5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
First let me start off, YES i know there is the SEARCH FUNCTION and i have used it so i dont need to be reminded of it. i used it, i just want opinions from all Gen 5 owners who have modded their's.
i have read at least 50-70 pages have not seen the feedback i was looking for from those who've done any mods below at least not enough to clarify.
is it worth the buy or is there better?
(just want to make my ride a bit better)
PLANS:
TRD strut bar
TRD sway bar
TRD exhaust? want a deeper sound, no fart can(look for Infinity g35 or fx exhaust quality, not that loud but deep)
INJEN cold air intake (yea there are few intakes for this car, Injen website shows short ram for camry for 2002-2003 but mines a 2004. with a deeper search i get one considered a short ram but a cold air intake part#SP2026P. Short Ram has part# beginning with IS Cold air begins with SP)
Projector halo headlights vs SE black housing with HIDs
yes i have searched for the debate on projectors vs HIDs, some say projector not bright enough, or shitty ebay parts. HIDs are the way to go it seems but if projectors are decent enough then maybe? can some one give me more input on that?
tinting tail lights? possible to use window tints to slightly darken them?
anyone good with sound systems? plans to drop optima yellow top battery with alpine pdx amp running at rms 1000w with either one alpine 12" type x or two alpine 12" type r's
specs: Type X rms 1000w peak 3000w. Type R rms 500w peak 1500w
this all for a 2004 Camry Le phantom Grey currently has limo tints on the back windows (New Jersey law wont allow me to tint the fronts) and a Alpine Dvd head unit
INJEN cold air intake (yea there are few intakes for this car, Injen website shows short ram for camry for 2002-2003 but mines a 2004. with a deeper search i get one considered a short ram but a cold air intake part#SP2026P. Short Ram has part# beginning with IS Cold air begins with SP)
Save your money. A short ram intake won't give you ANY gains. I don't care what the kids in the Civics say, when you suck up hot air, you're going to lose torque.
Quote:
Projector halo headlights vs SE black housing with HIDs
yes i have searched for the debate on projectors vs HIDs, some say projector not bright enough, or shitty ebay parts. HIDs are the way to go it seems but if projectors are decent enough then maybe? can some one give me more input on that?
They're not decent enough. They suck. They emit less light than a stock headlamp. And I think you're mistaken on the "HIDs are the way to go" bit. They ARE the way to go, but only with a proper HID projector retrofit.
__________________ 2009 Audi TT 2.0T --- THE BEAST! 2002 LE 4Cyl --- Gone, but not forgotten. 06/28/09
Glaring blue HID bulbs are NOT classy, and don't make your car look nice, no matter what that kid in the Civic told you.
alright where to start...
the short ram intake will not add any powee gains, but will lose you torque and give you a cool wooosh sound....if i were you id save your money and go for a simple TRD drop in...
for suspension, i have a TRD rear sway bar and TRD springs on oem SE shocks (i have an SE) and it rides and handles great....the RSB makes a huge difference in stiffening up the rear, but the springs make the largest difference as they offer a considerable drop and MUCH improved handling...the front strut bar helps stiffen the chassis as well, and is also a good investment
youre on the right track so far with your suspension ideas
as for exhuast...
blitz makes a NUR spec universal muffler with a camry fitament...member kilrcam has this exhuast and it looks great...the exhuast sounds nice too and you can poick up the muffler for about 200, get some custom catback tubing, and have a full exhuast fro the price of the (overpriced) TRD axleback muffler.
for headlights, just get the OEM SE headlights or paint them black yourself (theres a DIY sticky for it in the DIY section above) and retrofit with projectors and HIDs (also a DIY for that as well)
dont waste your money on alot of engine mods...stick with suspension, wheels and looks man...anyway you slice it, its a camry and its far from fast...i love my car to death, but NOT fast...haha
welcome and thanks for searching! you seem to have a good idea and a good plan!
x37 on the injen issue. i too was interested in one for a while, but the overwhelming fact that the camry's oem cold air intake design was good enough for a 2.4L four-banger kept me from buying it. just do the trd or k&n drop-in filter.
the exhaust manifold is more restrictive out of the whole intake and exhaust system imo... but just imo.
