then the independent fog as well as turning the chrome shifter surround into brushed. Little by little you will get the car to the point where its a blast to own and drive. When you save up a little more you get go with an upgraded Diverter valve if it hasnt been changed already, then a snub mount. suspension with some struts and coils and then chip it. I dont know how far you are planning to go with it but the options are pretty endless depending on budget. Welcome to the family and enjoy your brass knuckles (4 rings)

**Spykce** · 08-24-2008 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by generik777

Nice job on the tails, what did you use to do them with. O and you blurred your plate in one pic but not the other

lol yea, I posted pictures on one site that doesn't allow plates so I blurred that picture but I stopped posting there so I don't really care much about blurring it out.

I used model car "Window Tint" to spray the lights and then I sprayed them with clear coat. I am going to polish them up a little in a few days when everything is cured.

**Spykce** · 08-24-2008 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by zrowcool

looks good... nice and virgin. I would start out with all the free stuff or at least all the stuf that costs very little money and it would get you used to your car and its layout if anything. I started with the debadging, then the clear corners (matter of taste). Then the independent fog as well as turning the chrome shifter surround into brushed. Little by little you will get the car to the point where its a blast to own and drive. When you save up a little more you get go with an upgraded Diverter valve if it hasnt been changed already, then a snub mount. suspension with some struts and coils and then chip it. I dont know how far you are planning to go with it but the options are pretty endless depending on budget. Welcome to the family and enjoy your brass knuckles (4 rings)

I have been reading through the DIY threads and just searching for things that I thought would be interesting to see if others have done it. I don't plan to go huge, but from reading some threads it sounds like my plans may change themselves. I'd like to stay with the K03 but I'm sure everyone has heard that before. maintenance, free/cheap mods and then suspension is my list right now.