Boise Car Audio Stereo Installation, Diesel and Gas Performance, Bluetooth, iPod and Navigation all in one spot

Base Model Camaro is now SS-ish

3/31/2018

This was....uhm.....and interesting last minute build.
Local dealership had a mix-up with a client of theirs. He wanted an SS Camaro...but they didn't have one in stock...so they sold him a base model Camaro and told him they can upgrade the look of it to resemble the SS.....so they added a spoiler, a new hood and then said they'd do some custom lights on it.

I got the call that they need some SS lights upgraded with some color changing options....so I ordered the SS DRL Board upgrades and waited for them to drop off the housings.......which, when I received them, a massive red flag went up.....these aren't SS lights.
The mix-up with the dealership to me was they wanted me to make SS lights out of these Base lights.....and get them done in a day or two.

So the SS lights are completely different internally...in that they have a more centrally located HID projector with a nice factory DRL strip.
So.....I 'could' have built them a set from scratch...but Budget and Time didn't permit....so next best thing......add RGB Multi-Color demon eyes and a Switchback LED strip to these and call it a day.

All-in-All....these do give the lights a different look and they match well with the existing bumper DRL strips.....the added touch of the switchback feature and multi-colored Demon Eyes helps it stand out from the rest of the base model Camaro's......but I feel like the owner will be back for an Actual SS conversion....which we'll post up once we get it hammered out.

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Nissan Titan with VisionX Light Bar

3/30/2018

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Customer brought in his brand new 2018 Nissan Titan for a bit of a lighting upgrade.
He'd previously purchased this VisionX 20" lighting bar and wanted it in the center lower grill area.
Problem was it's not the standard width of that opening.....so a custom bracket was needed in order to center it up and make sure it was sturdy.
After a few slight revisions, I was able to retain a nice look while modifying as little of the factory grill as possible.
Customer also provided a Nissan specific switch that fits nicely in the factory switch panel.....few wires integrated later and the switch works as if it came like that from the factory!

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#SaltySubi is ready for a roadtrip

3/30/2018

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Good friend of mine brought in her new Subaru Impreza for some roadtrip upgrades.
Her and her friend are traveling down to Arizona to catch a country music festival and this thing needed whipped into roadtrip shape!

First off....she needed to be able to see better at night.
So first things first....upgraded her factory lighting to 35w Morimoto/Hylux HIDs....properly aligned she can now safely navigate the highway and see 3-5Xs better.
Then....this is where her import side came out.....she wanted to upgrade the non-existent fog lights.....but, after talking it through, I suggested we do dual 6" Stage Series LED bars....for 2 reasons.....1, for now, she can become a true Subi-fanatic and rock the AMBER fog light output. 2, in the future, when she wants some real light, we can swap the lenses back to clear and she can have even MORE output with White fogs.
Either way, these were installed on a custom switch inside the cabin and are aimed properly so as not to annoy oncoming traffic THAT much....while these are SAE/DOT legal, the bright AMBER can be too much for some people.

Moving on to the rear, I smoked ALL her taillights to give it that nice blended look of Gloss Black. She still has 95% light illumination so she shouldn't have any issues with the 5-0!

She then provided me with very 'subi'-ish fender rock guards...which is a good upgrade as it'll save her fenders/rockers paint in the long run....and get her plenty of thumbs up and passing vape-cloud compliments from other subi owners :-D

Whilst I was installing the rock guards, she debadged the entire back side to clean it up a bit....with help and guidance from myself and the ever so helpful shop dog goose!

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Sierra Headlights get the extra touch

3/29/2018

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Oh Hey...look! Some GMC Sierra headlights....haven't done a set of these yet :-)

Customer sent in his lights to get the Trax touch.....with his provided Klearz lenses and Profile Halos.

While we don't normally like halos (they typically take away from the look of the headlights when everything is OFF)....we opted to do these because they match the White lenses from Klearz.

