Tag Archives: DIY

MACarbon Seat Belts (Front & Rear) – Porsche 991

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The first time I laid eyes on these carbon fiber seat belt buckles (from MACarbon) I knew I’d have them in my car one day. It was a bit of a mental fight- they’re not cheap and the buckles I already had worked quite well- but the fever from my mod-bug infection was at an all time high. I’m pretty sure my order for these parts was placed in September of 2017! But good things come to those who wait, right?

These carbon fiber covered buckles really step things up a notch as these parts are surprisingly visible (not so much in the back, I suppose). The leather covers on the front buckles looks great and hides the wires that run from the buckle into the seat. The rear buckles have a nice leather base and then that’s framed by the carbon fiber trim- a good looking setup!

Driver buckle & passenger buckle

Left and right rear buckles are the same

I originally had these on my “to buy” list with a note that said “what is wrong with you?” This was a hard purchase to justify but I managed to push it through and I’m happy with the results. It’s the little things (“Is this guy serious right now??” Half).

Below is a tutorial of the installation process (for the fronts):

Quick comparison of new parts with old parts. Rear seat belt installation is really easy… unless your pieces aren’t made quite right. Such was the case with my shipment. The surrounds needed to have some of the carbon fiber removed. MACarbon kindly offered to pay to have them returned for a fix but I told them I could take care of it. It was no problem- I milled them down a bit with my trusty Dremmel and  I got the parts installed in no time.

Raptor – Bushwacker Pocket Style Fender Flares

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I’m always searching for ways to make my vehicles looks a little more aggressive. A Facebook friend in Texas has the same truck I do and installed Bushwacker’s pocket style fender flares onto his truck. They looked fantastic:

In addition to looking better, Bushwacker’s flares are a bit wider. With my wheel offset the tires stick out past the stock flares so this seemed like a practical upgrade as well as a cosmetic win.  I took the plunge and added them to my truck:

The install wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped (due to some fitment issues), but it all worked out in the end. My installation video:

Overall a solid addition to any Raptor!

Zunsport Front Grills

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I can’t say I’ve spent a ton of time worrying about things hitting my radiators. It was obvious when I periodically cleaned them that they were getting dinged now and then by debris. My local dealer had offered me a solution that resembled something that looking like chicken wire (at least that’s how I remember it). Pass. And then one day some people on a forum were talking about their ZunSport Grills and how happy they were with the product.

I had a peek and they looked good! Great price (a substantial discount is offered with a forum code) including free shipping. “Easy install” (no bumper removal). I went ahead and ordered a set from Zunsport and had them just three days later! The box was a little crushed, but everything was still in fairly good order.

Here’s my installation video:

Install: I actually found a couple parts fairly difficult to install. However, I was able to work my way through the issues with only minimal drama.

Fit: With the possible exception of the top right grill everything fit pretty well. The aforementioned grill doesn’t seem to hold in place well but I think it may have something to do with a clip that got bent during shipping (I’ll be able to sort it out). I have been for a couple of drives so far and they have remained in place just fine.

Look: I really like them. I think the grills enhance the front of the car. It adds a bit of additional black makes her (him? Still can’t figure this out) look a little meaner.

Functionality: I think the grills will do a pretty good job of deflecting a rock or road debris. I’ll have to pay attention to see how chipped up they get over time. Incidentally, that’s another reason I really like them- very simple to replace and / or remove for cleaning. Some have worried they will affect air flow the car. Time will tell.

Overall, based on my three days of owning them I would give them a thumbs up!

 

RS Side Skirt Installation – Porsche 991

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Sometimes I just put a part on my car because I want to put something on my car. There is a strong possibility this is one of those times. While I wouldn’t call these an impulse purchase, I bought them because I thought they’d be fun to put on and because they were fairly inexpensive.

While I do think they look better than the stock offering they do very little to alter the car’s aesthetic. There’s no chance anyone will ever call out “Nice side skirts!”

Leather Sun Visors with NO Warning Labels (Porsche 991)

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I will freely admit that I look for stuff to modify on my car. There is an ongoing forum thread about removing the warning labels on the sun visors. With just a little denatured alcohol and some patience you can have sticker free visors! I was absolutely planning to jump on board and then I had an idea: Suncoast sells OEM sun visors without warning labels (imported from countries where they’re not required). Even better, I could upgrade my vinyl visors to real leather (I have been on a quasi-quest of sorts to replace plastic parts on my car). It’s pretty easy to guess which direction I went…

Installation for the sun visors is about as simple as installs get. Obviously there’s not a huge difference between the vinyl and the leather sun visors but having the stickers gone is really nice.

MACarbon – Carbon Fiber Chrono Cover & Door Handle Inserts!

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Yes, it’s the part in our show where we install more carbon fiber. I have been contemplating another purchase from MACarbon for awhile now but it takes a bit of time to work up the courage. This time around I bought a carbon fiber chrono clock cover and inserts for the interior door handles.

Installation was pretty straight forward. The chrono trim clips gave me a little bit of trouble, but I eventually got it sorted out. The handle inserts were heavenly. Here’s a quick installation video:

Since I’m planning to keep this car until the 992 series are in their second year (probably 2020) I decided to splurge a bit on additions (I’ve got some leather parts coming in the next few weeks). I think these particular mods are pretty subtle but I am really enjoying them.