Hollywood_North GT

Hope you're taking step-by-step pics.

I don't think I asked you this, but what's the overall effect you're trying to create?

It sounds like you want to give your GT a sort of customized GT500 look...

RobK

That's basically what it'll be...a customized GT500 look. I'm not doing a clone. I'm not going to do a GT500 hood, or emblems or stripes. I just like the fascia better than the stock GT fascia. I love the KR hood and will likely pick one up if the price isn't too over the top. One of my personal rules with my cars is that I don't want to see another one like it. And I like my cars to be on the understated side cosmetically. I'm big on subtle changes that might not immediately be noticed by the casual observer. Beyond that I want it to go, stop and turn like there's no tomorrow. It has to be track worthy. I've got the turning part down with the shocks/struts/springs and sways, I'm on the fence with the stop due to the spacing issue, and the go will come in due time. I plan to pick up a whipple in a year or so once I'm out of warranty. That's one mod that I will wait for the warranty to run out prior to installing!

Step-by-step pics...uh, I didn't think I was blazing any new trails here! For the work I did today I've done so many suspensions over the years it would likely take me twice as long if I had to stop to grab the camera! I'll probably post some pics tomorrow. I'll definitely post a pic of the wheels with the spacers. The more I look at it the more it looks like crap. Oh well, I'll figure something out.

Hollywood_North GT

I hear ya. While I haven't gone nearly as far as you, I have yet to see another Redfire GT with fanblades and BF Goodrich KDW NT 255/45s around my parts. Redfire GTs? Occasionally. Fanblades? Occasionally. KDW NT 255/45s? Rarely. Those three together? Never. And my interior is definitely going to be unique for many miles around.

My feelings exactly. Less is more.

Your warranty will last more than one year.

Have you considered the simple - yet highly effective and often overlooked - modification of changing your brake lines to braided ones? The rubber ones tend to expand once they get hot, therefore reducing the effectiveness of the downward pressure of the brake fluid. That actually accounts for more of the mushy feeling in the pedal than cooking pads. And, of course, you can put on better pads, too.

Just a thought.

Naw, I just meant pics along the way, so impatient types like me don't have to wait till the whole thing is finished to get a preview of what's going on.

RobK

Actually, I drive around 40k a year. I like to spread it across a few cars though. I'll likely be out of warranty at some point in my second year I'm guessing. Collectively I have over 1MM miles on my "fleet"!

Already on the radar! I ordered them but they haven't made it here yet. The bigger brakes don't necessarily improve feel or even stopping distance, but they do improve resistance to fade. I'm not as concerned about this on the street as I would be on-track. I have a dedicated track car so I might let the big brakes slide.

kevinb120

Hey Rob, how are those hids??? I'm dying to get an in-depth oppinion on them.

Back to work chop chop!

JonCo

Yes indeed. Im curious to see how those HIDs look and your opinion

RobK

Well I just buttoned up all of the hardware mods. The springs/struts/shocks are done along with the Steeda strut mounts. Sways are done front and rear. Adjustable panhard is done. Stingers are on. Wheels and tires on one. PBF badges are on. Shelby fascia is on (yeah!). Which leads to my issue with the HIDs. I actually bought a pair of '05/'06 headlights with the bulb shields that I was going to use since the '07s don't have the shield. Well that kind of fell by the way side when I got the Shelby front end. Obviously the Shelby headlights don't have shields either. So I'm not so sure how the HIDs will work without the shields. I'll probably mock them up tomorrow so I can give them a quick test tomorrow night. They may actually be OK, but who knows. I'll definitely post some pics tomorrow guys! This thing is looking sick!

Hollywood_North GT

Stop lolligagging and hurry up, will ya?

AFBLUE

Well he did post at 1200am (he's in the eastern time zone) so technically he has until 1159pm on Monday to post

But yeah hurry up!

Mustangfreak

Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one who bought mods for their car which hasnt been delievered yet!

kevinb120

Well you're just a Mustang freak


As for the HID's the bulb shields really don't do anything. The biggest issue is the upper cutoff line to keep it from being glare city. I looked carefully at the shape of the stock headlights and they are quite hooded with the horizontal chop at the top with a flat surface to direct the light forward, and it's well recessed, I would think it will work quite well. Those faceted 'reflectors' on the old bulb didn't really do anything, they weren't reflective on the side facing the bulb. I think they are just for styling. A laser-beam does not come out of the tip of the bulb, it radiates outward into the reflector housing to be focused. The fog lights sitting further out have a metal ring with an upper shield to block light from going upward. Being one of the simplest forms of lighting, a big round reflector, it should work much better then average for an upfit. The cars with the clear lenses leaning back over the reflector(like a 500 or a camry) would probably send glare upward as it does not have the hood the Mustang has. The Montego has the exact same pattern in the reflector as the mustang does for its HID bulb(wide vertical overlapping slats), with a hood cut into the reflector over hanging it.

kevinb120

So whats the word Rob??

Hollywood_North GT

Yeah, weren't you supposed to be finished now?

RobK

Well, it's all together...minus the HIDs. The more I look at them and the more I think about it I don't like the fact that I'll lose my high beam and the ability to flash-to-pass. I'm going to anxiously await the OEM xenons so I can see how they are. I'd really love to have bi-xenon, but I have no idea how the heck I'd do it without a projector lense. I actually bought a set of GT lights with projectors for just this reason. I was going to retrofit some BMW bi-xenons into the new projectors. The Shelby conversion threw that one out the window unfortunately.

In case you missed them, I posted pics of my progress yesterday...

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=64511

I still need to snap a pic or two of the interior, though the only mod was the AVIC-N3. I ordered some 15mm spacers for the front to take a second stab at getting the Brembos on. Also ordered some XPEL film today as well...


BTW - for anyone in the market the Parrot bluetooth is awesome! Exceptional clarity for the driver as well as the person on the other end of the line. By far the best $120 I've spent so far! It's going in ALL of my cars!

kevinb120

The shields are just a styling plastic piece. The light does not shoot out the front(tip) of the bulb like a laser. Its just plastic on the side that faces the bulb. A projector bulb is an entirely different animal.

RobK

Understood, but there's quite a bit of mechanical wizardry that goes on with bi-xenons with regard to the little flap that raises and lowers to adjust the throw. The projector housings have far more room to "hide" these parts. At least in my limited experience with BMW bi-xenons...