We did our Morimoto D2S projector upgrade with CBD adapters, 35w bulbs and hylux ballasts....but this time we did a custom GMC lens etch to match the grill of the truck....subtle touches like this can make/break the build.

We also upgraded the boards with Diode Dynamics switchbacks......trusted and true...best way to achieve a unique look and have other Sierra owners asking where he got the lights simply by turning on his turn signals...

Then we did our RGBWtf Rainbow Unicorn upgrade with the Triple Demon Eye accent lights.

The halos are a different style of LEDs so they are on their own separate controller...but can be the same solid colors as the Demon Eyes...so they can work in conjunction or fully separate. They are RGBWA...so they do multi color, White AND Amber for turn signals.

Then we painted all the internals Gloss Black and swapped the lenses for the Klearz white frosted look.

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Gnarly Raptor Gets Even Gnarlier

3/26/2018

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Past client and good friend waited EVER so patiently for his headlights to be built for his already gnarly Ford Raptor.
The main issue on these lights is that he actually uses his Raptor for what it's made for......I've received multiple videos/pictures of this Raptor airborne......so I needed to purpose build these lights with a few prerequisites:
Needs more output during city night driving
Needs to compliment what's already done to the truck without going overboard
Needs Strobe Chase Lights integrated in
Needs to handle 100+ mph gnar gnar "hold my beer, we're gon' send it" type of driving

Easy peasy!
So, at the time when I originally started this build, I asked my guys what the most durable projector setup is, and without hesitation they recommended the 'then' Brand New Morimoto MLED projectors.....since they are solid state and fully self contained, these guys should be able to withstand most anything the owner can throw at it! I'm excited to start using LED technology as it should be more reliable than HID....but I've been waiting for this technology to catch up to the actual usable output that HID/Projectors offer....with the MLED it seems to be there.....

I also integrated in quad Sirenet Hyper Strobe Modules (pure white 12 LED). They are activated off of one of his quadrillion switches he has installed inside (ok....it's off the factor upfitter switch....but he's got like 20 switches in this beast). They strobes are linked but the uppers and lowers both strobe at a different signal/pattern....
Now you may be asking "why does he need strobes".....well...when out doing what Raptors do, it gets dusty...and they need chase lights to alert other off-roaders of their presence....and what better way to cut through the dust than some epileptic seizure-inducing hyper bright strobe lights? I mean....he's got some super higher powered LED bars in the rear for the unfortunate vehicles behind him that do the same thing!

That being said....I've supplied this truck with PLENTY (as you can tell) LED Light pods in the past....just never posted anything about it since the owner was the one who fabricated all the mounts and wired everything up....He's got PLENTY of light on this truck....these headlights just help finish it off a bit more!

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Lifted Trax Truck finally gets some bumps

3/25/2018

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FINALLY got time (and the product) to install our newest brand we're selling.
We picked these guys up for their Wake Board Tower Speaker line and all the cool products for the powersports industry....but they also had some impressive truck subwoofer/box offerings....so I picked one up for my demo truck and this setup is in Ryan's truck.

These are nice because they don't take up ALL of the underseat area, but they are perfectly designed to throw down some hammering bass. Also, since the amp is built into the box, it's a nice show piece as well and installation is a bit quicker than normal.
With the box being bedlined, it'll withstand anything you can throw at it.

They also offer 2 different styles of amps for these.....this particular one is an 800w RMS plate amp; but the other style is a 100x2 + 400x1...so you could power a set of front speakers as well.....so the flexibility there is handy.

If you've been thinking about adding some bass to your truck, come listen to this badboy...it might help make the decision for you!

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Tundra Goes Up so it can go Out

3/24/2018

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Good friend of ours brought in his 2014 Toyota Tundra for an upgrade.
He's an avid hunter/camper/out-doorsy guy and takes his family everywhere....so he needed to make sure his new truck LOOKED the part; but also needed it to DO what it looks like it can.

So, we upgraded the suspension and put bigger wheels/tires on it so he's got plenty of ground clearance to go where ever he may need to.

