{"id":924,"date":"2009-02-13T20:48:17","date_gmt":"2009-02-13T20:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nargalzius.com\/blog\/archives\/2009\/02\/14\/car-talk\/"},"modified":"2017-02-10T02:34:02","modified_gmt":"2017-02-10T02:34:02","slug":"car-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/nargalzius.com\/blog\/archives\/2009\/02\/13\/car-talk","title":{"rendered":"Car talk"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve accomplished about 98% of what I intend to do with the new car. I was supposed to post this when everything was done, but there&#8217;s been a delay on the two &#8220;parts&#8221; I&#8217;m waiting on.<\/p>\n<p>You have to understand that this is essentially my <strong>true<\/strong> &#8220;first car.&#8221; I have this wierd OC-ness with hand-me-downs\/2nd hand stuff&#8230; I basically don&#8217;t like them. I like brand new stuff because I&#8217;m the type of person who really takes care of the things I own <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">1 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">That&#8217;s the reason why people like buying my used items; because they&#8217;re almost certain that whatever I sell them will be in excellent condition<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why I was never attached to any of our other cars, either they were 2nd hand, or brand new but had to be shared with my sister, etc. etc. I could really never bring myself to care (or spend) for something I know other people have dibs on hahaha. That&#8217;s just the way I am.<\/p>\n<p>This car on the other hand, is one I had chosen myself, I had acquired myself, and have full control over. If something breaks&#8230; I know it was because of <strong>me<\/strong> &#8211; because there&#8217;s no one else to blame&#8230; and I wouldn&#8217;t mind spending to fix it.<!--more--><!-- \/\/ --><\/p>\n<h1>Preliminaries<\/h1>\n<p>So we all know I had my eyes set on a <em>Lancer EX<\/em> (or the <em>Galant Fortis<\/em> as it&#8217;s known in Japan). Here&#8217;s what the stock configuration looks like in case you&#8217;re wondering (only the one I got was white):<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3328\/3255021993_d515786621_b.jpg\" rel=\"noflickr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3328\/3255021993_d515786621_m.jpg\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>As you can see, this particular model is already <em>kinda<\/em> souped up; skirts, 7-speaker soundsystem, 18&#8243; wheels, etc. But being the OC that I am, there are some things that concerned me.<\/p>\n<p>First, the car&#8217;s chassis was considerably larger than what I had expected &#8211; this made the already large rims <em>still<\/em> seem small. And the stock width of the tires are 215mm (7&#8243;) <em>way<\/em> too skinny for the car&#8217;s size. Simply put, the tires\/rims looked kinda gay. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">2 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Plus I never liked the design of the stock rims to begin with<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Also, I didn&#8217;t like that middle strip (where the plates are) on the fender. Why they didn&#8217;t just paint that part it all black is beyond me. It seemed like a very simple thing to do and it makes the car look so much better.<\/p>\n<p>I took the picture above, ran it through photoshop, and came up with what I wanted the car to look like <em>eventually:<\/em><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3406\/3255853546_cfde5b8050_b.jpg\" rel=\"noflickr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3406\/3255853546_cfde5b8050_m.jpg\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>See what I mean?<\/p>\n<p>I had already bought the most of stuff for the inside, <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">3 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">iPod charger\/audio connector, steering wheel lock, wide-mirrors, back-seat organizer, etc. etc.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> so the focus is now really on the <em>outside<\/em> There are basically <strong>three<\/strong> major non-negotiable tasks to be done: Have it tinted, change the wheelset, and paint the fender.<\/p>\n<h1>Tinting<\/h1>\n<p>My research on the net shows that from various testimonials\/reviews, not only is V-Kool is both the best tint to have, but its Gilmore branch has the best people for the job. So I went there first thing in the morning, and started choosing:<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3108\/3254512161_b73109afab_o.jpg\" rel=\"noflickr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3108\/3254512161_d1cf87d912_m.jpg\" class=\"wb\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Initially, I had wanted to go clear. I discovered that a car looked really good tintless when we got the Civic (2nd hand). But I also experienced how much of a hassle the heat can be when driving tintless (again, the Civic <em>to this day<\/em> is tintless). The clearest was V-Kool 75 &#8211; with 60% total heat rejection. The recommended V-Kool 70 was a bit darker and you already could see the signature green-ish hue&#8230; but it had a 90% total heat rejection rating.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately (or fortunately, depends how you look at it) while I was torn&#8230; the saleslady she pointed out that my car&#8217;s glass already had a color cast&#8230; so I was out of luck if I wanted a true clear tint. I take a look at the car while they were doing the patterns and she was right:<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3431\/3255343340_2dbfc5fe8a_o.jpg\" rel=\"noflickr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3431\/3255343340_53e7875d1b_m.jpg\" class=\"wb\"><\/a><em>Note: Visible side-windows haven&#8217;t been tinted yet.<\/em><\/div>\n<p>At this point, I was thinking that if there&#8217;s no chance at all on getting a true clear tint, there&#8217;s no point in looking for the &#8220;clearest&#8221; because all 3 (75\/70\/40) were <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3317\/3271567891_9217356985_o.jpg\">still &#8220;clear&#8221;<\/a> as far as low visibility went. