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Merc6 Build Thread

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59K views 102 replies 25 participants last post by  Blasirl 
#1 · (Edited)
​2013 Black Granite Metallic Chevrolet Cruze Eco 1.4T 6MT



I guess it's about time I started one of these instead of posting a million threads.

Mod list will grow as I remember/complete them.

Exterior

*Black Reflective Vinyl Front/Rear Bowties and Side Markers
*Grafx Werks Red Tail Overlays W/ Reverse Cutout
*Debadged Trunk Lid
*Malibu 2.0T Turbo Badge
*5D Black Carbon Fiber Vinyl Chrome Trunk Bar
*Autozone Chrome Exhaust Tip
*LTZ (GM Accessories) Exterior Handles Upgrade
*VG Shark Fin Antenna
*Z Spec Grille

Interior

*Hot Wheels Camaro Wheel Swap
*RS Gauge Cluster Swap
*5D Black Carbon Fiber Vinyl Interior Pieces
*Weathertech Floor Mats Front and Back
*Eco Drivers Convenience Package Trunk Panel
*Korean OEM Sunglasses Holder
*Trunk Cargo net


Engine

*NGK BKR8EIX Plugs
*Intake Snorkel Delete
*Airbox Opening Enlarged
*Zip Tube Now Hard Pipe
*K&N Panel Filter

In the works/Future:

*Sell parts at Lordstown Meet as the car is gone as of 12/5/15
*Weathertech Floor Liners $70
*VG Fin $40
*LTZ Handles $40
*Eco Drivers Convenience Storage Panel $20
*Korean Sunglass Holder $8
*Custom Airbox $Free
*K&N Panel Filter
*Cargo net $15

***Link to most parts used during this build can be found here***


http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/94-cruze-owner-projects/84457-merc6-build-thread-4.html#post2265505
 
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#4 · (Edited)
Bowties and Side Markers CF Vinyl were the 1st mod day 2 of ownership.









Debadging the trunk was next up on the list of Items to do



After that was the eBay exhaust tip







Next up was MAD Red Overlays



Shortly after, CF Vinyl Chrome Trunk Bar



 
#6 · (Edited)
I was doing a comparison shot and was thinking, Only thing missing besides Cruze on the plastic piece behind the door was the chrome handles.



LTZ Handles Installed
























Steering Wheel Re Dip and lock circles 1st Dip, Bowtie didn't come out right so undone for now.









 
#8 · (Edited)
One of the loners I had was an ATS and after blowing the horn at someone I decided I wanted it.



Would love to perform an engine swap, but I'm sure buying the car with engine already inside would be the better solution.

Same engine in the CTS base but let me not derail my own thread.



Been complaining about that eco single quieted weight reduction horn for the longest and finally did something about it.







Out with the old Single Low Tone



In with the new High and Low Tones







Fun situation is the original bracket does not just directly bolt up and call it a day, roll the credits we all go home.

After walking away and looking over what I did when I installed new horns on the Legacy, I remembered reusing parts from the old horn to make it work.

Bracket from single horn went to the dual horn, and horns re positioned downward afterwards. (those were the last resort brackets up top)







Horns in behind bumper cover and good to go. Connections are the same as horn taken out(most GM of same years are like this).



Video of the finished product. I didn't feel like taking it apart and getting a before video after it was all said and done. It was also early morning so didn't want to bother too many people. Compared it to the 11 LS and they are slightly louder and different tones.

6 months in the ATS horns failed so I go the 2 tone non ECO horns to replace them. May try again in the near future seeing they were only $35 shipped.



After a year of resonator bypass I had the vibrating issues and undid it. Since I had the bumper off, I decided to take another approach.

Snorkel Delete. Still hear the turbo and feel some quick response. This is a good alternative to those who had the vibration issues from the original resonator bypass. You have to really want this to pull the bumper. I'd say wait till you do horns, grill update/upgrade or add fogs to do it unless you just get bored and want to pull the bumper off.



 
#9 ·
how many knuckles did you bust ? If zero you still have lots of work to do until you bust some knuckles !
 
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#11 · (Edited)
While under there I decided to look at the exhaust and that Goatsee engine shield again. Figure eco under shots are low so why not post a few more to the population.

Verano Shield needed, I'll probably order that before the summer is over or before 1st snowfall.



