r33 taillights
02-04-2007, 02:33 PM
#4
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with time and money and some moddin' to the rear they will fit and look really nice. i have the complete set sittin' my room. debatin' whether or not to install them. here r some pics from Stu's car from back in the day:
02-04-2007, 10:03 PM
#6
Originally Posted by GRNMAXDMON
with time and money and some moddin' to the rear they will fit and look really nice. i have the complete set sittin' my room. debatin' whether or not to install them. here r some pics from Stu's car from back in the day:
02-05-2007, 02:15 PM
#7
Originally Posted by Alex_V
A much less agressive kit and that car would be perfect....
IMO skyline tails belong on a skyline....dont be a wanna be.
~Alex
IMO skyline tails belong on a skyline....dont be a wanna be.
~Alex
02-05-2007, 05:13 PM
#8
Originally Posted by nubiannupe
Darn near everyone on the .org-y is a "wanna-be" in some way, shape, or form, Alex. But I definately know where you're comin' from.
02-05-2007, 08:28 PM
#9
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Location: Toronto, Canada
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Yeah the tails are sweet - just the rest of it is a bit overkill. The spoiler more than anything. But if there is such a thing as "tastefully riced" - that one there makes the grade.
02-08-2007, 01:23 AM
#11
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 8
i hate cars that get their lighting or body converted especially if its a totally different car. the maxima already has nice tail lights and if u want a clean look you could just shave the trunk to get rid of the middle section.
02-08-2007, 04:13 AM
#12
Originally Posted by street240
i hate cars that get their lighting or body converted especially if its a totally different car. the maxima already has nice tail lights and if u want a clean look you could just shave the trunk to get rid of the middle section.
We're not going to get along.
<---nubiannupe
02-21-2007, 08:42 AM
#15
My car is in the shop getting a set of R33 tails installed now. It should be done soon. If you want to do it, look at spending close to $2000. There is a lot of cutting and welding to make them fit.
02-21-2007, 09:00 AM
#16
Originally Posted by jonmandude
My car is in the shop getting a set of R33 tails installed now. It should be done soon. If you want to do it, look at spending close to $2000. There is a lot of cutting and welding to make them fit.
that is to much, if you can't do it yourself I wouldn't do it.
02-21-2007, 09:02 AM
#17
Originally Posted by internetautomar
that is to much, if you can't do it yourself I wouldn't do it.$2k is about 2/3 the value of a nice 3rd gen.
It's about 4x the value of an internetautomart Maxima
02-21-2007, 09:07 AM
#18
Originally Posted by Cliff Clavin
No kidding.
$2k is about 2/3 the value of a nice 3rd gen.
It's about 4x the value of an internetautomart Maxima
$2k is about 2/3 the value of a nice 3rd gen.
It's about 4x the value of an internetautomart Maxima
02-21-2007, 02:09 PM
#19
Originally Posted by internetautomar
that is to much, if you can't do it yourself I wouldn't do it.a tail wswap like that isnt for the beginner. that's like saying, it costs 2 grand to fix your bent frame, do it at home with your oak tree and a comealong.
obvioulsly a tail swap is a preferance, not a nescecity, but if he has the money to spend on it, go him.
02-21-2007, 02:29 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by shavedmax
a tail wswap like that isnt for the beginner. that's like saying, it costs 2 grand to fix your bent frame, do it at home with your oak tree and a comealong.
obvioulsly a tail swap is a preferance, not a nescecity, but if he has the money to spend on it, go him.
obvioulsly a tail swap is a preferance, not a nescecity, but if he has the money to spend on it, go him.
If he has $2k to spend on tail lights - then I say beat him lol.
02-21-2007, 03:43 PM
#22
No paint, just fabrication work. The biggest ***** is ensuring the trunk will not leak. Any one can cut and weld, but to make it fit well, look as close to factory as possible and still not leak is no small task.
Value is all perception. I laugh all of the time about spending $2K on something that isn't necessary, but it is all about making yourself happy. People collect baseball cards or comic books and spend thousands. Some (most) women buy shoes. Modding my car is my outlet. We all spend our money on something.
To answer the question on if the R33 tails are a close fit....No. The R33 is a curved back end, the Maxima is square. The seem close but when modding a car, as I am sure Goon can attest, an inch is a big difference.
Could I do it myself? Probably, but if you want something done well sometimes it is worth the money.
Value is all perception. I laugh all of the time about spending $2K on something that isn't necessary, but it is all about making yourself happy. People collect baseball cards or comic books and spend thousands. Some (most) women buy shoes. Modding my car is my outlet. We all spend our money on something.
