Installing rear spoiler: dealer, independent shop, or DIY?

Yeah, unfortunately $ does not allow. I don't make much money with my work study job on campus, so I have to wait for spring. I'm not sure how much it would cost for the fogs.



Let's start a new question:



"Installing fog lights: dealer, independent shop, or DIY?"



Thoughts...?
 
I'm a spoiler man, and *I* believe a factory OEM spoiler makes pretty much any car look a lot better. It can be a PITA cleaning/detailing around, but *my* opinion is it definately enhances the look of the back. Anyway I would still consider it for your car, even though your protege doesn't look to bad without it.



As for the fog lights, i'm in the same boat with you. I wanna get some OEM fogs for my RSX, come spring time. I believe most people say OEMs from the dealer are around $300-400ish :scared: , but most members on CRSX say the generic ebay ones ($80) work just as good as them, so I think i'm going to get the ebay ones and attempt to install them myself. If I have problems I think i'll just go to a body shop to have them done. I know I found a .pdf of a step-by-step install actually from Acura for the fog lights. You should search for one for your car, that will determine how hard it is. I know mine looks pretty complicated and confusing, but I'm going to give it a try, without of course doing the "scary" stuff (cutting my bumper) till everything is in place and working properly.
 
My car already has the spaces for the fog lights. They're just plugged up with some textured plastic. So I don't think it will be too bad.

I really like how the OEM fogs look, so I'll probably go with those, unless the price difference is huge compared to generic ones. But I know that the OEM fogs will fit perfectly.



Johnny, I've always felt that way about OEM spoilers too. I really wish I could find a silver 99/00 Protege with a spoiler around here. I want to see it from all different angles.
 
White95Max said:
My car already has the spaces for the fog lights. They're just plugged up with some textured plastic.
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JohnnyDaJackal said:
...but I'm going to give it a try, without of course doing the "scary" stuff (cutting my bumper)
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Johnny, I'm pretty sure you'll find that your RSX has the openings already as well, as Maxy has indicated. Although nothing seems simple with RSX's; when I got the cargo net for mine, the parts counter guy asked if I wanted instructions. Thinking to myself how hard can it be to hang the thing on the hooks, I said "sure". Well, it turns out they only put the top hooks in at the factory, but the bottoms require that you take the entire rear inner panel out, after first removing the hatch seal, and, oh yeah, using a factory tool to release the clips...why they don't put the bottom hooks in at the factory, or leave the top ones off too, remains a mystery...



EDIT: Did I mention I didn't install those lower hooks yet? I just have the net hanging from the top hooks, what with figuring out if I have something to release the clips or have to buy the factory tool, and worrying about getting that *huge* hatch seal back in place, I haven't bothered.
 
Paul: The generic ones are the same exact as the OEM, except they don't say Honda on them. I would think they have generic ones for your car too, as I know they make generic for just about everything.



Mike: How do you like the cargo net? I was considering buying it, to keep some S+W on hand. On the fog light topic, even though we have the openings with the "cheese graters" installed you still have to cut them out. I know the fog light kits even come with a temple for it.

Heres the complete instructions, they look fun :grinno: ...

http://performance.clubrsx.com/instructions/foglights.pdf



and heres a list for other accessory instructions...

http://performance.clubrsx.com/instructions.html
 
I'll have to look into the generic ones then, if they are the same size/shape as the OEM ones. And I'd prefer if they didn't say anything on them, since it would be easier to clean/polish/seal them without a bunch of letters getting in the way.
 
JohnnyDaJackal said:
Mike: How do you like the cargo net? I was considering buying it, to keep some S+W on hand. On the fog light topic, even though we have the openings with the "cheese graters" installed you still have to cut them out. I know the fog light kits even come with a temple for it.
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Sheesh, it figures you have to cut the holes yourself. Personally, I wouldn't bother, I've never had fog lights that really helped for anything; there was an old saw that to do anything they needed to be as low as possible, which of course isn't compatible with real-world driving.



As far as the cargo net, all that I have seen pale in comparison to the design in my '90 Bonneville SSE. If you can find a generic one I'd do that before spending the money for the OEM; if you're just looking for an "S&W bag", I think you might be able to get a little laundry/lingerie net bag that will hang from one of the cargo net hooks.
 
White95Max said:
.. I'd prefer if they didn't say anything on them, since it would be easier to clean/polish/seal them without a bunch of letters getting in the way.
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The OEM fogs on the MPV are by Cibie. The lettering is on the back/inside of the lense; the outer surface of the lens is smooth, so no hassles detailing them.



