KDM Mods 2005 Elantra

[KDM Mods]

Alright I might as well make one of these like mkjh has. So here we go.

I have a 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS that I bought in 2015 as my first car. I never would have thought that there would be a forum page that's meant only for the Elantra xd and xd2! What luck that I find knowledgeable people who actually care about there elantras! Anyway I bought the car with 18,468 miles on it. It still has a new car smell to this day! I really would like to fix up this car but am not sure what about to do exactly. I would really like to put a turbo on it but I still want the car to be reliable for many many years to come. I'm willing to wait till next year to save up money if I decide to do that. But really right now I've been doing handling/appearance modifications. So far I've gotten some new rims and tires. They are drag dr-34 17x7.5 with kumho esta pa31 tires. I also had my resonator deleted and I put a new muffler on. I also put window tint on. Recently I put a dc sports strut bar on. I've always wanted a carbon fiber hood but I just don't know if I would regret doing it or not. I also would like to do a break upgrade and put the tiburon sway bar on. I'm getting the euro taillights soon and will post a picture of what they look like. I've wanted to make more power while keeping the car reliable. Boring the throttle body and intake manifold seem to be a good route to go. I know where I can get the throttle body done but am not sure where to get the intake manifold done at. Does anyone know? I was going to buy them used on eBay instead of sending in mine. I do have another car to drive anyway even if I sent in my own. I want to do headers as well. I'm nervous to do a cold air intake because of rain and moisture. I heard you can make more power on the stock intake anyway. I live in a state where it snows 6 months of the year and was debating whether to get coilovers or not. I mainly want them be cause the stock Elantra shocks and springs seem very soft to me. This is getting pretty long so I'm just going to leave you with a few pictures. This will now be the page where I ask questions and post updates. Thanks for be so helpful guys!




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[mkjh]

Those miles are incredibly low. When I bought my XD2 last year I was happy that it had 38k on it. I lost out on a silver 05 GT sedan with 19k miles. But 18k is amazing. Great find.

Did you notice any difference with the strut bar?

Unfortunately for me, living here in California, I can't do anything that changes the exhaust in any way. The only thing I did was a stock cold air intake by taking out the resonator completely. Now instead of the tubing going into the fender well then back into the engine, it just goes into the fender well like a cold air intake. After having done this, I don't see how an Accord CAI is any better. This seems like more or less the same thing. If anything, maybe it's better because the tubing all the way to the TB is plastic which doesn't conduct heat like the metal tubing of a CAI.

Your car looks great. I am looking forward to your next mods!

[Elantra2005]

As been said yes very low miles. Car looks great and clean as can be.
Yeah the stock suspension are too soft and I see youv'e got sway bar so you should replace the suspension if you want to get more kick from the sway bar .
Btw I would recommend you to try a close box intake like K&N . This one https://www.knfilters.com/search/pro...x?prod=33-2201 I've got and its gives a feel like the car is bit more responsive .

[KDM Mods]

Those miles are incredibly low. When I bought my XD2 last year I was happy that it had 38k on it. I lost out on a silver 05 GT sedan with 19k miles. But 18k is amazing. Great find.

Did you notice any difference with the strut bar?

Unfortunately for me, living here in California, I can't do anything that changes the exhaust in any way. The only thing I did was a stock cold air intake by taking out the resonator completely. Now instead of the tubing going into the fender well then back into the engine, it just goes into the fender well like a cold air intake. After having done this, I don't see how an Accord CAI is any better. This seems like more or less the same thing. If anything, maybe it's better because the tubing all the way to the TB is plastic which doesn't conduct heat like the metal tubing of a CAI.

Your car looks great. I am looking forward to your next mods!

Thanks! I feel like the front of the car might be a little bit tighter. The rear still sways a lot. I need the tiburon sway bar and coilovers lol.

The car has almost 21,700 miles on. I'd say any Elantra from 2006 down with 70k miles is really low. You found a good one your self.

