Stock looking upgrades and bright/blue headlight bulbs?
First.. I have a 99 base model standard lude. I am trying to keep the car mostly stock, or stock enough that it won't attract the attention of the cops(they LOVE to pull people over).. so I am trying to keep it tasteful... it already has lip kit and jdm fog lights, which look nice and also not attention grabbing... any other ideas like this, tasteful=good. Trying to avoid looking like I am some 16yr old punk kid(im 27) or a "ricer"
Also... think it has stock headlight bulbs... I don't want hid, just something either brighter or blue... I had jdm lights with japanese bulbs in my last car(integra) and it made it much easier to see at night..
Also... what is a retrofit? Is that what the blacked out looking headlights are?
Also.. alot of also's huh? I am comming from a 92 ls integra.. they didn't have alot of aftermarket options it seems preludes do. What are some of the things, upgrades(interior or exterior), that a new prelude owner should know?
And last(that I can think of now), I had 17 inch rims with low pro tires on my old car... it also came with some unknown brand adjustable coilovers(prolly ebay), and I had added an adjustable set of struts(tokico illuminas) in the front, and it came with some unknown brand of adjustable struts in the back..
My question... well, it hated bumps. Were the rims with low pro tires the reason? or could it have been the ebay looking coilovers? Going over speedbumps was not fun... I have heard low pro tires cause discomfort with stuff like that... but they grip alot better on turns(less tire roll), and it felt like I had better traction in the rain(which I hate driving in otherwise)
I want to keep the stocks rims, at least for now.. is there a half-profile tire, something a little less thick than stock size tires(thick being the word I use since I can't think of a better word for it), but thicker than the low profile tires(to retain some traction)? And would switching to a lower profile tire really hurt my acceleration(or top speed)/gas milage to the point I would want to avoid it?
I hate sounding like a total noob... but this car is utterly new to me, and my dumbass changed too many things from stock on my last car, and I was never able to figure out what ruined it for me.. and the car started falling apart(which is another reason I am trying to stay mostly stock)
Basically... any info you think a new prelude owner would want, I want. If you can answer any of my specific questions, or correct me where I am wrong, that would help a ton too. I hate sounding like a noob, but I hate even more actually being ignorant!
Most of what I want is a matter of opinion. I can google or ebay stuff sure, but there may be something I dont know, or a better place to get it or..
Then, there is actually so much information about what I want to know that it is nearly impossible to get what I am trying to get... then there is also the fact that so much of it is dead information that is out of date.
There are some things that I have already spent time trying to find out.. ways to make it more comfortable for a tall/big guy, which I found using google, and even found a thread here.. but for the most part, if you want an answer to your SPECIFIC question, that is why you post. Sure, maybe their is an answer to some variation of your question, or a question LIKE yours..
What is the point of coming in here and telling me about google? What does that accomplish? I am trying to pull from opinions and expertise, which frankly, is NOT always google-able.
If 9/10 things I asked CAN be found elsewhere... thats great. Maybe it can be better answered here. Besides... this gives people an opportunity to maybe point out some cool thing about preludes I would never know otherwise.
Yes, I ask the question here... WHILE I google and research elsewhere.
A retrofit is when you take projectors from another car and put them in your headlights. It involves cutting up your stock headlights so if you don't want to try it yourself PM Prelude1897 and he can make them for you. I believe the cheapest those go for is $600
A nice lip kit really helps the exterior as well. Most people have the OEM kit, Wings West kit, or the Mugen (replica) kit. All of those kits go very nicely with out cars.
As far as suspension, Koni yellow shocks with Ground Control coilovers is generally considered the best setup without going really high end. I would also keep the stock tire sizes or else it will throw off your speedo and will hurt your gas mileage if you go smaller
A retrofit is when you take projectors from another car and put them in your headlights. It involves cutting up your stock headlights so if you don't want to try it yourself PM Prelude1897 and he can make them for you. I believe the cheapest those go for is $600
A nice lip kit really helps the exterior as well. Most people have the OEM kit, Wings West kit, or the Mugen (replica) kit. All of those kits go very nicely with out cars.
