Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums

(This is the forums archive - If you want to get back to the main site simply click the banner above and you will be taken to our homepage.)

Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums is the Ultimate Online Resource for Owners and Enthusiasts of American Luxury Cars. Feel free to browse through our archive - but make sure you make it back to our main site - Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums

Cadillac XLR : Cadillac CTS : Cadillac : 2005 Cadillac STS : Cadillac Forums : 2000 Lincoln LS : Lincoln Mark VIII : Lincoln Mark VII : Car Wax
Lincoln Town Car : Lincoln Air Suspension : Lincoln Continental : Lemon Law : Do It Yourself Car Repair : Lincoln vs Cadillac Forums : Mesothelioma

Back to the Archive Main Page

Pages: 1

best mod?

(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: ckidwell

i remember seeing something on this but now with the money I can not find the thread. What is your favorite mod under $1000. 17 yrs old and just bought my own first car. 2000 non-sport autumn red metallic only 66k

, bone stock. Looking at double din dvd player or maybe eibach springs and tint but can't decide. What do you think? Other suggestions?

Posted by: jolinc01

Almost every mod for the LS is under $1000 if you go to www.lskoncepts.com they have CAI and exhaust. Talk to ILLS if you want a tuner. Springs are around $250. So if you have a grand to spend you could get a few mods done.

Posted by: ckidwell

I am familiar with lskoncepts.com but can't decide what to go with, asking those that have mods what their favorite mod they have is

Posted by: eastcoastLS

2nd gen lse grille. even tho i don't have one..

Posted by: nc2tarheels

I'd do multiple mods for under 1k.
Eyebrows, pillars, hid's, angel eyes, grill, and a lil bit of sound.

Posted by: workin_ike

First mod to any car, Tint. But with a grand, I'd go with #1 tint, #2 CAI or lower it, and #3 flowmasters or magnaflows.

Posted by: gcwimmer

Depends if you want all chrome no go or go no chrome. What is your expectation, nothing wrong with stock?

Posted by: napoleon1072

I agree. Tint should go first, then drop it and get a mclaren grill if you want the sport look

Posted by: ckidwell

not too worried about performance but someday would like intake and exhaust system. Now that i have heard some responses i am thinking of maybe doing tint, eibach springs, and mclaren grille

Posted by: workin_ike

That sounds like a good plan. Just get the grill already painted, dont try to go cheap and say you got a friend (that will never have time) that can paint it for you.

Posted by: ckidwell

thats what i was planning on doing, get the outer matched and keep the inner unpainted. I think that it will give it more contrast then painting the whole thing

Posted by: bigpappy33

i like my exhaust but thats just me.

Posted by: RollinLS

Local shop should be able to do your exhaust for about $350. You could get CAI, lowering springs, and tint with the remaining money.

Posted by: ckidwell

what exhaust can you get installed for 350, i've searched around but havent found anything in that price range

Posted by: exceptionaLS

Drop and Rims

Posted by: MMAFIGHTER121

$350 for exhaust you'll have to find an exhaust shop. borla and magnaflow both run around $700 but its pretty easy to find a shop that'll do your exhaust for $400 but if you're looking in the cosmetics only, grill, angel eyes, lowering, rims.

Posted by: RollinLS

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMAFIGHTER121

$350 for exhaust you'll have to find an exhaust shop. borla and magnaflow both run around $700 but its pretty easy to find a shop that'll do your exhaust for $400 but if you're looking in the cosmetics only, grill, angel eyes, lowering, rims.

There was a thread here about a online site selling the Magnaflow exhaust shipped for $500 and change. If you had the discount/coupon. You would have to search for it. Unless someone happens to have the link.

Posted by: bklene50

There's a store on eBay that I was talking with awhile back. They had new Magnaflow systems for the regular $7-- price or best offer. I offered $500 and he counteroffered $575. If anyone's interested I'll get you the info if i can find it.

Posted by: bigpappy33

i got mine for the 500 that rollin is talking about, i think it was through hott exhaust if anyone wants to search google or call them

Posted by: jk52781

The first mod that is not all that expensive should be replacing the stock grille.

Posted by: 99 KOBRA

Get your wife a stock LSV8 Sport and get yourself a Z06 or Terminator.

Posted by: E.M.

1st- Tint, 2nd- Drop, 3rd- wheels.

Those three mods will make it a whole new car.

Posted by: 02LincLS

Nitrous! ($400)

a progressive controller ($250)... and Eibach's ($250)
Do the work yourself

Posted by: rickztahone

CAI and KKM, best mods i've done

Posted by: ckidwell

first of all thanks to everyone that helped me out with everything. After considering everything i think i'm going to do tint, 5% back, 15% on sides and 5% strip on windsheild, going to get the mclaren grille, and then drop

also had one more favor for you guys, does anyone know anything about cheapy hid's like this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3-SET...spagenameZWDVW

Posted by: rickztahone

those are not hid's

Posted by: rickztahone

these are, i've had them for a while and not a problem. they get you on shipping so don't think your really paying 20 bucks. they are cheapo's but they are good enough

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/9006-...01QQtcZph oto

Posted by: ckidwell

with this particluar one do you just replace the bulb? what all is needed for the installation?

