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Project Hidalgo V2

Lorne34

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If there is one cliche saying in life that holds true it's "Never Say Never"
After much discussion and debate over the winter I decided to trade "Hidalgo" my 2016 DIB GT Coupe in for a 2017 Convertible. I was originally on the fence between keeping the coupe or upgrading to the GT350. The more I was able to work thru my initial reasons for purchasing the coupe and what I ultimately wanted to use it for, it became clear at this stage in my life that I wanted something I could enjoy with the family. The Convertible fits that role. So thus starts the new project build of "Hidalgo V2"
Here are some initial pictures after picking her up at the dealership in March. We had 2 weeks of glorious weather (above 50 degrees) and now have been in a deep freeze with snow flurries this past week. Ironically I did not get any pics with the top down... will post some once the weather turns nicer.
My wife and I both fell in love with the California Special package as everything ties in well with the black accents and unique exterior and interior touches.
The California Special Edition includes: 19" ebony black painted machined aluminum wheels, performance front splitter, custom black grill with tri-bar pony logo, hood and side stripes, strut tower brace, custom painted black raised decklid spoiler, black painted hood vents and side view mirrors, unique rear deck lide faux gas cap GT logo, unique dark taillamp bezels, leather trimmed seats with Miko suede inserts/custom red accent stitching, diamond plate aluminum instrument panel trim, and premium front floor mats with red stitching.


Modifications installed and/or planned include:
Full Paint Correction
Xpel Film on Front Bumper Fascia
Modesta Ceramic Coating
BMR Lowering Springs
Corsa Sport Cat Back Exhaust
Steeda Vertical Links
Steeda Subframe alignment kit
Steeda Shifter Base Bushing Bracket
BG Syncro Shift II Transmission Oil
Billet Aluminum Clutch Pedal Extension
Sto and Show Front License Plate Bracket
Lloyds Tri-Bar Pony Trunk Mat
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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You chopped the top lol!
Hey Brandon! yeah... I got out the chainsaw and sliced off the roof! I had a lot of time to work through my decision and I am really at peace with it. The convertible is pretty impressive. Cannot really tell a difference in ride between the convertible and my coupe. They really have stiffened it up with under bracing and the strut tower brace under the hood which I did not have with my coupe as it was not a PP car. It definitely needs some additional suspension upgrades- lowering springs are a must and a new exhaust. I learned a ton with the coupe as to what I like and dislike with mods and how they effect ride quality. Hoping to dial this one in pretty quickly...The top down experience is really a lot of fun and engaging for the wife and kids. The only drawback is that it's not as sexy looking with the top up vs the coupe.. but top down it looks killer! :headbang::cheers:
 

SoCalTim

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Very nice vert...love the color too!

I assume the California Special drop tops have the same black leather and alcantara seats with red accent stitching accents throughout?
 

cgreen5150

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There it is! Looks kinda familiar...lol. I like those wheels better. Too bad they're not wider. And yes, a top down pic is a must! Like I said before, can't wait to see your progress on this one. Any idea what's first besides the paint correction?
 

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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Very nice vert...love the color too!

I assume the California Special drop tops have the same black leather and alcantara seats with red accent stitching accents throughout?
Thanks Tim! and yes... it does have the same dual material interior as the California Special Coupe version. I was a little skeptical at first as to how the seats would feel, but they are super comfortable and really hold you in the seat..much more so than my premium leather interior in the coupe; always felt like I slid around a bit. The look of the seats with the contrast red stitching is fantastic.. they also added little touches like the soft touch trim on the inside of the doors, plus the special herring bone (don't know how else to describe it) pattern on the dash trim. I will post some top down and interior photos once the weather gets nice and I have a chance to detail the interior.. It's been hovering at around 10-20 degrees F here in Wisconsin...:frusty:
 
