zer0myst

^ a lip kit is a collection of exterior modifications to a car, typically comprised of front and rear lips along with side skirts

Some examples:



^ OEM Lip Kit



^ RS1 Lip Kit



^ Five Axis Lip Kit

These are some of the more popular lip kits - there is a bunch more. There's even a thread on here somewhere with pictures of all the different lip kits.

P.S. - Sorry if I posted someone's car without permission - but this is solely for the purpose of illustration (I know how some people on here get...)

mdickson81

I agree with everyone else on avoiding the dealer bought and installed parts.

But the list looks good.

toeveryhour

iTrader: (3)

-Carbon fiber dash - Buy it from www.mcgeorgeparts.com and put it on yourself for waaay cheaper than the dealer. I've had this dash kit on my old tC and loved it.
-eurostyle rear tail lights - I would pass on those and buy TYCs off of here or even Anzo taillights. Again, waaay cheaper than the dealer.
-fog lamps - VRD are going on ebay right now for $110 I think. They look better than OEM IMO
-mud guards- I would buy these from the dealer. I did on my last tC. they'll install it, I think it's worth it.
-blue interior light kit...(would that look okay with the crimson car?) - I got my interior lighting from Oznium for like $18 shipped to my house. Enough said. lol
-premium audio - I would go aftermarket and get an awesome quality DVD in dash for the price you'll pay the dealer for the upgraded radio, lol.
-electrochromic mirror - is it necessary?
-tC door sills - you can buy them on ebay for cheaper than the dealer, and all you do is peel off the 3M tape on the back side, snap off your stocks, and stick these on. I did that with my current tc.
-B pillar appliques - i'd skip and pick these up on ebay down the road whenever you decide for sure. it will be cheaper than the dealer still.
-rear lip spoiler - you can get them prepainted on ebay for cheap, and just stick it on with 3M tape. the dealer will drill holes in your hatch if you decide to go through them. be prepared for the pretty price too.

The only things IMO I would get from the dealer are floormats (you'll need them, trust me), mudguards, and possibly the mirror if you really need it. The other stuff I would pass. There's no point in wasting money if you can buy every single part for cheaper than the dealer's cost. Throw the difference in what you save towrds a couple car payments. (yes, i said a couple).

and if you're unsure of how to do anything, look on this site for information. everyone will be willing to help you out. there's no way you can't do anything yourself, or even with a family or friend's help. it will also be more rewarding in the long run, knowing you did it all yourself.

Hope this helps! and congrats on the tC!

reelknead1

Well sounds like your going to put a lot of unneeded money into your car if your not careful. The best thing to do is going to be research.

Take a look at
www.trdsparks.com (almost everyone on here has used them in the past)
Ebay.com (just be careful what you by and who you buy from)

There are also many other sites, the best thing to do is if you find a website and you want to order from it. Post a quick post about the site just to make sure you don't get screwed over by a scamming website.

Another thing is i don't know how in to your car you are but most people find the most stasifying thing about there car is that they built it.

Best of luck with your car.

O yea Welcome.

stpickens4

good choice on color. i got mine in feb and have started tinkering with it. so far i have 20% tint, trd exhaust ( i love it and got a great deal, 400 installed at the dealer), blue dome lights inside ( looks good with the scm), red amp lights, led parking lights/licence plate lights, rear lip spoiler, VRD fog lights with yellow bulbs (soon to be 3k hids), and 5k hids (just installed 2 hrs ago, so bright even when its still light out). will be getting loweriung springs and rims and tires ( 7 spoke from the dealer). if you want to see it its at my myspace page. stp714. good luck keeping it clean. oh and get a good wax on it right away. very importent.

missbeeler

I am going to check your myspace out now, Sounds like you have it looking pretty sweet. I would love the lowering springs but I just got rid of my 4 wd 4runner and i will have to adapt to something amaller and lower tothe ground first. ITS a BEAUTIFUL color!!!

paulky_2000

How about a really nice set of 18 or 19 inch wheels???

paulky_2000

Oh....and yes....a set of lowering springs and struts! You do those two things, and they'll make MORE of a difference to your car's appearance than all the other modifications put together.

hagakure

Springs and Lip kit is all that is needed at the dealership. Anything else, just buy it cheaper elsewhere, but i understand that some people like to buy their car and tht's it.

Just keep in mind that you're financing these parts and will be paying a lot over the the long run.

paulky_2000

These are actually 17 inch wheels, but I sure wish I had gotten the 18's!

L4rry_B1rd

Like everyone else said, try not to get anything at the dealer. You'll save yourself a lot of money. And since the tC has been out for awhile now, you can pick up tons of used (but very nice) stuff for cheap from part-outs.

Check out some of the local Scion clubs and you might be able to pick up used stuff from club members (instant gratification) and even have them help with the install.

I know with both my Scion's, most of my parts went to club members here in Boston when I traded the car's in.

missbeeler

I had no idea you could have the lowering springs put on at the dealership. They kind of look at me like, "oh stupid girl." So they dont go out of their way to inform me with all of the options I have. They are giving me a $500 after market discount since they cant discount a new car b/c of scion's regulations.

So how much are the lowering springs + labor (just a ballpark figure) at the dealership, if you have any idea.

Also... The cat back exhaust? Does it make the car louder?
I am very new to this as you can probably tell and I really appreciate you helping me out.

paulky_2000

Miss B,

I would SERIOUSLY concider the following:

Tien H-techs or S-techs (the latter being a bit lower) They are relatively cheap and available all day long from dozens of sources. Have them installed by the dealer or a trusted mechanic. (I had mine installed for about $300 and never lifted a finger!)