Posted by: rickztahone

it comes with 2 bulbs and 2 ballasts. the ballast is attached to the factory harness and the ballast attach to bulbs. no cutting necessary. plug and play.

Posted by: ckidwell

i may have to get this, it looks great on your ride

Posted by: rickztahone

thank you, i have the 10k. you might want to go with either the 8k or 6k if you want a whiter look. mine are blueish but still not too blue once they warm up. like i said, they are cheap and i've had them for over a year and a half i believe, and friends of mine have gotten some, a few members on here as well and none have had complaints.

Posted by: jk52781

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckidwell

i may have to get this, it looks great on your ride

Yes, Rick referenced me the same lights and I have no regrets, great lights.
I have had to replace some fuses which is normal and replaced some wires because the plugs had got corroded because of water. Just make sure you nestle them up in that corner area nicely where water cannot get up there.
I would go with the 6000K as you can see the foggies in my avatar.

Posted by: pektel

To the OP, your question is too vague. You need to specify what type of mod. For example, an xcal2 tune, intake, and exhaust would run you about 1000. If you prefer "go fast" mods, that would be the best.

If you prefer exterior mods, then grille, HID's (low beams and fogs), springs, angel eyes, and tint if budget allows would be the best exterior mods for about a grand. Wheels tend to eat up more that 1000, so that mod would have to wait.

If you prefer interior mods, then a double din dvd and some upgraded speakers would suffice nicely.

Posted by: MMAFIGHTER121

Quote:

Originally Posted by jk52781

hm... says on there you lose your high beams with this kit?

Posted by: pektel

You only lose your high beams if your vehicle has dual filament bulbs, which the LS doesn't. You're good to go.

Posted by: MMAFIGHTER121

all LSs?

Posted by: JWerner2

Springs, custom exhaust, tint, and some HID's.

The springs can be done at home if you have any hands on skill. The exhaust is good cause it is said to be allready at max spec's as far as performance goes. You dont have much of a point to go with bigger exhaust pipes since you wont be putting out much HP without some extensive mods and I dont know, I have not been around long enough but 2 guys here have some extensive mods ( Super Charger and a Turbo ) and I dont think they went with much bigger of a pipe but I could be wrong about that.

Anyway my point with that is unless you want the whole 9 yards in Stainless all you need for that is mufflers and tips.

Posted by: rickztahone

you won't lose the highs, although it's been known that it is not the best thing for the bulbs to switch from low beams to high beams quickly since it takes hid's a few seconds to warm up. the bulbs you are referring to are cars that use the same bulb to use low and high beam, which all LS's do not.

Posted by: pektel

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMAFIGHTER121

all LSs?

Right. All LS's have separate bulbs for low beams/high beams.

Posted by: pektel

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWerner2

The springs can be done at home if you have any hands on skill.

The replacement can be done easy enough, but not having done this mod yet I don't know if an alignment would be in order?

Posted by: JWerner2

Recommended yes, but I see enough people that don't care about it. Its barely off and it can also be done at home with some simple washers and longer bolts ( I never seen it done with this car though ). If you could get the test and see how bad it is then go from there.

Posted by: pektel

I was just wondering. I've never done suspension work before, so I don't really know what all is involved. I just thought a rule of thumb is doing an alignment whenever you mess with the steering/suspension.

Posted by: JWerner2

Well, a allignment test. Depending on wheels a little bit of camber is not bad either, sometimes helps the fitment.

Toe is the killer.

Posted by: MMAFIGHTER121

Quote:

Originally Posted by pektel

Right. All LS's have separate bulbs for low beams/high beams.

ohhhh dual filament are the kind of bulbs that have both high and low beams in one bulbs. ha. makes sense. i didn't know what it meant. learn something new everyday!!

Posted by: MMAFIGHTER121

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWerner2

Well, a allignment test. Depending on wheels a little bit of camber is not bad either, sometimes helps the fitment.

Toe is the killer.

after you lower your car you NEED an alignment.

Posted by: JWerner2

Yes but like rick said its not good to use them on cars with single filament bulbs like the LS. It is hard on the Bulb itself as well as the ballast I would assume.

Posted by: JWerner2

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMAFIGHTER121

after you lower your car you NEED an alignment.

Check out all the threads about it. You need a test and if it is not that far out of degree you don't need the alignment. Like I said more than enough people don't get the alignment if its not that far out of spec.

Look around outside the forum, a test is recommended and alignment is needed if you are anal about it being perfect or if it is to far out of spec.