As far as suspension, Koni yellow shocks with Ground Control coilovers is generally considered the best setup without going really high end. I would also keep the stock tire sizes or else it will throw off your speedo and will hurt your gas mileage if you go smaller
Thanks... thats alot of the kind of stuff I was wondering about. Suspension is going to have to wait.. the trim kit sounds nice since alot of the trim seems faded. Also, a weighted shift knob sounds like a good idea also.. For that I just google "skunk2 knob prelude" or something like that?
Sounds like some good and tasteful upgrades.. I guess depending on price I will have to wait a little bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ufot
I'm also looking for new bulbs. So far i narrowed it down to osram nightbreakers or phillips crystal vision/vision plus. Hope that helps.
Yea.. I gotta find out more about that. Maybe shoot me a pm with what you know, prices, or links to them.. I will have to start researching
I should be trying to figure out how to make the headlight lenses look cleaner.. I have used plastic polish(with fine sanding) and gotten great results... but they always went back to yellowish.. is there some sort of clear coat or something I can do to keep them from going yellow again?
Thanks to both of you for some things to think about.. much more helpful than "use google". lol.
Once you've polished your headlights you can cover them with Lamin-x which is just a clear film you put over them. You can get it in different colors if you want too. That should help keep it from yellowing again
I recently bought some Silverstar headlight bulbs for my 5th gen, and it really made a difference. I would highly recomend these to you. You can pick them up at you local auto part store in various colors (i bought the white) and they dont look rice either.
I also have the factory JDM carbon interior trim in my lude. It really adds a nice subtle touch to the inside without making it look like riced out. I would highly recommend these pieces (Dash, Door trim & center console), but make sure they are the offical honda ones to ensure they are quality carbon, which the factory ones are. I will put up some pics tomorrow night for you when i get a chance to take them.
As for your speedbump situation, My lude has full TEIN coilovers, 17 inch RAYS on low profile nittos and it sits LOW (i mean VERY LOW), and i dont have the trouble with the bumps as you do. Just be sure to slow down alot, and if they're really steep, then just avoid 'em. If i were you id recommend investing in some name brand suspension parts. Hope this helps!
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-01 electron blue- Tein Flex's, 17 in RAYS g-games sidewinder 77's, aem CAI, skunk2 megapower cat-back, Vis carbon OEM hood, jdm fogs, jdm carbon interior trim, and much more to come....
Once you've polished your headlights you can cover them with Lamin-x which is just a clear film you put over them. You can get it in different colors if you want too. That should help keep it from yellowing again
And here's a pic of the CF trim kit: (it also replaces the door switch surrounds on both the passenger and driver side)
That VERY helpful with the laminex.. My buddy had tried clear coating or something after I had done a detail job on his headlights... and it got yellow even WORSE... and was nearly impossible to fix after that. Whats funny, the integra forums I was on.. they had no clue, and they all had the same problem.
That one site you linked earlier with the stock parts, they are out of the CF trim kit.. and I don't have the extra 130+ bucks for it at the moment anyways... but I may go ahead and get that shift knob regardless of how broke I am. Thanks a ton!
Quote:
Originally Posted by blue_lude_91
I recently bought some Silverstar headlight bulbs for my 5th gen, and it really made a difference. I would highly recomend these to you. You can pick them up at you local auto part store in various colors (i bought the white) and they dont look rice either.
I also have the factory JDM carbon interior trim in my lude. It really adds a nice subtle touch to the inside without making it look like riced out. I would highly recommend these pieces (Dash, Door trim & center console), but make sure they are the offical honda ones to ensure they are quality carbon, which the factory ones are. I will put up some pics tomorrow night for you when i get a chance to take them.
As for your speedbump situation, My lude has full TEIN coilovers, 17 inch RAYS on low profile nittos and it sits LOW (i mean VERY LOW), and i dont have the trouble with the bumps as you do. Just be sure to slow down alot, and if they're really steep, then just avoid 'em. If i were you id recommend investing in some name brand suspension parts. Hope this helps!
