lifekenophobic's progress thread.
 

I originally had a post setup in the New Owners area, but realized that wouldn't really apply, since I won't be a "new owner" forever! :)

I decided to post the progress/build of my car here instead. I have some great plans for down the road, but want to make sure I handle them tastefully and intelligently. I've changed some basic things to begin with:

One of the first things I ran out to do was get a shorter antenna. I went with the RDX antenna for three reasons. One, it looks the best (in my opinion) of the most popular options (S2000, Avenger, etc). Two, it maintains a great level of reception. And three, the price was right - $11 from the Acura dealership.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psa5224bb6.jpg

Here's a closer picture of the base, to show how flush it sits.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0c3a55e9.jpg

Next was converting some lighting to LED. Here are a couple before and afters of Diode Dynamics' Stage 2 cargo light LEDs.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps10aefe54.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps234c449f.jpg

http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4b113827.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psa6c975a2.jpg

I also went with Diode Dynamics Stage 2 license plate LEDs. Here are the before and afters:
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psc5bbf6af.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps446860ec.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psc9a286cc.jpg

And just a night shot that came out kinda nice.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pseda3b064.jpg

I'm excited to watch this thread grow, and see where I go with the car. I've already learned a lot from the forums, so. Thank you to all who have posted good, useful info. I look forward to becoming part of the community.

Off to a good start OP :thumbup:

I recently switched out my lights with Diode Stage 2 lights too, gotta wonder why I waited so long. Def look into changing the dome lights as well.

great start OP, leds absolutely look alot better at night

I'm still saving for my first bigger mod (exhaust?), so figured I could at least make some improvements in the meantime. My headlights weren't all that horrible to begin with, but they needed a good restore anyway.

This is what I started with. You can see a bit of the OEM protection flaking off and not looking so good.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1623217d.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2325d134.jpg

Here are the materials I used:
-Porter Cable 7424XP DA polisher
-Orange and white Lake Country pads
-Spray bottle with water and car soap
-1000, 2000, and 3000 grit sandpaper
-Meguiars M105 and M205 compound and polish
-Aerospace 303 sealant
-A few microfiber towels
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psa1372304.jpg

Taped up and ready for correction.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5a4e47c6.jpg

Yikes. Sanding with 1000 grit looks pretty scary for a $400+ headlight.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb6d20ad.jpg

After 2000 grit, it starts to clear up a bit.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps30197839.jpg

After 3000 grit, you can start to at least see the headlight again.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps09a56efb.jpg

Final results after polishing and sealing. I'm pretty happy with the results, but will need to hit them again when I detail the whole car. This was my first time using the Porter Cable, so I think I did alright.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psae2491d7.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps12243037.jpg

In the sun for a final check of my work.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psec30f0d8.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pscd37962e.jpg

looking good

Subtle mods

Nice!

Nice progress.

Looks good, modding slow and steady is a good choice. Your wallet thanks you lol

nice. i just did the same thing to my bros 370z headlights. but because his were tinted.

Thanks guys. Between work, traveling, and moving into a new place, time and funds have been pretty tight. I don't want to rush my actual mods anyway, so some general maintenance is tying me over for now. (Yes, my wallet is indeed thanking me).

I do have some pretty nice plans, but want to make sure I can save up for quality parts. The good news is, I just got a promotion today! So hopefully that will help with things down the road. Stay tuned.

Nice work!

Might want to check this thread out for a good way to restore the UV coating to the lenses:
https://my350z.com/forum/body-interi...v-coating.html

Thanks myork. I saw that a lot of people use that mixture for adding a new UV coating. The Aerospace 303 sealant I used essentially does the same thing but was much easier to apply and work with. I plan on using it every few washes to keep it fresh. If it doesn't work out, I might end up trying that urethane/mineral spirits method.

Looking good OP, your headlights look a lot better. Mine need doing they look like they have been smoking 40 a day.
Thanks myork for the link re UV coating.

looks good !

Great job on the head lamps

Looks great. Don't put mf towels on the garage floor!

Nothing major, but I got around to painting my side markers. I was debating the JDM clears, but I think just blacking them out looks better on MB.

First coat of gloss black Krylon Fusion.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psb2ae40b3.jpg

Second coat, finally looking a bit more shiny.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pscda4b111.jpg

Re-installed, and back outside. I'm pretty happy with it, and it really cleaned up the front end not having the orange there. (Excuse my dirty paint. It's been raining like crazy.)
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psb0fdc060.jpg

Headlights are next. I just need to find the courage to stick them in the oven. :ugh:

Looks good, the black flows quite nicely

They look good, I must admit when I first stated to read the thread I thought 'oh oh this could end up being a bit of a mistake', but now you've fitted them I think they really do look good and like you say they tidy up the front end. Good job OP.

So what are the long-term plans for your Z?