 About Eriq | ||||
|
Journal | ||||
|
Pictures | ||||
 Projects | ||||
|
Elements | ||||
|
Media | ||||
|
Events | ||||
|
Links |
|
|
THE CONCEPT On March 7th, 2005 I bought a brand new Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS. As with all new things, I tend to see it as a canvas to be worked on. The car itself is very basic, it's four wheels and an engine as far as I'm concerned. No frills or extra toys. I have several ideas for the car that are very simple, and most are inexpensive. Mostly basic trim items that will add only a subtle difference at a glance. But hopefully when it all comes together I'll have an original looking modified car, without the insanity and overdone look of most mods out there. BEFORE & AFTER Click pictures to enlarge
UP & COMING
PROGRESS REPORT: 30-JUN-2006
Notes from today: I purchased a custom Grillcraft sport grille from BTG Motoring for $90 plus shipping. This item is gorgeous. It's black metal, custom fit, looks great, and was cheap. The process to install was extremely simple, although did involve some cutting. Grillcraft also makes a lower piece, which is on my Up & Coming list. 01-JUN-2006
Notes from today: $150 for 15% tint. Lifetime guarantee. I had intended to get 20%, but they ran out. I rolled into a place at random in my angst. My condo was supposed to close today, but it fell through, so I decided to buy myself a present. I like the difference this makes. The car is black on black, and now it's even darker looking. One thing that stands out a lot is the rear defroster. It's bright orange and contrasts against the freshly tinted rear window very nicely. 13-JAN-2006
Notes from today: Of my 3 vehicles, this is by far the worst I've ever worked on in regards to changing headlamp bulbs. The owners manual stated that changing bulbs would be hard, and that I should take it to a dealer. Then it advised that if I were going to undertake it myself, I should remove the grille and the two headlamp assemblies themselves. I found it was much easier to remove the battery on the driver side, and on obstructing ventilation duct on the passenger side. After that nasty business was over with, the new bulbs went in smoothly. They look great, although as of this writing I haven't tested them at nighttime yet. This is admittedly a very minor update. But the weather was nice, so I had to do something. My upcoming changes are going to include xenon reverse lights, tinted windows, and the mesh grille. The last two will hopefully be in spring or early summer. 06-APR-2005
Notes from today: Unfortunately the front bumper begs to be covered up by a license plate, and I dislike front license plates. The strip underneath has already been pre-drilled and is raised up above the rest of the bumper, causing it to stand out. I'm leaving the plate off for now, and intend to fill the holes with black rivets soon. The best method I found for emblem removal was a bottle of Goo Gone, a hair dryer, and fishing line. I like the cleaner look of the trunk lid now without the emblems. The lock cylinder remains, and plans for its removal exist but are far off for both practical and financial reasons. 05-APR-2005
Notes from today: The car's spoiler was a dealer add-on option. I dislike spoilers on cars, and although this one does compliment the car more nicely than most I've seen, it is still a useless feature. The problem with vehicles with non-factory spoilers is that the spoiler adds a third LED brake light, and leaves the factory third brake light to remain in the back window. This is unattractive and cluttered. Since I won't be taking on the effort of removing the spoiler as my first modification to this car, I removed the factory brake light from the rear deck. The rear light pattern is now much cleaner and has the factory look. |
)
)
)
)