The Baleno Makeover

powertrain · 26th November 2011, 21:02

Ramesh, I love the way you sculpt metal. Kudos to you !!!!!

Although, I'm not half a designer as you, here are my 2 cents-
The end can does not gel with the rear look. You could either fix a dummy end can at the other end or hide the silencer end can behind the bumper.
I'm eagerly waiting for the end result.
Regards
Varun Nair

ariesonu · 27th November 2011, 00:05

I have been following this Baleno makeover from the first post itself & wanted to reserve my comments till end to appreciate the final product but now I second POWERTRAIN on his advise. The end can does look sore under that sculpted metal. A good option would be to shift it between the fins to give it a balanced look.

Raab Rakha.

R.K.Ramesh · 27th November 2011, 20:29

^^ Truth to be told, we too felt that the end can looked like a sore thumb at this stage. Considered (and the option is not ruled out) putting a dummy end can on the other side to balance it out. Shifting it to the left, a fin space, was not too good an idea given the nature of the linkages to the body, and the owner also didnt want to disturb the expansion chamber / can set up after spending decent money to get this system installed.

If the position of the can was to be changed, we would have considered a custom exhaust pipe liner in the centre. Dropped that idea for the same reason of not wanting to disturb the tuned exhaust system.

However at the end of the day the singleton also started looking good once the painting stage was reached. And we still have kept the option open to add the dummy on the other side.

nithin_86 · 27th November 2011, 22:14

I am guessing the exhaust is done at Raj's place. Isn't it possible to get the end can repositioned at his place so that it fits in with the rear bumper.

R.K.Ramesh · 28th November 2011, 01:55

A complication in the mod process we didnt wish to take a chance with at that time - could still consider it.

Not really an eyesore post painting you see...

R.K.Ramesh · 29th November 2011, 23:23

Yes got it confirmed that the free flow exhaust is indeed done by Shabbir - Raj Hingorani's associate.

R.K.Ramesh · 30th November 2011, 16:12

The drama starts to heighten when the front bumper with the putty work is mated to the new nose of the car.The interesting looking side vents are not really vents at all.

The putty work also covers the other parts of the car. The white mono tone starts bringing out the rear face of the car a lot more clearly. With a bit of imagination one can now perceive the dramatic difference from the stock Baleno's rear. The next dramatic change opportunity comes with painting and the lights.

The car is now adorned with a Jaguaresque coke bottle shape. It may already be apparent that the 'wild' rear with it's diffuser fins is matched in spirit by the muscular bonnet bulge up front.

With mildly enhanced wheel arches which will complement the future bigger footwear play their part in making the car look bigger and more muscular that the stock Baleno which ICEMAN was more or less earlier.

Anarchy83 · 30th November 2011, 17:07

Ramesh - I am speechless man!!! The front looks incredibly wicked. I wish you had a got a picture from head-on. Are you using Mitsubishi headlight casings? Looks very Evo-esque. The hood lip overhang looks a bit weird from the front angle you have taken, but I'm assuming a wicked black mesh grill up-front is going to take care of that. Or are you going to go the Mustang way, with smaller headlamps near the front grills? Please tell me racing stripes are going to find their way onto this car...

I am so incredibly impatient on this thread - I need to see how this turns out pronto!!!

infotech58 · 30th November 2011, 17:24

i must say this thing is shaping up beautifully and i just can not wait to see the finished product. the front looks too EVO like (in a positive way).
what is the final color you are going to paint it in? and are you going to use Civic (Gen 7) headlights?

R.K.Ramesh · 30th November 2011, 23:15

@ Anarchy83, thankyou, and yes the front nose with it's dramatic bulge does get a full frontal snap later on down the line on this thread. Well when you see it from another angle it is quite different from the EVO or the mustang look.
The headlights are not a Mitsubishi's nor are they like the Mustang

The Grille mesh is stainless steel and is set quite deep inside and the bumpers are prominently sculpted.
The intended use of the car by the owner is for work and play so we opted for a restrained but elegant look in the interest of suitable street cred..so no racing stripes. However I must add that after seeing the car post painting, Racing stripes could look quite at home here.

@infotech58 thankyou, and I must reiterate that it does not really have an EVO look as you shall see further on. The colour choice by this stage had narrowed down to
- Black
- Metallic Navy Blue
- Ferrari Red
The headlights are an aftermaket version of the Civic Gen 5 actually. And even this does not show through fully as I wanted narrow eyes (headlight openings) with an assertive look to go with the muscular bonnet and wheel arches.