The wear is not that dramatic and probably wont show before the next tire rotation IF it is not that far out of spec and I sure as hell doubt it would cause pull.

Posted by: MMAFIGHTER121

its not just a matter of pulling but how your tires wear and all sorts of other issues, toe is the biggest culprit for pulling but caster will cause your tires to wear unevenly affect grip, shorten your tire life and can cause blowouts. if its not out of spec immediatly after the switch odds are it will be after week or two of settling to the new height. working at both goodyear and sears auto i saw plenty of cars that drove straight and fine but were out of alignment and the tire wear indicated it with feathering and bumping and whatnot..... if you're going to care enough to get the new set of springs but on then you might as well toss in the extra $80 to get it set right. better safe than sorry. that's my experience anyway.

Posted by: JWerner2

I don't think you understand. I agree that if it is way out of spec you do need the alignment but in some cases and I seen many it is not that excessive and therefore the alignment in its own is not a necessity. There is also a margin ( I forget exactly what ) that the specs can be out before causing troubles. In some cases you stay inside this margin or go barely outside of it, then routine rotation can help keep uneven wear down.

Yes wait about a week or 2, get the test, and take it from that point on.

Posted by: SlickLS

First thing I would do would get a KKM air intake system ($300). The factory intake system is so restrictive it's not even funny. Thats good for performance to start off. Maybe some weld-in mufflers (about $80 a piece installed at local shop). Tint the windows ($150 max). Find a tv from this website for around $450. After that you are set for a while. Its a long process

Posted by: JWerner2

Where the hell did you get tint that cheap max?

Around here they wanted way more than that just to fix the rear window tint.

Posted by: 05BlackLSE

if your not really concerned with performance focus on the cosmetics

Tint
Springs(if your interested in that)
Some type of Grill if you dont like the stocker
Speakers,Subs,Head Unit
And theres alot of little stuff you can get from lskoncepts like floormats, mud flaps, rain guards, etc....

OR

DUBS

Posted by: ckidwell

yeah i was quoted at 240 for tint, 150 for mclaren grill, don't know how much springs will cost, tire rack seems to be the lowest price for eibachs i can find,install on those, then probably spend the rest on some mufflers and tips

Posted by: eastcoastLS

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWerner2

Where the hell did you get tint that cheap max?

Around here they wanted way more than that just to fix the rear window tint.

They are ripping you off. If they are quoting you that much, maybe you should get a buddy that has an idea how to do it. It is very easy if the correct procedure it performed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckidwell

yeah i was quoted at 240 for tint, 150 for mclaren grill, don't know how much springs will cost, tire rack seems to be the lowest price for eibachs i can find,install on those, then probably spend the rest on some mufflers and tips

Posted by: JWerner2

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastcoastLS

They are ripping you off. If they are quoting you that much, maybe you should get a buddy that has an idea how to do it. It is very easy if the correct procedure it performed.

Well I doubt every single place I called was ripping me off seeing how none of them wanted anything less.

A friend does help out but the rear window is a B****!

Posted by: pektel

+1 on the rear window. The shop guys can deal with the cramping up.

Oh, and every place around where I live was between 260 and 275 for tint all around (except windshield). Of course, there's not a lot of competition around here, so I'm guessing that's why the tint price is so high. I'm sure if you were in a climate that actually NEEDED tint (FL or CA) there would be more shops around, and lowballing to get business.

Posted by: JWerner2

Yup, the best I got was 280 and they told me it would be worth it cause most of that is in the rear window.

I originaly asked to just have the rear done and thats what they told me. Plus it would be hard to match up the other windows to the new tint on the rear.

280 for this car don sound bad. Its a very, very, good place. I have found other cheaper places ( $10, $20 cheaper ) but this was the best around my home town. When I had my Galant a few years ago back in 2001 they still wanted over $200 for it.

Posted by: pacha

1st lse grill... 2nd tint.... 3rd rims

after that ... sell it and buy an cts-v lol

Posted by: TDUB

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigpappy33

i got mine for the 500 that rollin is talking about, i think it was through hott exhaust if anyone wants to search google or call them

This is how I got my exhaust also, I had the link for awhile but it got so that it was 570 or something like that

Posted by: SlickLS

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWerner2

Yup, the best I got was 280 and they told me it would be worth it cause most of that is in the rear window.

I originaly asked to just have the rear done and thats what they told me. Plus it would be hard to match up the other windows to the new tint on the rear.

280 for this car don sound bad. Its a very, very, good place. I have found other cheaper places ( $10, $20 cheaper ) but this was the best around my home town. When I had my Galant a few years ago back in 2001 they still wanted over $200 for it.

damn dude that sucks that it cost that much where you live. I got mine done in Oxford, MS for $150 and that was including a strip across the windshield and everything is flawless including the back window. I guess things are cheaper in Mississippi.