bige9191

I've been loving my 2011 TSX - it's been a faithful little car and possesses all the features I want (6 speed manual, navigation, bluetooth audio, backup camera, etc.).

I've finally reached the point in my life/career where I can afford to buy a new car; however, I've only put 47k miles on my TSX and since it pretty much has everything I want/need (and since it's so hard to find new cars with a manual transmission), I figure it makes the most financial sense to spend less resources and make my TSX a vehicle I want to keep for the next 5+ years rather than buy a new car.

As I mentioned, my car is a 2011 TSX with a manual transmission and the tech package. The car is white pearl, and aside from the windows which have a light tint, is completely stock. I am looking to spend somewhere between 3 and 7 thousand on upgrading my TSX.

What kind of ideas can the community help me generate?

Currently I'm thinking a slight tune, new body kit, wheels, etc., but I am admittedly not very knowledgeable when it comes to cars, especially after-market modifications, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. If my idea is stupid and I should be focused on other things please don't hesitate to say so, you won't hurt my feelings.

Thanks in advance everyone!

xtcnrice

What kinds of upgrades are you looking for? I know you mentioned a few things (slight tune, new body kit, wheels), but what are you ultimately hoping to achieve with spending 3-7k? Performance? Aesthetics? Maintenance?

For example if I had 7k to spend and I really wanted to up the performance on the TSX over anything else, I'd invest in supercharging/turbocharging the car. The latter would likely run you north of the 7k mark after all is said and done, but it would be a very significant change. Of course if you only wanted a bit of a performance bump, you could get a few bolt-on upgrades and a tune and would cost you around $2k after all is said and done (cost is approximate and includes Hondata FlashPro which allows for modification of our ECU (i.e., ALLOW for tuning), bolt-on parts, and the tune itself).

Another variant of performance would be suspension. You could get an aftermarket coilover system or spring and strut combination to improve the overall handling of the car (and even appearance as you'd be lowering your car in the process). Typical setups range from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Something to think about.

Or do you just care about looks? The OEM Aero/Sport (also called Modulo across the world) "body kit" is something you can look into. Plenty of threads on this site to give you some ideas. Would probably run about ~$2k-$3k new, depending if you upgrade the front bumper or not as it involves a bit more work for 11+ TSXs (you'd have to replace the grille and foglights as well if you get the Modulo front).

Wheels IMO should always come after actually getting an aftermarket suspension installed, as they typically don't make the car look better unless the car is lowered at least an inch or so (in my opinion, and many others' too). Used wheels can cost you a couple hundred bucks up to a few thousand (depending on brand/condition/material/weight/etc.). New ones start from under 1k, to up to 3k+, depending also on the same factors. Cost of new tires not included.

Just some ideas to think about. Would like to hear back on what's up on your priority list, if any. I'm biased of course, but I say keep the TSX and upgrade it! It's an awesome, comfortable, reliable ride that offers one of the best manual transmissions ever made (which is applicable to you since you own a 6MT model!). You are absolutely right in that 6MTs are becoming harder to come by.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

when modifying something; goals are needed.

or you can look at it this way; what aspect of the car would YOU like to improve?
what is something that bothers you that you wish you can make better in you car?


for me; my car did not come with an aux port. I wanted to improve the car by adding an aux port for my enjoyment.

what do you think needs improvement?

bige9191

Thanks so much for the speedy replies guys. I agree that I definitely need a more refined focus in regards to what I am trying to accomplish, so let me know if this makes any sense:

1) Performance - I would like to achieve some incremental performance upgrades but I don't intend this to be the focus of my modifications. If I wanted a really fast car I would probably start with something "fast" to begin with (a friend is selling his suped up GTR for example). I enjoy driving as much as the next guy but my daily commute is 2 miles and I don't intend to take the TSX out on a track, so I would only be looking to achieve moderate performance gains at a reasonable price. I have no idea if that goal is attainable, but that's at least my current stance (which of course is subject to change).

2) Aesthetics - It sounds super shallow, but I would like the majority of the resources I expend in modifying my TSX to go towards making it "look cooler." I had the OEM bodykit on my old 2006 TSX and loved the look, but it unfortunately was a nightmare on the pothole-ridden roads in South Carolina I used to frequent. I now live in Houston, which has much better roads, so I think it's time to make the investment in a nice body kit.

