[NWElantraGTMods]

Hey everybody. I'm starting my own thread here so people can watch my progress as I customize my Elantra Gt. I have a clear goal in mind for what I want it to look like and perform like and I have the means to get it there. I'll be doing it over the next few months.

Specs:​

2013 Elantra Gt 5dr Grey.

1. Has Style and Tech Package
   
2. 24k miles on her
   
3. For some reason it gets great mileage on the freeway. 45-50mpg. Hoping to fix that
   
4. Just installed custom Spectre Intake today and it gave it a surprising kick in the low end

I plan on lowering it on custom springs, rims, painting it flat military green and putting it on gold 18'' rotiform blq wheels. Upgrade exhaust. Thule chrome roof racks with snowboard racks. Window tint all around. Full upgrade stereo install as well as HID / LED lights all around. Hopefully by the time I get all of that done there will be a reliable turbo upgrade to purchase with with a least a couple of reviews that I can throw in here. I've heard up to 260hp w/ current turbos being modded and used. 1.8L nu engine doesn't have much yet.

Goal is to have her looking like the Elantra from RE:Mix Lab seen below.

Wish me luck, pull up a chair, give suggestions, ask questions, you can live vicariously through me while I guinea pig another new modded GT.

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Pictures.

Could have sworn I added pictures above.

 

[blue6spdgt]

I've seen that pic before and really, really like it. Good luck on your adventure, definitely keep posting what you do. If I had the money, I'd make a thread also, lol!

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Thanks bluespdgt, I'm currently deciding between that military green and gold wheels, or flat grey on black wheels with tinted windows. What do you think?

 

[pyxen]

Go original! The car will be awesome no matter what colour you paint it, tho. I definitely like the green/gold, but it's been done - know what I mean? You seem like you're going visual mods as opposed to handling and performance, so it'll be cool to see you change the way the car looks!

And that filter is huge!

Done the K&N intake myself, KYB shocks in the rear, and will be adding the progress swaybar to the rear end. Probably going probaby coilovers next year. Tinted all around, which is definitely nice. Tough to see out at night sometimes tho -- gotta admit

What kind of feel do you want to give the car? Fun and sporty, or rough and tumble? Or just tough? Seems like you're going for a hard edge feel to the mods, based on the flat paint. You should put some colour in there somewhere, to have something that pops.

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Go original! The car will be awesome no matter what colour you paint it, tho. I definitely like the green/gold, but it's been done - know what I mean? You seem like you're going visual mods as opposed to handling and performance, so it'll be cool to see you change the way the car looks!

And that filter is huge!

Done the K&N intake myself, KYB shocks in the rear, and will be adding the progress swaybar to the rear end. Probably going probaby coilovers next year. Tinted all around, which is definitely nice. Tough to see out at night sometimes tho -- gotta admit

What kind of feel do you want to give the car? Fun and sporty, or rough and tumble? Or just tough? Seems like you're going for a hard edge feel to the mods, based on the flat paint. You should put some colour in there somewhere, to have something that pops.

Thanks for stoppin by pyxen. I definitely want the car to have a rough edge to it but I was thinking of painting brake calipers red when I get the wheels I want. I definitely am going for performance as well though. As much as possible. Other than suspension mods, which I plan on taking care of to the best of my ability with some coilovers and sway bar, what performance mods can we do to a GT. I don't see any easily swapable engines or bolt on turbo kits yet What else CAN I do? I will do it.

Plastidipping the emblems on the rear of the car now, about to run to the store and get some plain license plate holders that I can dip too to match. What do you think, should I do the front grill?

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Also, seriously considering just putting a flat finish on my current paint and getting flat black wheels. The Rotiform BLQ wheels is what I was thinking. Any suggestions on size? I'm stuck between deciding on an 18'' or 19'' set. I really would like to improve the handling of this car, so keep that in mind. Does anyone else's ass end get squirly if you give it the beans around bumpy corners?

 

[cbzdel]

Also, seriously considering just putting a flat finish on my current paint and getting flat black wheels. The Rotiform BLQ wheels is what I was thinking. Any suggestions on size? I'm stuck between deciding on an 18'' or 19'' set. I really would like to improve the handling of this car, so keep that in mind. Does anyone else's ass end get squirly if you give it the beans around bumpy corners?

I kept with 17s when I upgraded. I was buying new wheels and tires so when talking with the shop between 17s and plus sizing he told me that there is no benefit in plus sizing, and that the ride would only become more harsh, plus our roads are crap in this area so he told me with less than the original 45 series I could expect more blow outs and bent rims. When a sales man talks you into buying the cheaper product you know there is a honest reason why in my opinion, so thats why I stuck with the 17s.

