StormVY
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- VY Storm Ute
I don't want to spend a lot on my car for various reasons so have been doing small mods here and there and figured others may be interested in this sort of information.
If you want an extensive thread on ALL things VY go here, dufus has compiled 2 massive posts with all the info you need. Unfortunately those links are a few years old now and are a bit daunting with the minimal descriptions and large amount of links.
This thread is for people who want information about their VY that allows them to make small, inexpensive modifications to personalise their car. I would assume that majority of people who this would appeal to would be P platers who have opted for a V6 option as it's cheaper to run and with the new laws possibly the only option.
Interior
Dash
Your first stop should be to ASR Audio's Website. Phreddy started off his passion for this stuff mid 2005 here and it has grown into an amazing acheivement for interior lighting modification. Even if you don't use his services you can see what is currently capable for your VY's dash lighting.
Audio
Once again ASR is your best bet to customise your audio experience without replacing that headunit the came with your car. Here is a pdf giving a detailed explaination as to what his mod does. Whilst Phreddy operates out of Sydney he has an associate in Perth and occasionally drives around Australia doing installs in the major cities. Contact him or visit his website.
The other option is to integrate your iPod or iPhone into your headunit's native controls. Vlad explains how he does this one his website. Whilst it costs more, the functionality and options are far greater.
Tinting
The legal limit for most states is 35% (which is the amount of light allowed into the car). The most common dark tint done is 22% as it is dark enough and still not dark enough to attract unwanted attention. You can go all the way down to 5% if you want but you will have trouble seeing out of your windows at night and no chance seeing into the car, almost as bad during the day.
Your best bet to find a good tinter is to browse car forums for small businesses recommended by people who have used them. Google window tinting and the city you live in and scroll down till you find a result that looks relevant from a performance car forum. You know that people on their want the best for their cars and will talk about the best options in detail.
Misc
I would suggest buying some plain black car mats that are designed for VY's. You can pick these up for around $50-$60 at your local car shop like Super Cheap. Not only do they add some class, they make it easier to clean and keep your car in good nick.
Buy some RainX Interior and after you throughly clean the inside of your windscreen apply it. This will keep it fogging up.
Exterior
Lights
Here is a guide to spray painting your headlight surrounds to a colour of your choosing. More info on this over at StreetWagons here.
This thread explains what lights you will need to buy if you are looking at getting some replacements or LED alternatives from eBay (H1, H3, H11, T10 etc as well as the wattage you need).
If you want to upgrade your lights properly you want to look into a HID conversion. If you dont want to fork out hundreds of dollars you may want just buy new globes.
If you want to get the white effect you want to look for a globe around 4000-4500K in colour temperature range. I would recommend going after some Philips or Osram globes as all the non-brand globes I have tried over the years burn out in about 12months. Go to the Philips or Osram site and look around their globes then search for what you want on eBay for a good price.
Remember to NEVER touch the glass of the globe with your fingers. The oil on your fingers allows the glass to heat up more than it should and will damage the glass.
LED strip addition mod here.
Body
A how to remove the side black strips off your car. Another one is here.
*danieLOL has said that it's not worth DIY in this instance and to get a professional to take care of it. You may want to get in touch with your local smash repairer if you are keen on this.
If you ever need to remove your bumper, check the headlight spray painting link just above this, it should help out.
Engine
Exhaust
A large V6 discussion is found here, a smaller one here. Read these, and others found in the VY FAQ, to make your own mind up on what to do with a V6 exhaust system on the cheap.
The cheaper option to get some sound is to just go straight through by removing a muffler. Most exhaust shops will do this for cash and you can keep your muffler. I've had this done for a while and passed rego (NSW) with no issues, twice. It is quiet unless you hammer it, then it roars. Mixed opinions are whether to remove the rear or front muffler for better sound.
My opinion: If you have a V6 the only way you will get a performance increase is if you start from the extractors (Pacemaker) and work back with a complete exhaust system (Lukey or Redback). You will also need to look at headers, roller rockers and CAI (Cold Air Induction). Just a catback system will only give you a noise change, not a performance one. Get some quotes from local exhaust shops and make sure you make it obvious you are getting multiple quotes so they don't high ball you, ie. write down what they quote you in front of them next to other shop's quotes.
V8 discussion is here. I don't have a V8 or LSx engine so I don't know much about it. There is not really a cheap option here as with a V8 your exhaust has more of an impact on your performance than a V6.
Cold Air Induction
A VY specific mod is found here which is apparently better than the '2 Hole' mod.
How To's for the '2 Hole' mod are well written for a VZ here and here and the one here has some good discussion on how it would differ for a VY.
Power Steering
If it shudders you may want to replace the power steering hose with a high pressure one. The Holden part number is 92174786. Try flushing and replacing the fluid before you do this.
Please add your replies below with feedback and suggestions for additions. Anything that is cheap and easy to do is welcome. Please provide as many links as possible so I can make it as informative as I can.
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