As for what "bothers me," there isn't much. I love the blue tooth audio/navigation so unless there was a way to rig my navigation system to play DVDs I can't think of much. If anything, I would like to make my car look a little more unique (but don't want to go too far with it). There is another 2nd-gen TSX in my parking garage, same color and everything, so it would be nice to have something special that is uniquely my own. At the same time, I don't want to add a 7 foot wing on the back or do anything too showy or ostentatious as I occasionally drive with clients/bosses and work in a relatively conservative industry.

As I mentioned previously, I am a neophyte in the car modification community so any advice or ideas is greatly appreciated. Also, please let me know if you would like any more detail in regards to what I hope to accomplish.

Thanks again!

ulrblitzer

It takes a lot of money to make this car go faster, but you can make it feel faster and more fun. The short shift adapter + weighted shift knob + new MTF was by far my most favorite mod and beneficial as you'll feel it everyday.

Since you have money to play. Flashpro may be worth looking at to wake up the K24 a bit.

The Modulo/Sport kit is nice, but pricey.

A good set of suspension, rims and summer tires, and brake upgrade will give your car a new feel also.

The full LED interior has to be my 2nd favorite daily used mod. Getting into a yellow dim lit car vs. a white lit car just feels a tad bit better to the morale.

I added a modified Tsudo exhaust to get a bit more pronounced noise out of the car.

2012wagon

Bodykit
New wheels
New tires
Coil overs
Get rid of ugly drl

Park it at Starbucks and pick up women with rockyboy

xtcnrice

No shame in aesthetic mods as far as I'm concerned... maybe with some, but the important thing here is that YOU know what you want to achieve, and that's all that's supposed to matter in this build thread. There will always be opinions, but that's up to you how you want to take them. I pretty much did the exact same route as you... mild perf upgrades, mostly aesthetics. I unfortunately have a 5AT, so things could've gone differently if I had a 6MT, but I digress. Good to know what you want. Feel free to check out my build thread for some ideas as I have a mix of mild perf mods and aesthetics.

1. a) "Bolt-on" engine mods. I'm probably very far off on the definition, but as far as I know, bolt-ons are engine mods that provide performance gain from your motor (i.e., torque/hp) that don't depend on boosting (supercharging/turbocharging) your car, and are (fairly) easily reversible. 2 parts that I think most will agree that add a bit of punch to your car are:

1. Pre-cat Delete (PCD)
   
   The purpose of a PCD (aka. downpipe; as the name suggests, it's a pipe that's angled downwards when installed) is to delete the first catalytic converter (aka. cat) in your exhaust system, making your exhaust more free-flowing, resulting in increased horsepower. Some brands of interest, in decreasing order of popularity: RV6, Skunk2, P2R.
   
   Note: Skunk2 and P2R pipes actually delete more than just the first cat; they also delete the second cat. It's a much longer pipe.
   
   Note 2: P2R isn't as highly recommended as there are apparently fitment issues.
   .
   
2. Tune
   
   A tune will optimize your engine for performance, and is best done after having all bolt-ons installed so that you won't need to re-tune it after adding in a new part. I considered this a bolt-on mod because you need a Hondata FlashPro (or some european equivalent hardware/software) to be able to tune the ECU (brain of the car). This is also considered a bolt-on mod because you can always very easily "flash" your ECU back to stock if you decide you want the engine running with stock parameters.

1. b) Suspension mods. I value suspension mods as much as engine mods, if not more. The 1G TSX was a pretty nimble car for a small-mid-size luxury sedan. The 2G TSX a little less so. If you want to take corners with increased confidence, or just simply quicker, then focus on these mods:

1. Coilover suspension OR springs OR a mix of springs and dampers
   
   Lowering your car lowers its center of gravity, which allows for better cornering ability. However, there's a lot more science that goes into a car's suspension setup.
   
   With just replacing your OEM springs, you're essentially only playing with two variables; 1) spring rate, and 2) spring length which affects the ride height. The advantage of installing aftermarket springs on top of your OEM struts is that it's a cheaper alternative. In some cases, this route could promote premature wear to your OEM struts as they were not designed for the aftermarket springs you've installed. I'm not a fan of this route, but it's certainly an option for a tighter budget.
   
   Coilovers replace your entire OEM strut tower/spring setup. Companies that create coilovers usually specify whether this particular coilover is ideal for street-use, track-use, off roading, etc. This is because different coilover packages offer springs with various spring rates, different levels of dampening to smooth out bumps, and depending on how much you spend, the ability to actually adjust the dampening settings to suit your needs. Coilovers generally cost a bit more than just springs, as the springs and struts in the coilover are typically engineered to work together without issue.
   
