Kirk's Ride...

[Jeph]

Originally Posted by Thumper

You weren't kidding about the look of the tail lights... ....The rest looks really good though.

Seriously, this would look so much better if it had the 550 tail lights -solid red.

[trieullionaire]

Hi Kirk,

I've been watching the progress of your car. Think you did a heck of a job on it. I like the rear bumper with the exhaust moved up, awesome set up. What kind of cost to have new bumper and muffler set up like yours?

[Gary in BR]

Kirk,

You did good my friend.

Honestly I was woried about the tail lights and license plate frame. But, I generally believe in the its your car at least try it. I am here to say on your car color and with the rear modded the way it is the tail lights come together and look great. I can see how the license plate fram also fits. With the 2 chrome pipes at the same level any other type of frame just would have looked funny.

There is the cutout option to increase the sound of the new exhaust. It would add even more weight but its an option.

The car looks great.

[Kirk]

Thanks Gary. I am a bit of a chrome lover from my big, fat, cruiser motorcycle days where EVERYTHING gets chromed out. That's kind of the idea in the back anyway - polished wheels, clear lights, chrome exhaust tips and license plate surround.

I've got the Maxspeed chrome oil, brake, and windshield wash caps too and lots of chrome fasteners/covers inside the two trunks. I'll get some more pics once everything is really done.

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

There is the cutout option to increase the sound of the new exhaust. It would add even more weight but its an option.

Yes, yes, yes.... the engineer in me really wants to fab something up and it actually will be pretty easy with this exhaust. That's probably my next big project. I'm going to run bypass valves from the mid-pipes straight to the exhaust tips. If I have to go with the electrically controlled valves (rather than vacuum controlled, which are hard to source), then I've found that MSD makes an RPM adjustable control switch. With that you can even set the valves to only open after a certain RPM - pretty trick. If you're still considering this mod for your car we can collaborate and I can give you some details on the control scheme I'm planning. I might not start on my car though until the fall...

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by trieullionaire

What kind of cost to have new bumper and muffler set up like yours?

I'm not sure about the bumper and exhaust cost. You'd have to check with Heinz Meis with Gemballa NA in Malibu, CA. I believe he's the only source for these parts in the US. I asked him about two years ago and I think he originally quoted $6,500, but I'm not sure if that included the exhaust. The exhaust was like $2,000 alone and the exhaust tips were $750.

Personally, I've looked for good deals. My spend on aftermarket parts on my car now stands at $6,500 total. That includes GT3 front bumper, litronic headlights, carbon fiber hood, clear side markers, GT3 brake ducts, BSA wheels with Falken tires, Gemballa GT side skirts, Kokeln carbon fiber side scoops, LED tail lights, LED third brake light, Porsche speedster humps, Gemballa GT rear bumper/exhaust/tips, lower stress bars, Knock Link, TV, HKS CAMP, Polk speakers, aluminum pedals, and a few other things. The Gemballa GT rear bumper on my car cost me $700, the exhaust was free, and the chrome exhaust tips were $50.

[Kirk]

Thanks for the positive comments guys! I got my Assistant to go out with me to a car show today. Damn it's HOT, supposed to top 100 F this afternoon!!! After the show we ran out and got a few "hot" pictures of the car and uh... my Assistant too. She could barely touch the car it was burning up and she wouldn't take off the hat as the sun was just too intense. Remember the car still isn't done though, side skirts and intake scoops go on next week.

Here's my favorite composition:


Two asses, one big, one small, which is better?




Too hot to touch the hood!



I see THONG!!!



Who loves short shorts? I LOVE short shorts!!!

[Kirk]

Here are some interior shots. I carried the black, silver, and chrome theme on into the trunks.

Rear trunk with Maxspeed oil cap and painted dip stick and radiator cap. Bolt heads are covered with chrome caps:



Front trunk with Maxspeed brake and windshield fluid caps, again chrome caps on bolt heads:



I went a little overboard on the front trunk and even did some work under the plastic covers: red silicone hose for washer fluid, black and chrome wire loom, painted horn and other brackets silver, removed wiper motor assembly and painted it silver and replaced yellow zinc bolts with stainless bolts, chrome bolt head covers, polished aluminum AC pipes, etc.:

[djomlas]

NICE CAR man,
but looks like u forgot to paint the hood.
and those tail lights, wow

[Gary in BR]

Kirk, you have to stop posting pictures of the under hood goodies,
I am almost done with my car (no really guys this time I mean it...I am almost done) but now you show my the chrome and paint and all, man I will never finish my car at this rate. Your car looks great.
Again THANKS KIRK!!

[Franco]

Hi Kirk, You got yourself a nice pair of @sses, I like them both and the thongy over the short shorts is as beautiful as the pipes coming through the rear bumper , Ok now where's my wife

I love your Passion man

[xxxalexxxx]

id paint the carbon fiber hood, and to me the tails look cheap but otherwise nice car man

[Brucelee]

I have to concur. The hood needs paint and the tail lights have to go.

They you have a show car.

Otherwise, it looks a tad ricer the way it is.

hey, we are GERMAN over here.

