New Mods! Painted Sills, Brakes, MD Spacer *PICS*

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Aug 19, 2007 | 04:05 PM
  #1  
Mod bug hit again . Hopefully these will hold me over for a bit.

I had my OEM side sills and the lower lip on the front / back bumper painted to match the car.....













Going to a G/Z track event October 4th so I upgraded the brakes to Z1 Cross drilled / slotted rotors and Axxis Ultimate Pads all around. (and added clear turns per your suggestions )



The Axxis pads have a little more initial bite than the OEM pads did (which was already very impressive). I haven't pushed the car hard enough to experience brake fade but the track event will definitely be the test. The pads are very quiet, stop well, but are very dusty. I was told this before I bought them but am more concerned with braking performance than worrying about washing my wheels so i went with them. I hear the Hawk pads put out a little less dust for someone who want a less dusty pad along with good performance. I clean my wheels frequently so I don't mind.

I just put the 5/16" spacer on last night and haven't really had enough time to give it a full review. So far it feels great and going by what all the other members have said about cost / hp, its a great mod.

Overall I'm very happy with how this car is coming along. Its fun to drive and easy on the eyes I got a great comment the night after I finished the mods. I went to a movie with my Fiancé and as we're coming out i notice 4 or 5 guys standing by my car. I was suspicious as to what they were up to but as soon as I walked by them they commented on how nice my car looked. I cant tell you how great that made me feel. I love these cars.
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Aug 19, 2007 | 05:36 PM
  #2  
nice. looks clean
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Aug 19, 2007 | 07:23 PM
  #3  
Thanks guys.

S.E.- It ran me $375. Not sure of the process that he used to paint the plastic (he had some special product he showed me but I dont remember what it was called). Here are some before and after pics:

(Click to Enlarge)


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Aug 19, 2007 | 10:24 PM
  #4  
abailey, I'm seriously looking at getting the lowers on my '03 desert platinum painted now that I've see your ride. It looks very good!! Can you please find out what the paint shop did to make the plastic ready for paint, what "special product" it was that they used? $375 is a great price for that, it looks way better! Also, what body shop did you use (dealership, local shop, national chain, etc)? Thanks!!
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Aug 19, 2007 | 10:33 PM
  #5  
Wow it looks SO much better! Amazing
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Aug 19, 2007 | 10:40 PM
  #6  
Looks good... the side sills are of interest to me too.. looks like the color match is pretty good... any info you have on process and product would be great. Also, did the shop mix the color on their own to match? Or do they get it from somewhere?.. color match is the biggest concern I have about doing it - I've seen some that don’t match well.
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Aug 19, 2007 | 10:42 PM
  #7  
ok i need to paint mine!

urs look sick!
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Aug 19, 2007 | 11:56 PM
  #8  
Aubrey the car turned out great I see you got the spacer and springs. Ever thought about taking the I N F I N I T I off your trunk? Good choice on the coupe rims too! A good sand bath to prep the sills and plenty of flex agent is all you should need for the sills since there's no paint on them stock then paint and clear coat.
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Aug 20, 2007 | 01:19 AM
  #9  
Quote: Aubrey the car turned out great I see you got the spacer and springs. Ever thought about taking the I N F I N I T I off your trunk? Good choice on the coupe rims too! A good sand bath to prep the sills and plenty of flex agent is all you should need for the sills since there's no paint on them stock then paint and clear coat.
Hmm. I haven't decided on debadging yet. Need to see some more pics. Yea, the Z suspension and MD spacer were great mods. Thanks for all of your advice. The car is so much more fun to drive now, both in turns and the twisties.

**Flex Agent** Thats what it was! Good call. I'll see if I can get the brand he used.

Quote: Looks good... the side sills are of interest to me too.. looks like the color match is pretty good... any info you have on process and product would be great. Also, did the shop mix the color on their own to match? Or do they get it from somewhere?.. color match is the biggest concern I have about doing it - I've seen some that don’t match well.
He actually did it twice. Since the sills are black even when he used the OEM paint code it came out a shade too dark. He stripped it down and re-did it with a shade lighter paint and it came out pretty well. Its not perfect but, if you look at the stock door trim (the little door saver things that are in the middle of the doors) it doesn't match perfect either. He matched the fenders better than the plastic door savers (what ever they're called). I'm happy with it. This was not a dealership, but a guy that does a lot of on-site work for dealerships around the city. He said if it ever flakes off or fades to come back and he'll re-do it. Great guy. If anyone is here in Atlanta shoot me a PM and I'll be glad to give you his info.
Quote: Can you please find out what the paint shop did to make the plastic ready for paint, what "special product" it was that they used? $375 is a great price for that, it looks way better! Also, what body shop did you use (dealership, local shop, national chain, etc)? Thanks!!
Perry is correct, it was a "Flex Agent." I'll see if i can find out what kind of flex agent he used.
It wasn't a dealership, it was a local shop. The guy actually does it in his garage at his house. LOL. For $375 and the job he did along with the promise to fix it if i ever have issues i really cant complain.
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Aug 20, 2007 | 03:15 AM
  #10  
looks very good!!!

Damn you!! I think I will need to do my front tint darker now, it looks so much better (mine is at 20% now)
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Aug 20, 2007 | 10:37 AM
  #11  
Wow .. It Came Out Very Nice ..

Im Not Sure If I Should Paint Or Just Buy A 4 Pc KIT I Saw .

For The G Sedan ..

Painting It Would Def Be Cheaper Though ...
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Aug 20, 2007 | 01:52 PM
  #12  
It looks amazing, especially with those coupe 19s. It's makes you wonder why in the world Infiniti went with gray lowers on the 03/04 sedans. My guess is to make the car ugly compared to the coupe

I will be painting the sides and rear sills on my black 03 to match my Aero front bumper. I've researched this stuf to death and like any painting, it's all the prep. With plastic, you want to scuff the surface, clean the hell out of it, and use a plastic primer base. Flex agent isn't really needed except for the front airdam and from what I've read, a lot of shops don't use it at all because it apparently compromises the overall strength of the paint. This is the first time I've actually used a paint sprayer to do this type of work. Luckily I have a black car and I'll not looking to make the lowers glossy at all. I just want them a deep semi-gloss black.
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Aug 20, 2007 | 03:12 PM
  #13  
Car looks great, man. You should be very proud.
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Aug 20, 2007 | 07:25 PM
  #14  
Quote: Hmm. I haven't decided on debadging yet. Need to see some more pics.

Heres mine its the same color as yours.




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Aug 20, 2007 | 08:26 PM
  #15  
Looks so much better. If you are not going for the aero kit this mod is a must for all 03/04's.
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