They're not decent enough. They suck. They emit less light than a stock headlamp. And I think you're mistaken on the "HIDs are the way to go" bit. They ARE the way to go, but only with a proper HID projector retrofit.
thanks for the input, i know there are diy already posted so i dont need to ask that but brand or company suggestion? what's good vs bad i've read that others had some bad luck and i do want to install the fog lights maybe down the line. yes i also know diy for my kind of bumper, question was oem vs some after market ones. some were shit after market ones. stock bulbs vs HIDs in those also, i believe some had their's melt the connection.
alright where to start...
the short ram intake will not add any powee gains, but will lose you torque and give you a cool wooosh sound....if i were you id save your money and go for a simple TRD drop in...
for suspension, i have a TRD rear sway bar and TRD springs on oem SE shocks (i have an SE) and it rides and handles great....the RSB makes a huge difference in stiffening up the rear, but the springs make the largest difference as they offer a considerable drop and MUCH improved handling...the front strut bar helps stiffen the chassis as well, and is also a good investment
youre on the right track so far with your suspension ideas
as for exhuast...
blitz makes a NUR spec universal muffler with a camry fitament...member kilrcam has this exhuast and it looks great...the exhuast sounds nice too and you can poick up the muffler for about 200, get some custom catback tubing, and have a full exhuast fro the price of the (overpriced) TRD axleback muffler.
for headlights, just get the OEM SE headlights or paint them black yourself (theres a DIY sticky for it in the DIY section above) and retrofit with projectors and HIDs (also a DIY for that as well)
dont waste your money on alot of engine mods...stick with suspension, wheels and looks man...anyway you slice it, its a camry and its far from fast...i love my car to death, but NOT fast...haha
welcome and thanks for searching! you seem to have a good idea and a good plan!
heres my lowered cam....see the difference!
first thanks for the input, second TRD drop in (correct me if i'm wrong) is the reusable air filter? i will be considering picking the TRD RSB and Strut Bar but the TRD lowering spring i was kinda avoiding for reasons. i live in a slight mountain area but i do travel a lot so the terrain is all over from driveways to highways to city type (ie bumps and holes, cant always avoid them all) i have scrape the bottom of the camry due the unnoticeable dip on a street. so how does the TRD springs pan out with bottoming out and curbs, yes i know it drops only an inch or two but dont forget i am planning to drop a sub or two in the trunk plus cargo and ppl so how does it handle the added weight.
the exhaust i was looking for something simple like i said not fart can and not fart can loud more like a low deep ass sound. couldnt find what the TRD muffler on the camry sounded like on a 4cyl so guess it's similar to the SCION tC TRD muffler, after all it's is the same engine just different on the way the pipe is setup. is kilrcam's exhaust what i'm looking for? (note: i will ask kilrcam for input also so dont jump to tell me ask him)
last i know it's camry, hey i'm asian close enough to the stereotype of asian with the silver honda accords (my friend literally drives one) i just want little bit more hp you know? nothing serious more cosmetic hence after doing all the engine and suspension drop sound system in and redo lighting. better to do that way so i dont have to worry bout some punk ass fucking with my sound system while it's being serviced.
my drop is fine for clearing anything....i live ina na area filled with potholes, curbs and speedbumps and i clear anything just fine...the drop def improve sthe look and makes the car handle 1000x better
my drop is fine for clearing anything....i live ina na area filled with potholes, curbs and speedbumps and i clear anything just fine...the drop def improve sthe look and makes the car handle 1000x better
kilrcam stated when i asked about the exhaust setup and got it's stock with a tip so can you clear that up?
how did you tint your tail lights? suggestions other than if you did use the spray paint tint stuff.
I think most people tint it by using the tint film, not spraying it. Spraying it is the easiest but it's also the hardest since it's a pain in the ass to take the paint off if you miss up.
So far, you should start with the basics.
Most of the TRD parts for the Gen 5s dropped their prices. So you should be able to get them cheaper than before.