[Gary in BR]

Kirk,

Leave the hood naked.
I was not a fan of the CF hoods until I saw a white GT2 with one like yours. It was beautiful.

I think the car is fine just the way it is. I would not choose the tails but they work on your car.

[Kirk]

I do agree with Bruce that the car is a tad ricer. If you look in the latest Modified magazine three of their featured cars are silver with a black carbon fiber hood and they've got one on the back cover. But those are all Japanese cars. To each their own, I personally really like the look of the carbon fiber hood (unpainted).

I do have to agree though that the tail lights are a bit much. They've just kind of grown on me, but when I first put them on I was like
If I get serious and do any car shows I would probably switch for the shows over to the tail lights that are red at the bottom and clear/white (not smoked) at the top. I'd like to see how they would look on this car. More conservative for sure, but this is hardly a conservative car...

I just got the car back from the body shop and they did an excellent job putting the Gemballa GT side skirts on. I'll get some more photos this weekend. Hopefully my Kokeln side scoops (carbon fiber again) will arrive soon. Of course you know with the additional scoops on the side the car's going to look even MORE RICE! Ha ha ha

[Gary in BR]

I have those scoops on my car!!!
Not CF but still scoops. I love the scoops and I think you will also. I do have a set of CF mirrors I was thinking of installing...hmmmm

On the tail lights: How about making a clear set. Just remove the red lens (easier said than done) and insert a few red bulbs?

[Kirk]

Originally Posted by Gary in BR

I have those scoops on my car!!!
Not CF but still scoops. I love the scoops and I think you will also. I do have a set of CF mirrors I was thinking of installing...hmmmm

On the tail lights: How about making a clear set. Just remove the red lens (easier said than done) and insert a few red bulbs?

What kind of CF mirrors did you get? Just the covers or the whole housing? I'd like your feedback on price vs quality, although I understand you don't have them installed yet. That's cool that you also have the Kokeln scoops.

You need the red lens/reflector on the tail lights to make them DOT legal. All tail lights need a red reflector. Look at the Prius clear tail lights like mine and you'll see that they still have a red reflector too. I put my front license plate on last night, so now my car is 100% street legal. I try to stay under the radar with the local authorities. Well at least I'm not giving them a reason to pull me over.

[Gary in BR]

Originally Posted by Kirk

What kind of CF mirrors did you get? Just the covers or the whole housing? I'd like your feedback on price vs quality, although I understand you don't have them installed yet. That's cool that you also have the Kokeln scoops.

You need the red lens/reflector on the tail lights to make them DOT legal. All tail lights need a red reflector. Look at the Prius clear tail lights like mine and you'll see that they still have a red reflector too. I put my front license plate on last night, so now my car is 100% street legal. I try to stay under the radar with the local authorities. Well at least I'm not giving them a reason to pull me over.

I got the set from GT Motor Sport
http://www.gtmotorsport.net/index.php?menu=Boxster+Street&page=Carbon+Fiber+Mi rror

The quality on the mirrors and the quality of every other item I have from GT Motorsports has been very good. The reason I dont have them installed is I could not figure out how to do it. I have since changed my mind on installing them and they are in my shed waiting to go on a white 996tt I have not bought yet.

I have the Kokeln scoops and love them, I think it changes the character of the car.

You are right about the red reflector. I say leave the tails alone they look good on your car.

[Kirk]

Whew... this has been a long and difficult journey for me. I haven't really been able to drive the car since January. But it's gotten to a good point of completion as most of the exterior work is done. I'm just going to enjoy the car now for a while and save some money!

So here's the latest pics... I got a carbon fiber license plate frame for the front. Not sure that I care for it though. I've got the Gemballa GT side skirts on and the new paint has been polished out. I got a lower spoiler for the bumper painted and installed, but I probably won't use it too much as it's WAY low. I already removed it in these pictures. Finally today I got the Kokeln carbon fiber air scoops. I'm pretty impressed with the overall quality of the Kokeln parts.

All that's left is an alignment tomorrow to hopefully resolve a rub issue in the rear. Then me and my Assistant are off to the coast this weekend to take in the mighty redwoods and get some good photos of her with the car. So more pics to come next week.

Later this summer maybe I'll play with the stereo equipment. I've got a load of amps and processors, some brand new, that have just been taking up space in my garage for years. I used to compete in car stereo years ago. I'm getting the itch to at least drop in some decent subs. I just hate to hack into the Becker DSP system as the time adjustment for position on it is actually pretty decent - as good as my Alpine time delay processor.

[Gary in BR]

Looks good.

The scoops are really nice.

Have fun with the stereo I cant wait to see pictures.

[Kirk]

Here are some pics of my car pretty much in final form on the exterior. The only thing not included was the front lower spoiler. I didn't bolt it on because it would not have survived some of the rough roads we had to traverse. Me and the Assistant headed over to the Pacific this weekend and toured the redwoods and coastline. It was cool, rainy, and the car got dirty, but we did our best to get some photos to share. Enjoy!

Yes, this is actually me, the girl, and the car.



More pics, no explanation needed: