PT Evolution

Manufacturer: American Car Craft

 Item: PT Convertible Door Panel Inserts

 (Flame Etched Version Shown)

Retail Price: $199.95 (Plain Polished) $259.95 (Flame Etched)

Description: If you looking to add some flash to the interior of your convertible this item should definitely fit the bill. This four piece set is constructed from highly polished 304 Stainless Steel. The panels are available in two styles, either Plain Polished or Hand Flame Etched. Review: American Car Craft seems to produce some very well made products. The box arrived with the items well protected. The contents included the four panel pieces, an easy to follow set of instructions, and two packets of adhesive promoter. Note that the instructions include a phone number if you have any questions during installation (the nice thing is that someone actually picks up the phone on the other end if you call). The panels themselves were well finished and the backside contained more than enough 3M Tape to hold the panel on the door. The instructions make note that if you've treated your interior with any Armor-All or like products to clean the door down with 3M wax and silicone remover. This step is a must in my opinion, clean it completely where the panel is going to mount at least twice before using the adhesive promoter. As far as mounting the panel to the door the large panel is simple and staight forward. The smaller rear section however does take some effort to get it to fit properly. The instructions state to check the fit and reshape if necessary (its necessary trust me). Take your time hand forming it the the contour of the door, it will take a little bit of time but the end result was well worth it. The other thing not to do is to try and form the piece after you have applied it to the door panel. This will only result in weakening the adhesive bond to the door pannel. Also, be careful when test fiting it, the edges are sharp and you can scratch the door panel if you're not careful. The installation itself took about 45 minutes, doing it alone. The one tip I can offer is to peel the tape film off just enough to make a tail that you can grab after the panel is on the door (make a tail for each section of tape). This way you can position tha panel a bit easier and be able to reposition it if its not lined up correctly. Once everything is aligned to your liking you can now pull the rest of the tape film off, pressing the panel into place as you go. Now that the panel is mounted all that is left is to remove the protective film off the front side and start enjoying your new custom door panels.

Manufacturer: American Car Craft Item:

PT Convertible Sill Plates

Retail Price: $129.95

Description: If you are looking to add some more flash to your convertible this item is a great addition to the Flame Etched Door Panel Inserts. These sill plates are constructed from the same highly polished 304 Stainless Steel and attach with 3M Tape. Review: American Car Craft seems to produce some very well made products. The box arrived with the items well protected. The contents included the two sill plates, and a set of instructions. Note that the instructions include a phone number, so that if you have any questions during the installation you can contact them. Unfortunately, I needed to use it once the install was completed. See notes at the bottom of the review. The sill plates themselves were well covered with protective film and the backside contained enough 3M Tape to hold the panel down. I recommend using 3M wax and silicone remover to clean the area down. This step is a must in my opinion, clean it completely where the sill plate is going to mount at least twice before using the adhesive promoter. As far as mounting the the sill plates it does take some effort to get it to fit properly. The instructions state to check the fit and reshape if necessary (its necessary trust me). Take your time hand forming it the the contour of the car, it will take a little bit of time but the end result was well worth it. Also, be careful when test fiting it, the edges are sharp and you can scratch the paint. I went around the edge of the sill plate with masking tape to keep it from scratching during the test fits. The installation itself took about an hour including the reshaping of the sill plates. Once you get the sill plate mounted all that is left is to remove the protective film and the install is finished. NOTE: Once I removed the protective film at the end of the installation I discovered both sill plates were defective. The process used to etch the material had bled through the template and hazed most of the finish. I got on the phone and call American Car Craft and explained the issue and they immediately apologized and took care of it by sending out new product, which I received in two business days. Unfortunately sometimes problems happen in manufacturing, but it's nice to see great customer service from a company. Two thumbs up!

Well these are the newest contenders in the car care arena Manufacturer: Turtle Wax Items: ICE Liquid Polish and Detailer

Retail Price: Polish-$16.99 Detailer-$9.99

Company's Propoganda: The first Ultra Premium, super slick car polish that works on virtually EVERY surface of YOUR CAR! New Turtle Wax ICE not only delivers an exceptional mirror-like shine to your car's finish. ICE brings incredible luster AND shine to:

• All Painted Surfaces
• Chrome
• Plastic & Rubber Trim
• Even Wheels

It actually restores and refinishes dull, faded trim and painted surfaces - with no chalky white deposits. And new patent-pending Turtle Wax ICE is easy to apply AND even easier to remove! The Turtle Wax ICE is formulated with clear-cleaning, clear-drying, lubricating polymers that offer INCREDIBLE Protection from the sunlight and elements! ... PLUS, these polymers stay fluid in all temperatures so removal of ICE is never a problem. EVEN in direct sunlight! ---End Propoganda First things first...I'm no professional detailer and will never be. I am just an enthusiast looking for the easiest way to keep my exposed to the elements, non-garage kept, daily driver looking good. With that said and a little experimentation, I'll toss in my 2 cents worth on this. The first application of ICE polish (single coat) was done mid afternoon in the sun after washing the car. First off, like most products less is more don't soak the applicator with product use just enough to get it to glide over the surface (don't apply a lot of pressure). If you use too much the product will tend to streak and require a bit more effort to remove it (Tip: If streaking occurs you can remove them easily by wiping the area with a lightly dampened cloth or with the ICE detailer spray). Ten to fifteen minutes later the car was coated, grabbed water and waited a few minutes and wiped off any residual product. The results, depth and reflectivity seem to be as good if not better than Meguiars NXT wax over Deep crystal polish (Took a lot less effort than my previous combination of Meguairs products). Note: ICE can and will do nothing to repair scratches or imperfections in the paint. However, with all the gloss it hides it well unless you're on top of the car and being critical. I let two weeks pass, after a rain storm and tons of pollen resting on the car a quick washing was in order. I'll say that the paint seemed to be looking as good as when the ICE was first applied. For kicks I went over the car again with a coat of ICE while at the local park..results were Jaw Dropping! Must of had 10 people stop and ask what I was using to wax the car. Granted I wont be tossing my detail supplies away but I will highly recommend this product. Here's a few pictures you you can see the results:

Additional Comments:

Durability: I really won't make a judgement on this yet since the product gets reapplied after every wash during show season.

ICE Detailer: Works great for touch ups and removing dust and pollen, leaves a nice glossy finish. Not so great for removing sap or sticky road contaminants.

Use on all trim surfaces and chrome: Both products do work well on plastic, rubber, and chrome trim. Rubber and plastic retain a nice deep black sheen. Chrome parts have a great luster and as far as the rims, brake dust easily wipes away.

Bottom Line:

If your paint is well maintained you'll probably love Turtle Wax Ice.

If your paint is in decent shape you'll probably be impressed.

If you car has become a neglected storage shed on the side of the house call a professional.

BUZZ:
NEW PT Cruiser LED Tail Lights

These aren’t the cheap, imitation lights that you might find at some swap meet. In Pro Car Wear (IPCW) Crystal Eyes™ LED tail lights are the latest technology in performance lighting. ICPW tail lights not only perform, their unique and original styles make them one-of-a-kind works of art. With IPCW Crystal Eyes LED tail lights, you’ll be turning heads everywhere you go. Why LED technology? They last longer, shine brighter, light up quicker, and have much less current drain than standard incandescent bulbs. IPCW integrates their LED technology with OEM-style fit for super-easy, hassle-free installation. All Crystal Eyes tail lights meet current DOT (Department of Transportation) standards and comply with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS-108).

Features:
Available in Crystal Clear (chrome), Crystal Clear (chrome) w/ Amber, Bermuda Black, or Platinum Smoke
OEM direct replacement
Full-function: retains all original lighting functions (turn, stop, running)
Fully SAE/DOT and FMVSS Compliant (50-state street legal)
Brighter and quicker light-up
Better visibility of your vehicle
Lasts longer than non-LED aftermarket lights
Easy to install, complete with detailed instructions
Six months replacement warranty.

Sold as a complete set (left and right)

Applications:
Chrysler PT Cruiser 2001-2005

Part Numbers:
LEDT-409C - Crystal Clear (Chrome)
LEDT-409CA - Crystal Clear w/ Amber
LEDT-409CB - Bermuda Black
LEDT-409CS - Platinum Smoke

EST Price: $349.99

HYPE:
The first pictures of these lights started to surface almost a year ago. Once the teaser pictures surfaced the “buzz” began. People were guessing release dates, pricing estimates were being exagerated to over $500. All sorts of rumors were flying about, “they’re in final testing”, “IPCW is just testing the market right now”, “I’m gonna do a group buy”, “some company is taking preorders @ $199″.
I must say the teaser marketing strategy was doing it’s job very well.

