New pics! Lowered my 96 GT w/ new shoes and a number of mods!
03-15-2010, 11:49 AM
#11
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 527
car looks great. A little tint and it will look even better.
As for removing the sticker. It really shouldnt remove the paint. I used to do vinyl graphics on cars. Iv added and removed things off 100's of cars and it is VERY rare that it will take paint off with the sticker. As for making it easy to remove use a heat gun on the sticker (or a hair dryer works too) You just dont want to over heat it and melt it. But youll know if its getting to hot before it becomes a problem. Then after you heat it up just pick it away before it gets cool. And when it gets cool just heat it up again. You can use a razor blade to help peel it off but doing that will increase your chances of taking paint, because if you cut the paint under the sticker its more likely that the paint will pull off. So best bet to be safe it heat it up and pick away at it with your finger nail. On an old sticker like that it will take a while but its the safest way. As for removing the tack thats left use anything thats safe on paint. We had a chemical not sold in stores normally. Iv heard that WD40 works great but iv never used it. Id try it on a spot you cant see to see how the paint reacts to it.
As for removing the sticker. It really shouldnt remove the paint. I used to do vinyl graphics on cars. Iv added and removed things off 100's of cars and it is VERY rare that it will take paint off with the sticker. As for making it easy to remove use a heat gun on the sticker (or a hair dryer works too) You just dont want to over heat it and melt it. But youll know if its getting to hot before it becomes a problem. Then after you heat it up just pick it away before it gets cool. And when it gets cool just heat it up again. You can use a razor blade to help peel it off but doing that will increase your chances of taking paint, because if you cut the paint under the sticker its more likely that the paint will pull off. So best bet to be safe it heat it up and pick away at it with your finger nail. On an old sticker like that it will take a while but its the safest way. As for removing the tack thats left use anything thats safe on paint. We had a chemical not sold in stores normally. Iv heard that WD40 works great but iv never used it. Id try it on a spot you cant see to see how the paint reacts to it.
03-15-2010, 02:22 PM
#13
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 119
Love reading others' thoughts, thanks!
The deep dish fronts seem to be a love it or hate it thing; personally, I prefer having very little dish up front, which is part of why I chose to go with OE Wheels. Just me though 
After having these chromies installed, I'm kind of agreeing that the gunmetal rims may be a better fit; however, before I ordered, I saw pics of 98blueGT's car, which is the same color and he has the gunmetal 10th Annis. His car is the reason I decided to go with the 10th Annis, but seeing them on his car made me think they were a bit dark for the dark blue. We'll see how much change there is once I get some proper sized front tires and see it shine in the sun.
I'm sure you guys are right about the ISOs; I left the bottom ISOs off all around to try and keep from adding height back, but I suppose I should've just left the stock ISOs on the top only. I don't want to go completely without ISOs to try to keep the NVH at least a bit in check, maybe I'll get ambitious and swap the stock ISOs back in, but the difference between the stockers & the new ones was minimal.
The LCAs certainly have a part in increased NVH, it's definitely part of why I feel the vibration more now. My concern is that the vibration is quite intense, definitely not a normal amount of vibration, even for a lowered vehicle. I'm not familiar with the term wishbone on a SRA, so I'm not positive, but AFAIK, the rear was stock until the springs and LCAs were installed.
Thanks for the thoughts, your car looks great! This one was pretty well maintained by the previous owner, only real issue is underbody corrosion from being a DD in Cleveland, OH until 2003, and I've pretty well taken care of that.
SeanandKate - Thanks for the compliment and the walkthrough! Agreed, tint is a must. It's not so much that I'm concerned about the decal itself damaging the paint, but more that I'm worried I'll do damage to the paint while removing the decal. When it's a nice, warm, sunny day and I'm putting on the rear bumper inserts, I'm gonna take a hair dryer and my fingernails to the decal and get it off.
I just think i dont like how the front wheels dont have any dish at all. But i definitely think that anthracite/gun metal would have looked better but since you bought them, just keep them. And chances are that your new isos gave you more ride height than what you wanted. The springs probably would have given you what you wanted, but the iso's just messed it up because they add ride height back in. The added vibration might be from your new lower control arms and might be a bent/warped axle. Do you have your wishbone on your rear differential or is that removed??? The lower control arms you bought will add some NVH to your ride.
