Seeing a few Elements go the route of bling I decided to take mine the other direction.
Tough looking accessories that I'll probably never need. After upsizing the tires I knew the donut spare wouldn't cut it. If I did have a flat it would probably do more harm than good so I took it out from under the rear storage. I then decided to get a full size spare with the same style 5 spoke alloy wheel that come stock. After seeing a few roof mounted spare setups on Hummers and especially on the concept Fiat Simba I knew which route to take. Yakima offered a cargo basket that would be just the right size and look along with various add-ons including a spare tire mount and light mounts. At first I didn't plan on adding roof mounted lighting and wasn't sure how I'd do it but I figured if I already got that much crap on the roof what's a little more. Since the Element's roof edges are framed with plastic it was a cinch to run the wiring under the trim and into the engine compartment. To avoid having to replace the entire trim pieces I snaked the wiring thru the middle cap between the rack mounts. If I decide to dismount the entire setup I only need to replace a $3 plastic piece. Overall, yes the Element does feel heavier with all that I've added and the mileage has been slightly affected. I don't notice anymore body roll than what it had before and there is still plenty of pep in it.
After removing the donut spare, I now have a built in trunk where I’m able to fit the jack, a tool kit, an air compressor, a first-aid kit, 20 foot jumper cables, an emergency car starter/12 volt remote power source, 2 blankets, flashlights, water bottles and there’s still room for more.
Is all this mess necessary? Will all this make the Element off-road worthy? Do I have plans to stop adding accessories? The answer is no. Is it still fun after almost a year? Holy $hit YES! The Element started out as my wife's daily driver, I kind of took it over as a toy to build on and I've had a blast playing with it and reading about the Element in general on these forums. My wife has now ordered a MINI Cooper. Wait till she sees what I have in mind for it..................uh, don't tell her I said that.

2003 NBP EX 4WD

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48434.jpg

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48435.jpg

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48436.jpg

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48437.jpg

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48438.jpg

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48439.jpg

http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48440.jpg

It looks...Uhhh...It looks like a vehicle you'd see in Star Wars. Driven by the Storm Troopers of the Evil Empire. But not gawdy either, so I guess it's cool.

[quote:7aacb2db01=" "]It looks...Uhhh...It looks like a vehicle you'd see in Star Wars. Driven by the Storm Troopers of the Evil Empire. But not gawdy either, so I guess it's cool.[/quote:7aacb2db01]

As geeky as this may sound, that has to be the biggest compliment anyone could ever give me about my Element. And it's exactly the theme I was shooting for. Now I have to go off and blast a Jawa.
Thanks Dan. :D

Looks Tough. Like that Style.

Especially the Carrier on top.

[quote:d3771fe4a8=" "]Looks Tough. Like that Style.

Especially the Carrier on top.[/quote:d3771fe4a8]

The dark "fairing"(?) underneath the top fogs brings to my mind flip-up cop sunglasses.

-brendan

like I saw the pics of it at the DC meet rock on :twisted: :twisted:

Damn Emp, Lemme Guess, Star Wars Galaxies?
Anywayz- That Sh!t looks Nice... I like the way you went away from the Blingz & went the other route, Looks really original, first time Ive seen it look HOT, kinda like the Crocodile Hunter's E! Nice Job!
If you dont mind me asking, How much & where'd you get the grill and the rear light covers?

Thanks Barracuda.
You can find the brushguard and taillight guards at http://www.suvxccessory.com/xccessory/2003-honda-element.html
It cost me about $550 including shipping for the set.

where did you get the nice basket and spare tire mount etc?

all your E needs is some white stripes. boom instant safari rig =D

best
D.

It's a Yakima LoadWarrior basket with a tire mount kit.
Try here: http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3147
Sportsrack is an EOC sponsor, mention this site and receive a 15% discount.

appreciate the tip off empire

thanks much
D.

Is that a black grill from Cloud?? If so where did you get it??

Check out all the info and model numbers listed here.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3871
Cloud-Rider is an EOC sponsor also.
Some people have said they didn't like the CR grill screen but I love the damn thing.
I had to drive thru deep water a couple times on some washed out roadways and it acted as a filter. The outside of it was cover with pine needles, small twigs and debris. All of which would have collected in the bottom of the front bumper or elsewhere.

make you an Empire Builder of sorts...wouldnt it now?

whats next, the raytheon thermal night vision system the yellowh2.com has? lol


nice work. please share the mini stuff too when you got it. id love to see it. =)

best
D.

[quote:01820987fc=" "]whats next, the raytheon thermal night vision system the yellowh2.com has? lol[/quote:01820987fc]
It's very tempting.
Verrrrrrrrry tempting

Wait a minute, where is my amp meter. I can hear the juice sucking threw those wires. Empire, have you noticed the heater seems to work even when it’s turned off. LOL Also, perhaps you've upgraded beyond that puny stock battery. Don't mean to be so negative but I do see some serious amperage going on there. Not much left for the shields huh?
Don't mean to be so negative, the truth is I’M JEALOUS.

Those are valid questions, though. Wonder what the wattage limits are for the Element wiring harnesses?

Actually it's a good question. I haven't upgraded the battery.......yet. But I have the fogs tapped into the side markers. The off-road lights and the roof mounted lights are tapped into the two terminals on the fuse box. Both are sets of 55w lights and have a seperate on/off switch which can only be activated when the headlights are on and their individual wiring includes an inline fuse and a 30 amp relay. I never usually have them all on for any long period of time though. I haven't noticed any problems as of yet and I check the wiring for any wear on a regular basis.
It's all good................and if it burns up I'll take a few pics and get Element of the Month. So it's a win win situation :twisted:

First of all... Go Rebs! :P

2nd... a couple of questions.... Have you had any trouble getting into any parking garages with that extra height? What's it all top out at height wise anyway?

Would that basket mount okay onto the standard roof rack accessory from Honda? Or does it have to be a special rack?

What size tires did you upgrade to? And where did you find them?

And lastly, How hard was it to install the brushguard and taillight guards. I know I'm gonna want them on my E, but I'm thinking I may have to take it somewhere to have them installed... who would do that kind of work?

Thanks for sharing those awesome pics. I've seen way too many "pimped-out" city E's and definately want mine to be more "outdoorsy" for the mountains.

Bah, rebel scum! :evil:

ok, I've never parked it in a parking garage as of yet.
A 7 foot tall home garage opening was just a bit too short last I checked.
My guess is it's about 7' 2" maybe 7' 3".
It's the large wingnut ontop that sticks up past the 7 foot mark.
I can flip the tire over so the wheel is face down. That way the wingnut sits down in the wheel below the top edge of the tire. I just set mine face up so the wingnut, and it's lock, is easier to access without needing a step ladder.

The basket mounts securely on the Honda OEM rack.

The tires are 235/70/16 Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revos.
I got them from www.tirerack.com.

Believe me, you can install the brushguard and taillight guards.
Before I got the Element the only thing I ever installed on a car was a sticker, and maybe a windshield wiper. All you have to do is cut 2 small slits on the plastic underskirting just behind the front bumper and the rest just bolts on. The tailight guards just bolt on also. It's very easy, trust me.

...what does this do to your gas mileage? I mean... :shock:

(It is very, very cool, however! Great job... great attention to detail.)

Last time I checked I was averaging between 18-22 mpg.

its what i get without all the goodies. wonder how much it would fall

:)

Wow! Thanks so much for answering all my questions, and being so encouraging! (Hmmm...doesn't sound like the Empire at all... :wink: )

I'll press my luck and ask a couple more...

:arrow: Are those the standard alloy Honda rims on those new tires?

:arrow: Could you give a little more info on how you physically ran power to the roof lights? (and you never mentioned where you got those lights or the Brush Guard lights from)

Don't want you to reveal any "trade" secrets, but your advice would be real helpful to me and my future E.

Thanks.

p.s. (If you're into SWG, I'm on Radiant)

Oh, and by the way...here's an E you should watch out for...
http://www.yodamac.homestead.com/files/e-wing.jpg
(R2 fits so nicely in the Moon Roof..heh)

Wow! Thanks so much for answering all my questions, and being so encouraging! (Hmmm...doesn't sound like the Empire at all... )

The Empire is your friend.
Trust the Empire.
Join the Empire and together we can make the galaxy a better place.

Ok, enough propaganda. :twisted:
Are those the standard alloy Honda rims on those new tires?
Yep.standard alloys on the new tires and on the roof mounted spare.

The lights mounted on the brushguard are a set of $20 utility lights I found at Walmart. Same goes for the roof mounted set.

As far as wiring goes I had the lights and a universal wiring harness kit made by Pilot or APC you can get at Pep Boys or Advance Auto for about $10 -$20. The wiring that came with the set wasn't long enough so I got 2 small rolls of red and black 10 or 12 gauge wire for the extension. I connected one end of the wires to the lights.Then I removed the center plastic cap on the roof edge trim between the two roof rack mounts. This cap only covers a bolt that holds on the center portion of the roof trim. I then drilled a penny sized hole thru the cap so about 4 wires could pass thru. (2 hots, 2 ground).I placed a rubber grommet in the hole so the edges wouldn't be so rough and to also provide some water proofing.I then removed that center trim bolt and it gave me an opening to slide the wires thru. I actually dremeled a bit of the plastic bolt hole to make it wide enuff so all 4 wires and the bolt wouldn't be so crowded and so the bolt head wouldn't cut thru the plastic on the wiriing when it's put back in place. Once the wiring is snaked thru the hole you can slip it under that end of the rear half of roof trim. Then with a credit card just slip the wires one at a time under the bottom edge of the roof trim all the way down to the corner where the windshield meets the hood area. Once there just slip the wires under the rubber corner piece and connect them however you like or by the instructions given with the wiring harness. I tapped the main power from one of the 2 terminals on the back end of the fuse box. My switch for the lights gets power from the headlights. So it only can be activated when my parking/headlights lights are on. I finished it up by covering all 4 exposed wires on the roof with a length of plastic wire tube cover that slip right over all of them. And I locked it all down with lock-ties. More than 4 wires down under the roof and windshield trim might be pushing it if you plan on putting more than 2 lights on the roof. You could go with smaller wire or even slip half of the wires down the other side's trim.