To answer the question on if the R33 tails are a close fit....No. The R33 is a curved back end, the Maxima is square. The seem close but when modding a car, as I am sure Goon can attest, an inch is a big difference.
Could I do it myself? Probably, but if you want something done well sometimes it is worth the money.
02-21-2007, 04:00 PM
#24
Teh welding isn't as hard as you think. Making it water tight, no biggy.
Reason I think it's a too much is because it's a super basic swap because the body shape.
Someone could of done it much cheaper and possible a better job.
Paying more doesn't mean a better product, they may of gauged you because they donno wtf they are doing.
Your right about the inch theory though ,if I didn't weld in perfect and can't persued it with a hammer. Start over.
Are they shaving your trunk also?
Reason I think it's a too much is because it's a super basic swap because the body shape.
Someone could of done it much cheaper and possible a better job.
Paying more doesn't mean a better product, they may of gauged you because they donno wtf they are doing.
Your right about the inch theory though ,if I didn't weld in perfect and can't persued it with a hammer. Start over.
Are they shaving your trunk also?
02-21-2007, 04:53 PM
#26
Originally Posted by Hectic
This thread is getting on my nerves. If you're paying someone to do it, it doesn't count.
you go tell that to someone who spent 100k for a car built by boyd or foose. not everyone can do it,
most cant do it well,
those that can do it well (usually) dont get compensated well enough to do it for a living.
those that do get compensated well for doing a quality job are considered rip offs.
and the world goes round and round.
i spent probably 40-60 hrs doing my tail swap and shaved trunk. multiply that by what you consider "fair" and tell me what it comes to. then add the cost of the lights and materials(bondo, sandpaper, primer, and dont forget to add in for welding gas, wire, wear and tear on my welder, electricy to power the welder, rent on a building, taxes, insurance oil or gas for heat, salaries and a medical plan).
would you pay me to do your swap? didnt think so.............................
if it's a quality job we'll see it when he posts pics. if he was ripped off, we'll see the same. my experience has taught me that 90% of "craftsmen" think they do quality work. the finished product looks good, the other 10% of them can show you raw work that you are impressed by. the funny thing is that the labor rate usually doesnt correlate. the both charge about the same. the ones that KNOW they do quality work though will charge an arm and a leg.
02-21-2007, 06:55 PM
#29
Originally Posted by shavedmax
a tail wswap like that isnt for the beginner. that's like saying, it costs 2 grand to fix your bent frame, do it at home with your oak tree and a comealong.
obvioulsly a tail swap is a preferance, not a nescecity, but if he has the money to spend on it, go him.
obvioulsly a tail swap is a preferance, not a nescecity, but if he has the money to spend on it, go him.
02-21-2007, 10:51 PM
#30
Goon, I had some estimates done and most said $2.5K or more. the shop doing it said he could "probably" do it for around $1K - $1.5K. I am figuring when he is done it will end up being more like $2K. I am getting the trunk shaved and the holes for the wing eliminated as well so I can go with the Wings West rear wing. The reason that I went with this shop is because I know the guys reputation and there will be almost zero bondo. And in reality the body shape is less similar than you might think. I thought that they would be an easy swap and thought the price was WAAAYYYY too high....until he actually had the old light cut out and started to fab up the new box. I saw all of the work he has put into it. The shop had me come out every couple of days to see the progress and approve of the work. As it sits now the lights are in and wired in, all that is left is the trunk. When you open the trunk it doesn't look cobbled at all. It is smooth and clean.
The reason I want someone else doing the work is because I am a terrible welder. As Dirty Harry said "a man's got to know his limitations"
I hope to have it back next week, or two weeks at the latest, I will post some pics then.
The reason I want someone else doing the work is because I am a terrible welder. As Dirty Harry said "a man's got to know his limitations"
I hope to have it back next week, or two weeks at the latest, I will post some pics then.
02-22-2007, 03:46 AM
#31
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Well, I have no problem with you taking your car to a pro. You obviously have pride in your car's appearance, and don't want to 'Frankenstein' it.
It would probably be more humilaiting to bring your car to a shop after you attempted to do it yourself and having to ask them to fix up your mess.
My initial shock was... $2k for lights? That's it?? Does that include a paint job for the rest of the car at least??
But 'whatever' I say. Most people could not do this job on a professional level. And those who can - should be happy that there are people who will pay them good money to perform this kind of work instead of undervaluing their own skill.
