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Comments
I do not think you can buy "direct", since 3M just sells the raw material. It's the middlemen that actually cut the material to fit specific cars. They have to invest in some pretty advanced CAD systems and cutting tools. You could certainly buy the raw material and trim it yourself, but that would only be realistic for simple "flat" surfaces. Anything with compound curvature pretty much requires a CAD fit.
If anyone wants my Outback kit, let me know before I return it. They are going to ding me a restocking fee anyhow, so I may as well pass the savings on to someone!
Craig
It's called Con-Tact, and it's basically a shelf liner. $5 for 4 sheets of 8.5"x11" liner. One side is a velour-like material, the other you peel off to reveal a self-stick surface. They only had dark green and dark red, so I chose green to match my Forester. It's dark, so I'll probably also use what's left for my Miata, even though the color doesn't really match.
I plan to cut it to size, and then line the glove box, the dash top bin, the center console's two bins, and basically all the other storage nooks. It feels nicer and may even prevent a rattle or two from loose items being stored in those bins.
When I get to it I'll make sure to get photos and share the results with you folks. But thanks, Pat, for the idea.
-juice
Sounds like a cool idea to color-coordinate the felt liners. The liners on my S are black and...oh wait, never mind. ;-p
Ed
But $5 and a couple of hours will have mine to the "S level" in no time. I've got the 16" rims, now all I need are seat heaters and rear disc brakes!
-juice
-juice
Ed
Ken
-juice
http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/?section=150
It's basically WRX pads and Legacy rotors. Do you think it'll fit on a Forester?
Ken
$289 plus shipping for slightly bigger rotors, though? Pads too, but that's not much difference. I think I'd spend less and have my stock discs cross-drilled and coated.
-juice
Anyways, while all car hoods have compound curves and all, the film itself is still flat, so I am thinking with a squeege I can get this install in a few hours (and then trimming the run-off at the seams with an x-acto knife) - probably wishful thinking.
It LOOKS like this material 'clings' to the hood like ceran-wrap does to plates. I am assuming it also is "stretchy" to be able to conform to the courves of a hood. Since you actually have that material there, am I correct on my assumptions?
-juice
The material is the same as sign-lettering laminate I have worked with in the past, and should stretch nicely.
I would not want to be cutting edges after the film has been laminated, unless it was during an intermediate step (ie, with the soapy slip solution under the film). Once you spray the underside with the alcohol/water adhesive activator solution, you have a limited amount of time to squegee all the bubbles out before the adhesive sets, and you want to be able to squegee the edge real good. That would not be the time to screw around with trimming!!! If there's a way to pre-cut the film first (based on a dry fit or a practice piece) that would be the way to go. Also, you want to minimize any contact with the film, ESPECIALLY the adhesive side, since it will leave marks that show through. Minimal handling with clean wet hands is OK, but trying to trim it may be too much.
Also, you will want your cut edges to be perfect -- they need to stick down perfectly, or crap will get in there and cause the film to lift. I am skeptical that scissors or a knife could make a clean enough cut without screwing up the adhesive. Looking at the cuts on the film I got, it's obvious that they have a very precise and sharp cutting tool.
I think $100 is a bargain if the film fits right and you don't have to screw around trimming it. Remember, you want to focus your efforts on squegeeing out the bubbles and getting the edges adhered down.
I don't think you really need the film on the lower plastic part of the bumber, since those parts don't chip as easily. The plastic flexes, and the paint there has actually been treated so that it flexes too. Looking at the front end on my wife's car, all of the chips are on the metal hood. What damage there is on the plastic part is more like a few gouges. I doubt the 3M film would protect from these!
Craig
Cheers Pat.
I called around, and even talked with some inside people @ 3M, and this stuff is expensive. To get the smallest piece, that would still cover the hood (with a little extra ofcourse) would run over $60 - not as big of a savings as I expected.