I love the E-Wing pic!
I always wondered why the Element seemed so familiar to Star Wars fans.
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48426.jpg

Just wondering if you (or anyone else with this brush bar installed) could tell me how much clearance there is between the bumper and the bar.

The reason is, I'm thinking of installing Honda's Front Bumper Trim, which looks like it fattens the bumper by at least an inch, maybe 2. (In photos, it seems to extend the bumper at least 3/4 of an inch beyond the panels to the left and right.) I'm wondering if there'll be enough clearance to add the bar too. (If not, I'll skip the trim.)

If you forsee any other obstacle to this combo, I'd love to have your input.

Thanks!

PS: Thanks for all the great pics and info you've already posted.

I just measured and it looks to be about 7/8ths of an inch from the face of the center silver bumper to the back edge of the brushguard support in front of it. That 7/8ths spacing seems to stay constant as the bumper and the support curve underneath. I'm really not sure how the front bumper trim will fit. I like the look of the trim alot but I shyed away due to it's price and wasn't sure how the required front plate would fit or look while covering the majority of it. Hopefully someone with the trim might write in with some measurements.
What would be great is if instead of plastic, the trim was made of a powder coated formed sheet metal. The trim could then act as a guard and a skid plate all in one.

That info's a good start. I've got a bad feeling that 7/8'' won't be enough clearance. Yeah, only someone with access to the trim can say how much it extends past the bumper itself.

I also think the cost of the trim is absurd, but I do like the look of it. If I can fit it under the brush bar, I'll probably go for it. However, you make a good point about the front plate covering much of it. I hadn't considered that and don't know how it'd look.

Of course, I could just leave the front plate off. I've driven a '67 Karman Ghia without one for five years (just can't bear to mount one and mess up the look of the front end) and only received one ticket. :wink: Expensive, but worth it.

Great idea about the trim/skid plate. Unfortunately, I can't imagine anyone manufacturing something like that anytime soon. :cry:

Thanks again.

very, very nice... I wonder how strong that front brush guard is? It could come in handy at the parking lot where I work. hhmmm...

Thanks again for all the great instructions. It sounds like something I might actually be able to do...except for that part about slipping the wires under the trim using a credit card.... Maybe you got a VISA I can borrow? :wink:

Seriously, I wont be adding more lights than that, and I may even do just the Brush guard lights. Or maybe some kinda light markers along the top or something...not sure whats available.

Thanks again! Your E is awesome!...er.. I mean... it's strong with the Dark Side. :twisted:

Here's a few pics of the Element in the snow we've had recently.
It cut thru the mess just as well as everyone said.
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48441.jpg
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48442.jpg
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48443.jpg
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic/7564FApN/48444.jpg

Great pics, thanks Empire. What else do you plan on adding to your Element? Rear spoiler, etc?


Thanks!

I will post pics of all my new parts once I install them. I think you will really like my Element. :0)

Is that the one that ships with the basket? It doesn't seem to have the big, ugly Yakima logo, so I'm wondering if you had a replacement fabricated... or maybe just (intentionally) put it on backwards? Also, how sturdy does it seem?

Thanks!

Great pics, thanks Empire. What else do you plan on adding to your Element? Rear spoiler, etc?

I'm pretty much finished with the exterior. The spoiler never really did much for me. I'll start with the interior next.

Is that the one that ships with the basket? It doesn't seem to have the big, ugly Yakima logo, so I'm wondering if you had a replacement fabricated... or maybe just (intentionally) put it on backwards? Also, how sturdy does it seem?

Yep, I flipped the fairing. The Yakima logo is only printed on one side. After I installed the basket, the fairing did rattle a bit when closing doors or hitting bumps. Basically the top edge isn't locked down so it taps against the top bar of the basket. I drilled a hole on each end of the fairing and a hole in the middle and locked it down with zip-ties. Not a peep now. So far the fairing has been pretty sturdy. I've had sheets of ice fly off the tops of 18 wheelers to smack it and it still looks brand new. I think the windshield will catch more damage than the plastic fairing will.

