| mahen |
| Few pictures of my X after it's first (hand) wash... |
|
|
| TurboFatCrab |
| Beautiful. Throw away the mirrors in your house. |
|
|
| Heat00 |
| sweet, looks a little like mine :D |
|
|
| craniotes |
If there was any doubt left in my mind that Formal Black is the hottest color for the X, you guys have erased it. If I thought that there was a snowball's chance in hell that I could keep my X looking that good after even just one trip through an automatic car wash, I would've gone Formal Black/Ebony in a New York minute. But, since I'm a lazy git who doesn't have the time, energy or desire to wash/wax my car by hand, Billet Silver was the only option open to me -- stays clean the longest, and doesn't show swirlies, which is enough of a consolation for me...
Sort of. :(
Regards,
Adam |
|
|
| techm8n |
quote:
Originally posted by Heat00
sweet, looks a little like mine :D
Heat, I recommend adding body moulding like mahen. It adds a nice flow to the X. My 2 cents.
Black looks awesome when it's clean. |
|
|
| 07aspenx |
Hey Heat00,
Are your front windows tinted? If so, what percent is the tint? I'm looking to get the front windows tinted to match the rear. |
|
|
| Heat00 |
In these pics you cannot see all the swirls/scratches in the black.
I too sometimes get caught going through the auto car wash or the dealer seems to wash it when it's in for service etc.
I really need help with this.
regarding the tint:
from this angle the front looks dark but I may re-do it.
I did 15% on the front windows and 35% over the back.
The back windows came out nice, they are dark, almost like limo.
but, although it doesn't look it from this photo, the front is seems light.
the problem is the windows are very large, the front window is large (lots of light coming in) and my interior is parchment which becomes very bright.
I'm actually thinking about going back to have the 2 fronts redone with 8% limo. (the % is the amount of light passing through so the lower the #, the darker). Limo is usually 5 or 8% which is nice!
the standard tint in the glass from the factory is not very dark and it needed another Light layer placed over it. It does not hurt as the factory tint is inside the glass, so adding a layer does no harm.
hope this helps :) |
|
|
| rfowkes |
Excellent, guys! My 2008 Black/ebony sports/ent is on its way. Thanks for the pictures. Yes, the Formal Black looks like an excellent choice. My former 2004 - now my son's - was an Aspen Pearl White. While I liked the color it was a lot harder to keep clean than black in my experience. I still have a 1995 Impala SS that is easier to maintain in my opinion even though it's a "black beauty."
I opted for the roof rails, the sports running boards, the side moldings, the towing package and the moonroof visor (liked it on my 2004). Your pictures make it very clear regarding the look with and without the roof rails. While both rides look spectacular I prefer the look with the rails but your mileage may differ. I also agree that the body side moldings adds to the look - not to mention the practical nature in our "ding" society.
Keep those pictures coming.
mahen - do you have any pix that show your rear trim garnish? I'm just curious what it looks like (even though it wasn't an option for me once I chose the towing package).
Take care. |
|
|
| gmc74 |
quote:
Originally posted by craniotes
If there was any doubt left in my mind that Formal Black is the hottest color for the X, you guys have erased it. If I thought that there was a snowball's chance in hell that I could keep my X looking that good after even just one trip through an automatic car wash, I would've gone Formal Black/Ebony in a New York minute. But, since I'm a lazy git who doesn't have the time, energy or desire to wash/wax my car by hand, Billet Silver was the only option open to me -- stays clean the longest, and doesn't show swirlies, which is enough of a consolation for me...
Sort of. :(
Regards,
Adam
I tend to agree, the black looks sweet when it is clean! Here in Arizona it isn't a smart choice, because of the heat. But that being said, it looks so nice, I still considered it. |
|
|
| dacbiet |
Formal black looks really nice, but in my opinion tinting the front windows should be mandatory to keep the colors in harmony.
I had my billet silver's front windows tinted for only $60; a very close match to OEM tint although just slightly darker than OEM. Besides improving the exterior looks, I was pleasantly surprised how much cooler the interior is with just two additional windows tinted. |
|
|
| craniotes |
quote:
Originally posted by dacbiet
Formal black looks really nice, but in my opinion tinting the front windows should be mandatory to keep the colors in harmony.
