Changes to the 2011! NOW WITH PICS

[RichV]

Hey guys! Here are the pics of my wifes 2011.

It is a 2011 Limited AWD Tuxedo Black, with moonroof, power liftgate. I tinted the front windows the legal limit for NC first, then just had the rear tail lights custom tinted (leaving the reverse lights clear to match the chrome strip accent across the back), tinted the 3rd brack light and the reflectors. I also tinted the amber portion of the headlights. These tints give the explorer a much cleaner look and I love it.
Lastly, I just installed a Rola roof cargo basket last night on stock Ford cross rails and it looks awesome! i did a lot of research on which basket to buy and it came down to the Rola and the two big boys (Thule and Yakima). I read a lot of reviews and the Rola got great reviews. It also has the sleekest look which I think matches the explorers exterior better than the the other two and it is longer than the Yakima. Not to mention it cost right around half as much as the Thule at $179 shipped from etrailer. I just made sure all screw holes and gaps were filled with black RTV sealant and it should last a long time. I was also surprised to find out it adds little to no wind noise!

 

[FROADER]

Ways to post pictures.

1. Become "Elite" and be able to upload directly to this site as well as other cool things.

2. Start a Photobucket account (free) and use the code and paste that here.

Looking forward to seeing what you've got.

 

[RichV]

OK, thanks. I'll get some pics up tonight.

 

[deewan]

I'd love to see some of these pics.

 

[VinceL]

Caddy Shack! Nice...

 

[RichV]

Sorry guys! I took them yesterday when I got home but haven't uploaded them yet. I will get them up ASAP.

 

[RichV]

There you go fellas. Let me know what you think.

By the way, the tint is clear coat mixed with a little color to give it a smoked look, painted on, than buffed and polished smooth. its not some kind of film cut to fit, it was done by a buddy of mine who has his own paint booth.

 

[VinceL]

Wow!

 

[Razziel24]

awesome

 

[blwnsmoke]

That is one of the cleanest looking Ex's.. Great job keeping it simple and looking fantastic. The black just makes the tint!!!

 

[deewan]

Niiiiiice!!! The pics were well worth the wait.

 

[RichV]

Thanks guys!

 

[lexrid]

Very nice!

 

[Sgt1411]

I have the same vehicle but man yours looks so much better.

How do you tint the lenses?.......that a very clean monochromatic look.

Your paint looks so good too.

 

[VinceL]

I have the same vehicle but man yours looks so much better.

How do you tint the lenses?.......that a very clean monochromatic look.

Your paint looks so good too.

There you go fellas. Let me know what you think.

By the way, the tint is clear coat mixed with a little color to give it a smoked look, painted on, than buffed and polished smooth. its not some kind of film cut to fit, it was done by a buddy of mine who has his own paint booth.

 

[RichV]

Thanks Vince for answering sgt1411's questions.

I have used precut vehicle specific tints that go on your headlights/tailights with adhesive but they never work or look right, so those days are over. The best way to get this look is either bake the headlights or tailights to seperate them and get to the internals of the light. Then you can tint just the lens and not add any paint/tint on the outside of the headlight assembly. Baking the headlights may look slightly better but it is much more labor intensive and has a lot more room for mistakes, like not getting the headlight assembly resealed properly resulting in water in the headlight.

Here is how much all of this cost me. I had multiple scratches on the passenger front door and front bumper which were buffed out and touched up, can't even see them now, tinted the tail lights and headlights and full detail on the exterior of the car (wax, buff and polish). That all cost me $350. To break it down better, the headlight tint was about $75, and the tailight tint was about $125 (including tinting the third brake light and lower reflectors). Damn good deal. If anyone is in the central NC area I have a guy that does stellar work for great prices.

Thanks again for the compliments.

 

[Spengracin]

What great looking ex!

 

[airdog007]

Awesome ride .. Just got my X and I would love to do the same thing. Is it possible to get some pics on how they look at night time.

 

[ExplorerUSA]

Nice lookin ride RichV! I sure like that black color! Way to go!

 

[bodybump]

Love the tinting...might consider this...looks awesome....can you take some pics with lights on?