Introducing Lilly my Expy

[barigyasi]

Build Thread 99XLT (Lilly)

sup everyone, i've been lurking this forum for a while now and i'm finally ready to start my build thread for my expy. Her name is Lilly and shes a 1999 2wd XLT, Greenish Grey, with a 4.6L V8 of course. She's got 220,000 miles on the ODO, but purrs like a newborn. I will post pictures and work/mods that i've done up to present day, and my plans for her bright future

 

[barigyasi]

when i first got her!










Then i painted stock wheels black



Then i got in a literal fender bender,








Fixed the fender with a new OEM replacement, and banged the door back out right.



The signal lamp was still busted, and remained busted for a while, i just replaced the amber bulb.

Then she got a new exhaust pipe,



sorry this is the only picture i have of the installation!

Then i decided i wanted to get some yellow fog lights, so i made a HUGE mistake and bought these




They are garbage, the "yellow" tint ended up burning away, and i had to take them apart and re-paint them with some transparent yellow paint. They did not end well, but i re-mounted them behind the grill for show until I can get some real HID 3000k fog lights installed.

I then decided to switch my color scheme up and start blacking her out!









Also added this new toy with a back-up camera



This is Lilly all cleaned up, with some tire shine still on the tires, which are new but i dont have a good picture of them right now!

 

[barigyasi]

future plans are,

within a month:
-tint windows
-plasti dip all remaining trim/chrome
-install new projector HID's with 12000k bulbs (i know its a crazy color)

within a year:
-swap bottom bumper for one with fog light inserts, order OEM foglights and bracket, use yellow vinyl and install HID fogs.
-i'd like to get a performance tuner
-some sort of lift w/ new tires and wheels
-paint flat black fender to match the rest of the car

 

[toms89]

Very clean expy.

 

[Plavin1991]

Looks good. . Keep it up...

 

[Plavin1991]

Hey do u have a thread on ur install with those lights? Could u go into detail on it? I would like to know how to take off the grill... I cant seem to get the plastic plugs out... they are a pain in the ass! Also I only see two screws... what gives?

 

[cymru]

how do you post pictures I need to show off my expy

 

[barigyasi]

Hey do u have a thread on ur install with those lights? Could u go into detail on it? I would like to know how to take off the grill... I cant seem to get the plastic plugs out... they are a pain in the ass! Also I only see two screws... what gives?

I will do a write up when i get my new projectors in the mail in a couple of weeks, which lights are you talking about though?

And thanks everyone for the positive feedback

 

[barigyasi]

how do you post pictures I need to show off my expy

I use Imageshack to host and post my pictures

 

[cymru]

thanks i will try that

 

[barigyasi]

These are the headlights i went with and a AC HID kit with 12000k lights, hopefully they arent too extreme with the color, if so i will purchase some 8k or 10k lights.

One picture is them installed on a F-150

 

[gunslinger929]

Very clean expy.

x2. Looks good!

 

[Canadian Expy]

Good start on the mods !

 

[barigyasi]

To update everyone, my headlights came in, of course the spyder brand is notorious for crappy products, well they followed through on these headlights.

The shipper sent the wrong size HID bulbs also, but as of right now im waiting on new bulbs and my new Morimoto miniH1 projectors to come.

If you plan on doing a retrofit with the spyder headlights for the expedition prepare to do some fab work because the headlight does not come with a typical projector/bowl combo, it is only a projector with the bowl actually fused with the housing.

Hopefully all parts arrive soon and i can begin fab'n up my projectors and getting these headlights installed so i can focus on the next mod!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sorry I am late to the party. Nice Expy and great mods. Looking forward to your next mod.

 

[barigyasi]

Thanks!

i plasti-dipped the front bumper, i left the grille off until i can plasti-dip it and install my new headlights, which i'm doing a completely custom retrofit too. I will post pictures, currently waiting on the projectors which are being delivered today!

 

[barigyasi]

Large Update, many pictures

Update on my progress :

The spyder headlights were and are total garbage, i wish i researched more before buying them, the new morimoto projectors i got didnt fit in the housing without major cutting, and even then once mounted in the headlights, the truck needed to be cut. So i ditched the spyders, and opted for some regular black housing headlights from ebay. I opened them up and test fitted the easy and quick morimoto projectors.



I then made some custom shrouds, from PVC using a dremel, lost of trimming and fitting and trimming. but i like the outcome. Once i was done i painted the PVC with high heat flat black grille paint.







I also painted the headlights with the same paint. And reinstalled the projectors to test the fitting of everything, the projectors have plastic bags to protect them.









I then color modded the cutoff shield on the projector and painted the with the same flat black high temp paint, this gives the projector a dark deep, abyss look when viewed during the day, and also improves the "color flicker" of the output.

(pictures might be kind of dark and blurry, sorry)




I then put the projectors back together, and did a final alignment of the projectors and headlights, i got a very crappy bulb color and product in general, so i will not be posting the output shots yet, i am ordering new morimoto XB35 bulbs after the holiday.

My Morimoto XbLED amber Angle eyes come in today, so for today i will seal up the PVC shrouds to the headlight, install angel eyes, and let it sit while i go on vacation.

In the mail also is a Used AEM brute force Intake, for 50.00 on Ebay, and an Evo/HT tuner from Edge.

I will post more pictures when more things happen, thanks for looking.

P.S. this is a little project im working on for my fogs. IDK the outcome or output yet.

 

[TactialMonkey]

These are the headlights i went with and a AC HID kit with 12000k lights, hopefully they arent too extreme with the color, if so i will purchase some 8k or 10k lights.

One picture is them installed on a F-150

I had those headlights and there was absolutely no light output it mad me sad inside haha I had 6000k bulbs too

 

[barigyasi]

I had those headlights and there was absolutely no light output it mad me sad inside haha I had 6000k bulbs too

haha the garbage truck just took them from me!

 

[barigyasi]

Quick update, I installed my AEM Brute Force intake today, took it for a little test run and it performed great, no bad noises just good ones, my retrofit project is on hold until payday, i decided to order some real shrouds instead of using the PVC ones i made, just for a more professional look. So maybe by Friday or Saturday of next week the lights will be finished and installed, I also got my HT Evo from Edge, and i am using the 87 octane tune, this paired with the Intake has made a huge difference in the pick up of my truck, loving these two mods so far, stay tuned!