TSX-718

Wassup everyone, I have always been a fan of this forum and recently began to get more involved in modifying my 04 TSX. I have seen the pictures on this site and WOW. Some of these cars look amazing.

Im starting a car club of Acura's here in NYC and i want to lead by example.

I want to hook up my car, but i dont want to the crazy sports look, i want it to maintain its "sexy luxury" look.

I need help with brands and parts and i came here cus you guys look really well informed

So far, from what I gathered, these are the Mods i want to do for my car.

Goal: Some speed with a clean sexy look.
Budget ($3000 or less)

AEM (short Ram) intake - RED $190
DC Headers (ceramic or stainless steel)
Dual exhaust (what kind??)

Body Kit = should I get the A SPEC kit (it doesnt look worth the $$, but the package comes with RIMS, SKIRTS ALL AROUND, SUSPENSION and SPOILER)
or should i get a different brand?? Help

Suspension (a spec or ??) I dont want it slammed to the floor cus the streets here in NY are horrible, i want it to sit sexy on the tires and rims

Tires (What kind??)

Rims (aspec or i seen a set called TENZO)

I need alot of help and i want to get this project on the road ASAP, i want to get all of this done by spring
Any and all of your help is much appreciated guys.

I will post pics of my current ride when i learn to upload pics

Thanx

MMsTSX

sorry, but for your budget, you're way out of your league.
especially to lead a car club by example.

some of the cars here you see that are class leaders have about $25k+ in mods.
just the supercharger alone will run you in the neighborhood of $5k.

sounds to me like you just want to have a mod or two here or there, nothing
really nice or expensive...

mclovintsx

iTrader: (2)

ouch. =O

CGP06tsx

You can't be a leader of a club with cheap wheels either. Just getting a nice set of Works, Volks, Advans, etc will cost you more than 3k with tires. If you want a nice looking TSX without doing anything really expensive, other than nice wheels, you can expect to spend at least 10k.

PrecyseStylez

With a 3k budget your good.. You can have a clean looking TSX. First you could go with basic Tein Coilovers with your budget.. You'll sit low enough or you can go with the Aspec suspension as well. Aspec body kit will go well or you can look at a few other lip kits out.. might be able to find some used kits as well. Good speed will be an CAI, DC header or Comptech header, Reflash and a high flow cat. You dont really need the full exhaust at this time.. a header and high flow cat will make you faster.

I personally dont think you even need a body kit on a 3k budget. So with that being said i'd just go with Tein Basic, CAI, any one of the 2 headers I mentioned, pick 1 out of the few high flow cats available for the TSX and Reflash the ecu and then call it a day. Mod more when you come up with more money.. You should have some money left over for a comptech sway bar or/and rear stabilizer and comptech short shifter. Good Luck!

Chadwick

Harsh, but true.

Unfortunately with a 3K budget you're not going to reach all your goals. You're going to have to prioritize your wish list, performance or style, which do you want more in the beginning? (I say beginning because once you start modding you may never stop) Regardless which route you take most of the 'big' mods will eat that 3K without blinking, supercharger, body kit, wheels/tires. Each of these alone can come close to, or exceed your budget.

If you'd prefer speed up front, little things like the intake you've chosen are a good place to start, Hondata reflash is something a lot of people swear by as far as value for the money ($500-ish I think). If you decide to go with new headers, try and replace the cat. converter also as it is quite restrictive on the 04/05 models. I wouldn't recommend replacing the exhaust though. That is some sexy, shiny stuff you can add, but it will cost a bunch and you won't gain a lot of power.

If you want style, that's very personal, everyone's different when it comes to that. JDM headlights are a great addition, and blacking out the chrome window trim, these 2 things can dramatically alter the look of the car. Take a close look around the forum, there's many ideas on ways to change the front grill (cheap too!). Check out the M3 lip spoiler, very classy look and you can get it painted & shipped for probably $50 these days. Windows tinted yet? For me that's step 1 on any vehicle.

Personally, I believe you can get better value and satisfaction out of changing the appearance of the car. You can simply get more results from a particular budget, and your efforts are more obvious, to you and others.

