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Building a Better Box; Bamboo's Build

197K views 1K replies 99 participants last post by  USArmyScion 
#1 ·
And after that horribly alliterated title, my build thread begins!

I apologize if it’s a bit wordy, but I like explaining things. :D

My name is Rob from NJ and I have a bit of a problem. I bought this car to be my daily driver/beater and didn't want to put any money into it. Alas, I was trying to fool myself and I really have taken found a serious love for my xB, quickly getting over my initial ambivalence to its styling and lack of power/luxury compared to my previous cars. (list of previous cars in my intro thread here). Now I can't seem to stop putting time, money, and effort toward it :eek::rolleyes:

After perusing these forums and meeting some other members, I’ve found this community to be very accepting and FULL of ideas (some absolutely amazing, and some that I would call questionable lol), so I look forward to questions, comments, suggestions, concerns, and brilliant statements concerning the progress of my vehicle.




I bought the box in March of 2012 (picture from the dealership above), 27k on the speedo and every intention of keeping it stock. Clearly that ship sailed as soon as I signed up to these forums ;). BUT because it is my daily driver, I had to not get too extreme with my ideas and desires (-5 camber would be sweet, but…). So not only are aesthetics important, but amenities/performance characteristics as well (cruise control, mods for function as well as form).

In addition, my time in the Lexus community taught me the value of CLEAN modification; simple, subtle, well done, and oft-times overlooked modifications are some of the very best.

SO! Time to come up with a theme. I’ve found if you don’t have a theme, you start throwing parts based on availability and pricing versus flow and compatibility.

My theme/inspirations/ideas are: Old school JDM (80’s), VIP inspired styling, Stealth installations, and color choices are black/white/b&w plaid/orange accents. Patterns like plaid, argyl, houndstooth, prints, all add depth and personality beyond alternating colors. But patterns can also be overdone easily, so striking the correct balance is very difficult IMO. I found a plaid that I liked as a fabric, bought a bunch of said fabric and had a vinyl made of the same pattern.

Today marks 2.5 months of ownership and these are the mods I’ve accomplished/installed thus far:

Exterior/Engine:
- Custom Grill – SST grill with FJ Cruiser grill insert modified to fit
- Nissan Altima clear rear reflectors
- Cleared OEM taillights
- OEM PW Taillight garnishes
- Cleared OEM headlights
- Retrosolutions H4 projector retrofit into OEM heads (CCFL halos, 7 color LED backlighting, 5K)
- LED conversion, HID guy; Switchbacks DRLs, license plate, f&r sidemarkers, dome light, brake lights, all turn signals
- 2sixzero Factory License Plate Bracket
- DC Sports Strut Bar (partially wrapped in plaid)
- VMS fender washers (Orange metallic)

Interior/Audio
- JL Class D Amplifier - 700/5
- Scosche 4 channel LOC (using OEM headunit)
- Pioneer Shallow Mount Sub - TSSW251
- Elemental Designs Underseat Enclosure
- Black Suede Headliner and Door Cards
- Painted Satin Black interior pieces; Rear View mirror, grab handles, visors, dome light
- Plaid vinyl wrapped different pieces; headliner pins, grab handles, steering wheel
- Rostra Cruise Control
- Viper 5900 system

Suspension
- TRD rear sway bar

These are the mods I’ve finished, but I have a large pile of other goodies to go in once I have a little more time on my hands (I work full time, back in school for my master’s degree, and am married, so finding “me” time to wrench is challenging :D) To follow are some cell phone teaser pics of progress thus far, but I’ll take some nicer ones once May is finished and a lot more of these products/projects are installed.





Don’t want to post any interior pics until finish the interior to my liking.

To do list to/of install/projects for this coming month of May are the:
- Fujita SRI
- D2BD Coilovers
- Energy Suspension Bushings Mod
- Speedo Dome Mod
- Paint interior trim and dash pieces
- Clazzios
- Custom shift boot
- Levoc shift knob and Wheelskinz wheel cover
- Custom hard cargo cover
- Paint engine cover
- Puddle Lights

It’s gonna be another busy month! After May, I’ll be ready for this season and will post more professional pictures and attend more gatherings because right now I don’t feel legit enough lol. I do have a list of parts I’m looking for/in the market to buy. I know where to source a lot of them, but if anyone has any they would like to part with for less than new retail price, I’d be interested. Those parts are:
- Chrome bB bezel for Speedometer
- Scion xB Door Sills
- Metallic Orange Tuner Lugs
- Enkei Apache II, 15x8 +25, 195/55/15 tires
- Randode engine overlay (black)
- Randode cold cathode interior kit (white)
- TRD axleback
- Junction Produce – tissue box cover, 4 neck pads (black w/white lettering)

This forum has been fantastic! The advice and thorough write ups for many projects shows me how informative and educated this group is. I look forward to meeting many of you, wrenching with others, drinking with some, and generously donating more to the pool of knowledge that is CxB.