I was thinking about swapping this out for a Bullet style resonator or another muffler. Since the mid pipe goes straight for quite a distance, I may have some room to play around with ideas. This isn't going to be a performance mod, mostly sound so don't follow my route hoping to grab a few more ponies. I'm only saying this because you will see some unethical **** happen here until I get the sound I want and be compliant with the locals. Legacy has it's own rules so that's a different story and build thread on another forum.





This bend is going to stay, if I go dual pipes it's going to be after this. Here is the rear eco under body piece briefly described a few times but not pictured much.



Rear muffler shot with 3 eco panels in view. I also played around with the idea of swapping just this out or also this in conjunction with the front resonator. Straight piping may be too loud or add rasp/drone so I'm avoiding it. Had fun with that on the many different combinations of mufflers and resonators and cans on the Legacy.



Also played around with idea of throwing 2 mufflers on the midpipe long run and possibly a resonator back this direction before it exits if It gets too out of control. Another idea was to leave most this stock and run a cut out from the mid and modify the rear eco panel I speak of multiple times and have that be loud when i want to and still be able to sneak in and out the neighborhood at night times w/o letting the world know I exist.



Up close view of part number if someone needed it



http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oe-gm/20926537



LOL Plastic


 
#15 ·
No, they aren't that hard to do. Now that I have YouTube access, I'll post it. Skip the removal or cutting of plastic grommet and allen keys if you are using the GM Accessories handles. Yank one then replace one.

 
#19 ·
Nice job so far!

Your pic of the muffler from the rear illustrates exactly why I'm going to paint my muffler black. Every time I'm behind another Cruze all I can see is that bright silver muffler hanging down. Looks terrible! It would be especially bad looking on a car with the lower rear facia painted black, as I plan to do someday.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I recently repainted the BBQ grill with hi temp black and silver. The thought came across my mind as my Subaru had all black exhaust till rust got to it. I ran out of black and didn't want to start another project before going to bed from night shift.





I also did that with my 1st car, dodge neon. That muffler was the same but larger. Looked like an up skirt shot with bright silver depends on.


Sent from my iFail 5s
 
#22 ·
My days off never match up the schedule. Even when I was in NJ for 2 weeks, the shop I would let tint my car was a every other saturday only. The Saturday they did it was the same Saturday my weekend drill fell on. Thinking of 35% sides and 50% back and 20% AS1 strip. Need to update to do list once again....
 
#24 · (Edited)
Next up is either going to be tint or muffler(s) with tips. After that I'm going back into my Subaru build thread.

I've been eyeballing the mid pipe but will eventually crawl under there to measure and see what I can fit under there. I kinda want two* mufflers or a muffler and resonator there and have a straight pipe going out back. I want a diffuser but it's hard to justify it with an engine build and a bumper that's already damaged.
 
#26 ·
Thanks. Only reason I went with red is I could peel it off if I didn't like it. That and it's always in stock compared to blue and glossifier. Besides 1 single walmart, glossifier is only @ Summit racing in regular and UV versions for 3 times the price. They also had metalizer but also for too much. Supply is city and state dependent; here dip is cheap with limited choice where NJ had more selections but at a higher price. Since I have to mail off for the color my girl wants her interior, I may change it again to something else.
 
#27 ·
You chrome handles look awesome! Why did u dip the chrome bar in the back! I love that chrome bar especailly since you got the handles they would go together great. The red looks cool but im goin for more of a luxury look rather than sporty. I got the leather interior and all. Overall car looks great good job! Im about to get tints next week. Gonna do 35% all over. I dont like having darker tints on the back it just doesnt look right with all these diff shades going on. Maybe the back windsheild go dark. Im also gonna tint my front windsheild very light. My tint guy said he has a very light reflective film u wont even notice but helps with keepin the car kool...
 
#28 · (Edited)
I want a lighter tint in the back window for backing up purposes. The 4 roll down windows will be the same % of 35. The chrome bar is huge and out of place. The outgoing Impala had a smaller bar that lined up with the reverse light and then it disappeared around 12 model year for the better. I also played around with the idea of hydro dip, If i had the light color leather I possibly would have looked into a wood grain pattern.
 
#29 ·
The chrome bar is huge and out of place. The outgoing Impala had a smaller bar that lined up with the reverse light and then it disappeared around 12 model year for the better.
Totally agree. When I first got my Cruze, I didn't mind it, but I quickly grew to hate that thing. Especially after seeing all the other makes of cars on the road that have variations of that same chrome bar, and I've never seen a single one that looked appropriately placed.