   You could also opt for springs from Company A, and struts from Company B and put the two together for a very specific setup/feel. However, in my opinion, I haven't found this to be as popular of an option on these forums, likely because many people here aren't very concerned with fine-tuning the suspension of their car.
   
   I opted for coilovers. Some brands of interest: TEIN, BC Racing, Megan, KONI, KW Suspension.
   .
   
2. Thicker rear sway bar (RSB)
   
   A thicker rear sway bar promotes less body roll (i.e,. "swaying") and thus less understeer. This will help pull you through corners better. Very popular brand being Progress (they offer a 22mm thick RSB). Some people also have the Ultra Racing (also called UR) RSB.

1. c) Performance tires. One of the most overlooked performance mod is the choice of tire. The tires are the only thing between your car and the road. With that being said, a dedicated set of summer tires (for summer obviously) goes a long way in improving the latitudinal/longitudinal grip (cornering grip vs accel/decel grip). Some tires I recommend: Michelin Pilot Super Sport, Hankook Ventus RS3.

Note... these tires are a bit overkill for our cars... but I have the former nonetheless, and I absolutely love the ride.

1. d) Lightweight wheels. Unsprung weight is your enemy. For one, a heavier wheel makes it harder to accelerate. If you want to go faster, getting lightweight wheels is a great option. Some brands: Rays Engineering/Volk Racing, Enkei, TSW, Forgestar, ....

2. a) "Body kit". I'm not a fan of the 1999 Fast and the Furious type of body kits... and most people aren't anymore these days. My base-looking TECH model TSX came with all the base bumpers. A popular upgrade is the OEM Sport/Aero kit (aka. Modulo in other markets). You can grab that from the Acura dealer. Mugen also makes a nice kit for our cars... but it's definitely not a cheap aesthetic mod. Mugen is a reputable aftermarket parts brand for Hondas (and many Acuras that are sold as Hondas in other parts of the world) and their parts come unpainted. You're looking at base cost of the parts + shipping from Japan + paint job.

2. b) OEM Honda Spirior tail lights. These lights come stock on the Chinese domestic market variant of our TSX; the Honda Spirior. Do a quick search on these forums or on Google for them and you'll see what they look like. Note: There's only 1 reverse light, as the other side is intended as a rear fog light. Guess-timating, but I'm guessing 500-600 USD for the pair with wiring harness.

2. c) OEM Honda Accord Euro bi-xenon headlights. Again, do a search for these. Very expensive headlights, but IMO look amazing. About $900+ for the pair.

2. d) Like 1b/1d, lowering your car and getting a set of aftermarket wheels could drastically change the look of your car.

Sorry for the oddly organized lists. Hope some of this helps. We have a lot of threads in the photography subforum. Check those out to get some ideas/inspiration on what you'd like to do to your car.

bige9191

lol sounds like Rockboy and I will get along swimmingly....

1) Where is the best place to get the Modulo/sport kit? Are there any other options I should consider or is this option hands-down the best body-kit out there? How much would it cost to overcome the issues associated with the front bumper (replacing grill, foglights, etc.)

2) What would you suggest in regards to the "short shift adapter + weighted shift knob + new MTF" suggested by ulrblitzer? Who should I get it from, where I should I take my car to get it installed, how much will it cost?

3) What can I do in lieu of the stock DRL? Do you install cool LEDs, remove altogether, what are my options?

4) What would you suggest in regards to the full LED interior? Who should I get it from, where I should I take my car to get it installed, how much will it cost?

As always I really appreciate the advice guys!

bige9191

That helped bigtime! Thanks for the detailed answer, I will definitely head over to the photography subforum and peruse the photos for some inspiration.

ulrblitzer

I can't really give you a shop quote for install. I pride myself in being the family/friend's backyard mechanic. If you were close by, I'd happily lend you a hand.