I really want to get bigger breaks but done know what to do since I still want to use my 15 inch steelies in the winter. Do you know of any options I have? What converting the rear to disk make a difference or is that only for the e-brake?

I also would really like to know where I can get my intake manifold bored. Do you know of a place?


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As been said yes very low miles. Car looks great and clean as can be.
Yeah the stock suspension are too soft and I see youv'e got sway bar so you should replace the suspension if you want to get more kick from the sway bar .
Btw I would recommend you to try a close box intake like K&N . This one https://www.knfilters.com/search/pro...x?prod=33-2201 I've got and its gives a feel like the car is bit more responsive .

Not trying to be one of those correcter guys but I got a strut bar not a sway bar lol.

Yea I'm thinking about coilovers and a tiburon sway bar. The coilovers are a tough decision for me since I have snow where I live. I don't want to have any problems with being too low or my coilovers seizing up.

I have seen that k&n cold air intake. Does it really increase power? That would be something too look into.

Do you know of a place where I can get my intake manifold bored?


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[mkjh]

I can't help you with your intake manifold.

I do have the same K&N air filter. One for the engine and one for the cabin air filter. When I combined that with taking out the resonator and having it get air from the fender, it did make a difference. Not a huge difference, but a difference I can feel especially when accelerating to higher speeds. I am glad I did it.

As far as the brakes are concerned, if you plan on keeping the 15 inch wheels then the XG350 big brake upgrade is out of the question. I am not sure what options you would have there if any.

As far as the rear disc, I have rear drums on my XD and rear discs on my XD2. The stopping power with the rear discs is a little better. I don't know if it would be worth it to go through all the work of the conversion. I was going to convert it but never got around to it.

[KDM Mods]

Just got them!



Hopefully they will fit good. The wiring harnesses says it will get here tomorrow. I'll probably try them Sunday or Saturday if I have time.


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[mkjh]

Sexy. I love those tail lights. You will too once you install them. Mine fit perfectly. I am pretty sure I am the only one in the country with these. Now you have joined a VERY exclusive club. lol

Let me know how the wiring harness goes. Once you figure out which one fits, it's an easy install. The bulb connectors will feel a little tight when you put them in, but they will go it. It will be a slightly snug fit. I can't wait to see how this turns out.

[05bertha]

I had been eyeing them for awhile when i found the website to buy them from. But when i was ready to pull the trigger on them it had been removed

Sexy. I love those tail lights. You will too once you install them. Mine fit perfectly. I am pretty sure I am the only one in the country with these. Now you have joined a VERY exclusive club. lol

Let me know how the wiring harness goes. Once you figure out which one fits, it's an easy install. I can't wait to see how this turns out.

[mkjh]

I bought mine from Latvia. KDM Mods bought them from the same seller. They ship pretty fast. I paid about $140 with shipping included. Well worth it I think.

[KDM Mods]

Alright here they are! I fully detailed the outside and took some pictures!





They ended up fitting pretty good. The wiring was really easy and I didn't realize I had to get a new bulb lol. So I got the 1156 which works perfect. Only thing is the top brake light is brighter than the bottom one. But if you hit the brake then they are the same brightness. I washed my car after I put them on to test for a leaks. The right lights was alright but the left one let a bit of water in. So I tightened both lights to the point of them not being able to turn anymore. And i think that fixed it. I'll have to check every once and awhile after I wash it or while it's raining. But other than that it was easy and they really do look a lot better than the normal ones. I highly recommend!


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[songee623]

off to a good start!

[mkjh]

Man, your car looks awesome. So clean, the paint from what I can see looks flawless. Those tail lights look great on your car. I have the 1156 at the top and the 2357 at the bottom. The 2357 has two filaments so it will be a little brighter, but only when braking. So since you are parked...hmm. I'm not sure why one would be brighter than the other. I'll check mine later to see if there is a difference.