4-1/2" Rough Country Lift Kit
Fox 2.0 Coilovers
Fox 2.0 Shocks
Nitto Ridge Grappler Tires
Fuel 18" x 9" Lethal Wheels

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Platinum Tundra gets some boom boom

3/24/2018

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Good buddy of ours recently purchased this Toyota Tundra Platinum and immediately noticed it needed a stereo upgrade.
Toyota's massive weak spot has always been the audio system (in my eyes).
The problem was, is they thought they'd try to re-engineer the audio system from the ground up and now they've messed everything up for the aftermarket world.

Basically....you've got a system that's ALL or Nothing.....you either replace EVERYTHING in there or do what you can to patch some audible holes.

The subwoofer stage is one of the things you can modify....but not easily.
As you can see, Toyota was generous enough to provide us with a subwoofer behind the rear seats that one might call.....ample......while most would call it a waste of space and $15 worth of material that the dealership would up-charge you $1000 for.

So I yanked that baby speaker out and threw in our new line of sub/amp/box combos and BOOM....you've got bass!

The main problem with this system is that there just needs to be more......more of everything.
Listening to the system, the upgraded subwoofer definitely is heard/felt...but at MAX volume, it feels like you're only at 8....instead of 11.........
This is where Toyota dropped the ball.
This is a brand new 2018 Tundra....and it's audibly made for the elderly that listens to NPR at low volumes.
Next up? Unfortunately.....a WHOLE product gut/removal/replacement....
The problem with these trucks is that the headunit powers the front speakers and then sends a signal to an amp that powers the rear speakers and subwoofer....so you can't just replace or upgrade 1 part...you have to do the whole setup.....which sucks...but it's what has to happen.

So....till next time....here are some #BananaForScale shots

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Black on White will always look good

3/24/2018

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Wrapped up another quick set of GMC Sierra headlights....these were more Function Over Form....but with a little bit of visual upgrades.

First off, while these Sierra headlights are $1200 EACH from the dealership...the internals are pretty much junk. The factory 25w HID projectors are better than what most people are used to....but for actual on-road use, they don't put out a whole lot of light.
So I junked those and swapped in some Morimoto D2S Projectors with 35w D2S Bulbs and Hylux 35w ballasts....this will provide a MUCH cleaner, wider and further output over the stock unit.

Then I upgraded the factory DRL boards, as usual. Normally these are just White....but to make them brighter and cooler, I upgraded the boards to the Diode Dynamic switchback boards...so now they are WHITE for running/DRLs and then AMBER for turn signals.
Also upgraded was the factory turn signal bulb....which is not a switchback bulb as well....so everything internally is either WHITE or AMBER to match each other.

The internal shroud was painted Gloss Black and all three lenses were replaced with White Frosted replacements from Klearz.

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Elderly Clients can now see and be seen with LED upgrades

3/23/2018

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This was another one of those fun projects.
Client from out of State was worried about his parents here in Idaho.
His father said he had a hard time seeing at night and was also worried about them getting rear-ended because of all the texters nowadays.

So, for the front, I added Dual 6" Diode Dynamic Stage Series light bars and they are activated off of the factory low beams....so this way they'll be on during the day via DRLs and on automatically at night so his father doesn't have to worry about turning them on/off.
These are an SAE legal auxiliary light and since they are below the factory headlights and aimed properly, they can be on and not illegal and will not obstruct the view on on-coming drivers....which this is all done in the matter of safety and that was taken into account.

The rear end was a fun little custom job.
We discussed MULTIPLE different ways to attack this issue of drivers to the rear of the car not paying attention.
After we decided on upgrading the factory 3rd brake light to a much brighter version (via Morimoto's DRL LED bar)....I then added a super slick Brake Pulsing module that allowed me to program the pulses any way I felt was necessary.
We decided on CONSTANT RANDOM PULSES....so whenever the brakes are depressed, the 3rd brake like will constantly and randomly pulse....
Now, some of you are saying "Hey, that'd be annoying during stop/n/go traffic".....well....Too Bad.....I'm helping the elderly out and giving them annoying tech so that they stay safe!
Actually...the though process around this is that MOST texters/drivers look down/away more than the average distracted driver...so a single triple or quad brake pulse isn't enough.....a constant pulse is better; because you never know when they eventually look up...might as well make sure they know you're stopped the entire time!