If you think of it, most body shops are more interested in taking claims work from insurance companies when they can charge upwards of $4-5k for the average fender-bender for a lot less work.
It would probably be more humilaiting to bring your car to a shop after you attempted to do it yourself and having to ask them to fix up your mess.
My initial shock was... $2k for lights? That's it?? Does that include a paint job for the rest of the car at least??
But 'whatever' I say. Most people could not do this job on a professional level. And those who can - should be happy that there are people who will pay them good money to perform this kind of work instead of undervaluing their own skill.
If you think of it, most body shops are more interested in taking claims work from insurance companies when they can charge upwards of $4-5k for the average fender-bender for a lot less work.
02-22-2007, 05:05 AM
#33
Originally Posted by hadman
...It would probably be more humilaiting to bring your car to a shop after you attempted to do it yourself and having to ask them to fix up your mess....
02-22-2007, 05:09 AM
#34
The older I get and the more I want to spend time with my ever growing family the more I wish I had the money to just say "hey I want R33 lights on my car but I dont have time to do it myself so I am going to pay someone to do it". Although I take pride in doing stuff myself (and yes I could have done the R33 swap and made it look perfect) I just dont have time or desire anymore. Heck I am having trouble working on my car and it doesnt require any major body work at all.
02-22-2007, 05:41 AM
#35
Body shops, for the most part, do mainly insurance claim type repairs, not much more. Not many people even consider modifying cars beyond what can be bolted on, and of those that consider it most never actually do it. And if you ever visit a shop that does restorations and street rods, you will see a huge difference in what they do compared to "body shops". The shop I am using is a fabrication shop. They build pro-street drag cars and do roll cages. The attention to detail is much better than any body shop would do. Body shops rely too much on bondo to smooth out the work. This shop is trying to make it smooth without bondo. (again I will have pics soon) To pay a body shop to spend the hours making tollerances perfect and metal smooth without bondo would cost much much more than $2K.
My initial thoughts were the same as yours, I thought $2K and more was crazy. But when you start to actually see what is involved and consider how many hours go into it, the price becomes more "reasonable". Plus when you consider how many hours go into preparing a car for a "show quality" paint job, and those jobs run into the tens of thousands, $2K becomes a bargain. Consider how many hours it takes to do an E36 swap, and those are simple and practically a bolt-in compared to this.
Modifying a car is a choice of desire not value. You never get the value out of the money that you put in. Financially speaking, it is a huge waste of money. But the enjoyment of making a car your way, not "just like everybody elses" is what some of us seek. It is not about the blue book.
My initial thoughts were the same as yours, I thought $2K and more was crazy. But when you start to actually see what is involved and consider how many hours go into it, the price becomes more "reasonable". Plus when you consider how many hours go into preparing a car for a "show quality" paint job, and those jobs run into the tens of thousands, $2K becomes a bargain. Consider how many hours it takes to do an E36 swap, and those are simple and practically a bolt-in compared to this.
Modifying a car is a choice of desire not value. You never get the value out of the money that you put in. Financially speaking, it is a huge waste of money. But the enjoyment of making a car your way, not "just like everybody elses" is what some of us seek. It is not about the blue book.
02-22-2007, 03:24 PM
#37
Originally Posted by internetautomar
I wouldn't do either on a 3rd gen. the cars value just doesn't justify the expenditure.
beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some people like the look of stripped maximas in front of their house waiting to be picked up by the sherrif, others like tail light mods.
so is the cost of customizing a car over the cost of the vehicle. i would say someone is an idiot to spend 30-40k on say a new tahoe and put 10k in mods into it. that's why most insurance companies dont insure custom cars or endorse wheels stereos, bodykits past the value of the car. 5 years ago, the people who were on these boards would have been all over jonmandude's nuts over a mod like this, but because the car is older (and the type of person on this board is different, or now have a different mindset) everyone thinks he's a fool. i think that if he has the money, go him. i wanna see progress pics that kinda stuff floats my boat.
02-22-2007, 03:27 PM
#38
Originally Posted by nubiannupe
If I had a nickel for every time THIS happens to me at my job, I'd be able to afford to put in R33 tail lights as well as a paint job.
02-22-2007, 03:44 PM
#39
Originally Posted by jonmandude
Body shops, for the most part, do mainly insurance claim type repairs, not much more. Not many people even consider modifying cars beyond what can be bolted on, and of those that consider it most never actually do it. And if you ever visit a shop that does restorations and street rods, you will see a huge difference in what they do compared to "body shops". The shop I am using is a fabrication shop. They build pro-street drag cars and do roll cages. The attention to detail is much better than any body shop would do. Body shops rely too much on bondo to smooth out the work. This shop is trying to make it smooth without bondo. (again I will have pics soon) To pay a body shop to spend the hours making tollerances perfect and metal smooth without bondo would cost much much more than $2K.
