I bought my first PT Cruiser in April 2002. It was a Deep Cranberry
5-speed Touring Edition. The mods include Trimbrite 3/8" chrome beltline
and grill trim, PTWoody chrome front bumper inserts, Autotecnica chrome rear
bumper inserts, 16" stainless steel shorty antenna, chrome valve stem caps,
Mopar locking gas cap, Big Em cue ball shift knob w/shift pattern, Mopar molded
rear mud flaps, Mopar stainless steel front door sill plates, B&S cabin
air filter, BTG cat-back exhaust system, K&N drop-in filter and airbox
snorkelectomy, Freedom Design strut tower bar, and various Streamline Design
goodies including custom 3BL. Oh, and let's not forget the wiggly hula
girl on the dash.
In May 2004, I traded the '02 in for a new 2004 Electric Blue 5-speed PT
Cruiser GT. Yes, this is the 220HP turbocharged model. The modification
process began the day I drove it off the lot with the fitment of a K&N
drop-in air filter and airbox snorkelectomy, a 16" stainless steel shorty
antenna, Streamline Design custom 3BL diffuser, Mopar locking gas cap, and
a Freedom Design strut tower bar.
Naturally, the "mod bug" didn't go away with just those few changes.
Starting with the interior, I added a faux carbon fiber e-brake cover, a Woodview
faux brushed aluminum center console surround with matching door handle surrounds,
Streamline Design visor overlays, air bag cover flame and DashDots, Revelations
lighted chrome HVAC knobs, Revelations chrome billet vent knobs, Autotecnica
stainless steel sill plates (front and rear), GG Bailey custom floor mats,
Hip Pocket storage bin, Ichibahn dead pedal, and a MOMO King shift knob.
I topped it all off with a Mopar cabin air filter to keep things tidy and
free from mold and musty odors. The wiggly hula girl from the '02 Touring
Edition was retired and did not make its way onto the dash of the GT.
In the two photos below, you can see some of the previously aforementioned
items. The red, white and blue pipecleaner ring on the turn signal stalk
was made by my 7-year-old son as his contribution to the customizing process.
The multi-colored "dangle thingy" (I call it a pigtail) hanging from the
power outlet on the center console was carefully fabricated by my 9-year-old
son. It was his "replacement" for the retired wiggly-hula-girl-on-the-dash.
Exterior mods are currently limited to the shorty antenna, mudflaps, TYC
backup lights, APC Altezza taillights, custom 3BL, and tinted (35%) front
windows. How boring, I know, but I kind of like the sleek look of
a plain Electric Blue PT Cruiser. If it was a darker color, I'd have
to go with a chrome beltline and grill as I did on my '02 PT, but I like this
one as is... for now. I'm consulting with a graphic artist/painter about
some possibilities.
And here's my custom 3BL diffuser courtesy of Streamline Design.
A car that looks good has to go good, too. So in addition to the
strut tower bar and K&N filter with airbox snorkelectomy, I installed
a BTG single stainless steel axle-back exhaust, and Magnecor KV85 ignitition
wires. I'm still pondering fitting a hard UCP and turbo-to-airbox pipe.
Perhaps the most significant under-hood addition is the Mopar Stage 1 turbo
upgrade kit. The kit unleashes an extra 15 bhp and another 15 ft-lb
torque. More importantly is that driveability is enhanced thanks to
the new PCM's programming that improves turbo response and increases part-throttle
and full-throttle boost.
The photo below shows the mysterious PCMs (aka "blackbox" or computer).
The one on the left is the stock unit, i.e. Stage 0, and the one on the right
is the Mopar Stage 1 upgrade unit. Not much to look at, but some gearheads
love this stuff.
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