New Tires, refinished wheels

[kmaier]

Well, I finally got around to getting the OZ Saturns repainted and the new Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires mounted/balanced. I use the Titanium Metallic paint code from Lotus and had Turbax (Miami location) do the work. Overall they turned out very nice and I think the titanium color matches the car much better than the original silver. A link to webshots is included:

http://community.webshots.com/album/437759555wQqSlr

I also think the Pilot Sport 2 tires are fantastic so far... and I used Sport 350 sizes front/rear. These tires are so sticky it's very difficult to break the rear end loose compared to the original Michelin MXX3 the car came with or the Dunlop SP9000 I replaced with the last time.

Regards, KM
2000 V8

[techspy]

Looks good! They are darker than original right? The tires seem to fit just right too.

John
94 S4
www.skynetworks.gotdns.com

[ccmdoc]

I agree, much nicer than the original silver color. I may do the same or go with the 2-tone scheme that another member had posted - silver outer rim with gunmetal gray spokes and center section.
Looks great.
Stay well,
Paul

[Htown]

Now that's sexy!

I've been wanting to paint my Saturns as well...

You'll have to let us know how the Michelins work out for you.

Craig

[kylie]

Nice one!! Gives it more of a racing aggresive look, it changes the shape of the spokes with that slight change of colour. Much better than the original look for sure.

[karmavore]

humm.... I think you painted them that color to avoid having to clean off the brake dust. Cheater!

Lucas, White (unlazy) Wheels

[kmaier]

Dear All,

Thanks for the nice comments, so far I like the darker color much better, and the PS2 tires also. Unfortunately, you still see the brake dust... but it was certainly a shot in the right direction ;-).

I also replaced the rear lower lateral arm bushings as they were shot for the 3rd time. They almost last as long as a set of tires. As she was lift bound for almost 2 weeks, I serviced the front wheel bearings as they do tend to get a bit loose over time.

Now past 55K miles and I've enjoyed every mile!

Regards, KM
2000 V8

[jk1]

Good job KM, looks sweet!

Have you thought about urethane bushings, do they last any longer?

Jim

[rob.e]

KM - i love the look of your car with the dark wheels. Great improvement

BTW - 55k miles..? you'll be catching me up soon at that rate


cheers
Rob

[rob.e]

km - is that the stock lotus exhaust back on the car now? Did you give up on the tubi?

[kmaier]

Rob, you have a keen eye... yes, stock exhaust. The replacement Tubi has so much back pressure that it reduced performance as to be noticeable by the seat of one's pants. In fact, re-installing the Hyper-Flow cats made NO difference in sound or performance with the replacement Tubi installed. Hate to say it, but beyond a nice build quality and nice looks the Tubi has absolutely zero consistency (unit to unit) and is a real dog in general. I've also given up on the Hyper-Flow cats... they simply don't fit well and are a full 1/4-inch shorter than the OEM units despite Hyper-Flow assuring me they fit their jig perfectly. They also don't have the locating ridge and the result in the muffler can be swung vertically by hand regardless of clamping. You also probably noticed the exhaust tips are slanted downward which is the result of the Hyper-Flow cats being on the short side. All in all, neither were a good investment.... live and learn.

Thanks for the kudos on the wheels... :-)

Regards, KM
2000 V8

[ErnestM]

Looks great Kevin. Almost OZ Crono Magnesio - ish. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the PS2's after you've had a chance to live with them for a while. I have relatively new Michelin Pilot Sports on mine that I love, but am always open for a better set in the future.

ErnestM

[princecharming]

Wicked! I like it. Looks mean.

[kmaier]

jk1 said:

Good job KM, looks sweet! Have you thought about urethane bushings, do they last any longer? Jim

Actually, Wayne is fitting a set of those he purchased from Marcus into his 2000 V8 in the near future... will be interested to hear what he has to say about it.

Regards, KM
2000 V8