Consider the quality/design of the reflectors when deciding which lights to go with. I'm not thrilled by the performance of the Cibies, but I know that they put good research/tech into their lamp designs. I'd make sure the generics use good lamps/reflectors and aren't just something for people who want to look cool instead of see well ;)
 
I have never seen any factory fogs that really help. As I mentioned, I remember reading this in the way back machine when Cibie and Marchal were the rage as add-ons (in the early 80's, when cars didn't come with fogs...at least not the cars I was buying ;) ), that you had to really have the light down on the pavement to really help, which of course isn't practical for a road car. So I have always considered the factory fogs to be an "all show, no go" accessory--you guys have a different take?



PS Accumulator, I remember when you could buy one of those rear fogs, a single red lamp for the back.
 
I can remember periodically turning my fogs on and off with the Maxima, to check if the bulbs were still working (sometimes I'd just think about it while driving). There was a clear difference between the lighting ahead of the car with the fogs on, compared to with the fogs off. They lit up a little more on the sides, and also added light in front of the car, generally only the first 30-40' in front of the car though.
 
The fogs on the Audis always work pretty OK (how's that for damning with faint praise :o ) in bad weather conditions. The ones on the MPV are better than I'd expected and actually *are* better than no fogs when the weather is, well, foggy. But not as good as the ones on the Audis. Can't remember how the ones on the Jag work, the covers haven't been off since the mid-'80s lest the lenses get chipped. FWIW, all these are mounted really low so they're at the right height to do the intended job.



Heh heh, too many people try to use fog lights as driving lights, and *far* too many people run around with fogs on when it's not foggy :rolleyes: thinking they look cool. I did it myself back in the '70s with my Trans Am- had yellow fogs mounted up beside the headlights, thought I was so cool :o Local LEOs weren't too favorably impressed.



Setec- Don't see them these days, at least not in the catalogs I look through. Not that I'm about to go adding something like that to the vehicles I'm driving these days anyhow :D Well, I could see maybe putting one under the bumper of the MPV; the dogs get bothered when that gets rear-ended.
 
Well, I'm far from the fount of experience on fog lamps...I put a set on my mid-70's GM sedan, and I'm not even sure I got to use them before one of them got stolen and I took the other one off (I had the covers on them all the time, too). I mounted them to the bottom of the big chrome bumper which put them pretty high off the ground, and I think they were some off-brand rather than the brands we were talking about before. My '90 Bonneville SSE has them in the front chin spoiler; I don't think they actually work anymore, but I never got any measureable benefit from them in the fog.



Back in the late '70's/early '80's I used to thumb through my Auto World and similar catalogs and dream about a car with a set of Cibie fogs and driving lights, and the rear fog light. Of course, that was in the days when there was much less integration of the bumper/spoiler/grille than there is now, can't really imagine trying to hang on a bunch of gee-gaws like that now.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
.. there was much less integration of the bumper/spoiler/grille than there is now, can't really imagine trying to hang on a bunch of gee-gaws like that now.
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Yeah, IMO it's pretty much the factory-option look or nothing these days. Otherwise things start to look like a Mad Max movie (or, to *really* date myself, like a truck from The Wages of Fear or Sorcerer).
 
I saw a nice Protege with an OEM spoiler parked near my apartment today. Just to give you an idea of what the spoiler looks like...



GreenPro.JPG






I still think it would look good, but the drilling/wiring part is what makes me step back and think.
 
White95Max said:
I still think it would look good, but the drilling/wiring part is what makes me step back and think.
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Now I'm checking out Proteges in parking lots all the time :D



The current CHMBL (Central High-Mounted Brake Light) is in a box on the rear deck, right? So you'll have to get a new rear deck (the one without a box made for cars with the light in the spoiler). What about the defogger elements? Do they follow the contours of the CHMBL box? Are they different on cars with spoilers? This is all assuming that the ones with the light in the spoiler don't also have the box....but man would that look hokey IMO.
 
Accumulator said:
Now I'm checking out Proteges in parking lots all the time :D



The current CHMBL (Central High-Mounted Brake Light) is in a box on the rear deck, right? So you'll have to get a new rear deck (the one without a box made for cars with the light in the spoiler). What about the defogger elements? Do they follow the contours of the CHMBL box? Are they different on cars with spoilers? This is all assuming that the ones with the light in the spoiler don't also have the box....but man would that look hokey IMO.
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Haha, nothing wrong with admiring Proteges in parking lots!



Yes it's a box on the rear deck. I never thought about getting a new rear deck. If I would have to do that, I'd just disconnect the CHMBL and leave it there. I've got tinted windows anyway, so you can hardly see the rear deck from outside.
 
White95max said:
I never thought about getting a new rear deck...
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See how seemingly little things can snowball into major hassles ;)



..I'd just disconnect the CHMBL and leave it there. I've got tinted windows anyway, so you can hardly see the rear deck from outside.
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BOO HISS nonfunctional thing that's only (already questionable) raison d'etre is to function :grinno: Tint or not, I'd reconsider that idea ;) Ain't I a pain sometimes :D
 
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