Recent content by smyles1632

For a reference, I just replaced mine. Aftermarket, mobile service - $275 installed. Frankly speaking, I see no point overpaying for OEM ($400+ just for the glass) on a 15+ y.o. utility car.

That's rather cheap for OEMs, where did you get them?

No. They rarely (=almost never) deploy when rear-ended, mainly cause the actual deceleration rate (or, as in this case, acceleration) is not that high, irrelevant to the amount of damage, etc. Having said that, if you're not an original owner, I'd double check if the airbags are actually...

Per service records, on my '06 the headlights have been first restored/polished @ 5 yrs, and it's not a Southern car, so not sure OEMs have that much of an advantage to justify 3-4x price premium. As for "projector will be worse quality", is there any actual proof? Has anyone broke down and...

That 10" screen is not for urban areas, I think; it's just asking for trouble.

Quite often I see a 4th gen with very good OEM - or at least OEM-looking,- headlights. So can't help but wonder if those are replacements or in certain conditions they can remain clear for 15+ years. I had mine restored multiple times already and regardless of the methods/who does it, they...

I think within this price range they are all the same and provide rather mediocre image; having said that, the cheap flimsy-looking camera that came with my mirror has somehow been flawless for nearly 3 years.

All the test I've seen so far that actually measured the output, reported LED bulbs as producing the least Lux numbers, compared to xenons and even halogens. So unless we see numbers, it's all spam.

Why would a timing chain wear out that early?

It looks bad, especially for those who're not used to such sight. But once you clean it up, the picture may improve... or not. It really depends what's beneath all this flaking. The biggest caveat is that unless you strip everything down to bare metal and properly recoat, the rust won't stop...

well, fwiw, the MMR (=wholesale estimate) is ~$9k. But I agree with fixing everything, making it a pristine specimen and auctioning for top $$$. Obviously it's a high reward gamble.

For ~$500 I'd buy new '06 factory headlights and put a 4300K HID kit in it for low beams. Of course it's a matter of taste, but personally I despise the looks of modified headlights of any flavor - blackened, rings, etc.

Looks ok assuming it's the original paint and nothing has been painted over. However, make sure to check the problematic areas, such as front radiator support corners, rear corners behind the bumper cover, i.e. places where dirt and moisture accumulate over time and cause most of the damage. I...

Given the frame cost and the overall scale of the project, even few hundred $$ on hardware is immaterial, I'd say.

If you disconnect at the check valves, there will be minimal to no leakage.