After having these chromies installed, I'm kind of agreeing that the gunmetal rims may be a better fit; however, before I ordered, I saw pics of 98blueGT's car, which is the same color and he has the gunmetal 10th Annis. His car is the reason I decided to go with the 10th Annis, but seeing them on his car made me think they were a bit dark for the dark blue. We'll see how much change there is once I get some proper sized front tires and see it shine in the sun.I'm sure you guys are right about the ISOs; I left the bottom ISOs off all around to try and keep from adding height back, but I suppose I should've just left the stock ISOs on the top only. I don't want to go completely without ISOs to try to keep the NVH at least a bit in check, maybe I'll get ambitious and swap the stock ISOs back in, but the difference between the stockers & the new ones was minimal.
The LCAs certainly have a part in increased NVH, it's definitely part of why I feel the vibration more now. My concern is that the vibration is quite intense, definitely not a normal amount of vibration, even for a lowered vehicle. I'm not familiar with the term wishbone on a SRA, so I'm not positive, but AFAIK, the rear was stock until the springs and LCAs were installed.
SeanandKate - Thanks for the compliment and the walkthrough! Agreed, tint is a must. It's not so much that I'm concerned about the decal itself damaging the paint, but more that I'm worried I'll do damage to the paint while removing the decal. When it's a nice, warm, sunny day and I'm putting on the rear bumper inserts, I'm gonna take a hair dryer and my fingernails to the decal and get it off.
Last edited by nagata; 03-15-2010 at 02:27 PM.
03-15-2010, 02:39 PM
#15
Love reading others' thoughts, thanks!
The deep dish fronts seem to be a love it or hate it thing; personally, I prefer having very little dish up front, which is part of why I chose to go with OE Wheels. Just me though After having these chromies installed, I'm kind of agreeing that the gunmetal rims may be a better fit; however, before I ordered, I saw pics of 98blueGT's car, which is the same color and he has the gunmetal 10th Annis. His car is the reason I decided to go with the 10th Annis, but seeing them on his car made me think they were a bit dark for the dark blue. We'll see how much change there is once I get some proper sized front tires and see it shine in the sun.
I'm sure you guys are right about the ISOs; I left the bottom ISOs off all around to try and keep from adding height back, but I suppose I should've just left the stock ISOs on the top only. I don't want to go completely without ISOs to try to keep the NVH at least a bit in check, maybe I'll get ambitious and swap the stock ISOs back in, but the difference between the stockers & the new ones was minimal.
The LCAs certainly have a part in increased NVH, it's definitely part of why I feel the vibration more now. My concern is that the vibration is quite intense, definitely not a normal amount of vibration, even for a lowered vehicle. I'm not familiar with the term wishbone on a SRA, so I'm not positive, but AFAIK, the rear was stock until the springs and LCAs were installed.
Thanks for the thoughts, your car looks great! This one was pretty well maintained by the previous owner, only real issue is underbody corrosion from being a DD in Cleveland, OH until 2003, and I've pretty well taken care of that.
SeanandKate - Thanks for the compliment and the walkthrough! Agreed, tint is a must. It's not so much that I'm concerned about the decal itself damaging the paint, but more that I'm worried I'll do damage to the paint while removing the decal. When it's a nice, warm, sunny day and I'm putting on the rear bumper inserts, I'm gonna take a hair dryer and my fingernails to the decal and get it off.
The deep dish fronts seem to be a love it or hate it thing; personally, I prefer having very little dish up front, which is part of why I chose to go with OE Wheels. Just me though
After having these chromies installed, I'm kind of agreeing that the gunmetal rims may be a better fit; however, before I ordered, I saw pics of 98blueGT's car, which is the same color and he has the gunmetal 10th Annis. His car is the reason I decided to go with the 10th Annis, but seeing them on his car made me think they were a bit dark for the dark blue. We'll see how much change there is once I get some proper sized front tires and see it shine in the sun.I'm sure you guys are right about the ISOs; I left the bottom ISOs off all around to try and keep from adding height back, but I suppose I should've just left the stock ISOs on the top only. I don't want to go completely without ISOs to try to keep the NVH at least a bit in check, maybe I'll get ambitious and swap the stock ISOs back in, but the difference between the stockers & the new ones was minimal.
The LCAs certainly have a part in increased NVH, it's definitely part of why I feel the vibration more now. My concern is that the vibration is quite intense, definitely not a normal amount of vibration, even for a lowered vehicle. I'm not familiar with the term wishbone on a SRA, so I'm not positive, but AFAIK, the rear was stock until the springs and LCAs were installed.
Thanks for the thoughts, your car looks great! This one was pretty well maintained by the previous owner, only real issue is underbody corrosion from being a DD in Cleveland, OH until 2003, and I've pretty well taken care of that.
SeanandKate - Thanks for the compliment and the walkthrough! Agreed, tint is a must. It's not so much that I'm concerned about the decal itself damaging the paint, but more that I'm worried I'll do damage to the paint while removing the decal. When it's a nice, warm, sunny day and I'm putting on the rear bumper inserts, I'm gonna take a hair dryer and my fingernails to the decal and get it off.