In the end, this was a fun project and I love helping people out....especially with my knowledge of automotive lighting...it's good to put it to use in a safe manner rather than always for 'show'.
The customer was super happy....just check the yelp review below!

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Raptor with some LED Cubes

3/22/2018

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Client brought in his brand new 2018 Ford Raptor for a lighting upgrade.
He'd purchased 6 LED cubes and needed them installed.
There were 4 spots and 2 flood cubes.
I obtained a Raptor specific mounting flange to assist in the installation....and then utilized the 'upfitter' switches in the overhead console for control. Everything is ran off a heavy duty wiring harness to ensure years of use and easy maintenance if needed.
Lifting the hood, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything that looks aftermarket; as everything is loomed and zip tied out of the way to maintain a factory appearance.

For a non name brand LED pod, I was somewhat impressed with the output these little guys put up....they didn't have the distance I'm used to with my better brands, but they had the up-front area covered no problem!

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Return Client needed some tires

3/21/2018

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Client brought in his Toyota Tundra that we previously did some headlight work to and he needed new tires badly.
He went back n forth on what he wanted, and his tastes were fairly extreme.....in that every wheel he wanted was either discontinued or back-ordered for months.

So we finally decided on 33" Fuel Tires wrapped around 20"x9" Fuel Cleaver wheels.
He just barely fits in his garage and that was the end goal!

There will be plenty more updates on this truck in the future...so keep posted!

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Mazda3 with some visual upgrades

3/20/2018

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Client from Hawaii originally, brought his Mazda3 in to get some exterior upgrades.
Now, while not normally what we do, we agreed we'd take a stab at it...

We smoked all his taillights for him....which is something we've perfected over the years.

The customer then provided us with a custom made grill insert...which translates into "probably not going to fit".....so we painted it gloss black....cut out 90% of the front bumper/grill and made it work. The problem with grills like these is they attempt to mount back like a factory grill should...but end up relying on a Hopes, Prayers and Dreams of Unicorns.......so we beefed up the mounts the best we could.....chemically and mechanically.....and it seems to be holding up after a month or so on the road....which is good.

Then came the oddball part.....headlight film.
Now this is something we normally don't do...because the only real way to make headlights look different and hold up to road-miles....is to modify the internals....but that is sometimes out of the budget range....so the customer brought in JUUUUST enough film to wrap his headlights, foglights and mirror corner lights.
The dudes over at Eidetic Creations knocked this out with relatively lower amounts of curse words.....so if you ever need this done, don't hesitate to hit us up....we've got the proper dudes to do it!

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Remove, Re-install, Repeat

3/18/2018

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So I'd just barely installed this system in a clients Toyota 4Runner.....but she needed to upgrade shortly after that...luckily her new Chevy Traverse could be upgraded as well....so I pulled the Kenwood unit and installed it in her new SUV.

With the use of this harness, I was able to retain the factory backup camera and all of the other features of the vehicle.
The owner can now utilize her Apple Carplay or AndroidAuto to get Pandora, Spotify and much more!

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Chevrolet Colorado gets equipped for the road

3/16/2018

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This one was another team effort between Ryan and I....and unfortunately someone (not naming names....but it doesn't start with a 'T') forgot to take before/after pics of the truck fully finished......actually...the customer is supposed to come back for some adjustments and we'll snag pics and upload them here later.

