Soooooooooo I'm on vacation this week. Thought I would share my vacation photos so far this week. Wheeeeee here goes!

First up we have me modeling my special vacation wardrobe. Here I am in a stunning Constatine Inc. work jumpsuit with my name, Jeff, sewn into the front. This ensemble is completed with the John Deere trucker cap available now at your local Tractor Supply Company. I am on location in the back 5 in front of the chicken coop. MMMMM chicken. This outfit kept me from coating myself in truck bedliner.

http://00photo.com/codename/chicken_jeff.jpg

Here we have what I've been doing all week. Wrenching on my 4x4 rig. Yep, she's comin along nicely. Here's a before photo:

http://www.michiganvw.org/maf/albums/yearbook/2006/feb_gr_kkgtg/Feb_GRKKGTG_009.jpg

She's not that pretty right there but whooowheee look at that suspension articulation! she's a regular rock crawling machine. Or mall curb crawler in this instance.

Here's some after shots. I took spray on truck bedliner and got rid of all them there fancied up silver trim pieces on the front. Even painted over the Honda emblem. She's all blacked out now. Still on my list of things to do is add a brush guard, light bar on the roof and three sets of fog lights ala the A-Team van. I ran out of money fore I got round to doing that. I reckon I woulda had enough but them chickens have sharp talons and I didn't pick enough eggs to get paid more than jar full of change. dern it.

http://00photo.com/codename/blacked_out_01.jpg

You can also see I got rid of them fancy silver wheels and put on some good ole american made black steel wheels. The old tires were worn down to the inner tube and I had to tie em up pretty tight with twine to make it down to the tire shop to get new ones.

http://00photo.com/codename/blacked_out_02.jpg

I got some General Tire Grabber UHP tires (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Grabber+UHP&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=17HR6GRUHP&fromCompare1=yes&place=0), they are STICKY and quiet and only $69! Wheeeeeeedoggie what a deal!

I also installed a set of factory mud flaps on her. They looked bigger in them pictures I dun saw in the advertisements. I sure hope they're big enough to fit a chome naked lady sticker on. Cause I'm getting some tomrrow from Meijers.

http://00photo.com/codename/blacked_out_03.jpg

Next up we have something that took me three days to fabricate juuuuuust right. I usually like to sit down sketch out a design, draw it up in a CAD program, fabricate a mock up then make final changes to my CAD design and refabricate a perfect product that can be mass produced using that resulting product drafts saved in the CAD files. I was short on time so I just kinda took some spare lumber and aluminum and started hacking things together monster garage style. It turned out ugly yet functional. May I present, the Honda Element TV Tray! Oh yeah! And I got the only one cause I didn't make blueprints for no more!

As seen on TV tv tray:
http://www.rkdm.com/tablemate/tablemate5.jpg

Custom monster garage style one off fabricated Honda Element TV Tray:

http://00photo.com/codename/desk_01.jpg

It's coated in, you guessed it, spray on truck bedliner. And here's what it's for, my laptop and GPS for navigational bliss.

http://00photo.com/codename/desk_02.jpg

Well I hope you enjoyed my photos as much as I've enjoyed my no holds barred jumbo fun vacation! I've got to get back to tenden' them there chickens! Man their talons are dang sharp!

Great pics thanks for sharing. Hey, watch out for chicken mites....:lol:

Everything looks great blacked out!

I think i blacked out, what happened? oh yeah it looks great and i ll be headin down tomorrow for one of them hats. take some of that chicken wire and make a condensor guard screen , blacked out of course.

Hey! I like that laptop stand! Any chance of some up-close pix?

And btw... thanks for demonstrating the proper way to wear a trucker hat. Any deviation of more than 15 degrees on the x and y axis and you risk semblance to *********gery...

... like this:

http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2004/08/26/federline-inside.jpg

Hey! I like that laptop stand! Any chance of some up-close pix?

And btw... thanks for demonstrating the proper way to wear a trucker hat. Any deviation of more than 15 degrees on the x and y axis and you risk semblance to *********gery...

... like this:

http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2004/08/26/federline-inside.jpg

You crack me up

That looks Coooooooooooooool..........Are ye going ta tint the side winders as well? :cool:

Really that is Awesum!!!

If he tints the winders hows he gonna read his maps?

Hey great looking mods. I am very interested in the blacked out look. Can you post a close up of the actual paint. Is it textured like the plastic panels? I am trying to decide if I should get them color matched to the car or if spray on bedliner matches up to the plastic panels, I would love to go that route. Thanks.

The spray on bedliner matches very very closely with the texture of the plastic panels. I was impressed by the finish for something that came out of a rattle can.

Oooh!
That looks excellent blacked out!

Tess

Thanks! I still have to do the back bumper. I've been waiting for it to warm up around here a bit more. I might install the OEM black bumper scuff guard once I paint it to keep it from scuffing off.

WOW!! I would like to nominate you for e of the month.
btw what size are the tires.
you should tint the window too.
is your gti blacked out also, man miss my 97 blacked out gti vr6

WOW!! I would like to nominate you for e of the month.

Me too, except for the rims- did you ever consider looking for some center caps from an older model? Some powder-coat customs would look nice too.

I wish I hadn't seen the blacked-out effect... Now I'm seriously considering doing that (except for the emblem) on Kiwi. Already have the black sidesteps, and hope to get a black manik nudge soon as well.

Nice job!

Yes, I have thought about the center caps. I don't know if they will fit these wheels or not though. They are so cheap I will probably buy one to make sure they fit then order the rest. Then black them out. lol.

I believe the tires are 225/70r16. They ride very nice.

