bigbird

hey guy, obviously new here. as ya can tell from my sig i dont own a tC but ive been given the task of modding my brother's "release series". hes not really into cars but wants to get there.

enough intoductions, im trying to get him somthing for his birthday, and the budget is about 200. i searched around theh forum but couldnt really find the anwsers i was lookin for.
cosmetic stuff is what i was gonna start with since thats what he talks about the most but im also interested in a short throw shift kit or sway bar kit.

so whats the best thing for the money?
any perticular brand for headlights or tail lights?
any place to get a good deal?
how do HID kits respond to factory headlights(glare, heat, harness modification)?

thanks for any help.

BlackRose617

200 bucks...personally i would tint it first if thats your budget

FMTC08

iTrader: (1)

with $200 you could get the windows tinted or get a pair of HID's

JOEinSD

$200.. I would go with some springs, if his car isn't dropped yet.

It's not only cosmetic, but also helps the handling a bit.

Might as well kill 2 birds with one stone, right?

nauticac

agreed. Tint or HID's. mobilehid.com is where I got mine from through a GP on here and they are flawless. Tint can be had for between 120-150 tops. If you're looking for cosmetics, you can always do the Figure LLC or VRD shaved grill kit or CF b-pillar appliques.

engifineer

You mentioned the sway and short shifter. If you look around, you should be able to get both for $200.

For the short shifter, go with doctorisotope, no questions about it. Much cheaper than the rest and great quality/choices.

For the rear sway, go with the TRD. I think trd sparks will be your best bet there.

LED swaps are an option, but kinda hard to do as a surprise But for $200 I could do a TON of led work That is also on doctorisotope.com, but again, not an easy surprise item.

Figure grills are another option.

GarmaZed

If the car isn't an '08 model, I suggest to hold off on the HID set for legal issues. Wait until you can afford a good set of projector headlights (I'm getting the '08 headlights, myself) before you put HID's in your assembly.

Also, if the suspension is stock (is the RS the same as stock suspension-wise?), I can't agree on the decision to get springs to lower the car. That'll only wear out the suspension quickly, meaning a lot more $$$ in half-a-year probably. Maybe more depending on how he drives it. I'm planning on getting the basic Tein coilover set for ~$800 to settle that issue.

However, I DO recommend the window tinting; look for a place that offers lifetime warranty, too (my dealership did!).

Look for some new grille sits, since those are in your price range, or maybe a rear sway bar for a huge improvement in handling.

Good luck, and happy B-day to your bro!

GarmaZed

Hey, I checked the site out last night. Are you confident on the '07 gauge assembly? I've been thinking about getting my done in full-red, but I've heard some bad stories about them. Let me know!

engifineer

What question do you have on it? The gauges are the same year to year. There is a small change on the HVAC in 07 and 08, but it just requires using a different size on some of the parts.

bigbird

thanks for the replys guys, forgot to mention it is already tinted.

as far as i know the rs is just cosmetic chanes, i dont see any differances performance ot handleing wise compared to a "regular" one.

i gotta say, if i didnt already have a ride i was happy with i would be a Tc owner. they really are fantastic.

Jiggaman

iTrader: (1)

i had to pay more under the table for the 5% tint in my area....no one would do it....

i called around and every shop i called said no way but my favorite one was: that is very illegal and i will NOT do it(in a very stern voice) and then just hung up....

the moral of the story you ask?

get window tint...

although everything else suggested is cool.... springs, HIDs, LEDs, i would say the most essential part is window tint,,,and if he does get some cool stuff in his car theives wont be able to see in the window to steal it!

Brande0408

springs, definitely

BlackRose617

ya if its allready tinted lower it, hotchkis

Luc1f3r

i would spend $250, drop it, tint it, and some key hole covers...

sexypinoy22

i agree with everyone! tint first! thats what i did! 3 days after i got my tc from the dealer, i went to the tint store and got it tinted!

silverstreaktc

get a carbon engine cover from racinsolution.com or put LED's under his dashboard or something like that. give him a whole bunch of inexpensive things. the carbon cover is only about 130 shipped

GarmaZed

Great suggestions, I gotta support this idea.

GarmaZed

Do you have a thread in SL.com about your product, or is it all on Dr. Iso? I'd really love to have mine done, maybe over the winter break.

Killface

Tinting was the first thing I had done too! There is a variety of options you have, replacement door and side panel speakers, bluebats overlays, oznium.com 3rd brake light, accent lighting, shifter mods, and redline goods leather center console mods. Just to name a few.

rolloutrs1

i would say tint ftw!!!