EN JOY!

Introduction

*The Car Journal*

Photo Shoot

Misc Multimedia

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The Beginning

So where do I begin? Before this car, I had a 2003 Blue GS and I loved that car like nobody's business. I had the pleasure of driving it for a year, back and forth to school, on weekends and vacations, and so forth. However, once I transfered to my current school up in Boston, I had to get rid of that car. However, after a year of taking the train and bus, I was able to get another vehicle. At first it was not going to be an Eclipse, but rather a BMW. It's a long story, but needless to say, I got what I wanted. I like to be original and customize, and indeed I have had, and am still having fun doing so. This is my 6G72 and I hope you enjoy my page as much as I have enjoyed my car.
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Straight from Japan

This license plate is the result of 'ricers' up in Boston, and a host of Europhiles driving cars (both European and otherwise) with Euro plates. At first, I liked the idea and it was nice to see. People have been doing this for a while, but it was nothing like I've encountered. At some point, it got exhausting and I just thought to myself, "Does everyone need a Euro plate or what?!" The last straw came when I saw a Red Honda Civic (go figure...) sporting a Euro plate over his MA plate. This really pissed me off, and I said to myself that obviously there is not enough Japanese representation in this city. Therefore, I went online, found a site that produces both Japanese and European license plates (though the Japanese plates are not as popular) and purchased it. Within a week, I had my plate. Now, when I drive around and I come to a stop-light, I see pedestrians look down and look either confused or pleased at the plate.

Lesson of the story: If your car was made in Japan, you do NOT need Euro plates while driving in America.
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Riding on Blades

These rims are very sick.. Even I know that. What is even better is that these rims go for around $800+ retail (w/out shipping included) if I remember correctly. I got these for $500+shipping because of a web forum I am apart of that caters to 3rd Generation (3G) Eclipse owners. The guy was really accommodating and an overall good dealer to work with. His name is Oliver, and I am not sure if I can disclose his company for fear of being sued and what not, but Club 3G.org is the forum these rims were being advertised on. In the picture, the inner part of the rim was much brighter than what you see today, but overall it turned out nicely. When driving less than 15mph, you can see the individual spokes and they look fabulous, like riding on blades. But when I drive 15 or higher, the rims disappear and all you see is the rotors and caliper. I call them 'ghost' rims affectionately ^_^
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AEM Short Ram Air Intake

So I changed BACK to my SRI a second time lol. I fcked myself over a couple days ago when I tried to remove a stripped bolt by using a fine-toothed hacksaw to create a groove for a flathead screwdriver to remove it. I was able to make the groove, but the bolt was extremely maleable and soft, so when I twisted the bolt, it just became even shorter. So now I need to have it professionally removed because it provides clearance for the pipe and keeps it secure while under any driving condition. The blue filter you see is not currently on, as I am one for parts that do not require a lot of attention and maintenance. Therefore I am using AEM's Dryflow filter so I do not need to oil it after every cleaning. But I'll keep the picture up because it does look rather nice. ^_^
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Magnecore Racing Wires

To get these things on, I asked a friend of mine if he knew anyone who could get these on and he did. So one weekend, him and I drove out to some remote area of Mass and met his friend who would put these in for $100, though it took nearly four hours because he had to reach the three wires in the back, and that required taking off the intake plenum. I had to take a picture of that because I had never seen what was under there, and it was very amazing to see. It turns out my gasket for this part burned up, but I've been driving around without it so far and nothing bad yet. When I can I'll get this part placed in when having the spark plugs changed. Either way, it turned out looking good and I do not need to worry about these at all (according to Magnecore Inc. at least).
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TYC Black Euro Tails

The best thing about this modification was that I did this all with the help of one other person. We did not have the proper equipment to take out one of the nuts that fasten in the stock lights so we took a little trip to an auto part's store and found what we needed. It took a little while because it was and still is not an exact fit, but it is not noticeable and again came out better than I would have expected. The best thing about these lights is that they do not look even close to have the ghetto-looking POS taillights out there.
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Smoked Clear Corner Turn Signals