I can't tint the windows as it's illegal here in Michigan and cops LOOOOVE to give you tickets for it. I had three tickets back in the day when I had a tricked out 89 cavalier I wound up taking the tint off because I was continually being pulled over for it. Of course the cops never had the time to go find the people that broke into two of my cars on three seperate occations but they always had time to pull me over for tint.

My E isn't close to finished yet. Wait until I'm done before you nominate it for anything. I plan on adding a brush guard, roof safari rack and three sets of forward facing lights and one set of rear facing lights for setting up camp in the dark.

My wife currently drives the GTI which is a tornado red VR6 with anthracite OZ supperleggra wheels.

I don't mine, it keeps it simple, or else if black rims were the choice, then it's all on the taste of the rims. i mean there's nothing to complain about. it is what is it is, black steelies vs. don't like 5 spoke or what have you.
personally i would like a set of dx steelies and paint the center black and polish the lip.

Btw- is that really you hector, i never heard/saw anyone wearing a workmen's jump suit on/durring a vacation nor work on chicken as part of a vacation. what's wrong with disney land(j/k)

last question, what spray did you used? was it this
http://www.partsamerica.com/product_images//img/dpl/tr250.jpg

Thanks

That's the stuff. I've been hitting bugs and stones all week and no chipping yet. It's holding up good so far.

Great mods. Cant wait to see it all finished up.


I too love the blacked out front...Did you follow the directions straight from the can? Any other tips on painting that stuff?

Thanks!

I Just followed the directions on the can. All but one. I let the previous coat only dry to about 80-90% before spraying another coat. I bought a book on custom automotive painting once and the experts in the book recommended you NOT let the previous coat dry ALL the way before adding the next one. I've been using that tidbit of information ever since and it seems to work rather well.

As for tips, wear gloves unless you like having a black index fingertip. I removed the entire front end and removed the silver inserts then cleaned them with a window cleaner and then some paint prep wipes.

I've been looking at safari racks for a while and wouldn't mind building my own out of 1" box aluminum for that beefy look but alas I have no welding equipment or skills. Just an engineering background. I know how I would construct it and add triangulation to the superstructure but I just couldn't physically build it. I may purchase a Surco model and start tweaking it.

Does anyone know of a beefier model than the surco one? I've searched but yet to find anyone with a super huge beefy safari rack save for the guy who built his custom to hold his rooftop camper, and it wasn't exactly a safari basket.

Go down to NAPA or the like and get 4 trailer bearing dust covers. Cheap and functional. I had to crimp the lip all around a little (like a pie crust)To make a secure fit. Dresses that empy hole and retains that utilitarian look. You could spray them with truck bed liner too!

I was thinking more along the lines of part#7, which is $12 whole dollars.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/catimgs/14scv01_b18.gif

I was looking at the surco basket for a while cuz I liked the look but realized I would never use it. What I notice is that they rust and bubbles up are a lot of cars I see, so beware.

And thanks, I gumna pick up a can

The Surco racks are constructed from 3/4" aluminum. I'm pretty sure it's not going to rust.

and you might want to pick up more than one can. I used two cans on the front pieces and another three on my TV tray.

Kay,

Hmmm...the surco that don't need the rack...maybe I keep seeing wannabees...cuz I wanted sooo bad I was dreaming of it, so when I see it rusting on other minivans, suvs I was like what.

Oh well.

Good day chap.

Raymond

I did the rear bumper cover today, it took two cans. The entire E is blacked out now.

pics, i just ordered two cans, i have the black bumper already.

An update, 1st the spray is a close match-not the same texture, and my panels are treated and shiney, but the spray is like dull rubber and can't take the treatment.

Still happy...until someone back in to me and cracked the spray.now there's silver lines everywhere.


Note to self: Call sister and tell tony to count money.

I really like the changes. So, how do you like the new tires...what size are they? Also, I have automatic...but I prefer 5-speed manual. How do you like the manual tran?:D

http://headlightarmor.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWSERIES&ManfID=15&SeriesID=127

buy these in dark smoke asap.

PS- diggin up old posts is awesome.

Hey Hector i have those exact tires 225/70/16 and love them. Agressive looking tire and a whole lot cheaper too. I have put almost 10,000mi on them with no complaints. One question what psi do you have for the front and rear?

hey Hector, i like the all black does the lap top slide around?

wow, this thing is back from the dead. The laptop doesn't slide around but it does bounce once in a while on the highway.

Someone backed into me also and mine is all cracked now too. I will be getting the black pieces from a newer painted ex since the factory makes them black now. I plan on getting them this spring.

Tires were great all summer long. I have winters mounted to the stock wheels now. now it just needs to snow. I don't remember what PSI I set them at. I race cars (as a hobby) so I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, get a car without a manual. I practice rev match downshifts, heel - toe, and double clutching all day long so when I race I don't have to think about doing it, I just do it.

hey hector...how you been? i also heel toe when ever i drive a manual. i don't race but i still do. my last car was a gti vr6...and match rev is fun. i actually perfer auto...now. it's just easier...and even though a manual is faster, i can still downshift and everything. beside i don't race, but like to take corners in 2nd... very involved to click od off and push it down one level...haha j/k.

in SF, i'm on my 3rd coat of liner, and will need another. the top peice keeps bubbling after time and the bottom chips from people hitting my bumper.
i'm also going to exp trim...it's just easier.

cheers,

raymond

EDIT-i'm also getting those tires after this last rotation...12000mls on falken 512 tread wear 420. to grabbers 380...i always buy cheap but grippy tires cuz i just run them out too quick...in the past and current.