OK! All you need is a IMGTool.exe which you can get from here > http://www.thegtaplace.com/pafiledb.php?ac...file&id=552
Now from the same website i.e. http://www.thegtaplace.com/ you can download vehicle and other types of mods. Every mod (zip file) contains a readme which will guide you how to install the mod.
But before you do ANYTHING PLEASE take backup of the following :-
1) gta3.img or atleast the orginal .dff and .txd files which you choose to replace.
2) vehicles.ide
3) handling.cfg
4) carmods.dat
5) carcols.dat
WORKING WITH IMGTool.exe
After downloading a mod (zip or rar file) just do the below:-
1) Open IMGTool.exe
2) Goto File>Open ..\models\gta3.img
3) After you open the gta3.img you will see the list of .dff and .txd files opens.
4) Click on Edit>Find and enter the vehicle name (or org .dff / .txd ) you wish to replace.
(for e.g. Find What : previon.dff)
5) Now goto Command>Extract and extract the org file in your backup folder.
6) After you have taken the back up just delete/rename the org files in the list you want to replace.
(e.g previon.dff and previon.txd rename it to previonORG.dff and previonORG.txd)
7) To replace modded file u downloaded with the Org file, goto Command>Add
and Add the modded file that you have downloaded which has the same name as of the orginal file.
8) After doing that goto File > close/exit
Now after adding the modded file to the game using IMGTool.exe, there are further more things to do. The above listed (i.e. Vehicles.ide, handling.cfg...etc) files have to be edited before you can use the vehicle. For editing all you have to do is open these files using notepad and do the editing. Editing means you have to just copy and paste.
One of the examples of the readme files that came with a vehicle mod
*****************************************************
Mercedes-Benz CL65 (c215)
*****************************************************
***************** GTA San Andreas *******************
************ www.idealcity.scorpions.cz *************
by JVT & Tomekk
1) INSTAL:
previon.dff and previon.txd replaced to the ...\models\gta3.img
replace in:
...data/vehicles.ide
436, previon, previon, car, PREVION, PREVION, null, poorfamily, 10, 0, 0, -1, 0.721, 0.721, 0
...data/handling.cfg
PREVION 1650 3600 2 0 -0.2 -0.2 70 0.8 0.9 0.5 5 240 21 10 F D 11.1 0.5 1 33 0.8 0.2 0 0.1 -0.15 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.4 72000 c0002004 208 1 1 1
...data/carmods.dat
previon, bnt_b_sc_p_l, bnt_b_sc_l, bnt_b_sc_m, rf_b_sc_r, spl_b_bbb_m, spl_b_bab_m, nto_b_l, nto_b_s, nto_b_tw, spl_b_mab_m, spl_b_bar_m
...data/carcols.dat
previon, 1,1, 8,8, 3,3, 4,4, 6,6, 7,7, 125,125, 36,36
Now for e.g. ..data/vehicles.ide can be opened using notepad. now just select and copy the whole string given below. Now in vehicles.ide note pad scroll down and select the whole string 436 bla bla bla (i.e. orginal line) and paste over it the new string to replace the previous.
Once you replace the lines in every file you will be able to use the mod like it is meant to. Sometimes you mod a vehicle and you are not able to find it through out the game. I still havent found out the reason yet but if you wish to see the modded car as soon as you start the game, just store it in the garage and save the game and then do the modding.
I think by now you should have got the idea
bye
keep