VXOC Astra-J/GTC

Finally got round to colour coding the grill.


I was thinking about painting the griffin blue but I think i'm gonna leave it as is. I'll do the lacquer tomorrow and then leave it to cure for another day before I refit it. I need to fit the bumper back on tomorrow morning anyway, started raining and it got pretty dark so there are currently four screws holding it in place

(10:th-Jan-2016, 21:53:50)Shorty S91 Wrote: [ -> ]Got everything fitted today, drilled the cap covers and just mounted the ballasts with cable ties for the moment until I find a good place to mount them.

 
No need removing the whole bumper in order to remove headlights?

I'd do the badge backing blue rather than the badge


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(22:nd-Jan-2016, 23:47:41)Rusty2009 Wrote: [ -> ]I'd do the badge backing blue rather than the badge


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thinking I might just leave it white it looks quite good clipped back together.  ill mess about with it on photoshop and see how it looks.

---

(22:nd-Jan-2016, 23:45:51)DNT Wrote: [ -> ]

(10:th-Jan-2016, 21:53:50)Shorty S91 Wrote: [ -> ]Got everything fitted today, drilled the cap covers and just mounted the ballasts with cable ties for the moment until I find a good place to mount them.

 
No need removing the whole bumper in order to remove headlights?

Only removed the light as I had dropped a screw down into the cold air intake , I think the whole bumper needs to come off to get access to one of the bolts underneath the light. there one screw in the engine bay and then one just next to the wheel well and then one underneath. I snapped a bit of the plastic off the screw underneath but at least I now know where it is located on the GTC.

Lacqured the grill late last night and left it to cure for a few hours before fitting it all back together. Pretty pleased with how it looks, still think it needs some colour?

I like that much better looking

That looks really smart mate! Well done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You will need to remove the bumper fully to get the bolt out it will be in the resonator box wont do any harm being there at all

(23:rd-Jan-2016, 13:26:00)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]You will need to remove the bumper fully to get the bolt out it will be in the resonator box wont do any harm being there at all

I managed to get the box out, I just unclipped the side of the bumper and took the wheel off and it gave me the extra room I needed to pull the box out. I have an extendable magnet somewhere but I couldn't find it at the time I dropped the screw in 

after a few weeks when the paint is hard give it a good polish and wax to protect it
but it looks very good for sure

(23:rd-Jan-2016, 19:15:16)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]after a few weeks when the paint is hard give it a good polish and wax to protect it
but it looks very good for sure

cheers mate, im gonna do the griffin blue tomorrow, I just think it needs a little bit of colour. I plan on adding a few subtle bits of blue to the cars exterior overtime so thought I'd start on the griffin

I think doing the backing plate would work better mate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(24:th-Jan-2016, 21:39:19)Rusty2009 Wrote: [ -> ]I think doing the backing plate would work better mate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was thinking that too, I tried it on photoshop and I dunno it didn't look quite right with the chrome griffin. pics to follow shortly and you can let me know what you guys think.

Looks good now leave it alone lol

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Final outcome after another coat of blue and then a few coats of lacquer, thats it been sitting for about 3 hours so ill fit it tomorrow once its cured. picture doesnt do the blue justice, ill try get a better pic in good lighting.

interesting hope it works well on the car

(25:th-Jan-2016, 19:46:33)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]interesting hope it works well on the car

I hope so to, otherwise the paint thinners coming out 

Looks good mate, can't wait to see it on car!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well I like it, however I think I might go down to 6k bulbs. Lights seem to be more blue than when I first fitted the 8kbulbs.

I really like that mate,


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

different i like it
i would go for 5.000k better vision on the road and more whiter

(26:th-Jan-2016, 18:01:50)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]different i like it
i would go for 5.000k better vision on the road and more whiter

im gonna give 5k a go first there cheap enough to buy in pairs. Dying for pay day to come I feel like its been ages so I can start other odds and ends as always more to follow.

Had some spare time the other day and dewipered the rear. I took the boot switch off and was planning on painting it but gonna just get the boot smoothed at some point or another.



Ive ordered some some car mats nothing exciting, just dont want my carpets done in. Ordered some brighter reg lights and interior bulbs, hopefully should be here just after the weekend and ill fit them as well as the footwell lights that ive been putting off for ages.

Not a fan of that mod at all but each to there own
mats are a very good idea

Fitted some of the interior bulbs just waiting for one more delivery so I can finish the rest off. hope you can excuse the bad photo my phones broke so I'm using a wee banger the now



Registration lights in to, nice crisp white light that isn't to bright so it doesn't look like a white neon on the rear 



I also got my car mats today, only cost 18 quid was quite surprised with them. There tailored pretty well and have the clips for the floor pins in the front. My eldest spilled a full cup of milkshake all over the backseat earlier which was a delight, but gave me an excuse to give the interior a spruce up. Still waiting for my 5000k bulbs, hopefully they come tomorrow.

