So, I've been meaning to post pictures for a while now - at least since I got my lights back from MR Works in August and I told them I'd get some photos up. I've been crazy busy, but work has finally slowed down and I can get to this. Here we go.
Rundown of what I've got on my Z (affectionately dubbed The Racecar by my loving and semi-understanding wife):
- VentureShield Protection film on the front bumper, 36 inches of hood and mirrors. Though I wound up paying more for this than I wanted to (~$1K w/window tinting), the product is fantastic. It is barely noticeable and has definitely "stopped the bleeding" of small chips accumulated by the first owner of this sled.
- F1 tint. 25% on the front windows and 15% on the back. I had a slight issue with one of the corners on the passenger side peeling, but other than that simple fix, it's been nothing but gravy. Keeps the heat of the cabin down, which is an issue living in Texas with a black car.
- Stillen HFC. Aside from hearing my mechanic curse my car to hell a few times while battling the "demon bolt", this has been a great buy. Changed up the sound for the better, particularly around the 3600rpm mark, and gave the butt dyno something to smile about.
- Taillights. Stealth bulbs to remove the egg coloration and LED backup lights to let me see through the rear tint. Also, VHT on all 3 lights, but obviously darker in the middle. I think it turned out great, despite my anxiety about doing it myself - I'm not exactly a handyman, so sanding and painting a part of my car was a new experience.
- Red GTR Start button. Because it looks cool.
- MR Works headlights. My favorite mod thus far. Flat black housings with gloss black shrouds. Smoked the turn signal and installed LED markers. Marco and Ryan were super easy to work with and jumped through some hoops, even when I was being high maintenance. Very professional guys and excellent with communication. Standard disclaimer for photographing these things: You really don't get a good shot of them. There's just too much glare coming off the plexi to really see the color. I did my best to do them justice, but take my word for it, they look great.
Here are some glamour shots:
It’s my goal to keep adding things that aren’t terribly expensive, but distinguish my car from the others on the road. Remember, this is my daily driver. Things I’m planning on in the next few months:
- Black out the emblems
- Have the door handles blacked out
- Do something to that hideous Toll Tag sticker
- I’ve been pondering some CF B-Pillars and/or trim+fang pieces
- afe Pro Dry S filters whenever I need to replace mine
- COBB Tuning black tubes if I can ever find some
I would really like to do some big ticket items, but budget is a concern, at least for the short term:
- HKS Hi-Power exhaust. I fell in love with this exhaust. I love the way it looks and sounds. I do not love how much it costs, but I think I can swing this a little bit down the road.
- SSR Type F wheels. I’d love to get the 19’ version of these bad boys (in black, obviously), but it’s going to be hard to swallow the cost. Maybe when I need new tires I can try to sneak these in, but I’m not holding my breath.
Anyway, that’s pretty much where I’m sitting right now. I love the car and have a blast driving it. Tinkering with it is fun and I’m always getting lost in thought about what I want to do next. I would love any and all input on things to do in the future.
Special thanks to these guys who’s projects I have intently followed and drawn inspiration: Ztoon, schrute and ilive2win. You guys have great taste and have some amazing cars. Keep up the good work.