[ShaneyH]

Hey All!,
I just recently bought an 03 ZX3. It is all now currently stock, but I am going to make a step by step album as it progress. I don't know if you people care, but I think it will be cool overtime. So here are some pictures of it stock. Sorry about the size.

 

[PlutoJared22]

Not bad, you've got a good place to start. Good choice of color thats for sure! Enjoy it

 

[Yellow-ZX3]

i don't mind....i love seeing peoples car evolve to new beasts.

 

[ShaneyH]

My First Change!!

Heres My first "mod". I debadged it! And this was a debadge from hell! It literally took about 4-5 hours. I did everything everyone told me. I even had goo-gone and quick detailer. Maybe it wasn't the original adhesive, but whatever I finally got it.

Here they are. Opinions Welcome!

>>BEFORE<<

>>AFTER<<

 

[T-V]

Like I said in the other thread, what is up with where the badges were placed? I have NEVER seen them on the bottom of the hatch. However, your car is extremely clean and you have an awesome start. That is EXACTLY how mine looked when I got it, sans the pinstripe.

Keep it up!

 

[ShaneyH]

Thanks Guys! Heres a Few things I plan in the 15 Days. (No Order)
1)Tinted Windows
2)Clear Corners
3)Shorty Antenna
4)Cold Air Intake.....Havent figured out which yet, I want volant but is it still good without the scoop? Any Suggestions??

 

[BlackNRed01]

looks good, remove the pinstripe!

 

[ShaneyH]

looks good, remove the pinstripe!

Really? You dont like it? I kind of do...i dont think of it much, but i will if I feel like getting decals, which i dought. I'd like to spend as much as possible on the engine.

 

[Lil_RedZX3]

Looks good so far. Why was the "Focus" badge so low? Someone must have moved it for some odd reason.

 

[svt_gEEk]

good choice on debaging it [] Nice lookin car too [thumb] Hope the mod bug doesn't get you too bad, lol

 

[PlutoJared22]

I've seen odd badge placements on all sorts of cars. What usually happens is a car gets in a wreck and if you take it to a cut rate auto body shop they don't care to do their research on where these things go and just put 'em where they like it.

Went to look at a Civic and its badges on the trunk were on the opposite side, ran a CarFax, and BINGO, it had collision damage. Just my theory, sorry to thread jack.

 

[SVTguy182]

looks good, remove the pinstripe!

keep the pinstripe, gives it some character and makes it look not so base model.

 

[Hillyard]

I've seen odd badge placements on all sorts of cars. What usually happens is a car gets in a wreck and if you take it to a cut rate auto body shop they don't care to do their research on where these things go and just put 'em where they like it.

Went to look at a Civic and its badges on the trunk were on the opposite side, ran a CarFax, and BINGO, it had collision damage. Just my theory, sorry to thread jack.

Sometimes if a guy does the fix on the side then he might not know where all the badges go or may ask the owner where he or she may want them. That looks like a very good restore on his aka lines are good and the paint looks really good.

 

[ShaneyH]

thanks yall...yeah...im thinking that the first owner debadged it, and the dealer put them back on in the wrong spot.

 

[ShaneyH]

Next Little Change To My Car

I don’t know if ya’ll had this problem, but my shift pattern was chipped. (Picture Below) I bought a new knob at Autozone which looked good, and cost $15.00, but it just didn’t install well. So I had a few ideas to fix the stocker. First I tried silver sharpie. Don’t try this as it may look good it will not stay on (lasts about a week). Then I did some searching and found out a little secret. If you take an exacto knife you can pry the shift pattern out of the knob. Don’t be scared with it. It will come out, it plugs write into the indention. And so I took some sand paper and got off all the paint and clear coat that was left. Then I went to Wal-Mart and bought a can of Dupli-Color (Picture Below). It’s specifically for trim pieces in cars, so I figure that it wont wash off. And so I painted it on in soft coats, and now it looks great. It honestly looks like it did brand new.

>>The Paint<<

>>Before<<

>>After<<

Did anyone else have this problem?

 

[pspringe]

Did you buy this car at Bill Howell Ford there? They put a pinstripe very similar on my car.

 

[ShaneyH]

Did you buy this car at Bill Howell Ford there? They put a pinstripe very similar on my car.

Nahh...It was new from Jim Bleakley, and I bought it used from Jim Tidwell. Thats is wierd though...

 

[CKA]

Happy modding, nice ride.

 

[fokuzx3]

lol my shifter looked exactly like that pos..i went ahead bought a steeda shifter, but nice job on that..and good luck on everthing, i remember all the ideas i had when i first got my car at 16k miles...has gone through many changes, the only advice i have is to save your money THEN look at what your options are instead of looking broke because you will end up buying cheap products that way...either way good luck [thumb]

 

[T-V]

Nahh...It was new from Jim Bleakley, and I bought it used from Jim Tidwell. Thats is wierd though...

Do you mean John Bleakley? I have bought parts from him. He's in the Atlanta area, so I figured it could be the same place. If you ever need Ford Racing parts of any kind, he sells them for cheaper than anywhere else.