Looking good mate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks good [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

Postman delivered the 5000k bulbs today and also the rest of the 501 bulbs I ordered.



Looks like a factory install rather than a nasty blue tint which I'm quite pleased with. Went out a run with them output looks good even though it was pouring and there was poor visibility with the weather and traffic to get a good feel for them.

Beam looks ok to:


fiitted the rest of the interior lights so the cab has a nice cool white all through. I removed the blue LED in the centre light, looked a bit tatty.


Plate lights look a bit better now that I cleaned all the muck off them


Not sure whats next on the list, still haven't got round to the footwell light 

Very nice the 5000k will be much better

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I started a new job and have been spending the last few weeks getting stuff done around the house so progress has slowed down a little bit for now.

I eventually got round to doing the footwell lights. I was ment to be working in Aberdeen today but that fell through and ended up with the day off so I thought why not.



I noticed when I was running the wiring down the pillars that I completely missed the roof switches and alarm switch when I was doing the SMD conversion, got that done while I had the unit out.





Hoping to pick the pace up with progress come payday, not sure what I fancy starting next, feel like I've hit the wall a little bit. Suggestions welcomed 

What about retrofitting navi? Or an aftermarket nav unit? Car is looking great mate! I need to practice more on smd conversion..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks mate!

I really fancy finding a built in sat nav, I would just need to do the research for retrofitting the navi and then its trying to find one thats a nightmare to. Ive seen these but I dunno how good they are.


https://www.car-vision.co.uk/vauxhall-na...20232.html

Car vision seem to be frowned upon, however Sheppy has just ordered this

http://www.iceboxauto.com/vauxhall-opel-...id-44-m072

I'll be ordering it too when I can afford it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nice one!, I think ill have a look into that one and see whats what. Shall see what happens over the next few weeks

@Sheppy1 also has a thread open with a lot of info mate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Removed the rear boot fins today for painting.





I had to put some filler on the left fin because I dropped it. Not a problem only took an extra hour to do and prep it before painting it.




As you can see the one on the right is done. The left fin began to react somehow and bubbled a bit after I applied 2 coats of blue, got really dark too. Started sanding it back but ill finish it tomorrow as I dont have the patience tonight 

Awesome.

(21:st-Feb-2016, 06:16:40)mrtc Wrote: [ -> ]Awesome.

Cheers dude!. Just finishing off the other fin. I had to go out and get more primer. Sanded it all down again this morning and it reacted again so stripped everything off it. Last coats on the now and then clear coat in about half an hour.

Looks really good mate

put them on yet mate?

I have actually just forgot to get some pictures. The side that reacted had to be started again. Ive just finished it in the last two days as the paint kept reacting for some weir reason. Think it may have been something in the filler. Ill get some pics tomorrow for ya

Where did you get the boot fins from??

(2:nd-Mar-2016, 09:49:13)Danny Talbot Wrote: [ -> ]Where did you get the boot fins from??

They come standard on the GTC mate they are just black

fins fitted and pics as requested

Oh gotcha, I couldn't work out what fins you were doing lol I'm think white?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

turned out to be a productive afternoon and evening. Got some goodies in the post so got straight to work.

Many of you have probably seen that my glass grommet arrived.

Easy to fit with a bit of sealant and pressure, just had to be sure to get any remaining sealant off before it hardened.

Rear lights out!, like the fact you can't see the rear grommet to.











I think this will either make or break the rear end. I have been putting the light tints off because I have been unsure. Pictures make them look completely blacked out but the red underneath is still pretty visible. Lacquer is done because I like a glossy finish. Tints spray cost £7 for 3 spray cans and i've only used one, and clear lacquer was £8 cheap enough mod, curious to see how they look fitted now.

All back together 







Light output is good and the lights are growing on me. Just need to get the difuser painted black and some twin exhausts. Dont know what route to go down with future mods. I kinda fancy some black dished alloys like the ones I had on my green corsa and perhaps painting some of the blue parts again. Ive also seen some bola b1's in white but I cant seem to find any in 20 inch

Looking good you need to tint the reflectors to

looking good agree with baz but flyeye them as they will still need to reflect

Prob be better if they were led rears... just put an old pair of tights over them lol

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Cheers guys, I'll probably put a light dusting over the reflectors when the diffuser is being painted. The high brake light is still untouched at the moment to.

Light output at night time, doesn't seem to have affected it at all. Pleased non the less