There are MANY cat-back exhausts to choose from....and I will not sell you on any of them. I WILL tell you that my Megan Drift-spec sounds deep and throaty without being LOUD or "raspy"....even with the turbocharger. I've had it quite a while...and installed it myself in about 45 minutes with a floor jack and hand tools....by myself!

Also, I'd concider a set of wheels. The tC factory wheels are really nice...but if you're looking to make a statement?...that would be an excellent place to start!

stpickens4

just snother thing to remember any scion/toyota factory accesorie that you purchase from the dealership and have them install fall under the factory waranty. something to think about. yes you will be saving money up front but what if you need to use the warranty on an item related to the installed part. say what you all will but i swear by my warranties. saved my butt from my last vehicle. 10k in warrantied items in the first year of ownership. food for thought.

FlintMicaMd

I just got my FM last month. I added floor/cargo mats, door sills, sport pedals, mud guards, and leather shift **** through trdSparks. I went direct to VRD for the fog lights (they had a discount code for ScionLife members that knocked 40% off retail).

I added the sport leather steering wheel through the dealership (at MSRP including installation). I really like the feel of it - the darker portion is smooth and the lighter portion is perforated, so there is a nice tactile feedback as it slides through your hands coming out of turns.

You didn't mention anything about tint. I saw a tinted crimson on the road last month, and it definitely made it look hot! If you want to stay legal in Alabama, you can't go below 32%, but if you don't care then 20% would probably be hotter. It cost me about $150 to get 3M FX-HP installed all-around through a local tint shop.

Be prepared for the hard sell when you go in to complete your purchase. Since they aren't making that much on the car, they may come at you with all the stuff they do make a big profit on: extended warranty, lojack, undercoating, fabric protection, paint protection, hydrogen-filled tires, VIN etching, etc. Do your research beforehand, you may decide you want some features, but most you can probably get or do yourself for much cheaper than what the dealership will charge.

missbeeler

REALLY?? I didnt know about the 40% off with vrds. I am definately going to check into it! The only thing I plan on getting from the dealership now is the premium audio ( i know... i know...) everyone says it isnt wort it but Eastern Shore Scion orders all of their tCs with premium and if you dont want the premium audio you have to otherwise state it! Well needless to say mine is on its way and I dont want to have to wait another 5 weeks to get one without premium audio! My $500 markdown on A/M accessories will be going toward the audio. I cant see where its logic is to spend $171 on mats. Thats outrageous!! I am tinting btw I have a good friend in the business and I am going as dark as the legal limit, I am a pansy (never had a ticket) lol All of this "big profit" list you gave me, is any of that stuff a ggod thing for the price?? doubt it lol.

d0ugch0i

like everyone said. DO NOT BUY ____ FROM DEALERSHIP!!

FlintMicaMd

For the 40% VRD discount, go to their home page (http://www.vertexracing.com/) and the code should be given below the picture. Be sure to cut and paste it since there seems to be a typo in it and you want to copy the typo. Should save you $100.

That seems strange on the audio. My understanding is that, at least on the east coast, Scions are shipped from the factory without a head unit and that they are dealer installed (I even test drove a couple that had no audio installed). The impression I got was that, unless you are planning on replacing speakers, all the premium audio got you was the fancy graphic display. Could be your dealer only buys the premium audio HU's so they can tell customers that it will be a hassle to get anything else!

I stayed legal on the tint as well, though they would have been more than happy to go darker. Now that I am aware of it I see a lot of cars that are darker than the legal limit around here, but it just wouldn't be worth the hassle.

As far as the dealer add-ons go, if you want to VIN etch your windows as a theft deterrent you can get a kit to do it yourself off the internet for about $30. Scion applies rust protection to critical parts of the underbody, so if you are planning on keeping it a long time you might want to up the undercoating, especially if you live in a rust-prone region. I bought a case of 3M undercoating on the internet for about $35 and paid a local mechanic another $35 to apply it. Scion does not apply a fabric protectant at the factory. If you want to do it yourself, 303 high tech fabric guard seems to be the recommended way to go. I'd suggest starting with the 32 ounce bottle (around $30). The consensus on here seems to be to "just say no" to dealer paint protection. 3M aftermarket clear shield is expensive (around $450 installed) but seems to be the recommended way to go for viable protection against paint chips (our paint is notoriously thin). If you want the peace of mind of an extended warranty (this is where they make their big money), there are cheaper alternatives out there.

Bottom line, do your homework here first before you sit down with the finance guy whose job is getting you to buy all this stuff.

trungchau

hey feel free to look at my car and grab some ideas

pm me with any questions

justin6969

unless your use 2 driveing a lowered car id go with h tech's if you are s tech's there perfect the TRD springs dont even look like a drop lol go to search and look for lastlookcustoms he hs the springs for 185 cheapest ive found and there authentic id recomend some one to install your springs because the rear is a bi tch to get out front is gravy then get some nice non- ebay wheels if your going to make your car looks nice then do it right i love the rs1 lip kit would look good with an h tech drop just please don't buy anything from the dealer www.trdsparks.com like every one else reccomended he is great and the blue dash kit you can buy the LED's for under 50$ and have it instaled for 100$ from the ozuim.com websie or w/ its called.. everything on there list you can get for 1/2 the price if not cheaper good luck and welcome to sL