I had my billet silver's front windows tinted for only $60; a very close match to OEM tint although just slightly darker than OEM. Besides improving the exterior looks, I was pleasantly surprised how much cooler the interior is with just two additional windows tinted.
While I certainly agree with you with respect to aesthetics, here in NYC there are laws against having the front windows tinted past a certain degree. My brother-in-law tinted his car to the maximum allowed, and frankly, it's not a whole lot darker than if he hadn't even bothered. If you do go whole hog, you can expect a lot of unwanted attention from the police, along with more fines than you can shake a stick at.
Regards,
Adam |
|
|
| dacbiet |
Front window tinting is not legal here either, but knock on wood it hasn't been an issue... yet. My other car was tinted all around (excluding front windshield of course) since Dec. '04 and I haven't had any legal problems with it either.
I live in the suburbs of Orange County where there are plenty of police to be found. Yet I believe my luck so far can be attributed to that I don't speed in areas where there is heavy enforcement, and I don't drive around blasting the stereo or causing unnecessary attention to myself. I also don't have a hideous front license plate on either car. Hopefully I can continue my otherwise law-abiding life this way for a long time. |
|
|
| grandzu |
quote:
Originally posted by Heat00
I did 15% on the front windows and 35% over the back.
the standard tint in the glass from the factory is not very dark and it needed another Light layer placed over it. It does not hurt as the factory tint is inside the glass, so adding a layer does no harm.
[/B]
For your back tint, was it just a film placed on the inside glass? Know what kind? I always worry about it getting bubbles years later.
Did you also do the rear hatch window? If so how is the visibility? |
|
|
| rsgacura |
Hi Mahen, Welcome to MDX family.
Looks like we got the X from same dealership, yours is sport also. rest is almost same! |
|
|
| mahen |
quote:
Originally posted by rsgacura
Hi Mahen, Welcome to MDX family.
Looks like we got the X from same dealership, yours is sport also. rest is almost same!
Thanks. I liked their dealership. I was told that they are one of the biggest Acura dealership and they were also very friendly and easy to work with IMO. Got a fair deal for my X. |
|
|
| burnside |
| My dealer gave me a free car wash and I finally noticed the swirls on my black MDX. I've heard waxing with Zaino will help. Ok guys, what do I need to do to get from Zaino to get back on the right path? I just came from a trip, so I'm ready to do some work. :) |
|
|
| Husker4theSpurs |
quote:
Originally posted by rfowkes
Excellent, guys! My 2008 Black/ebony sports/ent is on its way. Thanks for the pictures. Yes, the Formal Black looks like an excellent choice. My former 2004 - now my son's - was an Aspen Pearl White. While I liked the color it was a lot harder to keep clean than black in my experience. I still have a 1995 Impala SS that is easier to maintain in my opinion even though it's a "black beauty."
I opted for the roof rails, the sports running boards, the side moldings, the towing package and the moonroof visor (liked it on my 2004). Your pictures make it very clear regarding the look with and without the roof rails. While both rides look spectacular I prefer the look with the rails but your mileage may differ. I also agree that the body side moldings adds to the look - not to mention the practical nature in our "ding" society.
Keep those pictures coming.
mahen - do you have any pix that show your rear trim garnish? I'm just curious what it looks like (even though it wasn't an option for me once I chose the towing package).
Take care.
I have pictures of my garnish in the "GALLERY" section of the forum ... my car isn't very clean though :) |
|
|
| Heat00 |
I don't know what kind of film it is a high performance film and does stand up well to time. I have never had any bubbling or changing colors, then again, I usually never own the car for more than a year.
Yes, I had them tint every window in the truck. It's just the same as if there was no tint from the factory, remember, that is not actual tint from the factory, the glass is tinted when it is made, it is not flim over the glass, it is built into the glass.
So, tinting over that does no harm becuase it is only really 1 layer of film, just like the front windows.
I think I'm going back though as when the sun is shining, you see right through all of them.
I think I'm going to have the back ones done with the 15% and the front with Limo.
That should fix it nicely.
It is not hard for me to see out at night as I'm used to it. It may a little difficult for some, that is what the backup camera is for :) |
|
|
|