I actually was going to jump to that site, and order the pre-cut one for my WRX, but I am glad that I came here first and read your post. I did not know that there was a spray that you had to put on your car ahead of time. THAT kinda scares me - if it is water-based, that water will be trapped under the film and just sit ontop of the paint - that CAN'T be a good thing. Do you know if that spray is some sort of "glue"? I am now afraid that if I ever decide to take the film off, its going to either take the paint/clearcoat off too, or leave the glue behind - stuck to the paint. I know 3M makes some great stuff, so I am HOPING that they had thought about this stuff ahead of time. I am way less concerned about actually getting the stuff installed on my car than I am about the actual product doing something bad to the paint.
Oh, and by the way, what i was PLANNING on doing if I got the roll of film would have been to install it - let it sit, and then go back and trim it AFTER and just follow the edge of the hood. Well now that plan is no longer needed.
If you can, go get the March issue of Grassroots Motorsports. It has pages and pages of the GC8 2.5RS as a autoX car! Lots of info in setting up the RS as an autoX car.
There's a few errors, but it's mostly good stuff. I learned a few things!
-Colin
To put the film down, you need to spray a slip liquid (water with a few drops of baby shampoo) on the film and the hood. This allows you to get the cutout positioned properly. When it's in place, you squegee the fluid out from the middle, which keeps the cutout in position. Then, you lift each side of the cutout and spray a 50/50 alcohol water solution underneath. This cleans out the soap/water and accelerates adhesion. At this point, you carefully squeegee the liquid and any air bubbles out. Any liquid left over will be so small that it should evaporate. The big problem is getting rid of air bubbles, which will not go away.
I don't think the film will do any permanent damage to paint. 3M does make a solvent to get the adhesive off if you remove the film. The film is warranteed for 4 years. I am sure you would want to replace it after a while, since it is bound to get nicked up by stones that would have chipped the paint.
Craig
I do have to comment that you say that if there is a little bit `o water left behind after squeegying it will evaporate. Well THATS what I am concerned about, cuz if it is trapped UNDER the plastic, it has no place to evaporate - except DOWN, which means doing some kind of damage to the clear coat and/or paint.
But either way, its probably less damage than some big/fat rock can do against the hood.
I think I'll order my bra sometiome this week.
On the saving $ issue, I think we all have 'priorities', and sometimes food is secondary to modding you car or paying for tickets or even skiiing down some slopes. And ofcourse if I get REALLY hungry, I guess I can go eat at mom's house - ofcourse all the nagging makes it only BARELY worth it.
Craig
The stuff came in 4 sheets of 8.5"x11", basically letter size. You cut to size, peel the backing, and stick it on.
I did the dash top bin in the Forester first. I put the lining in place, and then use my fingers to determine the corners, then cut to size. Re-fit, trim, re-fit, then pull the backing and stick it on. I'm hoping the glue is permanent enough to last, but so far so good.
Then I did the glove box. What was plasticky is now felt-like and soft, plus it makes less noise when you drop something in there.
Next came the coin tray, then the ash tray, which I use to store mints. Piece of cake. It only took two sheets to do all four places. The bins in the door arm rests were already rubberized, so I skipped those. In the center console, I have the arm rest extension, so the upper part was already carpeted, and I only did the lower portion with the felt. All 5 places with just 2 sheets.
I used the other two to do the Miata's glove box and center console, and what was left went in my wife's glove box. Not bad for $5 worth of materials.
Pros: very easy to do, nice results, feels like an S model now, cheap, enough to do several cars. Why didn't I do this earlier?
Cons: I found only dark red and dark green, so I used green to match my Forester. It's a little lighter than I would have chosen, but OK. I'm a little worried to see how well the adhesive lasts, but so far so good.
Recommended for OCD club members.
-juice
PS I have photos, where can I get a quick free account to post them up?
I'm not really sure what I should do, it seems to me I have the wrong sway bar. I sent a polite email to Liberty explaining my dilemma and of course I'm being ignored. If anyone knows the part #s of the sway bars to the WRX wagon and sedan, that would be helpful. The part# on my sway bar is 20451FE010.
