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Davy's Car Blog

21K views 110 replies 14 participants last post by  bb514 
#1 ·
Heyy Guys - New CRZ owner from FL. This is my 4th Honda. I recently lost my Integra in an accident and this CRZ is the replacement. I paid $7,000 for it. It's a 2011 base model with 78k miles. I had to get an automatic bc I want to be able to swap cars with my gf's Fit when I need to pick stuff up from HomeDepot. She doesnt drive a manual...

















 

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#4 ·
DDM 55w 6000k HIDs. Didnt feel like removing the bumper to mount the ballasts. Might move them when the Bayson R lip comes in...





front blinker switch backs and yellow DRLs not pictured; high power LED reverse, rear blinker and rear parking lights coming soon!
 
#7 ·
Swift lowering springs

rear diffuser

Bayson R JP style front lip

5" LCD screen and rear camera - changing lanes is so scary in this car! Im adding an always on rear camera with dedicated screen!

blue ambient lighting for footwells

all on the way! pics coming soon
 
#8 ·
Upgraded all the interior light bulbs to LEDs. youve seen pics of all that before, except maybe the one below. Its for a Fit, but also fits CRZs apparently. I just had to trim some of the plastic tabs inside the light housing though. Its really really bright. So bright that I decided to order a smaller blue LED light bulb for the driver's side for lo pro situations.


 
#9 ·
Got some new parts in today. Bayson R JP style front lip and LCD screen.

Bayson R is known for having the best fitting Mugen rep and Type R rep lips in the integra scene, so I chose them. IMO this style lip is much cleaner than the Mugen style. Not sure if I want to color match the lip or leave it black. Right now I'm leaning towards color matching with rattle cans. I have a Harbor Freight spray gun and a couple of air compressors, but for some reason the rattle can jobs always come out better. I can never get the gun dialed in right.








Not sure where I want to mount the LCD screen. Using it for a lane change assist camera and for a front view camera so I dont smash into parking blocks once I'm lowered with a lip. I think it looks coolest int the center console cubby, but the view is obstructed with drinks in the front cupholders. If you have opinions/ideas as to a mounting location, I would love to hear it.











 
#11 ·
Got some new parts in today. Bayson R JP style front lip and LCD screen. ...

Too bad you can't mount that LCD screen in the upper pocket, so that it folds in when closed and folds out and up when you open the lid. It might take a bit too much fabrication to make it fit in there where you can conceal it when not in use, but it might be worth a shot. Looking good so far.:wink2:
 
#12 ·
Lane Change Assist Camera and ambient lighting added this weekend.






notice the switch in the upper left corner of driver's side panel. JIC I need to turn it off for some reason...



If you're wondering what the red led thing is to the right of my tag, I totally nerded myself. The tag area is recessed and my field of view was blocked. I had to move the camera below the tag on the bumper for a clear field of view. I had to get creative, so now I have a mini EDM style foglight lol.
















hope to install the springs and get the lip painted and mounted soon. Also have a rear diffuser on the way...
 
#13 ·
Looking good Davy--LCD screen looks good there. So, what's the function of the LED light to the right of you license plate? Lets see how dirty the rearview camera gets, surprisingly, the OEM camera/placement stays pretty clean.:wink2:
 
#16 ·
There was, that's how I've don't it in the past. But on this car I wanted an "always on" camera, something dedicated for lane changing. But with that being said, not sure I would do it this way again. The field of view on the camera isn't really wide enough for the intended purpose of checking my blindspots when changing lanes. My 11" convex rearview mirror is better, I can actually see the back half of both front windows with the mirror.
 
#22 ·
So apparently the dont make Silver Storm Metallic (NH642M) in the Duplicolor rattle cans, bummer. So it looks like I have to paint like the big boys, except Im using a single stage system instead of the real stuff. Im hoping the rear diffuser arrives soon so I can knock it out this weekend, weather permitting. If not, I hope to install the springs instead.


 
#24 ·
For touch up paint I used these guys Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Kit - Dr. ColorChip: Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems but if you are painting big pieces you might be able to get a body shop to mix some up for you per code and provide it in a container or bring your spray gun bottle.:smile2: It would at least save you the cost of labor for applying it. There are automotive paint distributors that the body shops go to, some are open to the public. I know there is one near me. That is another option as not many body shops mix their own paint.:nerd:

Just out of curiosity:dunno: why single stage instead of base and clear coat?
 
#23 ·
#29 ·
I was going to suggest earlier, that you test fit it before painting, so you can trim up an edge or two to make it fit perfectly (if it doesn't already.) I kind of did that on my carbon fiber hood-- it fit good, for sure, and I did do some extra work on it before painting, but if I wanted to be really picky (which I usually am,) I'd have taken the extra time to shave off just a little bit more from one particular corner. No big deal, but just to make sure before you paint--better to do a test fit.0:)0:)
 
#30 ·
did some work today. got too dark for after pics though...


If you have the pdf version of the 2011-2012 manual, the relevant pages are:
front 1389-1396
rear 1400-1407
the "lowering springs" DIY helped, but the manuals were crucial for a weekend warrior like myself



new swift springs



so glad I didnt have to deal with the axle popping out



only one piece left over lol



trimming the rear bump stop






the back goes really quick.






hopefully it's warm enough to paint tomorrow
 
#32 ·
In other news, I'm going to return the rear diffuser. I tried to test fit it today and there's no way that thing is going to fit without a full can of Bondo and lots and lots of work. I was hoping it was a bit more plug and play. I may spend the money on a spoiler instead. I'm thinking either the JP designs or the C Blaze.
 
#35 ·
Diode Dynamic super bright turn indicator bulbs installed in the back. If you take the damper access panels off, there is a place to mount the resistors. You have to unplug the harness to solder in the resistor, then feed it back through the grommet hole. JB Weld comes in so handy sometimes lol.






very bright!

 
#37 ·
Diode Dynamic super bright turn indicator bulbs installed in the back. If you take the damper access panels off, there is a place to mount the resistors. You have to unplug the harness to solder in the resistor, then feed it back through the grommet hole. JB Weld comes in so handy sometimes lol.
Dang! I never thought about putting my resistors there using JB Weld--it was just too cramped of an area for me to work in that I did the wiring on the other side of the grommet. Looks clean....and what is that yellow paint all about...mine's body colored there (white.)
 
#36 ·
Welcome! I love the pictures you took in front of the new murals in downtown Jax. It looks to me, from the pictures, that you might live around the Springfield area. My wife and I will be moving there next year. It looks like there are quite a few "car people" that live in that area. (Last Friday night I saw an awesome lowered NSX cruising around on the west side (of Springfield) during the tour of homes.)

I know people have talked about doing it on here before and I'm not sure if they happened, but I think it would be fun to do some Jacksonville meetups (and I think there are enough people in the area with CR-Zs); perhaps do a cruise up AIA and take pictures of a bunch of Zs on the Mayport Ferry...
 
#38 ·
Thank you.

I moved to Springfield last year. I love it so far. Not what I expected at all. The neighbors are really nice. Its kind of cool living in a Historic District. You can still find really good deals if you like fixer uppers.

I know people used to meet up at Sonic's on Atlantic Blvd a few years ago. Im not sure where the cool spot is these days. Definitely hit me up once you make it to this side of town. Thanks for the noticing the pics.
 
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