Thanks again for the info. Looking forward to whatever sinister liberties you take with the interior.

very cool! 8)

So, I am curious also about the decal logo thing you have. Did you get that decal made for the car? Looks neat.

That is one tricked out E my friend. Looks like you're ready for the header kit and exhaust and all the trimmings in the box.

Hey, no snow in Virginia? I am in Ohio and it is butt ugly here so far and still. I haven't made any photos cause the weather is so Yukkk!

Later

Michael

Well when I first got the Element I wanted to do some type of theme look with it. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and with the shape and color the Element reminded me of something Darth Vader might drive on the weekends. :lol:
I had researched what accessories would beef it up yet still be functional and wouldn't completely make it into a Star Wars Geek parade float. I wanted to take the theme subtle but enuff so that another Star Wars fan would get a kick out of it. I ordered the "EMPIRE" plates, and over several months ordered and installed everything you see. While doing this I scoured the internet for a profesional looking Imperial insignia to replace the Honda badge. Finally I came across this place http://www.linusco.com/.
If you want to dress up you Element and considered a decal but could only find the stereotypical "cobra slithering thru an evil skull" sticker at Pep Boys or AutoZone. Or some half-assed drawn tribal dragon sticker then check this place out. They have all kinds of logos, insiginas and emblems from video games, movies , TV shows and other sources. And the decals are high quality and made to order with color options this way you can match up that red Decepticon insignia with your Figi Blue Pearl, or a chrome ATARI logo for your Sunset Orange Pearl. I found a few i would reccomend for fellow EOC members.
This for EINSTEIN.


http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/51/50781/einstien-k.jpg


and this one for Tony Soprano.


http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/51/50781/sopranos-R.jpg

If I had a Green Element I'd be tempted to deck it out with all the G.I.Joe emblems along with the "Ejector Seat", "Not A Step", "Rescue" stickers and to top it off a big "Hasbro" logo. Hell, half the Element is plastic anyway so it will look just like a Joe vehicle.


As for snow pics if you haven't seen them check out page 2 on here.


Here's what I meant earlier about trying to keep it somewhat subtle.

http://www.roadsquadron.com/Cars/Hwing/R2day.jpg

Hey, it's still a Honda. :D
Check out the site at www.roadsquadron.com it's great.

Hey Empire! Saw your meet down in DC over at hondasuv.com. Sorry I couldn't go to the meet. I am a member there and here and Kerri told me you were a member. I wanted to find out about your basket which obviously was answered in this thread. Can you tell me how you rigged the lights? The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't go to garages anymore in the city. Does everything collapse below the rails? Thanks!

-Keith

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

A SopranoMobile? A MobsterMobile?

I may just go with a E Hearst.

:D :D :D :D :D :wink:

I guess you DO get snow in Virginia :o Fun Pics....

I haven't made a single image of my E yet. I need to do that seeing how I am a photographer and all...

Looks like you are havin' fun...ride on! :wink:

Michael

Hey there. Sent you a PM about my troubles with the taillight guards and getting the taillight assembly to "snap" back in. Hope you can help... thanks.

Yep I sent a reply. Hope it helps. It just takes a few tries to really get them locked in. I remember the first time I heard that "POP" sound and saw the wirey "guts" hanging out when I removed the first tailight. I thought,"Oh SH!T, I broke my Element." Don't worry they'll be secure, once bolted on you can rock the Element by holding onto the taillight guards........and if the Element is a rockin' then don't come a knockin' :shock: Yeah Baby Yeah!

http://www.lookalike.com/talentbooking/lookalikes/images/austinpowers.jpg

Empire,
What kind of fog lights did you put on the brush guard?

Never mind I should have taken the time to read all of the posts

Finally solved my tail-light question (see the thread in do-it-yourself mods)
and even got my grille guard mounted. :)

I'll take some pics this weekend.

Also added a new antenna, leather steering wheel cover, and a few miscellaneous stuff. Last (?) thing I need is a good, but not permanent, mount for my iPod.... oh yeah, and custom plates. :) ...

would you mind posting the pics again?

sounds awesome, and id love to see it!! :D

[quote:ab3248b12b=" "]would you mind posting the pics again?

sounds awesome, and id love to see it!! :D[/quote:ab3248b12b]

Meka Leka Hi Meka Hiney Ho
*sound of chimes*
Your wish is granted.

Yahoo bumped all the links to the pics so I had to go back and relink all my original pics.
I had forgotten about these.
You can see a few more recent pics on my "I think my Splash Guards are defective" post here:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8044
or on www.hondaelement.org 's main page.

Actually those pics are a bit outdated also as I've stripped most all of the exterior add-ons. Leaning more toward performance mods now.