VR1

1. The 2011+ Sport/SE kit are just side skirts, rear sport bumper and a front lip. The front lip is just 2 "fins" that attach underneath your front bumper, and don't require any modifications as it was designed for 2011+ TSXs. Xtcnrice installed this on his car so he can probably explain installation better then I can. The "Modulo" kit was made for 2009-2011 TSXs is sideskirts, front modulo bumper and rear modulo bumper. The Modulo rear works fine with 2011+ (Xtcnrice also has this on his car), and I think the skirts will work with 2011+, as I'm 99% sure the Modulo skirts and Sport skirts are the same. Modulo front end was designed for 2009-2011 TSXs, and you will need the 2008-2010 front grille and 2008-2010 foglights for it to fit on your car

https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...umpers-932090/

3. You can pull the fuse for your DRLs and not run them or you can change the bulb. I am using Nokya 2500K bulbs since I like the Yellow look when they're off, and they're just plug and play (swap them for the OEM bulbs). You can use a LED DRL but I have no idea how well they work and you will need harnesses.

https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...on-led-894538/

4. I got my set from amazon for $25. It shouldn't take more then 20 minutes to install. It was the first modification I've ever done on a car (think I was 16 at the time) and I was able to figure it out. All you do is pop the plastic covers off the bulbs and swap them.

What I have:

I agree with Urblitzer, the LED lighting makes a Huge difference IMO. I think it's been 2 years since I did it and every time I unlock my car at night it looks waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cooler. I know someone on here did a DIY on the lights but can't seem to find it right now



Also agree with Xtcnrice on tires. I switched from the stock MXM4's to Pilot Sport AS/3 and handling is much improved.

iCrap

I'm pretty sure my Modulo bumper added at least 35hp, so that's a good option too.

2012wagon

^

Don't forget the low hanging exhaust = 20 hp

ceb

You might be interested in this post from many moons ago

icu2tsx

very good advice

icu2tsx

OP.

Start with the small mods suggested by others, it will teach you to get comfortable with your car and taking small things apart.

bige9191

You guys are the best...this is definitely enough to get me started, thanks so much!

bige9191

What impact would a PCD, a tune, and/or suspension mods have on my car's warranty?

ceb

Try this. Pay particular attention to jspira's post at #14 and mine at #80

bige9191

As a former lawstudent (and pretend lawyer) I really enjoyed your explanation, especially the part about the shifting burden...felt like my employment discrimination class all over again!

MrHeeltoe

iTrader: (1)

Tuning is probably the number one thing I would go for. The engine in your car is tuned pretty conservatively. Beyond this you can add a little more juice with some lighter weight pulleys, the RV6 pipe that was mentioned, and if you are so daring you could look at an RBC intake manifold swap. We've got all this stuff listed on our site, Heeltoeauto.com, so you might check there.

We here are also chassis experts. Understanding there is a lot more to a performance car than just horsepower, we can recommend a really nice package of chassis parts to get the feel much more confident and gratifying.

A 6MT CU2 is a great vehicle! Heeltoeauto.com would love to help consult you as much as needed to help you achieve your goals!

Marcus
949-295-1668

threetwentyfizzle

Man, what a great resource thread! all the mods, resources, and suggestions in one thread! Thanks for sharing your knowledge to us newer TSX owners, can't wait to start slowly modding my car little by little. Still holding my breath and hoping RV6 makes a HFPC option for their PCD, I've been semi-skeptical to pull the trigger due to the "rasp" a lot of members here are saying.

Sorry I hope I'm not veering too far off topic, I've read thru the wheel/tire thread, but I'm a n00b when it comes to wheel sizes/offsets/etc, but what would the ideal wheel dimensions and size for an 18" wheel upgrade from the stock SE 17's? I have access to some 18" tires, i believe 245/55/R18. Any input would be most welcomed. and what is a average weight of a wheel comparable to the factory wheels, just so I can keep that in mind when making my purchase to ensure I don't buy a heavier wheel than I currently have.

Thanks again everyone!

xtcnrice

245/55/r18 gonna look monster truckin on the TSX. I highly suggest you do not use those, lowered or not.

Ideal in terms of what? Fitment? Function? Comfort? There will always be trade offs. Let us know what it is you're looking for and we'll have a better understanding and hopefully be able to help you better.

CAgine

Like others have said, 5K is more than enough to incorporate body mods, bolt-ons, wheels/tires, brake pads, etc.

However, as far as FI goes though, this is a tricky one and not as simple as slapping a turbo on the engine. It'll be way more expensive than bolt-ons, obviously, and hard to reverse. Think to yourself, if the risk deserves the reward. (If the performance gain is even worth the money and time) and the consequences of it failing. If you decide you want to go FI route, please do it legit (there are plenty of threads on here you can reference to for SC and few boost. Some running solid, but others dealing with catastrophic failure & fighting for warranty lol..)

