Cory's Facelift ZRE152

[corza]

Hey guys,

My name is Cory and I'm a 24 year old uni student. In my last year of a sports management and marketing degree here in QLD.

After lurking on these forums for a few months now I decided it was time to do a thread about my car. Last car was a SR20DET Nissan Silvia which was fast and fun but it was time to get into something a little bit more comfortable and not so attractive to the boys in blue. I promised myself I wouldn't touch the Corolla but I blame these forums for the change of heart :P

Don't plan to go crazy with the car - basically all the changes I plan on making are to make the car easier on the eye. Going to take my time with obtaining the future goodies for the car so this thread will probably be updated once every few months.

Toyota Corolla Ascent

Automatic

Glacier White

Current Goodies:

- Genuine Toyota bonnet protector

- Genuine Toyota headlight protectors

- Genuine Toyota floor mats

- Slimline weather shields (ebay)

- Changed normal key to flip key

- Phillips Crystal Vision low beams

- Phillips parker globes

- Debadged Rear (Ascent)

- Hatch, roof, map and mirror lights all changed to LED's

Future Goodies:

- Osram Diadem front indicator bulbs

- Levin roof spoiler

- Paint my current grill black

- Side skirts

- Front lip

- Fog lights (I will be so excited when an aftermarket kit becomes available)

- Black headlight surrounds

- Darkest legal tint

- Black wheels with decent offset

- King springs

Edited September 23, 2011 by corza

[Cee-Lo]

Haha there is no harm in doing some light mods to your daily driver, if anything it will differentiate it from the other corolla's out there, and will be easier to find in a carpark XD.

Good list of current and future modifications, all quite sensible.

[corza]

Haha there is no harm in doing some light mods to your daily driver, if anything it will differentiate it from the other corolla's out there, and will be easier to find in a carpark XD.

Good list of current and future modifications, all quite sensible.

That's exactly right. It is a daily driver so I don't want coilovers and a loud exhaust (at this stage anyway haha). I've already had some troubles finding it in the car park

Edited August 15, 2011 by corza

[le.vinh.zr]

did I mention I like white cars?

[corza]

The more black bits on a white car the better it looks

[Ascendant Rice]

The more black bits on a white car the better it looks

Also what bulb type are the osrams

[haydos_sx6]

Good luck..... Always liked rollas

[arc]

Looking good mate good list of mods, I think painting the grill black is really gonna set yours apart, gonna do the badge aswell.

PS. Need to loose the broncos number plate surround :P

[corza]

The more black bits on a white car the better it looks

Also what bulb type are the osrams

The Osram diadem indicator bulbs are PY21W 12V. I think all car manufacturers use this bulb type for the indicator as it seems to be the only one Osram make for the diadem.

Looking good mate good list of mods, I think painting the grill black is really gonna set yours apart, gonna do the badge aswell.

PS. Need to loose the broncos number plate surround :P

Yeah I'll paint it eventually, trying to work out if I'll go gloss or matte. I knew someone would have a go at me about the Broncos number plate surround. That is the first thing that went on the car and it will be the last to come off! haha. I think it looks better than the black surround it came with :P

[arc]

LOL does look better then the black surrounds.Im thinking of re-doing mine in a with matte. When i was doing a my finally layer of clear coat a bug landed in it and if you look close enough you can tell where i put abit of black over it so want to re do it.

[corza]

Oh that sucks big time! That would annoy the hell out of me. So you have to go to the trouble of taking the front bar off again, sanding and spraying just for 1 little bug. I hope you killed it.

[Ascendant Rice]

how did you turn key into flip key, really interested?

[corza]

Bought this: Ebay Link

Then you just transfer the guts: Flip key instructions

[jeffy]

Bought this: Ebay Link

Then you just transfer the guts: Flip key instructions

*saved* thanks :] !

nice clean car btw, :]

[arc]

Oh that sucks big time! That would annoy the hell out of me. So you have to go to the trouble of taking the front bar off again, sanding and spraying just for 1 little bug. I hope you killed it.

Yeah was pretty ****** turned around to put can down went back to inspect my work and saw it lol. Front bar needs to come off again anyway for HIDs so not to bad or I will just leave it until I do the front lip so they are both colour matched.

[corza]

Gonna see how this goes on the Ascent badge I removed from the rear of the car and then make my mind up about other chrome parts on the car.

Edited August 26, 2011 by corza

[corza]

Had the day off from work today so what turned into taking the front bar off just to see how to do it turned into this:

Once I had it off I remembered what ARC did with his factory air box ducting (thank you for the idea ARC, sorry to copy):

Once I had everything off I thought now is a good time to rip the grill out and start painting (in primer at the moment):

Will be driving around like this for the next week as I want to take my time with the grill:

Also did some testing with the smoked badge idea. Still thinking about what i want to do.

[Ascendant Rice]

Also did some testing with the smoked badge idea. Still thinking about what i want to do.

[Kenneth.]

Smoked badge looks heaps good on the white. Good work!

[arc]

Nice work mate, Did you notice the difference moving that hose down there. In my opinion it feels more responsive. If your in Bris you will have to come out to the meet on thurs night.

[corza]

Haven't driven it yet. Will be driving to the coast tomorrow so will do some testing then. Will try and forget that I did it so I don't get a placebo effect. Yeah I live on the south side of Brizzy. Planning to come out sometime soon. I fear my car is too boring to fit in haha

[corza]

Slowly getting there...

[ben yip]

how do you take it off? I would like to do my one, I probably do it in carbon vincyl. Can I do it without taking the bumper off?

Edited September 1, 2011 by ben yip

[corza]

Unfortunately no, the front bumper must come off to get the grill out.

[itsmehuey]

looking good corey!