Engine RNR?
Full Suspension Replacement?
Frame Removal?

All child's play compared to ..........swapping out the 8 side lights/reflectors.

This all started with my side turn signal repeater light going out, the ugly round Ford transit van one under the side strakes. I went to replace the bulb but found that you needed to remove the wheel liner which is a bit of a pain so I figured that I would throw the car up on the lift and swap all of the bulbs at once (three on each side) so I don't have to do it again. Since I was going to have the car up I might as well replace the side markers housings too since I never liked the multi color ones. I ordered a set of smoked ones from Klearz for just under $45K or something obscene like that and went to work.

I find it insane that the wheel well liners need to be removed for such a pedestrian service but off came the wheels and 88 T-30s and 24 Phillips head screws that hold the liners in. Side repeaters are simple, the front and rear side markers are a royal pain to get out. They are held in by two plastic posts that a cutting nut burrs into and you need patience, a 14 inch long 10MM box wrench and tiny hands. I didn't have any of those things but they do come out eventually, replacement is easier if you pre-cut the posts with the nuts. The rear reflectors to me seemed literally impossible without removing the rear bumper. I messed around with it until I just decided to snap the stupid things out and simply hold them in with some 3M double sided tape until I have a need to remove the bumper for something else.

I have to say that it does make the car look better in my opinion that the red, amber and white markers, but I would never spend this amount of time on it again.

 

Interesting..where are the pics..lol

 

never really looked at the turn signal lights or reflectors on mine, and if asked, wouldn't know what color they were, BUT... when the doors kept closing on my legs and the hatch and hood slammed down on my head a couple of times, i took the trouble to install a few of those gas-filled shocks.

 

Here is the fruit of 37 hours of work.

 

It looks a lot better, doesn't it? But yeah, a difficult and time consuming process, especially in the rear fenders!

I posted on this a few years ago when I did it. Have Klearz improved their quality control? I had to take a Dremel to mine to get rid of some ugly flashing and excess glue around the edges - ridiculous.

Unless I missed it, you didn't mention if you kept the OEM bulbs or went for aftermarket LEDs. I did the latter from SuperBright LEDs and ran into clearance issues with the side repeaters/indicators (bulbs about 1/2 mm to 1 mm too long). They look much sharper, though.

 

Yep..they look fantastic…worth the struggle I’d say…nice

 

I feel your pain brother!
Went through the exact same procedure, by the time I got tot he rear reflectors, I said to heck with it, broke them out and glued in the new ones. I went with clear lenses all the way around.

 

The Klears looked just okay quality wise from behind, but very nice from the business end. Hard to get me to spend $550 on them but I couldn't find them anywhere else. I also painted the grills behind the strakes and on the hood. Those strakes were not intended to ever come off, the Brits were probably laughing as they assembled them thinking of my big dumb hand trying to get the third screw on the back.

 

As much as I complain, I absolutely adore working on this car. There's just something so wonderful about it. Most things are oddly easy, oil changes, transmission fluid changes, swapping suspension bits and the like. Those dumb fender liners though!

 

You get pretty good at removing them after a while. Did it twice on v12 Vantage for lights and ECU removal. Just did it on my Vanqish for ECU removal. I also enjoy working on these cars, but get very frustrated on how their put together.

 

Why would you ever need to remove the ECU?

 

To tune them. 15 model year and greater the ECUs need to be removed and sent off to accomplish that.

 

Glad I have an 09, it was quick and easy with the VelocityAP Tune

 

Wish that was the case with my V12 Vantage and Vanquish....what a pain in the rear....there is a driver and passenger side that have to be removed and sent out

 

how does software get untuned? if that could happen the world would come to a complete halt.