Yea, I replaced my wifes jetta's headlights with those... made a bit of difference.. but there can be some bigger differences.. the jdm headlights on my last car only took bulbs from japan(75$) and they came out about equal to the look of bmw/mercedes lights.. and without blinding other drivers.
For now I am going to avoid dropping the suspension at all... I may end up getting a slightly larger rim, prolly 17's, with a slightly lower profile tire.. If i can find out what size on 17's would be close to stock size.
Aftermarket springs, coilovers, and struts, in every application I have been in, and I have been in MANY... have never felt as good as the stock on this lude! I live in daytona, and have gone on drives with many of the competitors of the spring break nationals(stereo contest where people pimp out the rides all the way..) And beyond that... I may avoid rims or lowering or any other easy to see mod just because I don't need the attention from the police. I live in a city called port orange... and they sell bumper stickers here that say "welcome to port orange.. your under arrest" for a reason.
I basically want to get rid of any tire roll at higher speeds on turns.. and keep as much tread on the pavement as possible.
Let my buddy test drive my car last night.. we went down a VERY squirly road at 90+ mph... it wasnt till he tried some much sharper curves that the tires started to roll... I hate it!
Last edited by DaytonaPrelude; 06-10-2008 at 06:57 AM.
"Trying to avoid looking like I am some 16yr old punk kid"
Hey! im a 16 year old punk!!lol
haha im only 17!
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-01 electron blue- Tein Flex's, 17 in RAYS g-games sidewinder 77's, aem CAI, skunk2 megapower cat-back, Vis carbon OEM hood, jdm fogs, jdm carbon interior trim, and much more to come....
man im glad i dont live there, no wonder your trying to avoid them!
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-01 electron blue- Tein Flex's, 17 in RAYS g-games sidewinder 77's, aem CAI, skunk2 megapower cat-back, Vis carbon OEM hood, jdm fogs, jdm carbon interior trim, and much more to come....
Silverstars are usually bad in a 5th gen. The filaments usually cant hold up to the heat in our headlights and burn out within 6 months.
Ok, so if silverstars arent the answer.. I assume you have a recommendation?
and from this moment on... I am looking for a used smaller steering wheel(non-ebay junk) or an s2k wheel(if not overpriced)... I decided I can deal with the stock wheel till I find something a little more in my price range.
Also wouldn't mind a recommendation for a LOWER seat.. my head is brushing the ceiling a bit with seat at lowest position.. one good bump and I may get a headache!~
EDIT:
Also... was checking lamin-x.com which seems hard to get around.. alot of links do not work right.. anyways, the stock color option it gives for 5g preludes is blue.. wonder how it would look?
Also.. the bulk sheets look like it would be cheaper to buy then the precuts.. 60 bucks seems like a bit much for oversized cellphone screen protectors, lol.. any other place to buy the stuff that may be cheaper, or anyone ordered the bulk package and was happy with it?
I think I would rather get bulk packages, and apply it to my wifes vw headlights also.. but want to make sure it isnt more of a pain or whatnot..
Also... is the smokeout headlight or taillight as dark as it looks? Anyone done it to their lude?
Anyways, thx in advance
Last edited by DaytonaPrelude; 06-11-2008 at 10:37 AM.
Reason: Why double post?
Meh, was looking at stock lights last night.. too dim for me!
So bump... still wanna know who has used lamin-x, and how they like it, what color, ect..
also... what aftermarket blue/brighter bulbs to get? Or a nice bright white would be ideal.. or the ones that have a sorta purple tint to them..
I am spoiled.. want my jdm light brightness/color!
These "blue" aftermarket lights aren't really brighter than stock unless you run a higher wattage bulb. The blue tint on the glass is actually filtering the light so you tend to think the light is brighter because it's white. If you want brighter light the only bulb I know of that helps is the Philips Vision Plus bulbs.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonik_Fury
whatever essay I just watched the new Fast and Furious so I know what I'm talking about.
__________________ "To me success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection. In fact, success represents 1% of your work that results from the 99% that is called failure....." Soichiro Honda.
Quote:
Originally Posted by madcatz
turbo'd is not a reference I would make to that car......its getting Satan's Heart put in the engine bay
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