Now you can wrap the ends of the springs in duck tape and that will act like an iso but wont be thick like an iso. Thats what i'd do.
Wishbone is something that is just bolted to the rear right under where the driveshaft bolts onto the housing i believe. Its supposed to help with NVH and such. Its kinda heavy too. A lot of people take it off to save weight. Just might be something to look into.
03-15-2010, 02:55 PM
#16
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 119
Haha, J/K, I don't entirely disagree about the flow. Something doesn't flow quite right, trying to figure out if I can remedy it without switching rims again. We'll see how I feel with a few "minor" changes and giving it some time.First off, your two cars are not the same color. His is bright atlantic blue, yours is just regular atlantic blue. Obviously BAB is brighter than AB. So the wheels probably would have been better on your car seeing that your color is dark already it might have looked lighter.
Now you can wrap the ends of the springs in duck tape and that will act like an iso but wont be thick like an iso. Thats what i'd do.
Wishbone is something that is just bolted to the rear right under where the driveshaft bolts onto the housing i believe. Its supposed to help with NVH and such. Its kinda heavy too. A lot of people take it off to save weight. Just might be something to look into.
Now you can wrap the ends of the springs in duck tape and that will act like an iso but wont be thick like an iso. Thats what i'd do.
Wishbone is something that is just bolted to the rear right under where the driveshaft bolts onto the housing i believe. Its supposed to help with NVH and such. Its kinda heavy too. A lot of people take it off to save weight. Just might be something to look into.
Good suggestion on the duct tape. We'll see if I get the chance to be ambitious.
Not sure if the wishbone is there or not. I'm gonna have a shop take a look at the car and see if they can diagnois the vibration, then go from there.
03-15-2010, 03:06 PM
#17
Yea, just thought you should know that your car isnt the same color that is my all time favorite mustang color. lol my good friend has a 98 BAB GT and its sexy...except for the saleen extreme wing on it. One of these days me and him are going to do a photoshoot with our cars...if my car was BAB, i'd probably never ever get rid of it!!! Love that color. Enough me rambling about my love for BAB. There really isnt anything you can do about the flow of the car right now besides changing rims. I like how the rears look...but the fronts dont have enough dish for me at all. It almost looks like the spokes are about even with the lip of the wheel, which is what i think is messing up the flow. The rears have a nice dish to them...but the fronts have none at all. Thats what messes up the flow to me when people dont save the extra cash for new front rims and leave the stock bullitt style wheels up front and put 17x10.5's out back. It just doesnt flow. Just my opinion. I know im tearing your car apart. You really do have a nice car. I like the color too...just not with that busy of a chrome rim. That also might be something that is causing the flow to be disturbed...14 spokes of chrome. lol might be a bit busy. Just throwing out some ideas, and sorry if you feel like im downing your car. I actually do like it...minus the front wheels. lol sorry.
03-15-2010, 04:27 PM
#19
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 119
teej - I really do appreciate all the input, I don't feel like you're ripping my car apart, no worries. I agree that the flow isn't quite right, and you're point about the rims being too busy for the chrome is quite valid. At this point, I'm gonna try to improve them slightly by at least getting some chrome center caps (if I can find ones that will fit), see if I can like them enough to keep em for a season and then maybe make another rim change next winter. If not, I'll just do it after a couple months, once my savings recover from all the recent purchases. Sucks to spend the money and then not be 100% thrilled with the end result, but hopefully I can at least resell them for maybe 3/4 of what I bought them for and recoup some of the loss I incur to switch to another set. Again, I want to say that this is in no way a knock on OE Wheels, their product is top notch, the look just isn't perfect for my car.
What's kinda funny is that I had originally wanted to go with a set of 5-spokes like the Saleens or Cobra Rs, but decided I wanted to go with a set of rims that wasn't quite so popular and prevalent. Probably shouldn't have tried to go against the grain, haha.
What's kinda funny is that I had originally wanted to go with a set of 5-spokes like the Saleens or Cobra Rs, but decided I wanted to go with a set of rims that wasn't quite so popular and prevalent. Probably shouldn't have tried to go against the grain, haha.
03-15-2010, 04:48 PM
#20
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: New York
Posts: 1,306
those front wheels look a bit weird... I will be doing the same thing as you, just ordered 17x9 and 17x10.5 fr500 rims and my stock 245/45 ones in the front are still good. So i'm going to put them on the 17x9 fronts for now... w/e. Got to save money in this economy.
The Car looks good btw!
I agree with the ISO removal too.
The Car looks good btw!
I agree with the ISO removal too.