Well I will see how they turn out in the longrun. I did not follow the directions from the website (*_*) about using foaming window cleaner (did not use ANY glass cleaner) but used a hair dryer and a scissor to the best of my ability. If it is anything like my Headlight Eyelids, they will smooth out over time. The creases are fortunately not clearly visible, so only I will know. I have to say they look very sharp and take the attention off of the turn signals, unlike the previous ones. My only concern is being ticketed, but they are functional and none of the wiring has changed, including the bulb color, so I'll let you know if any shit happens with some bored cop. 
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Brushed Aluminum Dash Kit

What to say about this kit? Looks good after its on, but give yourself a few hours if you want it too look good and go on well, and even then you'll have some problems when done carefully. All the pieces were cut correctly, so thankfully I don't need to send it back. However, getting them on required that I remove certained parts from the console, like the vents and the front casing for the radio. The rubbing alcohol wipes that they give are not really for use, but rather to inform you that you need to get rubbing alcohol as soon as possible, because you're covering a lot of surface area. All in all, I am very pleased.

*If you're wondering about the blue emblem in the steering wheel, its to honor my old 03 Blue GS that I had to sell a while back. Never forget your past people...
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Sonar Projector Headlights w/ Eyelids

I put these eyelids on during the summer last year, and I had lots of problems with bubbles. I poked holes in them to release the air and magically (I assume the heat helped) the next day they were gone and it looked great. I have to say these are not the original eyelids I wanted to put on, as the ones I saw would need to be made from scratch and would DEFINITELY get my pulled over for some bullshit. In the end, I might be changing projector casings anyway because I've heard that chrome with HIDs can cause glare and that's not what I want.
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H1 JDM Yellow Luminics Foglights

Another step in improving the 'Show and Shine,' these foglights were inspired by tuners who are often underrated, and rightfully so. A few Honda Civics in the area have began putting in yellow fogs and they look incredibly good. I was not sure whether it would fit the look of my car because the fogs are pretty large, but they do just fine.

Lesson: Black car, yellow fogs, two thumbs up!!
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Custom Motor Fabrications - Headers

If you log onto the forum and look for the Custom Motor Fabrications section, you will notice that there are a lot of unhappy customers. This is because these headers and the exhaust system were dreamt up just under three years ago, and the only things that have been delivered are the headers. I know some people were skeptical that I acutally had them since I have not put them on, nor have I placed any photos on this page of them, but I decided today that it would be a good idea.

If all goes well, you will see the exhaust system before the beginning of the summer as I am praying to have delivered before then. But this dealer is fighting with some management issues for the past three years and promised a product before it was actually made, using start-up capital from his buyers (like myself). This is why I have been doing every other modification thinkable, because the meat of my car's transformation has been on hold since September 2006. Right now I have some repairs that need to be handled but I might be getting a few call-backs from jobs so I'll be back on track. Until then, enjoy these teaser photos.
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QuickLift Elite Hood Struts (pictures coming soon!)

So this has been an interesting installation with it ending in failure so-to-speak. My brother and I had an interesting time drilling holes in the fender, but all came out well. I even used a rivet gun for the first time, and got spooked when the shaft released from the nail. Ultimately, what it came down to was removing the hood at midnight, taking it inside and drilling from there, buying a right-angle drill JUST for this installation, or having it professionally done. Now here's the thing: if my brother doesn't happen to buy this drill for his own recreational purposes, as he is being trained in automechanics, then I will have to take it around the corner to my guy and have them finish it off. I would have loved to wake up in the morning and feel like I accomplished my goal, but this will have to do for now. Anyway, pictures will be coming soon so sit tight and check out the other parts if you haven't already ^_^
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Notice:

The car that you have just viewed is Japanese engineered but

***Jamaican Powered***

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Introduction

*The Car Journal

Photo Shoot

Misc Multimedia