11 February 2009

Gwaneum One: Update

The bad news: I've picked up a few paint chips from flying rocks. Hyundai's paint job on the plastic trim pieces (bumper, etc.) isn't as sturdy as I'd like, though I am making it sound far worse than it is. I did order a Hyundai Genuine paint pen, which includes both a base coat and a clearcoat, so that I can fill those chips in. At least the sheet metal paint job is much better.

The interesting part: I decided to give in to the temptation, and start giving Gwaneum One some of the elements of a Korean domestic market Genesis. The wheel caps, which are currently silver with standard Hyundai logo, will be replaced with the Korean-market versions in black carrying the winged Genesis logo. I've also ordered the BH380 badge to go on the trunk lid. However, I am not doing the Genesis logo on the trunk lid and the hood, and the placement of the badges - BH380 on the left and Genesis on the right - will be the opposite of the Korean-market vehicles. I'm trying to have Gwaneum One allude to the Korean-market vehicles, but it IS a US-market Genesis and I want it to keep looking the part.

The BH380 moniker is a Korean-market trim level. "BH" is the code name for the Genesis; every Hyundai vehicle has a two-digit alphanumeric code name. Some that I know off of my head are the Y2, Y3, EF, and NF for the Sonata, the Y1 for the Canadian-market Stellar, the X1 and the X2 for the Excel, the XD and the HD for the two most recent generations of the Elantra, and the XG and the TG for the two most recent generations of the Grandeur (XG and Azera in the US respectively). The "380" refers to the 3.8L engine; there is also the BH330, with the base 3.3L engine that is used on the Sonata instead in the US. (There is no BH460, as the 4.6L V8 is for export only.) While Gwaneum One is a US-market car and therefore certainly NOT the "BH380" trim, it indeed is a BH with a 3.8L engine, so I'm giving it the badge anyway.

I still haven't heard from the California DMV regarding the vanity plates. I should get the notification anytime now, though I'll probably give it another month just to be sure. I'll have the photos again once I have the modifications done and the vanity plates installed.