So anyway, this is just the beginning! Stay tuned if it so interests you.
 
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#9 ·
Yeah I had only my OEM set, so ease of installation was key for me. And these are super easy!

Today during my lunch break I took care of some easy little mods around the car that have needed doing for a while:

Zeta Armrest



Wheelskins Cover



Broadway Mirror

 
#12 ·
That's exactly why I got it. My Clazzios are coming in soon so I'm starting the other interior mods that go with it.

So far so good, love that grill
Thanks man! And the headliner and door cards are holding up great! Thanks for the help with that.
 
#16 ·
Thanks! I think they look sharp and are well worth the very affordable expense. And just so you know, I have a serious man crush on your B. That thing is amazing...

I like everything you did so far. The front grill looks awesome in white. The projectors look pretty slick too
Superrrrr cleannnnn
Thanks guys, clean is the name of the game for me. Its what I'm trying to aspire to.

---------- Post added 05-04-2012 at 11:21 AM ----------

Got some stuff done this morning that I've wanted to do for some time (to get all the boxes out of my hatch area :D)

Fujita SRI installed



Fujita Oil Cap



Keytechniques Keyhole Covers



Ordered all the Junction Produce stuff I wanted yesterday, so I'm pretty excited about that! Cliff tells me the Clazzio order is on time, so this month is going to be pretty sweet!

I do have a question for anyone that happens to read this. I've seen countless interiors redone on these boards but EVERYONE that I've seen has not painted the seat belt pulleys on the b and c pillars. They bother the hell out of me, and I plan on taking care of them this weekend or next. I plan to paint everything except the portion the seat belt rubs on, using the plaid vinyl there as an accent and protection. Is there a better way than this? It was the only thing I could think of to keep it functional and the color I want. Suggestions and speculation are all welcome

---------- Post added 05-04-2012 at 06:40 PM ----------

And to finish out the day; the Speedo Dome mod!
Couldn't have done it without that wonderful DIY writeup :D



I'm pretty happy how it turned out. Lord knows this fabric I chose is so thin it makes everything more difficult.

Quick pic



And look at the altitude on this guy! Wheel gap breaks my heart... Otherwise though, I'd say we're still in clean and classy territory.
 
#17 ·
Today is all about working on the details...

My set of booboos was chrome pink when I got them. Why? Because I searched high and low and could not find the clear or chrome I had initially wanted. Soooo...improv time! And this was the result:





Painted white and added a different element of my plaid pattern to each one. Will clear them later today for lasting freshness.

AND! this fun package came in the mail today.



Once those clazzios get here, it'll be a game changer!
 
#23 ·
I need a better camera for sure lol. I don't like taking pictures with my poop phone, cause it doesn't do any of the work justice :eek:




Anyway, new updates.

More vinyl applications, and beginning the mock up of my custom hard cargo cover. Don't have the stock cover so it meant going back to the old standby; cutting cardboard shapes! lol

Lastly an overall shot I took last night. I'm pleased so far :D






Last options for wheels: I'm debating going with Diamond Racing 15x8 +12 with 195/50s or Enkei Apache II 15x8 +25 with 195/50s... I think the Enkei's will be less hassle than the Diamonds as far as fitment (needing the 7mm spacer in the fronts, etc), so I'm leaning that direction... Anyone care to weigh in?

And I will be lowered on D2BD coils. Will drop to a height that properly fits the wheels and can maintain smooth daily driving.

---------- Post added 05-17-2012 at 05:43 PM ----------

oh yeah, and since I refuse to pay $300 for one, I made my own tsuna knots (one in ecru pictured, also did one in white)

Trying to figure out the fusa knots, they're a lot more complicated :D

---------- Post added 05-17-2012 at 05:43 PM ----------

 
#26 ·
Great meeting you Kenny. Good luck with all your plans for the box!

Dude u mad creative, like like
Louis, stop it. You're making me blush.;)



Haven't done much recently. Work is stacking up for school and at the full time gig. Not going to have much time to do anything until mid June except for little stuff... like these!




Thanks PCH for the thread on bumper guards and SAKURA for the idea of that bar placement.
 
