The car started as a 2001 PT Cruiser Limited with 43,000 miles on it. Bone stock, was registered in New York, brought down here to Florida, and driven for about six months before I was introduced to car audio, and then another 6 months after that, I found sites like PTCrew.com, PTEnthusiasts, and PTCruiserLinks.com, and then the mod bug hit.

Audio

My first mod was the Pioneer DEHP6900UB headunit that I ordered from Crutchfield. I then paired that with an old RadioShack amplifier that my dad had laying around and bought a 12" Pioneer TS-W302R sub, wired with standard speaker wire and I believe (at the time, a 16-gauge power wire from the battery). I then upgraded the speakers in December of 2008 with a set of Polk db6501 Component Speakers. I had a spare 50w x 2 amp sitting around and wired that up to the Polks. I also purchased a Sony ZR1852 amp, and pushed 185-watts (unbridged) RMS to the Pioneer sub, rated for 150-watts. Realizing that the 16-gauge power wire wouldn't do any longer, I upgraded my wiring all around. I ran a 0-gauge power wire from my battery to my distribution block, in addition to a 6-gauge ground wire. I upgraded my speaker wire from the standard 18-gauge wire to 10-gauge Monsterwire. I fried the sub in about a week. I did some research, and decided upon an Alpine 1242D 12" 1500-watt sub that I paired with the Sony amp. Then I discovered I could bridge the Sony amp to 400-watts RMS, did so, and now the sub sings. With the added vibrations, I consulted a friend who is a car audio install tech about Dynamat, who then turned me to the idea of adding Medium-density foam inside of my door panels and trunk. Did so, and have not had a rattle since, and have noticed a small increase in volume and sound quality throughout the interior of the car. The old RadioShack amp powering the Polks up front was replaced with a Dual 300-watt (Max) amp that pushes approximately 85-watts RMS to each side. Due to the car's common ground, I wound up with a bit of alternator whine/interference, so for awhile I used an in-line ground loop isolator, but eventually discovered the practice of hypergrounding. I performed this mod, removed the ground loop isolator and have had no problems since.

Mechanical

Ever since I bought the car, I have used full-synthetic motor oil with a name brand filter, but recently (within the past 5 oil changes) I've stuck with Mobil 1 oil and filters. I also replaced the stock paper filter with a K&N drop-in, and flushed and filled all of my fluids myself, regularly. I then stumbled upon the PT Cruiser forums listed above, and found out about MX-5s glorious 'Burp-free Shift Mod'. I performed it and was instantly hooked on finding a way to make my 01 N/A PT faster. I'm still working on it, but I've since replaced the stock air intake with an APC Intimidator short ram intake, and also adjusted my throttle cable for faster throttle response.

Exterior

The PT started out with a relatively uncared-for exterior, with nicks and scratches on the car, and a small amount of tar from road construction. Since I've owned it, I've purchased an airbrush and honed my body work skills. A rust spot was repaired on the front of the car, near the passenger's side headlight. Prior to this, I hadn't delved into the world of body repair, so it was new to me. Since, I've repaired quite a few imperfections on the PT's lower grille and on other parts of the car. Recently, I became tired of the 'stock' look of the PT, and stumbled upon a few ways to change that. My PT fell victim to the dreaded 'tape marks' on the front and rear bumpers. I attempted the WD40 & steel wool method, but wasn't pleased. I then decided to recoat them. I also filled the holes on the front bumper where the old license plate bracket used to be, as we aren't required to have them here in Florida. The bumpers came out great, and the car looks as good (if not better) than new. I removed the side 'PT Cruiser' emblems, as I favor the 'shaved' look of the car, and one of the letters had begun falling off anyway. The headlights, though great stock, left a little to be desired during night driving, so I upgraded to HID lows/fogs and will never go back! :)

Plans

Triple Gauge Pod (Vacuum, Oil Pressure, Voltage from Glowshift) *IN PROGRESS*

Billet Aluminum Front Upper/Lower Grille *IN PROGRESS*

Factory Style Rear Spoiler *IN PROGRESS*

Cross-Drilled/Slotted Front & Rear Brake Rotors

Aftermarket 18" Wheels & Tires

Goldline Super Slammer Lowering Springs

Tokico 'Blues' Struts

Polished Aluminum Dash Kit

Diamond Plated Aluminum Floor 'Mat'

Aftermarket muffler