20mm sway bar, retail is $114.70 wholesale is $82.57.
18mm sway bar and bushings retail for $115.74 and wholesale is $83.40.
There were Darlene's prices, how I miss her! You'll probably pay a little more nowadays.
-juice
Sorry but all I get for that part number is "stabilizer, rear". I can't remember-- do you have a TS or an Outback Sport?
-Colin
-mike
-Dennis
I just called Liberty and they're looking into it. When the bar comes in they're sending it to me and paying for postage for me to send the one I have back. I can't ask for more than that!
By the way, did your bushings come with any lube? If not, I'd recommend a good white lithium grease.
-Colin
-juice
It was in the glove box and cubby holes of my Accord wagon for several years before I sold and it never let go.
Cheers Pat.
What is this goo that I'm supposed to put on the bushings? Do they sell it at an autoparts store?
brekke,
What condition was your swaybar in? I'm kinda curious because when I got mine, I thought it was used. It looked pretty scratched up and also looked like they had repainted it, and one of the rubber bushings they sent me looked used also. In fact, the current swaybar on my car looked newer than the 18 mm one I just got, and that's after a year of driving. Maybe i'm just being too picky on a part that's just gonna go under my car, but if I pay for a new part, I usually like to getting new stuff. Alright, enough rambling for now.
-Colin
I would not worry about a few scratches on a sway bar, so long as there are no gashes or dents on it. I might be worried about an old-looking bushing, though, because old rubber can develop cracks.
You should use lithium grease because it does not corrode rubber (i.e. the bushings). Any petrol-based product could cause corrosion to rubber/plastic parts.
-juice
In the case of sway bars, a difference of +/- 2mm alters the handling of a vehicle to a significant extent as expressed by many whom have upgraded their sway bars.
In the case of wheels, would +/- 7mm to the offset alter the vehicle's handling as noticeably as a +/- 2mm change on the sway bar? [i.e. +55mm to +48mm on wheels].
The reason I ask, the post 2000 OBs and the H6 wheels are +48mm offset, whereas the GTs wheels are unchanged at I believe +53mm -> +55mm as with the pre-2000 models. They (MY2000+) all share the same chasis.
Anyone with insights, expereinces?... :-)
-Dave
The catch is, they have to fit without rubbing. If the Outback's wheels have a different offset, it may be so that the wider tires (225 vs. 205 for the GT) don't rub. If that is the case (if, I'm not certain), then putting GT wheels might cause 225m wide tires to rub.
So my suggestion is don't guess, be sure. Only buy wheels that the seller guarantees will fit, or that you've seen other people do.
-juice
Just the other day my neighbor's dog jumped on my car and left a scratch I couldn't get out. And you know what? I almost don't care!
THe other obvious problem that MIGHT creep up is since these rims will be pushed out about 1/2", there is probably going to be added stress to the hub and other compenents of the car. I am more concerned about that, than the actual fit.
ATEIXEIRA: How long have you had those larger rims on the car? And has it been in for service since the rims were installed? I am wondering how much un-due stress is being put on the car cause of the extra offset.
-mike
The hubs and bearings have been fine for 14k miles. No noises, grinding, nothing. Alignment looks good, in fact the tires are wearing more evenly than the originals did. Those wore on the outer edges, so perhaps now that there is more tread toward the outer edges it's evened it out somewhat. I'm not at all a suspension expert, but the results have been very positive.
I think the folks that get majorly different offset, and then use huge spacers to make their tires stick out about a foot, those are the ones that ruin their hubs/bearings.
-juice
ATAIXEIRA: Since your tires are a good bit wide, they also sit flatter on the ground, thats why they would wear more evenly.
If you have had yours for 14K, then hopefully I won;t see any problems with mine.
sell the wheels and tires, buy something new that fits.
-Colin
-Dave
-mike
-mike
I think they're too cheap to put the good stuff in with the bushings.
-Colin
-mike