Yzark99's mod madness
 

I have finished over 40 mods now. I have also put together 5 DIYs. Please see my updated index below.

Future Modifications: • Looking at tint • New tires so I can get on a dyno without the stock ones blowing • and then I'm done! :)

Top 3 V6 LFX Performance Modifications:

In my opinion, these 3 mods produced the most noticeable improvements out of what I have installed so far:

#1 Solo Performance High-Flo Cats. Deepened the exhaust sound and doubled the throttle response. Post 58
#2 VMAX Ported Throttle Body. Killed the "Dead Spot" hesitation around 2000 RPM. Post 23
#3 APEX Air Scoop. Made a CAI feel like it was actually doing something more than the stock airbox. Post 43


DIYs:

Upgrade to Heated Outside Mirrors: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...95#post6577995

Make your own front Mud Flaps: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247119

How to mount Accessory Switches in the cup holder area: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250418

Make your Dome Light any color (PDF): http://www.camaro5.com/forums/attach...6&d=1373088004

Make your own replacement Windshield Washer Bottle: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=397740

Attachment 726507

Attachment 760749
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Dome Light Filters: In DIY link above. I also replaced the OEM bulb with a white LED from here: http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/...&productId=337

The filter shows all purple to the eyes, but the camera picks up on the intense white from the LEDs.

Drake Bowtie Delete: $50 shipped direct from Drake in Henderson, NV. I think this cleans up the front end.

Yzk Cup Holder Accessory Switches: In DIY link above. I can't hold a camera still to prevent moving lights, but you can get the idea. The Driver's side switch is to turn on my subwoofer, and the Passenger's side switch controls footwell lighting: I is on, middle is off, and II is on with dome light.

Both switches are connected to the green wire at the rear of the center console, so they are off when the ignition key is removed - to prevent a dead battery.

LED Inside Door Pull Lighting: I have always liked the UV color of purple lighting in fun houses. I decided to go with more of a purple color, as the UV can be hard on the eyes.

I got my LEDs from microtivity on Amazon, about $7 shipped for 25. They are the flat or "straw hat" versions - not the normal dome style that you see everywhere. They are so bright that they actually light up the sill on the passenger side, from the light spill over the handle when the door is opened - but my car is SIM which helps. YMMV

I drilled a hole in the passenger's side handle area to start. I removed the door panel from the car for this. I re-installed the pocket cover plate, and used a center punch to mark where to drill; then removed it again to drill. I had to drill inside out, as there was zero clearance to drill from the back.

Somehow, I managed to not only scratch above and below the pocket with my drill bit, but the dash as well. :facepalm: :mad2: Oh well.

I used a drill that was slightly bigger than the LED diameter to finish the hole. I then taped the LED into this hole. It doesn't protrude from the hole inside the pocket.

I connected the + and - from my LED wiring assembly (bare bulb + soldered resister + wires) to the yellow and black wires on the door window switch. This has worked great (see photo). :thumbsup:

The driver's side was carefully drilled out without marking anything. :D

That has been the only good on that side. There are no yellow and black wires on the 2012 driver's side window switch. My first attempt failed, switching to different pairs failed for #2, #3 - I used a multimeter to check voltages on the passenger's side - but all voltages on the driver's side are different! F'n GM! :mad2:

Now I am thinking that I will need to run a wire from the working passenger's side yellow wire into the driver's side door to hook this up. PITA!

Update: The LED is dead in less than a year. I will need to find another supplier that has this color.

Wow you have a ton of wright ups, very nice.

Thank you.

Drake Auto Shift Handle: I got one of these after seeing a picture of it installed. Someone also made a comment about how the stock shifter looks like a stitched ball-sack, which I have to agree with. I got mine from Yates Performance for $90 shipped.

Gorilla Wheel Locks: I have had wheel locks on my cars ever since my neighbors came outside one morning to find their car on blocks, and their rim+tires stolen. They got them replaced with insurance money; but then their replacements got stolen also.

I figure anything that slows down a scumbag is worth doing, and wheel locks are a lot cheaper than even a single rim. I get the versions with the free-rotating sleeve to thwart vice grips. I know about the hammering a cheap socket on trick, but that usually makes a bunch of noise.

Unofficial Cargo Net: I got this on Amazon for about $18 shipped. No reason to pay GM $40 or more.

Satin Billet Door Locks: I bought these to replace the dull stock pins. These make it a lot easier to see if your doors are locked or unlocked. I have the sleeve and the pin on the driver's side, but only the pin on the passenger's side. Something makes both pieces rattle like crazy on the passenger's side (maybe a weight imbalance). These can be gotten in satin, polished, orange, or black.

Pioneer TS-T15 Tweeters: I replaced the harsh stock tweeters with these (non-BA system). They are a fabric dome so they do not ring like Hertz (hertz my ears), or other metal dome tweeters. They have a funky attached dome on them, which doesn't lay flat if removed. I figured that I would rather see the nice dome on them than the cheesy ones on the stock pods, so I took a hole saw and modded the pods.

An unexpected bonus is that the tweeters could be swiveled to face more towards the listening position; as the dome cover rides on the new holes. I used hot glue to secure them in position.

BA G3 12" Subwoofer: I have always wanted a subwoofer in my previous cars, but I never had the money. I did a bunch of research, and narrowed it down to BA G3 and some boutique brand. I decided to go with BA for several reasons. One was that they use fuses on the inputs to prevent blown coils. Two was that the higher models had replaceable cones; so you can switch from 2 Ohms to 4 Ohms easily. A third intriguing design is what they call Q-tune: which is basically a way to achieve better bass than a ported box with a sealed one. It is like a teeter-totter where as the bass roll-off is raised, the upper frequencies are lowered. Since this is a sub, I don't care about upper frequency drop-off. This only works with their amps; which seems a bit convenient.

I found the BA G3 on sale at Crutchfield for $114, with an included box. Most aftermarket boxes cost around $60 to ship, so free was fine with me. I had to beef up the box, but it was still cheaper than ordering a new one. I added top handles, beefy binding posts, and multiple layers of specialty foam inside. I also went direct to BA, and ordered a second cone assembly for future options. The replacement cone cost me more than the entire package from Crutchfield!

BA GTA 1000M Amp: I got this from Crutchfield for $260 when BA decided to leave the mobile audio field. I was originally looking for the 500M, but this on sale was about $40 more for double the power. I am currently running my sub at 4-Ohms, so this puts out 600 watts; but I can also re-cone my sub to 2-Ohms, and this will put out 1000 watts. 600 is more than enough.

I have 4-gauge wiring from Knuconceptz for power and ground. Signal exits the front speakers connection on the back of the HU, runs down the passenger side, and then splits into 2 wiring harnesses for high-level inputs on my 2 amps. Speaker wiring is 10 gauge twisted. Boost runs to a control knob by my knees under the dash; and it works by voltage trimming, not signal, to reduce picking up noise from other sources.