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">4 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">The point of contention was always just the color cast<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> All I needed now was the best heat rejection&#8230; which is why I ultimately went with their top rated tint: the V-Kool 40 (98% total heat rejection)<\/p>\n<p>Cost me an arm and a leg, but I was thinking that on the long term it would be worth it. It&#8217;s got a 5-year warranty, and my air-conditioner&#8217;s compressor would last longer as it wouldn&#8217;t have to work so hard. I realized that I may have been <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nargalzius.com\/blog\/archives\/2008\/06\/19\/synthesizing-happiness\">synthesizing happiness<\/a> at this point, but <em>who cares!<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Rims<\/h1>\n<p>Luckily, while the tinting was going on, <em>Concept One<\/em> was right across the street. So I went there to take a look at prospect rims\/tires. Spent a while browsing, and discussing my concern with a very helpful saleslady. I already found a particular 19&#8243; model of theirs I wanted to try out. But for kicks, I asked her to try preparing two 18&#8243;ers that <em>kinda<\/em> looked big just in case 18&#8243; can still work.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as the tinting was done, the 3 test wheels were ready across the street. The first 18&#8243;er was mounted in the rear, and still looked too small. Then they put on 19&#8243; on the front wheel, and just <em>clicked!<\/em> I told them to not bother trying that other 18&#8243; and make an invoice.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3350\/3257797866_4b417b3dd3_o.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3350\/3257797866_85ca2aa6d2_m.jpg\" class=\"wb\"><\/a><\/div>\n<h1>Painting the front<\/h1>\n<p>So that same day (after the tinting\/rim change), I went to the detailing shop to have the dam&#8217;s painted. My goal was to strip the car of all the &#8220;branding.&#8221; Just like my <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3261\/2921410493_6ac9480df4_o.jpg\">watch,<\/a> I wanted it to be something that people would look at, wonder what the hell it was but would have no idea unless they <em>really<\/em> knew.<\/p>\n<p>So I had them <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3500\/3255343864_d9bc09d3b1_o.jpg\">take off all the branding elements at the back<\/a> (logo, and model name\/make) I only left the <em>&#8220;GT-A&#8221;<\/em> logo since it looked nice&#8230; after all, any &#8220;GT&#8221; indicator identifies with &#8220;manliness&#8221; hahahaha. Then they proceeded to take out my front fender and plug it with a <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3122\/3255344206_d47807de42_o.jpg\">temporary one.<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine the <em>what-in-god&#8217;s-name-was-he-thinking<\/em> stares I got driving a couple of days with a fucking RED fender. It all paid off in the end though \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>Now, having that all-black area is not new to the Lancer\/Galant. It&#8217;s usually stock when you get the <a href=\"http:\/\/cdn-www.rsportscars.com\/images\/mitsubishi\/2009-mitsubishi-galant-fortis-ralliart\/mitsubishi-galant-fortis-ralliart-2009-motion-blur.jpg\">RalliArt<\/a> or EVO versions of the said vehicle. Unlike the RalliArt though, there&#8217;s a subtle difference at the bottom part (aside from the chin skirts); the <a href=\"http:\/\/images.ppsj.com.cn\/artimg\/152\/393978504.gif\">black extends right to the bottom<\/a> on the EVO models.<\/p>\n<p>But here&#8217;s the thing. I didn&#8217;t like the chrome siding on the RalliArts, <strong>and<\/strong> I never liked the the side plate brackets on the EVO <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_5');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_5');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">5 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_5\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">especially with our country&#8217;s wider plates<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> so I opted to get the best of both worlds: Do an all black right to the bottom, while retaining the plate in the middle. <\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3384\/3266683272_e3b2391c63_o.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3384\/3266683272_b9f66baec8_m.jpg\" class=\"wb\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>As you can see, to add a bit of individuality, I wanted the plate at the <strong>bottom<\/strong>-center (like in the photoshopped image earlier). What you see in the image above is how I accomplished it without having to drill any extra holes. I simply bought a Mugen <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_6');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_6');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">6 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_6\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">I know, it&#8217;s a Honda accessory<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> tilt-plate bracket because of it&#8217;s big backplate mount. I then had holes drilled on the bottom of the bracket and had it mounted <strong>upside-down<\/strong>&#8230; and of course painted black for uniformity.<\/p>\n<h1>All that&#8217;s left<\/h1>\n<p>As of this posting, this is what the car looks like:<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3330\/3264267937_162a87ccce_o.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"You may click on the image for more details\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3330\/3264267937_3e5da12f03_m.jpg\" class=\"wb\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Not too shabby! People say it looks like a shark&#8230; I say it looks like a catfish. Either way, it looks hot; sorta like a [Ford] Mustang GT with an Audi-esque front grill. Then with the larger rims and thinner profile tires, as well as the skirts, I get to retain the stock ratio of the suspension\/height while making it look &#8220;lowered.