R.K.Ramesh · 2nd December 2011, 15:51

Another angle of the front shot now with the bumper on indicates the final look from the front minus the grille/ decals, headlights and DRLs...

Just to give it a slight custom twist, a couple of 'teeth like canine tips' were added onto the central bumper bar. A bit of fun remembering the bat mobile. It is amazing how much of the difference the headlights and grille can make to the overall front face.

The first stage of painting is the base coat. The final body surfaces are becoming apparent here. The front nose looks dramatically longer than it actually is. Maximum a couple of inches ahead of the old bumper though the bonnet is quite a bit longer. As can be noticed here the glass opening (DLO) looks smaller here giving the car that sporty hunkered down ready to sprint look adding speed to the design.

The rear bumper gets it's base coat too. The undertray fins can be clearly seen here along with the numberplate box. Again the next level of drama happens during the application of the paint scheme - which as I mentioned earlier is more towards restrain and elegance rather than outright loud, given that this is an aggresive overhaul to the styling design that the Baleno starts off with.

Rudra Sen · 2nd December 2011, 16:02

Ramesh, wanted to follow your thread without making any comment. But it's about time to put something here. And here I go.

- Front is getting a very matured look and that rear bumper with vertical fins is pulling it down drastically.

Frankly, those fins don't serve any other purpose other than making it look like trying - too - hard - type.

raj_5004 · 2nd December 2011, 16:14

I am glued to this thread. This is one of the best MOD jobs I have seen taking place.

Frnakly, even I feel the rear is too over the top kinds, but I will reserve my comments until I see a more finished product.

R.K.Ramesh · 3rd December 2011, 15:17

Hey Rudra, so nice to connect with you after ages - Hope you are well. After sitting in your black beauty the Amby (any more updates on it?) and the elegant black Optra, I can understand where you are coming from when it comes to elegance and restrain in design.

However after seeing the car post painting I can say that we'd have it no other way. A good paint combination can work wonders in subduing or highlighting various elements and the fins have been purposefully subdued to a nice visual texture on the rear face.

As regards following a this thread without making comments, I see a marked difference between when people were following the Logan makeover thread and this one. Many seem to be quietly observing and not saying anything. We all felt the vehicle came out a notch higher than the Logan project but the thread seems poorly viewed. Was a joy to have so many people participating in that thread - was also encouraging. Was enthused to present the pics but here at times it feels like people are not so interested or are a lot more busy now.Anyways it is nice to have people participating and I'd wish there'd be more of it on this thread too

One more thing about the vertical fins - I wanted to purposefully move it away from an affable but anonymous design to something that looks 'custom' and yet not too loud. These fins are bold, too bold at the moment but the answers will reveal themselves...

@raj_5004 Thankyou, actually the rear undertray detailing (which is loud) has been intentionally made OTT for now, to balance out the rest of the plain and simple upper rear face with round lights. We wondered too at this point but stuck with out gut feeling. 'We' meaning the owner(a friend) and I. we found it working out just right post painting.

The sculpting of that plain number plate free surface is what brings out the drama as it reflects the road markings when the car passes you by. This is because the spoiler lip is angled downwards.

Anarchy83 · 5th December 2011, 16:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.K.Ramesh

@ Anarchy83, thankyou, and yes the front nose with it's dramatic bulge does get a full frontal snap later on down the line on this thread. Well when you see it from another angle it is quite different from the EVO or the mustang look.
The headlights are not a Mitsubishi's nor are they like the Mustang

The Grille mesh is stainless steel and is set quite deep inside and the bumpers are prominently sculpted.
The intended use of the car by the owner is for work and play so we opted for a restrained but elegant look in the interest of suitable street cred..so no racing stripes. However I must add that after seeing the car post painting, Racing stripes could look quite at home here.

I see what you mean about the front being markedly different...this is turning out quite good. I do not understand why the fins are getting negative reviews. As far as I'm concerned, I think the fins complete the look. What I mean is, you cannot have the bulging hood and the extra mean front grill with the "angry eyes" headlight look without integrating some form of balance at the rear as well. A plain rear bumper would make this project look a bit "under-powered". Of course, I'm also suggesting balancing the end-cans. A single would not do at all - in fact it might look like something is missing.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the standard "block" design at the rear bumper. The one you guys are doing gives it quite an interesting look - but then again, this is my opinion, as others are entitled to theirs. Kudos bro - I'm eagerly waiting for this thread to be completed. Rest assured, I'm checking your thread nearly everyday...though I might not comment all the time.

