Meet Blue Max, my 2001 LS which I bought new in December of 2001. I call this my millenium ride, the first model year of the new millenium. This is how Max looked shortly after being purchased. The only modifications at this point were a set of Hella chrome sidemarker lights from Germany and a Roberts vintage grill to dress up that big vacant spot in the nose of the vehicle.
As you can see I love chrome. Not large areas of chrome but mainly thin accent pieces that define parts of the exterior and interior. A little chrome goes a long way when contrasted with Midnight Blue Mica paint. I like my side markers from IL Motorsport but they are pricy. However, there's nothing pricy about the tailight bezels. That's wheel well molding from Trimbrite. Total cost: $13 for 20'. Cost of the tailight bezels: about a dollar.
The Roberts Vintage Grill seen here was my first exterior mod. Behind the grill are a pair of 1 inch spacers which move the grill forward in the nose. It's a subtle touch but it creates a slightly bolder look. I remove the grill once a month for a thorough clean and polish. Notice the foglight bezels courtesy of Trimbrite. Just pennies to make, dollars in smiles.
More Trimbrite at work. Yes it's vinyl chrome. But for the price you can't beat it. Initially I went a little nuts adding this stuff everywhere. Okay, less is better. I removed most of it leaving just a few accent pieces.
Meguiar's NTX keeps my '01 looking like an '05. Note the the view from down the street reflected in a mirror-like finish. I cannot imagine using any other wax. Fifteen minutes once a month. What could be easier to get a look like this ?
From where we were...to where we are...to where we will be. Just minutes before Max and I were back in those hills you see in the background. It was a great ride. After a brief stop we are already looking forward to where we will be next.
Max takes a break during a sunny afternoon of exploring the Ozarks. There is no shortage of sunshine here in the great northwest of Arkansas. Winding ribbons of blacktop are just minutes away from the stress of a long work week. Mazda had me in mind when they created Max. Thanks guys.
