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Rant--reflector deletes/covers are the blank buttons of the exterior

somerset9

Go Kart Newbie
I follow a lot of car-related pages on IG and every single goddamn day there's cars with its reflectors covered up with vinyl/paint/whatever.
It irks me to no end that a safety feature would be bypassed and poorly at that! You can still see the indentations and the body lines where the reflectors go, much like the blank buttons on the interior. It looks like you couldn't afford the "visibility package".

I am not a big fan of most cosmetic mods and I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do.
I'm half ranting and half genuinely curious--do people who do this really prefer the way it looks that way?

Also another rant is black door handles...go back 20 years or so and black door handles were on the bottom trim levels...and now they're cool?
 

gijoewoz

Go Kart Champion
I'm with you, especially with regard to safety features. Some of the "smoked" headlights/taillights I see are horrible, not only are they terribly unsafe, but half of the time they don't even fit the rest of the car's aesthetic. People love modding their car, but they don't love planning their mods with a goal of what it will actually look like when it's all done.

On the topic of door handles, the 350/370 Z's are terrible, a door handle, or gas cap, is a necessity, they are not there for style. Hide them, don't highlight them!
 

sterkrazzy

Autocross Champion
I'm more against blacking out the VW badge than anything else mentioned.
 

Chogokin

Autocross Champion
I dunno...I like my "blanks". They're actually the same honeycomb pattern that's on the lower part of the rear bumper. I do specifically remember some Mk3 people putting vinyl to color match the reflectors on the front and rear bumper.

blanks.JPG


I don't like the blackout painted rear taillights. That just looks bad no matter what.

I do remember back in the 90's where people were "color matching" their black trim on their cars. Black mirror caps are now a sporty feature. I recall seeing a Ford Focus RS commercial and the black mirror covers were specifically pointed out as a feature.
 

somerset9

Go Kart Newbie
The blacking out the rear badge looks especially bad if you don't get the color-matched background.

If I had all the money in the world, I'd have the side markers "shaved", i.e. take the bumper off, get some body filler where the reflectors go, and then get it sanded and painted.
 

GolNat

Autocross Champion
If I lived in a city I might not do it but I like my vinyl wrapped side markers. Ideally I'd shave them If I could do body work or knew someone who could do it cheaper for me.



I do like the badges blacked out tho. It's my inner ricer!!



 
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StorableComa

Autocross Champion
For the side markers I find a few coats of hobby kit tint spray and a coat of clear works best. You get the dark look in the day, while allowing light to shine through. Pair with some bright orange LEDs and you retain the safety aspect. Not a fan of headlights/taillights being tinted outside of the OEM specs. I find half the time it just makes them an accident waiting to happen. Rear reflectors I tend to leave alone due to parking on non-lit streets and driving through unlit areas of highway.
 

brat_burner

Autocross Champion
The side markers and reflectors aren't required in other countries, can't we be cool like them? I understand disliking some of the cheaper fixes, but paying hundreds of dollars to shave and repaint or get a new bumper isn't realistic for everyone.
 

KevinC

Autocross Champion
Back in the Mk3 days, I remember guys in Europe wanting US-spec bumpers so that they could have the side markers that they don't get over there. Meanwhile guys over here can't wait to shave 'em. It's kinda hilarious - the want is often just for something that you can't otherwise get, logic be damned. I personally would never cover, delete, paint over, etc., any safety feature - or tint my damn taillights, a pet peeve that is incredibly stupid.
 

Hungry4hops

Autocross Champion
I'm very cosmetic with my cars, but I 100% agree with messing with safety features. First thing I do to all my cars is remove all emblems, and black out any chrome I just think it looks tacky. I have shaved my front bumper washer squirters, hood, and trunk properly. I like my rear bumper reflectors.
 

Phur

Autocross Champion
1599612865369.png

IMHO the yellow reflectors take away from the lines of the car.
1599612928269.png

I was happy to have mine painted to match after some deer damage to my passenger side fender, shortly after I got the car. (It was also lowered before this picture.
1599613741160.png

After a raccoon ran into the front bumper, I had it replaced with the German Edition 35 bumper. No regrets. I love it!!!
 
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Chogokin

Autocross Champion
View attachment 185368
IMHO the yellow reflectors take away from the lines of the car.
View attachment 185369
I was happy to have mine painted to match after some deer damage to my passenger side fender, shortly after I got the car. (It was also lowered before this picture.
View attachment 185371
After a raccoon ran into the front bumper, I had it replaced with the German Edition 35 bumper. No regrets. I love it!!!

The Euro bumper has a clean look.

My Corrado got a complete respray. I got rid of the orange bumper lights on the bumper and got rid of the body lines on the back.

Corradotrainstation0082.jpg
 

Phur

Autocross Champion
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