TRD Strutbar (Good luck finding those, they stopped making them)
TRD Lowering Springs (I'd opt for Tein S-techs if they still have them)
TRD Rear sway bar
TRD Exhaust (It's the same as a Borla since that's the manufacturer for the TRD Exhaust)
Apex'i Universal Muffler or an HKS Hyper Universal Muffler should be nice
17" rims are nice on the Gen 5s, but if you have the money for for the 18" rims.
Tint
Factory spoiler or Trunk lip
Vizage lip kit?
That's what I would of done if I had some money.
All I did was.
TRD Front Strutbar (Still haven't installed it, it's been sitting in my garage for two years since I bought them)
Aluminum "Camry" door sills
9005 Nokya 4500k Hyper White bulbs
LED Plate lights from Luxer
LED Dome light from Luxer
LED Parking lights from PIAA (See sig)
PIAA red signal bulbs (Changed them from stock yellow)
PIAA Reverse Hyper White Bulbs
Bosch Icon Wipers
One Bonafide Pineapple in the rear console that gives me 50hp to the wheels.
Those are my mod list. Nothing special.
I'm planning to replace my sound system or just the speakers with Boston Acoustics in the near future.
if you want the trd front strut tower bar, longo toyota in southern california has 7 left as of a week ago...
200+ free shipping, they have a website look on line for there phone number... they can also get you all the other parts you want....
if you want a slightly cheaper alternative... you can get the se front strut tower bar, 101 from longo, roughly the same... it will not be as stiff as the trd and it wont be all pretty and red, but then again, i'm not tracking my camry... (i sanded mine down and painted it matt black...) if you want a cheaper rear sway bar, that comes with the bushings etc... white-line is the alternative manufacturer... i got mine from www.neverenoughauto.com for 130 shipped to california, i do not know their availability....
unfortunately they do not make a descent strut for the gen 5, but i like my teins just fine... although i wish my struts were a little stiffer... the ride is a bit bouncy... but then again, like i said, i'm not tracking my car...
and i have 17's on my car... follow xspeeds advice... get the 18s if you can, i went to the meet, and my 17 looked painfully small... lol....
hope that helps...
here is the list of what i did, and the order
home made grounding kit
tein springs on kyb-2 oem struts
17X7 wheels and tires
pos ebay projector headlight (angel eyes my ass!)
se front strut bar
whiteline rear sway bar
replaced catback pipe for 2.5 inch pipe (stock muffler, still waiting to get aftermarket muffler.. don't know why)
elbow bend 3 in pipe post air box to intake manifold for intake
imitation sportivo grille from ebay (which i paid way too much for)
knight rider light in the front (adds about 20 horses... lol...)
and i'm asian, and drive a silver car... word!
Quote:
Originally Posted by xpeed
I think most people tint it by using the tint film, not spraying it. Spraying it is the easiest but it's also the hardest since it's a pain in the ass to take the paint off if you miss up.
So far, you should start with the basics.
Most of the TRD parts for the Gen 5s dropped their prices. So you should be able to get them cheaper than before.
TRD Strutbar (Good luck finding those, they stopped making them)
TRD Lowering Springs (I'd opt for Tein S-techs if they still have them)
TRD Rear sway bar
TRD Exhaust (It's the same as a Borla since that's the manufacturer for the TRD Exhaust)
Apex'i Universal Muffler or an HKS Hyper Universal Muffler should be nice
17" rims are nice on the Gen 5s, but if you have the money for for the 18" rims.
Tint
Factory spoiler or Trunk lip
Vizage lip kit?
That's what I would of done if I had some money.
All I did was.
TRD Front Strutbar (Still haven't installed it, it's been sitting in my garage for two years since I bought them)
Aluminum "Camry" door sills
9005 Nokya 4500k Hyper White bulbs
LED Plate lights from Luxer
LED Dome light from Luxer
LED Parking lights from PIAA (See sig)
PIAA red signal bulbs (Changed them from stock yellow)
PIAA Reverse Hyper White Bulbs
Bosch Icon Wipers
One Bonafide Pineapple in the rear console that gives me 50hp to the wheels.
Those are my mod list. Nothing special.
I'm planning to replace my sound system or just the speakers with Boston Acoustics in the near future.