#30 ·
Thank you sir! You are an inspiration

Very nice
Thank you. BTW love your box and its many stages :D, lurked your build the other day

looking good can't wait to see you out at meet man
Thanks for the compliments! I promise to come out to one soon, its just my schedule hasn't allowed for it yet. (wedding for the freehold scion day, work over the weekend for the mod day, can't make OC show due to another wedding, but I may make it to the Fresh Meet in Union... maybe. I have a mud run that weekend too, but I will try to fit it in)



And on to some progress pics! Got a lot done the last three days and I'm very happy with how it all turned out. Don't you love it when things work out the first time? :D

First! The rear deck cover. Plaid on the bottom, black suede on the top. Plaid matches my vinyl, speedo dome mod, and future shift boot. Black suede matches headliner an door cards. Perfect snug fit. Still need to figure out how to best secure it to the poles though...

I'm also waiting for some 12mm chrome trim to do the edge of the deck with. I like the current two tone, but the heat is causing the edges to give, so I'm going with my original design of chrome strip on the edge.





Next; PAINTED DASH lol. Been wanting to do this awhile, needing more white to tie in the booboos and the steering wheel. Going to leave the window switches and steering wheel control areas silver cause it still sits in my color scheme and I don't want to overdo one color over another(my plaid has silver/grey, white, and black in there). Look for the details on the dash :cool:




After that: Painted Speedo Area. Just did the bezel area and added the chrome Unico bezel on top.




So I'm very happy with how everything is turning out. Interior has only 4 more projects until completion (clazzios, shift boot, shift know, 1 tasteful sticker :D). Here's a couple of the dash area now.


 
#36 ·
Thanks Kenny! As to meet dates, I hear about most of them through BoxLove (mike). The Fresh Meet is in Union, NJ, which would be another hour and a half drive from where we met up. Its pretty far north. The OC car show is in Ocean City, MD the this coming weekend. If you're free you should def go to that one!

damn just realized the steering wheel emblem has your sweet plaid stuff behind it...
Its all about the details for me :D I love that kind of thing. The push pins in the back of the headliner are wrapped in it also. The booboos have some, the oh sh*t handles, rear deck, speedo dome, small main dash accent, strut bar, and I'm sure i'm missing some others, all have some of the plaid vinyl/fabric used in/on them

interior looks good i wish i had a pw box cuz the center console looks great in white
Thanks! I was debating a long time how I wanted to paint it (just the sides, all of it, top portion only, etc). Just decided to do all of it cause I wanted that pop of contrast cause the rest of my interior is quite dark.

It does look good but everyone has a PW already. ;)
jealousy is an ugly emotion ;)

thats the only reason i havnt paint my box white lol

thread jack over haha.

where did u get the plaid bamboo?
I went searching for the pattern I wanted to base my theme on. Wanted a plaid, but not lumberjack plaid. Something different and modern looking. I found a fabric at a craft store I really liked, then bought a bunch of that fabric for projects. I took a swatch of the fabric with the entire pattern on it and scanned it into my computer. Played with the contrasts a bit to make sure it was right and sent the file to designerwraps.com. They took my file and made me a vinyl roll to my specifications ( I wanted a lot :D). This way I had to materials to apply my design with depending on the need of the application.
 
#39 ·
It was out of the BOX thinking! ... :D sorry horrible pun. You can stone me in the street for it later.

Love all your progress! Duenwerke! and that grill is just awesome :) nicely done so far
Thank you sir! If I'm Duenwerke then you're Fukenmooven! I love your build thread, its coming together so nicely. I'm not a big fan of two tone, but yours is so well executed how can you not love it?


Updates for this week:

Finished my rear deck! Chrome trim came in and it is now secured! Looks really sweet IMO, the nails are like little rivets lol Black suede on top, Plaidness on the bottom.





Last part of the interior has been wrapped, the hatch panel! I wrapped it in black suede today and used my plaid vinyl on all the push pins.



Some fun little vinyl application on the Zeta cupholder, I felt some plaid was needed in there :D



Alright, last on the list I completed the first of three mods I think will make the xB seats comfortable. Since I've gotten this car, my back has gotten worse and worse, now to the point where I think I have a nerve issue. Physical therapy aside, I partially blame this on the seats.

I've been thinking about this for a while and think I may have the solution I'm going to use to make the seats more comfortable.

The first mod to do is the front bolt spacer mod on the driver and passenger seats to create more of an angle (I managed 9 washers on each bolt point for ~1" lift).



Next I'm going to get two of these:
http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...oogle-shopping.

Lastly, instead of putting them inside my seats, I'll put them under my soon to arrive Clazzio covers, providing some needed lumbar support.

Does this plan make sense? Does anyone see any problems with this? Because they inflate and deflate I think they will fit even though the Clazzio cover is snug.

I think with the adjusted angle from the spacer mod, the memory foam in the Clazzios, and the lumbar support from the insert that it should take the discomfort out of the seats.
 
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