What did you use to detail the outside of your car? Wax? Spray wax? What brand?

I'm glad that the harness worked. And I think you picked the right wheels for the car. The more I see them, the more I like them. Nice style.

Great job so far, what is next?

[KDM Mods]

off to a good start!

Thanks!


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Man, your car looks awesome. So clean, the paint from what I can see looks flawless. Those tail lights look great on your car. I have the 1156 at the top and the 2357 at the bottom. The 2357 has two filaments so it will be a little brighter, but only when braking. So since you are parked...hmm. I'm not sure why one would be brighter than the other. I'll check mine later to see if there is a difference.

What did you use to detail the outside of your car? Wax? Spray wax? What brand?

I'm glad that the harness worked. And I think you picked the right wheels for the car. The more I see them, the more I like them. Nice style.

Great job so far, what is next?

Thanks! Yes the paint is in amazing shape! If you could see it in person though you would see some tar on the bottom of the doors and on the rockers. I don't really mined it though. You can't see it unless your trying to see it. Yea I'm running 1156 bulbs on the top brake light and 1157 bulbs on the bottom. It doesn't bother me too much but it kinda looks like I'm riding my brakes even though I'm not. But when I hit the brakes, they are both the same brightness.

The wax I use is a Barrett Jackson spray wax. I spray it on one of those foam pads and then swirl it in. My parents got it for me for Christmas and it works pretty good.





Thanks on the wheels! The bad news is, on Saturday I went to a guys house to try help him out and when I went to park, I might have gotten to close to a curb with my passenger side front wheel. So now there is some curb rash on it. You actually can't see it which is nice but still a bit bummed about it. I kept them nice for a year lol.

My grill plasti dip isn't looking too good anymore so I'm planning on getting a new grill. It's the same brand that makes the expensive front lip. Can't remember the name at the moment. The I was thinking of a spoiler. I really like the duck tail spoiler and I actually found one that's pretty similar. We will have to see what comes though.




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[mkjh]

Lol. You're right, my mistake. 1157 and 1156, not 2357. I'm not sure where I got that from.

Sucks about your wheels. I have a little curb rash on my XD but since it's hyper silver you can't really see it all that much.

I haven't used Barret Jackson. I have seen it and it is one of the few I haven't used. I just use pretty much all Chemical Guys with a little from Surf City Garage.

The grill you are thinking of is Road Runs I believe. I was going to go with that one but I was able to get the M&S which I liked a lot more. They didn't have anymore but they did have the original mold so they had to make a new one. It took a little longer but it was worth it.

I made a grill for both the XD and XD2. The XD2 grill was SOOOOOO time consuming. I made it for another member on here. I ended up selling it on here to another member who wasn't the original buyer. The original buyer turned the whole thing into a fiasco, it was ridiculous. However, the grill turned out perfect. I ended up selling it for $70, much less than what it cost for materials and time but I had to get rid of it.

You could always try making one yourself if you are pretty good with that kind of thing, otherwise there are a few aftermarket options.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROADRUNS-Rep...1YrIxV&vxp=mtr

http://www.sharkracing.com/01-06-ela...erglass-grill/

Those you paint yourself or this one comes painted with whatever color code you want:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roadruns-Rad...VRXTSx&vxp=mtr

http://www.sharkracing.com/04-06-ela...s-grill-ixion/

And this is the one that I have but I am a little wary of buying from KAI again:

http://koreanautoimports.com/elantra...adiator-grill/

And finally, for Road Runs painted, this will probably be the cheapest route:

http://sfrusa.3dcartstores.com/2004-...lle_p_383.html

I have bought from them several times. Emblems, fog lights, etc. They are good and ship fast. Some of my items shipped from Pennsylvania.

Anyways, just some ideas.

