Everyone has their opinions, personally whatever you like is what is best. The lowering looks pretty cool from what I can see, I want to see the final with the new wheels as it promises to one great looking car. Modifications are what personalizes your car to you, keep up the good works and post pictures!

 

You have to imagine it with more aggressive, wider wheels. The stockers are too sunken in for the lowered look. Wait until you see it with the right wheels.
It's easy for me to imagine because I lower every car I get. So I know what's coming.

 

Mina's site says approx 1.2".

 

Thanks for all the compliments guys.

Yes, the Opti-Coat seems to be well worth it. Google it and check the link I provided in my original post for how long it holds up. $250 is about right. Just make sure you know exactly what product. If it lasts 6 months it isn't the level of Opti-coat which lasts years.

Yes, several say a drop isn't right until wheels. So true. Stance changes a car - and proper stance includes sitting just inside the fenders. Too far out and it's ghetto and too far in and it's wimpy. Still debating wheels and they take roughly 6 weeks to build so it will be a minute.

The ride is improved in that it doesn't bob around as much. Its not harsh at all. The spring mfg's have this "progressive" idea down. So the first couple inches the rate is similar to stock. But as compressed it gets much firmer so when you turn the car is flatter but over normal driving it isn't any more harsh. and when you hit big dips etc. the car doesn't go WAY down then go WAY up. It just absorbs it if that makes sense.

 

There are so many nice after-market wheels out there, but I still love the ones you've got...and you won't see them on BMW, Mercs, Audis, Porsche or Vettes. Spacers would get the stance right.

Bruce

 

I agree with Evoking that in order to appreciate modifications to this particular cat, one must first fall in love with the OEM vision. I came from an automotive background in Detroit where modifications are not nearly as popular for two reasons. First since up to 80% of vehicle sales in the Midwest are leases, mods become difficult to fade when you only have 24-36 months to appreciate them, and perhaps have to remove prior to turning the lease in. Secondly, winter destroys roads. If I were to bring my shiney oversized rims out of hibernation in the Spring, they would get eaten alive by the millions of potholes. Nevertheless, it didn't take me long to go from hardcore stock traditionalist to SEMA groupie. I am surprised anybody with enough enthusiasm to get involved in this forum would not be able to appreciate both worlds. So, I may not lower my girl when my rims are installed on Monday. So, maybe I am addicted to chrome. And, maybe Rouseslane prefers to purity of a stock XKR. There's no justifiable reason for slamming one's opion over another. Whether you prefer Evoking's mods for yourself or not, there's no way in H that you shiuld argue that it looks worse. Different yes, worse, no way.

 

Wow - 1.2"? Looks more than that. 1.2" makes a huge diffrerence in this case.

When I had my 3000GT VR4, I lowered it and put adjustable springs on to adjust the height.

Does anyone know if something like that exists for these cars?

I personally like the wheels Ghostrider has on his. Excellent combination of silver and black to go with his blacked out look. And they look like they are spaced out perfectly.

 

Thanks very much for the info... I'll give a call over to the shop and see what exact product they use. After doing a bunch of research, I found a whole bunch of examples that would suggest that Opti-Coat's claims of the sealant being more or less permanent are accurate.

I think with the springs its just going to be a question of budget and timing for me. I like the look of the car lowered to where you have it, I'll just have to decide if I want to do new wheels or add spacers... which makes most sense to do when my tires are ready to be replaced. Have to see how the old wallet is looking when that time arrives, I guess.

 

It definitely struck me as more than 1.2" at first as well. But then again I actually looked closer at the stock suspension and it really wasn't that high. A combination of wheels sitting in along with additional 1.5" of gap made it look high. So when you remove that 1.2" the look is drastically different.

I have definitely toyed with the idea of spacers and I still may do it. But I also heard that the 15mm's don't work without modifications to studs I think. If that's true I'll just do wheels.

 

Here is my advice, Your car looks great and sounds great now. You also chose a great shop to mod it for you ( Jotech) as they have worked with us in our GTR needs.
They also have that Lambo Green GTR that makes about 800AWHP!. Good shop. Congrats on a sweet ride.
And if you plan on any other exhaust mods please od not touch those resonators, just do the High flow 200 cell cats only as if you remove those resonators it will sound just like if you tossed 2 penny's inside your muffler. Very tingy and raspy.

 

Haha funny you should say that about the resonators... I just had them removed today. I figured since the Miltek comes with straight pipes directly from cats to it's muffler I'd give a shot. Can always put them back in.

The shop cut the entire mid section out so both resonators are still in tact and could just have them welded right back in. It sounds about like the Miltek or XKR-S. Been enjoying the sound all day today. Need to decide if I prefer it this raucus or if I'd like to tone it back down.

What do you guys think - here's a quick impromptu clip the wife shot for me in a parking lot. Yes she missed the start up...

http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/kk110/y_mccormick/Toys/?action=view¤t=VID-20120609-00008.mp4

 

You already removed them? Wow, you don't waste any time do you. I like it, I think we need to meet up with Dennis again so we can hear them back to back.

 

Definitely Kellybelly. I was at Dennis house Friday night as he lives around the corner from me and we were going to meet at car wash. So he heard the stock Mina. Although we didn't do back to back comparisons since the Mina was clearly not as raw but he thought sounded nice. On Saturday I removed the resonators.

Now the sound is quite similar so we'll def have to compare to see the subtle nuances in tone, crackle on overrun etc.

 

Will be interesting to see what it looks like with whatever wheels you intend on putting on it.

Right now it looks like a car with a leaky air suspension.

 

Here are some more pics in the sun. Still crappy cell phone cam. I never remember to bring a camera when we go out.

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Plano-20120609-00124.jpg?t=1339308645

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Plano-20120609-00120.jpg?t=1339308615

 

It definitely makes the car look a lot longer, and perhaps sleeker, when you lower it like that.

Your photos make me want to get an XKR coupe instead of a 'vert!

 

My car is lowered with wheel spacers....wheel spacers will sort you dilemma.

Yours currently has a 'drag strip' funny car look to it because the wheels are tucked in the arches, the spacers make the wheels fit the arches giving it a 'muscle' shoulders and the classic coke bottle muscle car look.

It's like night and day once the spaces are fitted. I'd try this first before you buy new wheels.

 

That looks like a lot more than 1.2"....damn. Looks slick

 

Yeah, I've been considering spacers. But as nice as these wheels are - a tasteful set of forged wheels - especially with concave and deep lip would make the stockers even with spacers look boring!

I may do spacers until I decide what wheels and of course it can take over a month to have them built too. My understanding however is that on the 11's the 15mm H&R's may not work without some sort of modding - which I forgot what had to be done.

 

Get the spacers now and you can sell them to me when your new special wheels come in!