Another SoCaL Estima Project

[shawnthemonster]

soon... as soon as it warms up here :)

[normandie]

Most jdm aero kits will need to be modified in order to work with the US previa. The passenger side skirt and body panel is one piece as shown in this reference topline photo:



This will need to be separated so you can open the rear passenger sliding door. I try to do all the work myself, using basic garage tools. You will need a dremel with a cutting wheel & grinding wheel, a grinder, fiberglass mat & resin, and a good body filler. A palm sander is very handy and several grades of sandpaper.

Home Depot carries the fiberglass mat & resin. I highly recommend Evercoat Rage Gold body filler as it is very easy to work with, compared to bondo.

I use a grinder with a cutting wheel to separate the sideskirt from the body panel. They are very good for making straight cuts and will not bind like a dremel. Use the dremel for cutting around curves. Once the pieces are separated, they will need to be built up with fiberglass. Use 2 pieces of flat wood (48" x 3") joined at an angle ("L" shape) to make the mold. Cut the parts to fit, tack it in place using super glue and add more resin & mat to attach to the aero parts.

This pics show the parts that needs to be build up. This is after fiberglassing & body filler (light green).











After primer & rattle can paint: The good thing about the parts that will be added is that you won't see it when the doors are closed.







Panels & sideskirts installed. I use 3m heavy duty double sided tape from the local auto parts store to attach the body panels.

[shawnthemonster]

thanks normandie..... i will be doing this very soon with my kit so i would like all the examples i can get. . its been a hard thing for me to get the balls to start cutting into my kit. but i will soon. so is it possible to screw in the door panels as well as just 3Ming them?

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

I have the complete kit. In the process of modifying the passenger door caps & side panel right now.

Joji from www.bidschoice.com brought in the kit. They are in SoCal so I was able to save on shipping by picking up the kit when it arrived.

can you pm me his contact info? i'll tell him you sent me his way so you can get the credit for spreading the word on vsc!

[normandie]

can you pm me his contact info? i'll tell him you sent me his way so you can get the credit for spreading the word on vsc!

Go to www.bidschoice.com, then click on the link www.wheelchoice.com. Joji's number is listed on the bottom of the page.

[mdenoga]

normandie, the car looks great. thank you for posting this up. it will help alot of previa owners. Cant wait to see the rest of the kit installed. I'm glad someone is getting their van done compared to people like me . I'm jealous. Good job.

[sukoshiyoshi]

Thank you for the update photos. Much props on your mad skills. I wish I had DIY skills like you. But it is okay because I got some good friends who go skills. LOL Looking forward in seeing you new kit. It is going to look sweet! 1st JP Egg in the states? Have you thought about JP wheels as a "theme"?

Sukoshiyoshi

[normandie]

Thank you for the update photos. Much props on your mad skills. I wish I had DIY skills like you. But it is okay because I got some good friends who go skills. LOL Looking forward in seeing you new kit. It is going to look sweet! 1st JP Egg in the states? Have you thought about JP wheels as a "theme"?

Sukoshiyoshi

Scaras would be sweet, if only I can afford it.

[normandie]

FOG LIGHTS:

The JP kit did not come with foglights. I wasn’t ready to spend more than $500 for the Junction Produce fogs so I had to improvise. First, I bought a set of Mercedes Benz W210 fogs form ebay since they look to be the same shape. Unfortunately, the lights were bigger and do not fit the bumper opening.

I have a set of PIAA fog lights from several years back and decided to install them for now. Since the PIAA’s are smaller, I decided to build a shroud for them.

The shrouds are built from fiberglass:



fog light opening cut and after applying body filler:



Primed and painted:



Test fitting the light:



Bumper test fit:



Fog light test:

[shawnthemonster]

great job.... i think you should paint the bezels flat black....

[sukoshiyoshi]

That is straight up pimpin! Mad props on your DIY skills!

Sukoshiyoshi

[20sburning]

nice fogs big pimping.. piaa 1000x's

[normandie]

Anceltion Esvein exhaust installed:
This is a straight bolt on. I had these installed months ago, but it was too loud and I took it out after one day.
This time the muffler shop took out the second cat and replaced it with a small glasspack to quiet it down. The glasspack didn't help much, still a very deep and loud sound, way too loud for my taste. I'll try to find another shop that might be able to remedy the loudness. I'm way too old for loud exhaust. It looks great though.

[20sburning]

you are making me want a van so bad

[chrispy]

That's a great looking exhaust.

[hondaboi]

woooahh!! looking nice!! keep it up, I am sooooooo jelous! haha

[sukoshiyoshi]

Suggestion on "toning" down the Exhaust. Do you currently still have your spare tire under there? If not, and if you don't mind then "hacking" your exhaust, have then install a "U Shaped" exhaust where the Spare would normally sit. That would allow you to run an additional exhaust which should help. I was also offered the same suggestion after removing the 2nd cat and replacing with an exhaust as well. Only problem was that my Air Sus was going under there so that was not an option. Just a thought.

Sukoshiyoshi

[normandie]

Thanks everybody.

I also have my air suspension installed underneath, so we'll see what other shops can do. I have also applied sound deadener inside (raamat & closed cell foam) even before the muffler install. I like to listen to music so I need this toned down.

[mdenoga]

Normandie, you've got the sickest van with a two-tone. BTW, whos 2nd gen is next to the van? Is that your other project

[shawnthemonster]

lets see some pics of the whole van at one time :)