Imo the Chrome accents on the Cruze seem random... The front doesn't bother me, but under the windows and the back just seem like "Let's throw on a random straight bar of chrome here."
 
#34 ·
Been aggressively ordering parts or getting parts machined for the Subaru so mods on the Eco slowed down a bit.




Verano comes with one, not an exact swap tho.

Merc, Are you lowered or is that the Eco Stance? looks good. whole car looks good. you've done alot of what i hope to do to mine. I love the handle swap, i want to paint my Chrome bar, and im hoping to see what you do with your exhaust. I've been tossing arounda muffler delete and res swap.
Yes stock Eco height and Eco tires. I'm defiantly gonna get a muffler instead of just deleting the rear one. I just have to decide if I want to go dual tip or single. Bumper is trashed so I might experiment on a singe or dual cutout(s) like the Verano has.

 
#33 ·
Merc, Are you lowered or is that the Eco Stance? looks good. whole car looks good. you've done alot of what i hope to do to mine. I love the handle swap, i want to paint my Chrome bar, and im hoping to see what you do with your exhaust. I've been tossing arounda muffler delete and res swap.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Going to post a few pics that may help out later. I might get OCD and modify the entire 1st post 10 more times.

BGM (GAR) LTZ handles (W/O keyless entry buttons) Part #

FRONT AND REAR SETS | Genuine GM | 20919349





Malibu Badge Part # and up close look

NAMEPLATE | Genuine GM | 23167074








2 panels with misleading labels so listen closely. Well, read closely since you literally can't hear me. The site has changed since I tried to order it it's less confusing. The intended part on the left is the storage cover for the Eco 6MT with divers convenience package The part on the right is the access panel for the Eco 6MT tire inflator that hides under said storage cover that I got on accident. Don't be me ordering the part on the right instead of the part on the left because restocking and shipping literally makes the part on the right pointless to even try to return.

Left one (What you want) is STORAGE COVER | Genuine GM | 95195463

Right one (You dont want) is ACCESS PANEL | Genuine GM | 95217748



Premium Fuel label Part # FUEL LABEL | Genuine GM | 22801873





ATS Horn Part # HORN | Genuine GM | 22866187

Plug & Play but brackets aren't the same. If you have a non eco, swap horns to your old bracket. If you have a eco 6MT you gotta be creative.



VG Shark Fin

http://store.badnewsracing.net/Chevrolet-CruzeSonic-Shark-Fin-Antenna_p_290.html



Stock Airbox gutted for sound purpose only. No performance gains claimed/proven.





Zip tube swapped for hard pipe. Not sure of sizes as I got this 2nd hand from a member here.



ONE.FOUR from a group not around anymore...




Camaro "Hot Wheels" wheel

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oe-gm/22936176

Z Spec grille (Correct GAR color)

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oe-gm/95147741

5D Carbon Fiber Vinyl

http://www.ebay.com/itm/28179134693...49&var=580788232733&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
#100 · (Edited)
Premium Fuel label Part # FUEL LABEL | Genuine GM | 22801873


Zip tube swapped for hard pipe. Not sure of sizes as I got this 2nd hand from a member here.




Camaro "Hot Wheels" wheel

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oe-gm/22936176
I know the wheel is probably long gone, but that is exactly the one I want. Red stitching! What do you mean by zip tubes? What are they for?

I got my new tip to replace the one that's rusting out. I missed a design flaw that will be more apparent in pics to come. Tape was for me to not lose the supplied allen when it comes time for instal.


Universal Car Chrome Exhaust Muffler Tail Pipe Dual Tip 48-58mm Stainless Steel Sale - Banggood.com


I'm sure this translates to "He fell for it"

I must have doubly fell for it as I have two... need one? (or two)..cheap!

Oh and I couldn't resist making this thread an even 100!
 
#38 · (Edited)
Turned out to be more exotic and louder seeing that I only had 1 horn to start with. Cadillac 4 tone is nice but most the ones I found were blown when I tried on a previous car.



[video=youtube_share;PBtOB4we-Zs?t=2m46s
]https://youtu.be/PBtOB4we-Zs?t=2m46s[/video]
 
#42 ·
That was the 4 tone setup, newer ones arent the same since they are targeting the youth with cars like the ATS. Just about all the old o=horns in that vid were rusted out up here. I think I spend $30 on 8 horns hoping at least 1 was gonna help me out on my Buick.

The newest horns GM wise all connect so mounting is the fun part.
 
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