Here is what we did:

ZONE leveling kit
FabFour Front and Rear Bumpers
30" Baja Designs S8 Light Bar
Tinted Windows
Echomaster GM Specific Front Camera
Pac-Audio GM-specific Video Integration Module

The bumpers on this one were a fun one.....the rear bumper wasn't too bad, went on with minimal issues.
The front, however, needed to have the factory bumper/fascia trimmed to manufacturer specifications.....which we did meticulously....and after we bolted the bumper on, we noticed their measurements and bumper were OFF. Normally we don't point fingers....but after measuring the bumper, we noticed it was tweaked a bit......nothing noticeable to the average Joe (sorry Joe, your mum gave you that name and now everyone uses you to compare to normalcy).....but when mated up with the factory fascia lines, it was off about 1/4".....so after continuous tweaking and fitment, we got the bumper to fit as best as possible and the customer was stoked with it.

We also tinted the windows all around to give the owner a sense of cover....as well as block harmful UV rays.

The front camera integration wasn't a big deal now that we've done a few of these modules...they are SUPER nice and really highly un-used as far as the the full capabilities of them.....but for this purpose, they are the perfect match.
The owner now has factory backup camera and can easily access the front camera with the touch of a button.....if that's too much work, this module integrates with the factory speed sensors and when he's going 10 mph or slower, the front camera kicks on to show objects that may not be seen from the drivers position.....super slick.
In the future, the owner can add side blind-spot cameras and they can be activated via button or turn-signals....

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Pasture Pool will be much cooler now

3/11/2018

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So this was another interesting, yet fun build here at Trax Customs.
Good friend of mine brought in her golf cart for some upgrades.
Her husband was out golfing one day and the motor just stopped......no mas
So, initially, that was the original intent of the project.....make it move again....and then things got interesting!

Here is what we did:

First thing.....MOTOR swap......needed to figure out what was causing the old motor to not work as well as upgrade it a bit. So after figure out the main issue, I then swapped over my motor on my cart, since it's a boosted motor and only had like 1 total hour of use on it....and the shop that makes the motors was booked out for months! ZOOM ZOOM

Next up....as you can tell from the first few photos.....the audio system needed the Trax touch.....a Pioneer headunit and outdoor patio speakers just weren't going to satisfy.
So, I installed my new brand of Extreme Marine 6.5" Tower Speakers with Built-In Multi-colored LEDs, which came with a very powerful 300w 2 channle amplifier that's waterproof as well as a Bluetooth rotary knob with controlling the sound.....it also includes an Aux input and USB charging slot.
I first had to fab up a face plate to house the knob and aux port. After some bracket wizardry, I got it to sit flush in the pocket and look as if it's supposed to be there.
Then I fabricated up some brackets and tubing to mount the 4 tower speakers and fit them in a spot that would always play music loud and not get in the way of the golf bags.
I upgraded the battery they had there to a much better one and then placed the waterproof amp next to it....The RGB leds are all ran off a toggle switch but controlled via a smartphone app that lets you pick colors, intensity, patterns and strobe to music.....
These 6.5" tower speakers get down! You'll be able to hear this cart 3-4 holes away....which will ensure the party will always follow!

After that, we started talking about what else we can do....we spoke about lighting....but they weren't sure.....so I went ahead and added some front cubby hole lighting as well...since the speakers lit up.

Then we discussed changing the color of the cart...they didn't know what they wanted exactly....but they wanted to keep the Superman logo they had on there (originally RED) and they like the thought of Carbon Fiber......so after a few back n forth convo with the dudes over at Eidetic Creations, we settled on a 3/4s carbon fiber wrap, with a nice pearlescent white pin-stripe to jive with the white/blue seats....and then the Superman logo was Blue to match the cart, but then trimmed in the same white.

I was originally going to surprise them by having the top (which was a dull yellow/white color) bedlinered by my homie over at ToughLiner...but they suggested it anyways....so....it was done...but wasn't a surprise.

I needed to finish it off with a small surprise they wouldn't have thought about....so I went with Warning Stickers.
Something most wouldn't notice....but once you do...you'll be LOL'ing all the way to the next Tee Box.
The Top warning label speaks for itself.
The bottom one served two purposes.....1, to cover up a hole that was there from the old stereo's On/Off switch and 2.....to give you something to crack up over.
Just read it!