Good luck whichever road you take, it's a terrific car.

valeratj

TSX is the kind of car that can be fastER, but not fast. I mean it can, but not with $3000 budget. As for looks, body parts are pretty expensive too and there arent many of them

poltergeist

For the millionth time....search, search, search, search......or at least post in the "Performance Parts and Modifications" forum.

lcrazyaznl

iTrader: (1)

I think i've spent about 5k with all my used parts.

TSX-718

im def gonna research this website more

as for the 3k.. thats my immediate budget, not my overall budget. its what i can spend before spring gets here. then my next mod would probably be around late summer / early fall time.

as for leading a car club, non of my ppls have hooked up there rides yet, except for my cousin who got a small head start by purchasing a 09 tsx with all the goods. So, i want to lead by example but setting off the MOD purchasing..

Thanks for the replies, negative and positive, ill b back later to read the rest.

TSX-718

"so i want to lead by example by* setting off the Mod purchasing.."

CrazyAzn - your car looks sick, and if i can do what you did with my budget i would be maad happy

PrecyseStylez - Your car looks insane also, Know the name of some good lip kits i can research? whats CAI? I have a dude that wants to sell me DC sports headers, but they are ceramic. In your opinion, are stainless steel better??? My barber has been encouraging me to get the TEIN suspension, but the acura dealership i go to told me he would give me the A Spec suspension for a real good price. Will the A spec sit on the wheels nicely? (remember i dont want it maaaad low cus of the NY streets)

Chadwick - i dont want a supercharger, maybe in the future. Im buying the rear lip spoiler tomorrow for $45 (unpainted). The HONDATA flash, i have that planned for the FALL. and YES, i did do the Tints, it was first on my list also.

Thanks for the comments.

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

With a limited budget its best to take it slow. My main suggestion is to buy used parts. Don't rush it, otherwise you'll be spending a lot more, and getting less out of your money. That is, assuming you arnt anal about used parts.

Every piece of mod I've done to my car is used, except my headlights and front lip (which I got a deal on too, on both of them)

I think I've only spent about 8k on the car.
A rough estimate to give you an idea for each component..
Full system - 1600
Coilovers - 1200
Wheels/3 sets of tires - 2000
Lip kit - 600
Suspension components (bars, end links) - 300
Tints/visors/vinyl trim - 450
Headlights/hid fogs - 380
Misc small things (adds up quick!) - 600?

Don't know what that adds up, lazy to check. But that's just a estimate from what I can think of from the top of my head. Keep in mind tho, if I bought everything new, it couldve easily been 10-13k

TSX-718

where can i find used parts? Craigslist??

i g2g my girl is wearing boy shorts, b back tomorrow.

Ruserious

iTrader: (2)

718! You can find used parts on here in the blackmarket. Go Mets! You should buy the lip spoiler already painted. Just a thought.

CarbonGray Earl

don't forget how much you save by installing alot of this yourself, not to mention a little bit of cred for knowing your way around a car.

MMsTSX

craigslist? uh maybe, that's a tad sketchy though, never know what you
will get from that place.



https://acurazine.com/forums/non-automotive-motorcycle-sales-9/
^here is a good forum on this site that frequently has used tsx parts
from us members for sale. if any of us want to sell stuff, we post it
in that section. so keep your eye on it, good deals pop up frequently.

wong05tsx

iTrader: (6)

Worth quoting so you can see it twice

I don't think I paid for anything to be installed

thisaznboi88

iTrader: (7)

supercharger will give you that extra boast. Hondata and a lip with some rims would be nice. Ummm window visor? i ono there a lot of stuff you can do to it just use ur imagination

TSX-718

Hell yea I'm using this info to help out my project. I'm at acura manhattan right now doing basic maintenance, they trying to get me to buy a warranty that is will last me till 105000 miles or 2011. I got 37000 miles, I say chiillll not for $1800. On eBay there is a store called curry acura n are selling the aspec kit for 899 n the suspension for 699... What u guys think?