Personally I think the 18s with the 40 series looks GREAT, but I am just worried about damaging them, plus you would need to lower the car to get the best visual effect (which you do plan on doing, personally I do not plan on lowering my car)

And we live in the same area, I actually bought my wheels and tires from a Discount Tire up in Kirkland.

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Wow really! I actually have a friend who works there, Kevin, you probably met him! That's really good info to have about the wheels. I'm pretty confident with the right suspension mods I could get it rollin around pretty comfortably on 18s. But really, how much harder would 19s be at that point? No way to know until someone does it... right?

I just finished plastidipping my emblems and it looks fairly decent. I'll just take it off when I get sick of it.It'll look a lot better once I smoke the headlights and get the windows tinted this weekend.

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Emblem pic. Thoughts? Thinking of maybe removing plastidip from the H to make the background flat black and leave the logo as the stupid fake plastic original chrome garbage.

 

[vxmoto23]

Here's how I did my emblems.

 

[cbzdel]

I think that gives it a unique look with the center left black.

I debadged mine and I have a Tomato emblem on the way, which I really like because it has a black background even though my car is black haha

I also have some sheet vinyl on the way, I want to tint the reflectors. Part of my really wants to open my headlight housings just to tint that big orange reflector!

 

[blue6spdgt]

NW, I really couldn't see going 19's, that's just my opinion. As to your question regarding the flat gray with black rims, it's becoming the theme and starting to get played out. Or at least in my area. If you want to be really different, grab some color charts and start looking at possible combo's. You might find something that really looks good and become a trend setter!

 

[vxmoto23]

yeah, I've toyed around with a bunch of different options. All I can say is that everyone that has seen mine loves it! I think the matte black on white really stands out and having the center white makes it jump out even more in this case.

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Well I'm very open to suggestions and easily influenced, anyone got any good ideas for paint options? Rim color, size?

I just did some reading and I'll be putting in the KYB air-rides next week, or as soon as I can get them shipped here.

 

[cbzdel]

If it were me, I would leave the factory paint alone as unless you do everything it will never be perfect, such as in door jambs, hood jams, engine bay, ext.. Slap a nice set of wheels/tires on it and call it good for that overall look. Then do the rest of your mods. Seems like you want to black out alot of it, seems like dark wheels black or gunmetal would be an obvious matching color. Personally I am all about matching things, throwing off the wall wheel color onto a family hauler just seems out of place in my opinion..

Just my thoughts, but its your ride you can do as you wish


As for your "KYB air-rides" are you referring to the gas adjust shocks? If so they are on a national back order, good luck haha

 

[vxmoto23]

I'm a big believer in "each his own"! I really like the fact that you have a plan of attack and you can sweat the details as you go along. My $.02 cents on wheel size...I might go 18"s at some point but I don't want to ride to go completely down the toilet with super-low profile tires.

Do they make the color you're looking at in PlastiDip? Then you could always peel it off if you don't like it.

 

[pyxen]

I think the dipyourcar guys can make up any colour you want, or you can get those tint kits to make it yourself...the choices are pretty endless with dipping, which is awesome.

Costs about $400 the first time, because you get the sprayer with it, but if you keep changing, you could have a new car each 6 months for under $200 probably. Seems like a lot, but if that's what you're into...

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Ok guys, after much consideration I'm taking CBZ's advice on this one and keeping factory paint untouched. Much cheaper, which allows me to mod other parts of the car, and its already perfect so why touch it?
I've attached to P-shopped photos of the look I've decided on. I just need help deciding which wheels to buy. I like them both, but I'm leaning more toward the bronze ones.
I'm not sure how they will look with the shitty stock brakes on there though...

Does anybody like the gold ones more?


ON ANOTHER NOTE:
I'm picking up the car tomorrow from the tint shop bright and early. The windows were set today at 24% all around and they are holding it for me overnight. I'm driving it straight from there to the Super Stereo Warehouse in Seattle to get my system put in ($99 full install). Then I'm going to do the headlight/ taillight smoking myself with my brand new heat gun. On Sunday I'll be getting the muffler put on that pyxen has, the Magnaflow 12255, to add a little extra grumble to the go pedal. Any other things I can slap on her before Monday rolls around and I have to become a zombie for another week?

 

[NWElantraGTMods]

Leaning very much towards this and I've got support from a couple of friends to pull the trigger on it, which is always a good sign. I think I'll aim for this look.

Should I keep the gas cap plastidipped flat black, or remove the PD and go stock?