appearance mods

[ssturbo]

hello im new here. i just bought my wife a 03 matrix xr and she wants to mod it out. i was wondering what kind of easy appearance mods i could do for her. i was thinking also looking at an intake for her. thanks.

[XR2003]

Try here:
http://matrixowners.com/index.php?showforum=7

and here:
http://matrixowners.com/index.php?showforum=57

Though the easiest appearnace mod may be tinting the windows.

[TRXR4KDS]

You need a few performance mods to compliment the look. Start with lowering springs, 18" wheels, tinted windows, blacked out headlights and aftermarket taillights. For unseen performance mods, intake and exhaust.

[fcknmatrixxr]

I noticed you said blacked out headlights... how did you do that? I know there is another way of doing that by using spray paint and cooking them? lol anything easier??

[XR2003]

there used to be site called x3racing.com - don't know if it's still up.

you can buy blacked out headlights from there.

other than that - you have to bake open your OEM headlights, paint the inside black and re seal them.

The OEM method is better as the x3 headlights have a weird X light pattern to them - gets worse with HIDs.

[ford_jj]

Originally Posted by ssturbo

hello im new here. i just bought my wife a 03 matrix xr and she wants to mod it out. i was wondering what kind of easy appearance mods i could do for her. i was thinking also looking at an intake for her. thanks.

We actually have nice aluminum under the ugly gray/bronze paint on the factory step rails and off-road skid plate. I have removed the paint and taken them to a polished/brushed finish. I really did not like the way the step rail color clashed with the high-polished Centerlines. The color was terrible IMHO. Other than the step rails and skid plate, that color does not appear anywhere else on the truck!

So I took a chance, removed the step rails, disassembled them, and stripped them. I bought the paint stripper, and already had a new brass brush and scrapers. It took 2 coats of the stripper, scraping and brushing in between. Then 320, 400 and 600 wet sanding, and finishing up with Brillo dishwashing pads (steel wool with soap). I suppose you could go on and do a full polish, but then you'd have to KEEP polishing them. Stopping with the Brillo steel wool level will enable me to simply maintain them using a Brillo pad occassionally while washing.

[XR2003]

Originally Posted by ford_jj

We actually have nice aluminum under the ugly gray/bronze paint on the factory step rails and off-road skid plate. I have removed the paint and taken them to a polished/brushed finish. I really did not like the way the step rail color clashed with the high-polished Centerlines. The color was terrible IMHO. Other than the step rails and skid plate, that color does not appear anywhere else on the truck!

So I took a chance, removed the step rails, disassembled them, and stripped them. I bought the paint stripper, and already had a new brass brush and scrapers. It took 2 coats of the stripper, scraping and brushing in between. Then 320, 400 and 600 wet sanding, and finishing up with Brillo dishwashing pads (steel wool with soap). I suppose you could go on and do a full polish, but then you'd have to KEEP polishing them. Stopping with the Brillo steel wool level will enable me to simply maintain them using a Brillo pad occassionally while washing.

uhm, the Matrix doesn't come with step rails or skid plate.

Are you sure you posted this in the correct section?