Simplify.

Time for a change.

Time for a change.

sim·pli·fy (sim-ple-fi)
tr.v. sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing, sim·pli·fies
To make simple or simpler, as:
    a. To reduce in complexity or extent.
    b. To reduce to fundamental parts.
    c. To make easier to understand.

About to undergo robot surgery.

About to undergo robot surgery.

Something has been bugging me for a month. I got it in my mind to simplify. To make Sharka a bit less. To go back a little bit.

See, I made the mistake of filling my gauge-designing PC’s screensaver with old photos. There’s lots of family pix, lots of toy pix, and TONS of Sharka pix. And as I cut out gauges, I see the pix go past. I watch the Sharka of a year or two ago appear and disappear. I got nostalgic.

It was time to call in the big guns.

Soundwave and his wrecking crew.

Soundwave and his wrecking crew.

Nothing like working in the garage with old friends, even if they are a bit on the short side. Soundwave has been my favorite bot since childhood. Soundwave and Optimus Prime. I guess I like a bot with a face mask. But I digress.

Really, I just needed some small lasers.

Short work was made of the side stripes.

Short work was made of the side stripes.

Laserbeak cleaned up the residue.

Laserbeak cleaned up the residue.

I mean, how else was I to remove the vinyl? And take pix? Perhaps a pile of vinyl next to a fender? Bah! This is much more fun.

A note on the adhesive remover – it rocks. I bought the bottle to remove the side molding on my Mazda 3. It made quick work of that and left me with half a bottle. Very little was required to remove the vinyl residue. This is a great tool that anyone who does vinyl work should have.

Almost forgot this one...

Almost forgot this one…

A long time ago, someone asked me what the inside of the door looked like with my side stripes. I meant to take pix and just never got a chance. Well, this is it. Or rather, WAS it. The vinyl wraps around the back of the door, and on the fender it looks like this. Just a quick slice with an X-acto and the vinyl separates on the cut line.

But the simplification wasn’t finished there. Nope.

Soundwave deploy. Operation: weight reduction.

Soundwave deploy. Operation: weight reduction.

Rumble is left with clean up duty.

Rumble is left with clean up duty.

The TDR air splitter has felt a bit out of place to me lately. It was fun. It was very robust! (I can’t believe some of the hits it took with no damage.) And I always wanted to try a splitter with the support braces. But it just seemed a bit… much.

Out it goes. Sharka will wear a bare airdam for now. Just the factory plastic and some stripes.

Cleaner. More simple. Better? I feel it is.

Cleaner. More simple. Better? I feel it is.

That's the look I was after.

That’s the look I was after.

Yes. That’s what I was craving. Something more like the Sharka of 2011. A bit less, but a bit more.

Many thanks to Soundwave and his boys for the assistance.

All is right in Sharkaland.

All is right in Sharkaland.

Time to chase that sunset.

Time to chase that sunset.

What do you think? Less = more?

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  • Bryan says:

    It needed doing.

    Good choice!

  • Danny Cruz says:

    Yes! Looks better. Sometimes a little bit less goes a long way.

  • spindiscs says:

    Now lose the center stripe and you are really simplifying.

  • GT-Alex says:

    Looks better without the splitter. It was a bit “out” considering the rest of the car. About the side stripes, I don’t know. I think it looks as good with or without them.

    • revlimiter says:

      Yeah. I agree completely. I sometimes miss the side stripes. Not the splitter so much.

      I’m not against re-striping the doors someday. Not at all.

  • Stoly says:

    Funny how the small changes over time seemed to all work together and I never really realized how much Sharka had changed over the last year or two. Hitting the ‘reset button’ has me almost doing a double-take… Looks great!

    • revlimiter says:

      THAT is what I shoulda called this post. The Reset Button.

      Thank you my friend! Can’t wait to have The Big Photoshoot. You know the one.

      • Stoly says:

        You have no idea… Cannot wait! Post boost will make for another great run and comparison of turbo vs. supercharger. We are going to have a blast!

  • Chris says:

    You know what would look great on Sharka? Mag Type-B Wats. Way less flashy than the Star Sharks.

  • 72Bacon says:

    Holy cow, it’s like you are reading my mind. Splitter and sill stripes gone – good moves. Splitter didn’t fit and a car can only wear so many stripes.

    Uh, *ahem* don’t you have a set of 14″ RPF1’s in storage somewhere?

  • Zip says:

    Well done… I have so much to say, but don’t want to get in the way.

    Kinda like your reset….

  • BenR says:

    You should see my race hood these days.

  • Remy says:

    Will you be selling the splitter to a good home? (mine)

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