Yeah, I’d probably agree that the metal tape would be more reflective but I still don’t think it would be anywhere near reflective enough.
The metal deposition is super expensive but it really is the only “correct” way to fix the damaged reflectors. To cut down on the cost you really want to have a lot of pieces done at once since the cost doesn’t jump up significantly for additional pieces (to a point anyway).
I’d never looked into it because I figured it wouldn’t be locally available. If they were metal there would be tons of options, but since they are plastic I think you’re really limited.
The foil I used is a hobby product. I thought about the metal tape too but found the hobby stuff I ordered to be the better option.
Obviously the reflective surface is helpful for light output but my main concern was how the lights looked in the daytime. When the chrome wears off the lights don’t look as bright and they look dingy inside. While my method was far from matching brand new lights it made a world of difference.
I’m curious to see that foil stuff you used. I wish you could still buy the lights new, I’m sure they’d be expensive but it would be worth it.
I thought they were still available, but cost around $800. But I checked Options Auto and they aren’t listed on the site anymore - maybe they are all gone now 
They’re listed on JDMShit website still… but I don’t know how current their site is. $575’ish.
Ooooohhh, I know what my next bigger purchase is gonna be! Thanks! I had no idea you could still get them!
That price seems too good to be true, but hopefully it is. I have heard bad things about them, lots of people recommending not to use them. Looking at their website I’m not even sure if its current or if they’re even still open. Looks like we’ll find out though.
I’ve only purchased one thing through them… got a 4-2-1 CTR header from them for like $70/shipped. Aside from it arriving in a Huggies box, everything was very professional.
Though this was over three years ago.
OK, so maybe they just don’t update their site. I was looking around for dates or any clue that the site was still current and one of the last dates I found was 2007. http://www.jdmshit.com/WhatsNew.html
I sent them an email and left a message as well (phone number has no voicemail greeting, so I’m not even positive the number is theirs anymore). I’ll let you guys know what I find out.
Damn, well that sucks. Definitely let me know what you find out. I don’t really have the expendable income until next month so I hadn’t contacted them yet.
So would it be worth upgrading my 2.25 aem cai for a 3" sri with vel/stack? Ive searched up stock b18cr have 3" intake pipe. So i figure mine is too small since is 3/4 of a inch difference
No matter how big the intake pipe, you will still have a bottleneck at the throttlebody and/or intake manifold inlet. …
Yes the 3" will let the car breathe better, to a point.
Think of it like getting a header with a 2.5" collector, but still using the stock 2" cat and exhaust… same story.
So i would have to get bigger tb and port match it on the IM
^It’s a “weakest link” sort of scenario. As soon as you replace one part, something else becomes your restriction. Without knowing your setup it’s hard to say where you can make improvements and where you’re just wasting money. Assuming you have a 100% stock B18C-R then the 3" intake will definitely be an improvement over your current 2.75" AEM CIA.
Just has 2.25 cai, 2.25 catback exhaust w/test pipe,stock 4-2-1 header w/2.5 collector, fuel pres reg. pretty much it
AEM CAI is 2.75", not 2.25".
A good intake, a better header, and a dyno tune would net nice results. You could also go with a 2.5" exhaust if you’d like, but as is the 2.25" probably isn’t holding you back too much as long as it’s a good free flowing design and is mandrel bent opposed to crush bent.
Assuming you already have an ITR transmission with a good clutch/flywheel setup then your next best bet with modifications would be internals. There aren’t any other “bolt on” type mods that would net significant HP increases. You could try a TB and IM, but without upgraded cams and valvetrain you really won’t see much of a benefit to those mods.
Yeah its a crush bent exhaust, im running b16 cable tranny, i dynoed it as is and pulled 168whp
Here’s mine with the battery i trimed my tray up some its a tight fit but sits fine. Got the filter from colin to lol
Just a note, regarding fitment of this setup with a stock battery. As shown, it can be fit if you’re running a pipe 2.5" or smaller. But, if you’re running a 3" pipe (as most ebay intakes tend to be) the size of the stack and filter is a little bigger. When I tried to fit mine with a battery in the stock location, it absolutely wasn’t happening without relocating the battery. I am running a 3" pipe, for reference. Whereas a friend had a 2.5" pipe on his old DA, and his stack/filter fit with minimal modding.