26th November 2011, 21:02	#31
powertrain BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 692 Thanked: 795 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover Ramesh, I love the way you sculpt metal. Kudos to you !!!!! Although, I'm not half a designer as you, here are my 2 cents- The end can does not gel with the rear look. You could either fix a dummy end can at the other end or hide the silencer end can behind the bumper. I'm eagerly waiting for the end result. Regards Varun Nair Last edited by powertrain : 26th November 2011 at 21:04.
	(2) Thanks

27th November 2011, 00:05	#32
ariesonu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,343 Thanked: 2,417 Times View My Garage	Re: The Baleno Makeover I have been following this Baleno makeover from the first post itself & wanted to reserve my comments till end to appreciate the final product but now I second POWERTRAIN on his advise. The end can does look sore under that sculpted metal. A good option would be to shift it between the fins to give it a balanced look. Raab Rakha.
	() Thanks

27th November 2011, 20:29	#33
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover ^^ Truth to be told, we too felt that the end can looked like a sore thumb at this stage. Considered (and the option is not ruled out) putting a dummy end can on the other side to balance it out. Shifting it to the left, a fin space, was not too good an idea given the nature of the linkages to the body, and the owner also didnt want to disturb the expansion chamber / can set up after spending decent money to get this system installed. If the position of the can was to be changed, we would have considered a custom exhaust pipe liner in the centre. Dropped that idea for the same reason of not wanting to disturb the tuned exhaust system. However at the end of the day the singleton also started looking good once the painting stage was reached. And we still have kept the option open to add the dummy on the other side. Last edited by R.K.Ramesh : 27th November 2011 at 20:46.
	() Thanks

27th November 2011, 22:14	#34
nithin_86 BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: KL-7/TN-22 Posts: 131 Thanked: 8 Times View My Garage	Re: The Baleno Makeover I am guessing the exhaust is done at Raj's place. Isn't it possible to get the end can repositioned at his place so that it fits in with the rear bumper.
	() Thanks

28th November 2011, 01:55	#35
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover A complication in the mod process we didnt wish to take a chance with at that time - could still consider it. Not really an eyesore post painting you see...
	() Thanks

29th November 2011, 23:23	#36
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover Yes got it confirmed that the free flow exhaust is indeed done by Shabbir - Raj Hingorani's associate.
	() Thanks

30th November 2011, 16:12	#37
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover The drama starts to heighten when the front bumper with the putty work is mated to the new nose of the car.The interesting looking side vents are not really vents at all. The putty work also covers the other parts of the car. The white mono tone starts bringing out the rear face of the car a lot more clearly. With a bit of imagination one can now perceive the dramatic difference from the stock Baleno's rear. The next dramatic change opportunity comes with painting and the lights. The car is now adorned with a Jaguaresque coke bottle shape. It may already be apparent that the 'wild' rear with it's diffuser fins is matched in spirit by the muscular bonnet bulge up front. With mildly enhanced wheel arches which will complement the future bigger footwear play their part in making the car look bigger and more muscular that the stock Baleno which ICEMAN was more or less earlier.
	(5) Thanks

30th November 2011, 17:07	#38
Anarchy83 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 63 Thanked: 47 Times View My Garage	Re: The Baleno Makeover Ramesh - I am speechless man!!! The front looks incredibly wicked. I wish you had a got a picture from head-on. Are you using Mitsubishi headlight casings? Looks very Evo-esque. The hood lip overhang looks a bit weird from the front angle you have taken, but I'm assuming a wicked black mesh grill up-front is going to take care of that. Or are you going to go the Mustang way, with smaller headlamps near the front grills? Please tell me racing stripes are going to find their way onto this car... I am so incredibly impatient on this thread - I need to see how this turns out pronto!!!
	() Thanks

30th November 2011, 17:24	#39
infotech58 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 652 Thanked: 255 Times View My Garage	Re: The Baleno Makeover i must say this thing is shaping up beautifully and i just can not wait to see the finished product. the front looks too EVO like (in a positive way). what is the final color you are going to paint it in? and are you going to use Civic (Gen 7) headlights?
	() Thanks