To the OP, what was stated by others is a good idea. I'm not going to bash your idea by saying projector headlights are weak and what not....You do what you want to do to achieve the look you are going for. IF you are not capable of doing a retro fit, well you only have a couple choices: pay someone else to do it, find someone else's retro, don't do a retro and go hid kit, get the projector headlight with hid kit. As much as many people say hid kits suck...IMHO it wouldn't matter to get it or not since there are so many people with mis-aligned lights and kits or even both so it wouldn't matter that you had it. As far as the tail lights....you can't use window film for tail lights...the adhesion is not strong enough. There are specifically made vinyl films for headlights and tail lights which are not only thicker but are also more tacky and will adhere to the plastic. Or you can spray the paint on which is what i did, yes its a bit more permanent, but i think it looks better. As far as sounds i'd rather go a different route on the battery..i'd go with an odyssey or a stinger. The pdx amp is a great amp and you can pick them up for a cheap ass price on ebay. In all honesty i would go for a cheaper sub. As alpines are nice I feel like they are way overpriced. It really depends on the direction you want to go in terms of SQ or SPL. You really need to ask yourself where you want to go with your car. Its not a matter of what people like but more of the theme of what you want for your camry.
To the OP, what was stated by others is a good idea. I'm not going to bash your idea by saying projector headlights are weak and what not....You do what you want to do to achieve the look you are going for. IF you are not capable of doing a retro fit, well you only have a couple choices: pay someone else to do it, find someone else's retro, don't do a retro and go hid kit, get the projector headlight with hid kit. As much as many people say hid kits suck...IMHO it wouldn't matter to get it or not since there are so many people with mis-aligned lights and kits or even both so it wouldn't matter that you had it. As far as the tail lights....you can't use window film for tail lights...the adhesion is not strong enough. There are specifically made vinyl films for headlights and tail lights which are not only thicker but are also more tacky and will adhere to the plastic. Or you can spray the paint on which is what i did, yes its a bit more permanent, but i think it looks better. As far as sounds i'd rather go a different route on the battery..i'd go with an odyssey or a stinger. The pdx amp is a great amp and you can pick them up for a cheap ass price on ebay. In all honesty i would go for a cheaper sub. As alpines are nice I feel like they are way overpriced. It really depends on the direction you want to go in terms of SQ or SPL. You really need to ask yourself where you want to go with your car. Its not a matter of what people like but more of the theme of what you want for your camry.
thanks, it helps but hey i know what you mean, i am doing what i want but i like opinion, the hidden things i dont see. the price or money wise is not a problem since i will work to get what i want. why stinger? cuz they are cheaper? not a big deal i'm willing to pay for something if it means quality. sub wise i am looking for basically to match what i had in my old car and if one 12" at a higher grade matches two 12" on lower grade then i'd go for it. it's hard to explain what iwant, but i do want to retain some trunk space. alpines are op for it's name brand but it's about trust like i cannot trust panasonic or pioneer products they crap out on me, or i just have bad luck. looking at alpine, jl, diamond, kickers, and maybe sony but not so much. clarion is way too much just lik eclipse. what does spl stand for? i want to feel my music but also hear it, half and half kinda.
the projector i've searched the opinion and reviews on this forum and got mix feelings i still want projector but retro fitting i cant do, not likely some one could do with out paying a lot for it. HIDs eh, is it possible to just to buy se housing cuz i like the black and stick HIDs straight in? or would that be just bad and not worth it? i want that nice hyper white lighting with fog lights to match. the tinting with the tail light is that cannot have them permanent since it's kinda illegal around by me, you can get away with them but still. and i want them lighter then what you have hence i thought window tinting, ican always peel them off. and i cant do sprays (dont like the unevenness if i do it terrible). if you can give me more feed back i appreciate it and thanks for all the help. i have limo tints so dont want overdo it with darkening everything. by the way what do you have in your camry?(specifics plz)
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For any Gen 5's, need input for plans
and i have used it so i dont need to be reminded of it. i used it, i just want opinions from all Gen 5 owners who have modded their's.
be a nice way to start ur car off
, second TRD drop in (correct me if i'm wrong) is the reusable air filter
(my friend literally drives one
Crapmry
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