IMHO, I would just keep the engine NA, then bolt-ons/tune. Prevent yourself from dealing with the headache/money/heartbreak that may come with the FI failure.

You could focus on weight reduction, such as lighter pulleys, lighter wheels/tires, remove donut from the back, complete exhaust, resonator deletes, lighter battery, draining windshield wiper fluid lmao...I mean there are definitely other avenues for noticeable performance gain other than a FI.

threetwentyfizzle

Well for now I'd be on my stock suspension for a good while, maybe will look into springs at a later point in the future for a subtle drop, but I'm trying to eliminate the recessed look that the factory fugly SE 17's give the car, so a slightly wider wheel might accomplish that? (wanna sit roughly flush with the fenders, without poking out any further than that, don't want to look like a ghetto lowrider). But like I said, I don't know much about the wheel game, what fits best on these cars, If those tires are too wide for my car, etc. I guess I'll have to look at a better fitting size when I'm in the market for wheels. Whats a good width recommended for an 18" wheel? 8.5"?

Thanks

threetwentyfizzle

Edit: Oh forgot to elaborate, I'm looking more for aesthetically pleasing look, I know going to a 18" wheel might affect ride comfort a tad, but I'm not too worried on that.

xtcnrice

So, the wheel width isn't a huge factor when it comes to getting a flush fitment. It's your effective offset. Yes, wheel width affects how much your wheels will poke, but only about half as much as offset does. Let me try to explain this a bit.

Your stock 17s are 17x7.5 +55. If you increase the 7.5 to 8.5, you're adding an inch of width to the wheel. To better visualize this, it's equivalent to making your stock SE wheel half an inch wider on the inside, and half an inch wider on the outside. This effectively means that increasing width by 1" will approximately push the wheels out/closer to the fender about 1/2". Keep that in mind. The wheel width is only really important for 2 reasons: if you want a particular tire width, or you want a particular design of wheel which requires them to be wider than standard sizes (think deep-dish style wheels). If you aren't concerned about any particular tire width or a style of wheel that demands large widths to begin with, then don't think about wheel width much. A good starting point would be 8 to 8.5". And note, the wider the wheel, the heavier the wheel. Heavier wheels will mean a more sluggish feel in acceleration. There are more things to consider for wheel width, but that's as far as I'll go here.

The main measurement you want to deal with (aside from your general wheel diameter) is wheel offset. Offset measurement directly affects how far out/in your wheels are under the fender. Changing the offset by 10mm will directly make it 10mm further in/out of the wheel well. Now, there's something you need to keep in mind; intuition is against you with regards to understanding offset. The lower the offset, the further out the wheels are (more poke, if you will). Looking at the stock wheels again (17x7.5 +55), if we moved to a 17x7.5 +45, your new wheels will be effectively 10mm further out from the hub; i.e., 10mm closer to being "flush". And obviously the converse is true; increase the offset and the wheels will be more sunk.

A very common square setup (square being, all 4 wheels having the same specs) is 18x8.5 +35. On a lowered vehicle, the front wheels will poke a very tiny bit, and the rears will be a tad sunk, but since this is a square setup you can't do anything about this unless you add spacers to the rear wheels. If you want a slightly more conservative setup, go with a slightly higher offset (+38 or so?).

I still highly don't recommend the 245/55/r18 tires you mentioned in an earlier post. They will be monstrous even if you decide to lower your car. And actually, 245/55/r18 likely won't fit a 18x8.5 +35 setup I mentioned earlier without rubbing, since the tires are so wide/thick. If you're absolutely set on these tires and want to find out for yourself how they turn out, then go with a more conservative wheel setup. Note: you'll probably want to find a wheel that's at least 8-8.5" wide with a higher offset. 245 width tires probably shouldn't go on wheels any smaller than those.

Aside from that, we have various threads already available on this forum to help you out (Photography section, build threads, or threads with similar questions/concerns). Check those out to get a better idea of what you want to achieve. Also, I like to help others whenever I can, but this thread really belongs to bige9191. You should create a new thread if you absolutely searched all you could and still have questions.

Good luck!

threetwentyfizzle

Thanks for the insight, I'll keep all that in mind for when I'm ready to upgrade my wheels. And sorry if I threadjacked, I just didn't want to start a new thread for something that's probably been covered in other threads.

melojose94

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Geo Papoulis

And of your lucky a cop or ten to bust ur man parts lol