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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There it is! Looks kinda familiar...lol. I like those wheels better. Too bad they're not wider. And yes, a top down pic is a must! Like I said before, can't wait to see your progress on this one. Any idea what's first besides the paint correction?
Hey Chris! yeah. I am partial to blue.. what can I say? The wheels/rims are 19'" ebony black painted machined aluminum. They are really much better looking in person as you can really see the contrast between the gun metal and black two-tone. The stock tires are perelli high performance a/s... they appear to be of better quality than the stock perelli's on the regular GT's. I don't think they are the same as the PP tires? I will see how these do this year and look into how big a tire I can mount on the rims in the future. This was a used Ford Corporate vehicle with only 5k miles on it so they look brand new. I have a Corsa sport catback exhaust sitting in the garage (sold the one off my coupe, would not fit the vert). I also have my Steeda vertical links off the coupe waiting to be installed. I also ordered BMR lowering springs, Steeda Subframe Alignment Kit, Steeda MT82 Base Bushing Bracket, and BG Syncro Shift II trans fluid.
Will be updating my journal build soon....
 
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Was posting pics on my forum and realized something about my water bottle and mouse...
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Some pictures after full paint correction, Xpel clear bra ppf and Modesta ceramic coating. Too bad it was a cloudy day as the modesta really shines in the sun. This is the second time I have worked with Chicago Auto Pro's out of Glenview Illinois. Greg, Caleb and the staff there do great work.
In regards to ceramic coatings- I had expectations going in that my first car (coupe) would be and stay perfect after getting it ceramic coated, but in the real world that is not so. One of the reasons I chose CAP is because Greg was very realistic about what the product is and its limitations. Even if you drive a car brand new from the dealership to a detailer to get it coated there are going to be imperfections in the paint that they will attempt to touch up, but they will never look perfect underneath the coating and as the owner of the vehicle you will always know they are there. This is especially true with the Ford paint process as many have commented on how thin the layer is and easily chips. Also keep in mind that a ceramic coating will not prevent all future chips, scratches, etc.. It will make the outer layer more resistant but a piece of flying debris on the hwy may still leave a mark/chip. The only real protection is to get paint protection film such as Llumar or Xpel applied to various areas. Once again it depends upon your budget and your level of OCD. I decided on both cars to just do the front bumper fascia which takes the brunt of the debris when going at high speeds. I was pleased with how it held up on the coupe enough to get it on the convertible. The biggest advantage to the ceramic coating is ease of cleaning, no waxing and the car maintains a brilliant shine that always gets me compliments ("how do you keep your car so shiny")
At this point I have come to terms with the fact that if I am going to drive it then it's going to get dirty and acquire imperfections over time. I just touch them up as best I can and move on. If I were to keep a car long term I would consider at some point getting it repainted, wrapped or even trying the Auto Flex spray process from dipyourcar.
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Did a little research on the California Special Wheels. Tires are 19" Pirelli PZero All Season 255/40 ZR19 front and back. Some really cool detail within the rims- gun metal/black contrast, subtle GT Logo engraved in one spoke, plus the classic running pony center caps.
It does limit me as far as tire sizing... I am assuming if I want to go wider I need new rims. In comparison, the Performance Pack tires are 255/40 (9") front and 275/40 R19 (9.5") rear
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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:lol::lol::lol:

I think you bought the right colour bottle and mouse :D
yeah it's eerie that I purchased these a year ago before I got the LB vert...
 
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Just got news that my 2017 Vert made a cameo in several You Tube Videos for Chicago Auto Pro's. Big shout out to those guys for excellent work!

[ame]


[ame]
 
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Got the snowblower out today.. :frusty: my ride got a little dusting of snow while I worked....Got several boxes of goodies in the mail the end of the week :love:
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Lorne34

Lorne34

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Ordered a Wind Deflector this weekend. Super excited to get this installed as soon as possible. We finally had some nice weather this weekend with temps in the high 50's almost hitting 60. Hwy driving was still a bit chilly, mainly due to the wind. It was a good before the wind deflector test; looking forward to improved comfort during early and late season driving with this installed.

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