My initial thoughts were the same as yours, I thought $2K and more was crazy. But when you start to actually see what is involved and consider how many hours go into it, the price becomes more "reasonable". Plus when you consider how many hours go into preparing a car for a "show quality" paint job, and those jobs run into the tens of thousands, $2K becomes a bargain. Consider how many hours it takes to do an E36 swap, and those are simple and practically a bolt-in compared to this.
Modifying a car is a choice of desire not value. You never get the value out of the money that you put in. Financially speaking, it is a huge waste of money. But the enjoyment of making a car your way, not "just like everybody elses" is what some of us seek. It is not about the blue book.
My initial thoughts were the same as yours, I thought $2K and more was crazy. But when you start to actually see what is involved and consider how many hours go into it, the price becomes more "reasonable". Plus when you consider how many hours go into preparing a car for a "show quality" paint job, and those jobs run into the tens of thousands, $2K becomes a bargain. Consider how many hours it takes to do an E36 swap, and those are simple and practically a bolt-in compared to this.
Modifying a car is a choice of desire not value. You never get the value out of the money that you put in. Financially speaking, it is a huge waste of money. But the enjoyment of making a car your way, not "just like everybody elses" is what some of us seek. It is not about the blue book.
i agree 100% and i disagree at the same time. if you've seen any show like overhaulin, american hot rod, or (wrecks to riches? i think it was called) they all do as much metal work as possible then practically cover the car from end to end in filler. it doesnt mean it's thick, it may only be a mil thick in some spots, but it's harder than primer, so it wont have a tendancy to shrink or chip, like primer will if put on too thick. it also allows you to have a flawless body prior to paint. dont get me wrong. there's plenty of guys out there that abuse filler and use it to form pockets for lights and fill holes with it, but to get a quality paint job you're going to need to skimcoat any areas you do work to.
btw, it's good to see a "grown up" defending customizing a car.
02-22-2007, 04:25 PM
#40
Originally Posted by shavedmax
you go tell that to someone who spent 100k for a car built by boyd or foose. not everyone can do it,
most cant do it well,
those that can do it well (usually) dont get compensated well enough to do it for a living.
those that do get compensated well for doing a quality job are considered rip offs.
and the world goes round and round.
i spent probably 40-60 hrs doing my tail swap and shaved trunk. multiply that by what you consider "fair" and tell me what it comes to. then add the cost of the lights and materials(bondo, sandpaper, primer, and dont forget to add in for welding gas, wire, wear and tear on my welder, electricy to power the welder, rent on a building, taxes, insurance oil or gas for heat, salaries and a medical plan).
would you pay me to do your swap? didnt think so.............................
if it's a quality job we'll see it when he posts pics. if he was ripped off, we'll see the same. my experience has taught me that 90% of "craftsmen" think they do quality work. the finished product looks good, the other 10% of them can show you raw work that you are impressed by. the funny thing is that the labor rate usually doesnt correlate. the both charge about the same. the ones that KNOW they do quality work though will charge an arm and a leg.
most cant do it well,
those that can do it well (usually) dont get compensated well enough to do it for a living.
those that do get compensated well for doing a quality job are considered rip offs.
and the world goes round and round.
i spent probably 40-60 hrs doing my tail swap and shaved trunk. multiply that by what you consider "fair" and tell me what it comes to. then add the cost of the lights and materials(bondo, sandpaper, primer, and dont forget to add in for welding gas, wire, wear and tear on my welder, electricy to power the welder, rent on a building, taxes, insurance oil or gas for heat, salaries and a medical plan).
would you pay me to do your swap? didnt think so.............................
if it's a quality job we'll see it when he posts pics. if he was ripped off, we'll see the same. my experience has taught me that 90% of "craftsmen" think they do quality work. the finished product looks good, the other 10% of them can show you raw work that you are impressed by. the funny thing is that the labor rate usually doesnt correlate. the both charge about the same. the ones that KNOW they do quality work though will charge an arm and a leg.
If this is what he wants to do then good for him, but i'm sure not going to give him props for it. Anyone can go to a body shop and pay for something to be done. It's a step above begging MTV to have your ride "pimped" IMO.
Pic of the said deuce. RIP Gramps!