&#8221; <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_7');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_7');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">7 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_7\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">In case that didn&#8217;t make any sense &#8211; it means I got to get sort of a lowered look without having to compromise the overall comfort of the ride.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Only thing missing now is the carbon fiber hood (which should be ready next week) and the top grill. Notice that we&#8217;ve still got the Mitsubishi logo on the [temporary] top grill; that will have to go, <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_8');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_8');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_8\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">8 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_8\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Right now, I have black duct tape covering the logo<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> and they&#8217;re still making the custom top-grill. Hopefully it would be ready the same time the hood is.<\/p>\n<p>The idea, like I said is have people see the car&#8217;s front, wonder what it is (since the Lancers\/Galants with the same front styling as mine aren&#8217;t common here&#8230; yet <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_9');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_924_1('footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_9');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_9\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">9 <\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_9\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">I can only hope it stays that way<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_924_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> ) then find out there&#8217;s no logo in front&#8230; so they wait till the car passes (to check the insignias behind) only to find out that there still aren&#8217;t any identifiers! Hahahahaha. Speaking of which, I have to cover up the rim&#8217;s center caps as well for that true &#8220;generic&#8221; look.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m actually tempted to have Apple alloy logo&#8217;s machined and use those instead&#8230; Apple car FTW!<\/p><div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_924_1();\">Notes<\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_924_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_924_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_924_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\">Notes<\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_1');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_1\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">That&#8217;s the reason why people like buying my used items; because they&#8217;re almost certain that whatever I sell them will be in excellent condition<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_2');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_2\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Plus I never liked the design of the stock rims to begin with<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_3');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_3\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">iPod charger\/audio connector, steering wheel lock, wide-mirrors, back-seat organizer, etc. etc.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_4');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_4\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">The point of contention was always just the color cast<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_5');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_5\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>5<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">especially with our country&#8217;s wider plates<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_6');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_6\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>6<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">I know, it&#8217;s a Honda accessory<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_7');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_7\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>7<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">In case that didn&#8217;t make any sense &#8211; it means I got to get sort of a lowered look without having to compromise the overall comfort of the ride.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_8');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_8\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>8<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Right now, I have black duct tape covering the logo<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_924_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_924_1_9');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_924_1_9\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8673;<\/span>9<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">I can only hope it stays that way<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_924_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_924_1').show(); 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jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I&#8217;ve accomplished about 98% of what I intend to do with the new car. I was supposed to post this when everything was done, but there&#8217;s been a delay on the two &#8220;parts&#8221; I&#8217;m waiting on. 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