30th November 2011, 23:15	#40
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover @ Anarchy83, thankyou, and yes the front nose with it's dramatic bulge does get a full frontal snap later on down the line on this thread. Well when you see it from another angle it is quite different from the EVO or the mustang look. The headlights are not a Mitsubishi's nor are they like the Mustang The Grille mesh is stainless steel and is set quite deep inside and the bumpers are prominently sculpted. The intended use of the car by the owner is for work and play so we opted for a restrained but elegant look in the interest of suitable street cred..so no racing stripes. However I must add that after seeing the car post painting, Racing stripes could look quite at home here. @infotech58 thankyou, and I must reiterate that it does not really have an EVO look as you shall see further on. The colour choice by this stage had narrowed down to - Black - Metallic Navy Blue - Ferrari Red The headlights are an aftermaket version of the Civic Gen 5 actually. And even this does not show through fully as I wanted narrow eyes (headlight openings) with an assertive look to go with the muscular bonnet and wheel arches. Last edited by R.K.Ramesh : 30th November 2011 at 23:19.
	() Thanks

2nd December 2011, 15:51	#41
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover Another angle of the front shot now with the bumper on indicates the final look from the front minus the grille/ decals, headlights and DRLs... Just to give it a slight custom twist, a couple of 'teeth like canine tips' were added onto the central bumper bar. A bit of fun remembering the bat mobile. It is amazing how much of the difference the headlights and grille can make to the overall front face. The first stage of painting is the base coat. The final body surfaces are becoming apparent here. The front nose looks dramatically longer than it actually is. Maximum a couple of inches ahead of the old bumper though the bonnet is quite a bit longer. As can be noticed here the glass opening (DLO) looks smaller here giving the car that sporty hunkered down ready to sprint look adding speed to the design. The rear bumper gets it's base coat too. The undertray fins can be clearly seen here along with the numberplate box. Again the next level of drama happens during the application of the paint scheme - which as I mentioned earlier is more towards restrain and elegance rather than outright loud, given that this is an aggresive overhaul to the styling design that the Baleno starts off with. Last edited by R.K.Ramesh : 2nd December 2011 at 15:53.
	(3) Thanks

2nd December 2011, 16:02	#42
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,590 Thanked: 6,532 Times View My Garage	Re: The Baleno Makeover Ramesh, wanted to follow your thread without making any comment. But it's about time to put something here. And here I go. - Front is getting a very matured look and that rear bumper with vertical fins is pulling it down drastically. Frankly, those fins don't serve any other purpose other than making it look like trying - too - hard - type.
	() Thanks

2nd December 2011, 16:14	#43
raj_5004 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Dubai/Mumbai Posts: 5,238 Thanked: 3,139 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover I am glued to this thread. This is one of the best MOD jobs I have seen taking place. Frnakly, even I feel the rear is too over the top kinds, but I will reserve my comments until I see a more finished product.
	() Thanks

3rd December 2011, 15:17	#44
R.K.Ramesh BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 147 Thanked: 159 Times	Re: The Baleno Makeover Hey Rudra, so nice to connect with you after ages - Hope you are well. After sitting in your black beauty the Amby (any more updates on it?) and the elegant black Optra, I can understand where you are coming from when it comes to elegance and restrain in design. However after seeing the car post painting I can say that we'd have it no other way. A good paint combination can work wonders in subduing or highlighting various elements and the fins have been purposefully subdued to a nice visual texture on the rear face. As regards following a this thread without making comments, I see a marked difference between when people were following the Logan makeover thread and this one. Many seem to be quietly observing and not saying anything. We all felt the vehicle came out a notch higher than the Logan project but the thread seems poorly viewed. Was a joy to have so many people participating in that thread - was also encouraging. Was enthused to present the pics but here at times it feels like people are not so interested or are a lot more busy now.Anyways it is nice to have people participating and I'd wish there'd be more of it on this thread too One more thing about the vertical fins - I wanted to purposefully move it away from an affable but anonymous design to something that looks 'custom' and yet not too loud. These fins are bold, too bold at the moment but the answers will reveal themselves... @raj_5004 Thankyou, actually the rear undertray detailing (which is loud) has been intentionally made OTT for now, to balance out the rest of the plain and simple upper rear face with round lights. We wondered too at this point but stuck with out gut feeling. 'We' meaning the owner(a friend) and I. we found it working out just right post painting. The sculpting of that plain number plate free surface is what brings out the drama as it reflects the road markings when the car passes you by. This is because the spoiler lip is angled downwards. Last edited by R.K.Ramesh : 3rd December 2011 at 15:21.
	() Thanks