[Elantra2005]

Looks really good with the new tail lights ! . Glad to hear its simple to convert .
I recommend you to try these as rear turn signal : 661_0.jpg
17424668_1644663532215582_7556542081523065007_n.jpg check mine

[KDM Mods]

Lol. You're right, my mistake. 1157 and 1156, not 2357. I'm not sure where I got that from.

Sucks about your wheels. I have a little curb rash on my XD but since it's hyper silver you can't really see it all that much.

I haven't used Barret Jackson. I have seen it and it is one of the few I haven't used. I just use pretty much all Chemical Guys with a little from Surf City Garage.

The grill you are thinking of is Road Runs I believe. I was going to go with that one but I was able to get the M&S which I liked a lot more. They didn't have anymore but they did have the original mold so they had to make a new one. It took a little longer but it was worth it.

I made a grill for both the XD and XD2. The XD2 grill was SOOOOOO time consuming. I made it for another member on here. I ended up selling it on here to another member who wasn't the original buyer. The original buyer turned the whole thing into a fiasco, it was ridiculous. However, the grill turned out perfect. I ended up selling it for $70, much less than what it cost for materials and time but I had to get rid of it.

You could always try making one yourself if you are pretty good with that kind of thing, otherwise there are a few aftermarket options.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ROADRUNS-Rep...1YrIxV&vxp=mtr

http://www.sharkracing.com/01-06-ela...erglass-grill/

Those you paint yourself or this one comes painted with whatever color code you want:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Roadruns-Rad...VRXTSx&vxp=mtr

http://www.sharkracing.com/04-06-ela...s-grill-ixion/

And this is the one that I have but I am a little wary of buying from KAI again:

http://koreanautoimports.com/elantra...adiator-grill/

And finally, for Road Runs painted, this will probably be the cheapest route:

http://sfrusa.3dcartstores.com/2004-...lle_p_383.html

I have bought from them several times. Emblems, fog lights, etc. They are good and ship fast. Some of my items shipped from Pennsylvania.

Anyways, just some ideas.

Yes that's the grill I was talking about! And that's the best price I've seen for it. I'll definitely order it off that website. I might post a video of what my brake lights look like when they are on. It looks like my brakes are on all the time. The top one is that much brighter than the bottom one that it makes it look that way. What do yours look like mkjh when your lights are on but your not hitting the brakes? If they are the same way then I'll just leave it. Is there anyway I can tap into the brake light wiring harness and make both brake lights getting brighter when you hit the brakes?


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Looks really good with the new tail lights ! . Glad to hear its simple to convert .
I recommend you to try these as rear turn signal : Attachment 49130
Attachment 49138 check mine

Nice. Your lucky your Elantra came with those lights when you bought it. You probably want the American version lol.

Why do you recommend those as turn signal lights? Are they brighter?


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[mkjh]

It's funny you mention about making both the bottom and top parking and brake lights. I had been thinking about doing it but haven't got around to it. I have to access my rear lights soon so I'll see if it can be done.

I'll take a picture later when it gets darker of my tail lights so we can see the difference.

And sfrusa.com are great. The ship fast and won't try to screw you over. Good company.

[KDM Mods]

No updates on the car. It needs a wash very bad. I've been looking for a project car to fix up instead. Not sure if that will work out though.


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[Elantra2005]

Yes that's the grill I was talking about! And that's the best price I've seen for it. I'll definitely order it off that website. I might post a video of what my brake lights look like when they are on. It looks like my brakes are on all the time. The top one is that much brighter than the bottom one that it makes it look that way. What do yours look like mkjh when your lights are on but your not hitting the brakes? If they are the same way then I'll just leave it. Is there anyway I can tap into the brake light wiring harness and make both brake lights getting brighter when you hit the brakes?


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Nice. Your lucky your Elantra came with those lights when you bought it. You probably want the American version lol.

Why do you recommend those as turn signal lights? Are they brighter?


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Yes I do like the US ones.
Nope they not brighter but they have blue tint on them and its looks nice .

[mkjh]

What kind of project car?