SAGA:
Well, the lights managed to get released just in time for the new year. The first install was done and the owner had nothing but praise for these lights. Great quality, easy install, super bright, etc., all the things you want to hear about a new product. That said, my order was placed with Race and Street. While waiting for my order to arrive the first convertible owner had also received and installed a set of these lights; again, with nothing but praise. So now I can’t wait for my order to arrive. The next day I go to one of the forums (This is where the “saga” begins) and see a new post “Sending back IPCW L.E.D. TAILS!” Apparently there is now a fitment issue with the convertible (it has been rumored that the convertibles are different but never confirmed). I read that the light doesn’t fit the opening properly, it doesn’t match the contour of the car causing a gapping issue on the inside edges, even a body shop can’t get them installed right… all the things you don’t want to hear about a new product. Things that make people panic and want to start cancelling orders. Meanwhile, I contacted the vendor and was asked to do the install and see what it takes to get them in properly, worst case senario they could be returned. Formerly being from the aftermarket industry I figured there had to be a solution. An hour later, I was able to get them installed with a minor modification to the opening. I then quickly got the information posted to the forums to help out others having fitment problems. However; the thread continues to escalate with everyone forming opinions. “The lights are defective”, “you must of gotten seconds”, replies to the effect of you got them too cheap must be blems”. There are even rumblings from sedan owners that the lights are slightly under-sized and fiting loosely in the opening. Funny, how one problematic install can change everyones perception of a product. A few more days pass and the next convertible owner receives his lights. I end up by chance, instant messaging with him during his install and worked through modification, confirming that it was needed to get a proper fit on the convertible. The original convertible owner has now also received his lights back and has done the mod and is now also happy with the lights. All things in the world are now returning to normal… please continue to “Reality” for a proper “skewed” review and installtion tips.

Reality:
First, one thing to remember. Aftermarket replacement parts almost never fit perfectly. Molds and designs never match the original specs 100% for more reasons than I care to discuss. In this case the lights are just slightly smaller than the factory opening and the back side of the light is different from the factory light. It’s the way that is, so just learn to deal with it.

There is no doubt that these were intended to be a quality product. They came properly packed in foam packing with protective film covering the lenses, a color installation guide and a tech support contact info.
First 50 state DOT approved LED Tail Light for the PT Cruiser. Pobably due to the staggered blinker array and lit side reflector.

The lights are well made, no thin gauge housing or lens used here. The housing seems be be properly sealed (now masked with black trim) for those who haven’t seen the prototype photos the light was originally made being clear all the way to the edge.

Connecting these lights up are about as plug and play as you can get.

Simply unplug the connectors from the factory lights and plug them into the new ones. Snap the lights back in place tighten the screw… 15 minute install, yeah it was almost that simple.
Here is the original post I made in the forums about the install:

OK, the install is finished and its official, These lights can be installed on the convertibles as well (though it was said that they did not fit the convertibles correctly). I did however; have to make a small modification on the tail light opening. There is a tab to the inside of the tinnerman clip that needs to be rolled in for the light to seat properly into the opening (be careful the paint will tend to peel, have some touchup handy). The backside of the light is contoured differently from the factory one and it hits the tab.

Best way to check the fit once you roll that tab in is to remove the clips, the light should drop in and sit correctly. Then you can put the clips back on and make the proper adjustments if required (just a note here, the second light locked in without adjusting the clips). With all the trial and error the install took about and hour.

Also, be careful with the spring clips, they are notched to catch the sides of the opening if they slide under the sheetmetal the light will be loose and not center properly (also causing a gap).
Here’s a few more close up pictures.

Additional notes and comments that were made along the way:
Here is a picture from the back side of the light. It’s thick at the bottom (a little less than 25” from edge of lens to back of light), the factory light is very thin there so for me, rolling the tab allowed the light to sit in farther on the inside bottom, removing the gap on the side.

The light in general does sit up in the opening due to design (we will say the edge of the light (lens) doesn’t rest on the opening rather the back of the light does) and yes though not noted both sides are the same. Picky was my biggest issue, rolling that corner in does allow the light to pull in tighter to the inside edge when the screw is tightened reducing any wobble in the light. As far as sitting flat, mine was close (small gap) until I tighten them up, which is what made me look at the tab in the first place. Unfortunately, perfect fit for aftermarket parts is a rarity for anything… ask anyone who has changed a hood or bumper cover. I guess the question is was the convertible different? Or was I looking for a better fit, tainted by a bad install. I’d have to see if any other verts (or sedans) complain of a big gap. Though I had a gap, it was not as bad as what was described in the forums. Personally, I can’t see the convertible being different from the sedan though a small difference in the curvature could translate into a nice gap.
As for Technical Support from IPCW, it was nonexistent. Emails were sent about the issues, read receipts were received but no responses were given..so I give them a big fat zero on customer support.

After all was said and done I must say these light are awesome. A unique look that you won’t get from any other aftermarket tail light. I can’t begin to describe the brightness of these LED tail lights and a picture just doesn’t do it justice. All I can say is that thay are BRIGHT!