My 2008 Nautical Blue Metallic Scion 'Cylon' xD

Hi, Troy here, from Manheim, Pennsylvania - in the heart of the Amish country of Lancaster County, now wunst!...  This page is a photo journal of my latest project - modding my new 2008 Scion xD.  As I add accessories and modify the car's features along the way, I will take additional photos and post them on this site.

I originally purchased this car as a daily commuter vehicle, mainly to save money on gasoline driving to and from work.  The vehicle I was then driving - a 1998 Dodge ram 4x4 pickup - averaged only 9 miles to the gallon driving the local roads.  With gas prices then reaching $4 a gallon, I couldn't afford to run the truck on a daily basis any longer.  But, after checking out some of the online Scion Forums and seeing what other people were doing with their Scions, I got drawn into the whole Tuner mentality more than I had guessed I ever would!  So, this page documents all the fruits of my labors thus far...

So what the heck is a Cylon?

OK, if you happen to be familiar with either the original, campy Battlestar Galactica television series aired in the 1970's, or the engrossing NEW Battlestar Galactica series currently running on the SciFi channel, then you will already know what a Cylon is.  I'm actually hooked on the new series - to me it's the best show on television, a very intense drama - totally redone and quite an improvement over the corny original BSG series from the 1970's. For those not familiar with either series, the bad guys in the show are extremely aggressive, renegade robots called Cylons, who each have a single, evil red eye which moves back and forth in a horizontal eye slit on their face... quite the cute and cuddly teddy bears they be...!
 
I happened to recognize the similar-sounding play on words between SCION and CYLON, and even heard a few people mispronounce the name of the car as such. A few of my friends suggested I should refer to my new xD as a 'Cylon' instead of a Scion; I thought that was a fun idea, so I ran with it. I decided to theme the entire car on it - and began to use the screen name 'Cylon_xD' on all the online Scion Forums as well...
 
Ironically, the robot Cylon Centurions in Battlestar Galactica are ALSO referred to on the show as "Toasters" - which falls right into place with the nickname for the xB, and even the xD, which has been referred to as a "Mini-Toaster". Works for me - and my Cylon theme!

So, here are a few pics of my xD, with lots of Cylon going on...

Cylon xD Photos

I picked-up my new Nautical Blue Metallic 2008 xD from the Scion dealer in Lebanon, PA in early April 2008, and so far have added over $4,000 of modifications:

Oops, no, wait, sorry!... That was my old buggy I traded in (along with my ex-wife Mabel, at right, haha!), so I could order my new xD, wunst now (A little Lancaster County Amish humor, there...!)  

Anyway, here are two pics of my poor, naked little 'Sci-Lon' just the day after it arrived at the dealer:

After 3 months of work, I improved the look of my xD quite a bit. I took a somewhat different approach to the exterior appearance, though... instead of striving for a 'clean' look many owners achieve by stripping their cars of  flashy features, trim, and even emblems, I  decided to go in the completely opposite direction - by adding sporty looking, custom body graphics and lots of shiny chrome and polished aluminum trim, just to be different! I did try to keep it simple and reserved enough NOT to make the car look like some sticker-plastered race car, though.  I like the way it turned out, and it definitely turns some heads now - that's what mods are supposed to do, right??   
 
In addition to their sporty appearance, the new graphics are extremely helpful for all those people who used to come up to me and ask "What kind of car is THAT?"

Now they say "Oh, that's one of those new 'Sci-Lons' you got there, isn't it?..."

"Why yes, yes it IS a Cylon - even my License Plate says so!!"

In the pictures below, you can see I have added new wheels and tires, Scion body and windshield graphics, chrome door handles, carbon-fiber B-pillar appliqués, a rear spoiler, TRD and VVT-i  emblems on the rear hatch, a ham radio antenna on the roof, and a new vanity license plate.

Just gotta love that license plate...!      



I upgraded the stock 16" Steel wheels and plastic wheel covers to a set of 18" x 7.5" R-1 Hype machined alloy wheels with black and chrome trim, along with new 225/40/18 Nexan N5000 tires.  Hmm... Maybe I should paint those front calipers red now, to match the red XD logo on the sides!

It's finally time to get some of those Cylon mods started:

The light bar in this kit is 22" long, so it's the perfect size for the upper front grill of the xD.  It may seem a little silly to install a mod like this, but at least I mounted it BEHIND the grill, so it's not even visible unless I turn it on - at a show or a Scion meet.  In any event, the light kit should be good for a few laughs whenever I have the opportunity to show it off!  

The polished aluminum Billet Grills look like chrome on my xD, and are quite similar in appearance to the grills on the face of the Cylon Raider fighter spacecraft in the new series (see the Raider image at the bottom of this page).

Best of all, after dark my car really DOES transform into a Cylon - complete with the trademark evil red Cylon eye behind the upper grill, which actually moves back and forth just like the "real thing"!!  Also visible are the blue LED accent lights I installed in my headlights for the show, and faintly, the blue LED lighting inside the car...

Unfortunately, the above photo was taken without a flash, so it's a little blurry and the reflective 'Scion xD' body graphics aren't illuminated...  Sigh, all that, and I STILL didn't win anything at the show...! 

Cylon Raider, Battlestar Galactica Television Series, Scifi Channel (c)2004