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GMC Sierra Goes UP

3/9/2018

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Past client brought in his new 2017 GMC Sierra 2500 for some suspension upgrades.
After shopping around online he determined that it'd be best to let us do our thing and fully take care of him from the ground up. Here is everything we put on this truck to make it stand out!

37/13.50/22 nitto trail grappler
22x12 hostile sprockets
BDS 6.5" Suspension Lift with Fox Shocks

This 6-1/2" lift kit utilizes high arched crossmembers that blend perfectly with the angle of the factory installed lower control arms for a completely integrated look while lifting your vehicle a full 6-1/2"dramatically increasing ground clearance at the front crossmembers and improving operating geometry. Torsion bars are mounted directly to the top of the lower a-arm eliminating the need to drop the torsion bar crossmember.
A front skid plate and differential skid plate come standard to lock everything together, creating a nearly indestructible sub frame for extreme off road protection.
Customize this lift kit by choosing a 3" or 5" rear block kit, NX² series or Fox 2.0 gas shock absorbers, and a NX² series or 9500 Series Steering Stabilizer.

After dealing with multiple online sellers and other shops....the owner realized we're not out to burn anyone.....we're just 2 good ol' Idaho boys that want to build badass cars/trucks and you really can trust us!

Now that we're BDS Dealers we can hook up your truck with the best suspension kit manufacturers available. Don't think that we can't beat other people's prices.....because we can! Contact us for your next upgrade!

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Putting some more ponies in this CTS-V

3/2/2018

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Had a really good family friend bring in their 2004 Cadillac CTS-V for some much needed upgrades. We'd been talking about upgrading this car for quite some time....and while they were away for vacation/wedding.....we took care of it all.....we did a little bit of visual upgrades as well as performance!

Performance:

Volant Cold Air Intake Ugrade

Custom Formed Airduct
Fully Enclosed Filter Box
Industry Leading Filter Technology
Silicone Connector to OEM induction
Stainless Steel Hardware

Diablosport Performance Tuner Upgrade

Add Horsepower, Torque and Fuel Economy to your vehicle without even popping the hood!
Featuring the latest generation ARM processor. The device's display has a higher resolution screen and an exceptionally responsive touch pad.
DiabloSport's pre-loaded tunes are dyno and street tested to ensure optimal power and drivability gains. Basic installation, big power gains!
Easy tune asks you for what octane gas you want to run, if you've changed your tire size, if you want to remove the speed limiter and more. It's the perfect way to drop a tune on your ride in minutes!
Start off with DiabloSport's preset performance tunes and make changes that suit your performance needs. Adjust options like timing, fueling, idle, speed limiters, rev limiters, tire size, gear ratios and more.
The i3 retrieves diagnostic data of how your vehicle's tune is performing. Export all of your data to a PC and play it back on DiabloSport's Data Viewer logging software.
Regardless of whether you purchased an i3 for a Chrysler, Ford, or GM- you can buy an additional license to tune ANY vehicle supported by DiabloSport!
Update your i3 software on virtually any computer- Mac, Windows, Linux. Update times are faster than ever, even large updates only take about 5 minutes.
Holds up to 5 custom tunes. Use our worldwide network of CMR tuners to step above our canned tunes.
Performance/Diablo Tune 15HP 15TQ
Touch Screen
Data Logging
Check Clear DTCs
5 Volt Data Logging Inputs
Accepts Custom Tunes from CMR
Calibrate Speedometer for Gear Ratio
Calibrate Speedo for Tire Size
Fuel Rich/Lean Adjustment
Spark Timing Advance/Retard
Idle RPM
Top Speed Limiter
Rev Limiter
Torque Management Adjustment
Disable Skip Shift
Fuel Injector Calibration

Magnaflow Stainless Steel Cat-Back Exhaust

Street Series Dual Split Rear Exit
Polished Tips
Stainless Steel 409 Mandrel Bent Tubing

Appearance:
We powder coated the wheels gloss black to match the paint better and then we added a custom touch to the center wheel caps....check em out!