TSX-718

Ruserious - go mets indeed, NYC tsx's should do a meet at citi field

MMsTsx - goodlooking with that info, checkin it out know on my itouch

I'm too much of a cautious dude to do any car tuning myself, on my old integra I took mad chances and did some work myself n some mods worked n others worked less.. Bit now with this forum I can research for tips or just post a question

MMsTSX

I say stay away.
that is called a STEALership for a reason.

first off, A-Spec is a joke. especially if you're leading a car club.
it's drop is very poor, not adjustable in height or stiffness. that suspension
is basically just an OEM suspension that sits you like an inch or two lower.
your car will still have big wheel gaps and be unbalanced.
forget A-Spec period.

what year TSX you have is very important.
04-05 is one style of TSX, and 06-08 is another.
the lip kits, suspension, exhausts, bumpers, and many other things are
quite different between the year groups.
in any case, A-Spec is nothing special no matter what year you have. it's
just a factory option that everybody and their brother can get. they look
okay, but not that great in my opinion and are easily bested by other
suspensions, body kits, and rims.

I know you look at an A-Spec TSX every day, but honestly it is nothing
special or even note worthy at all. it's just a factory TSX. if you want to
set an example of modding to your buddies, stay away from dealerships
and from factory option add-ons. start investigating what JDM is and what
it means to the Japanese car modding world.

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

i wouldn't call the OEM kit a 'joke.' everyone's just got different needs with their suspension, and some people would rather have factory product with a mild drop and marginally stiffer ride. you're just going to have weigh what's more important to you with your suspension. driveability? looks? hitting potholes and scraping your car? bodyroll? for the money you'll pay for the a-spec, you might as well just save a few hundred more and get some teins with ride height adjustability.

everyone's got different tastes or a different vision for their ride. if the OEM A-spec kit is what you like, go ahead and get it. if you want something different, import the euro-r kit which is JDM, or some aftermarket like mugen or kenstyle.

$899 is on the high side for a full OEM kit. you can search around forums and see if there are any old group buy threads and check if those specific dealers still honor the group buy price. it'll be tough though b/c those deals might be stale. your best bet is just to take your time, do some research, and look around classifieds. you can get good deals there.

as for craigslist, there isn't much that it offers in NYC. i check every now and then, and most posts consist of HID kits, ugly rims, and headlights. you rarely find anything worth getting. so again, check the private sales section on a-zine or buy from the vendors on the site. excelerate and heeltoe offer solid products and advice all at a reasonable price.

emseecoy

iTrader: (1)

1. Tein Basics
2. Ingalls Rear Camber Kit
3. Cusco Strut Bar
4. Comptech Rear Sway Bar
5. Cold Air Intake

There's a good start for you.

TSX-718

I feel what you sayin MMsTSX, thanks dude

JohnKDoe - your right about the craigslist, i kept checking Craigslist and i seen the same results

OK, so i went to a spot called Performance JDM on Qns Blvd (i think thats the name) and i asked the guy for TEIN suspension and he was like.. IS YOUR TSX FAIRLY NEW? and im like YEA, he said DONT GET SUSPENSION, JUST BUY THESE SKUNK2 SPRINGS AND ADD THEM ON AND I SAVED YOU MAAD MONEY, $160.

i told him i would think about it, what do you think???

emseecoy - whats a rear camber kit??

MMsTSX

I think that guy has no idea what he is talking about.
there is no spring/strut combo that can compete with coilovers.
and skunk2 is on the very low end of quality.

sticking lowering springs on your stock struts is asking to blow your stock
struts pretty quickly, especially in a city with bad roads. then you will be
out a full set of dampers. you are MUCH better off buying a set of
tein coilovers, and NOT from that place you went to. ruining your stock
suspension way early should not be an option if you ask me.

I like to live by: do it right, or don't do it at all.
and putting skunk2 springs on your car is not doing it right.

TSX-718

Also, at the acura dealership, the "consultant" told me that if i change the Cat Converter, i am going to have to change the Air sensors and alot of other pieces and that i will always have the check engine light problems. Did you guys run into this problem when you changed your Cat Converter?
After i mentioned the parts i want to buy soon, he said, "you will have the least problems if you just add intake and exhaust, stay away from changing the CAT". i forgot what he said about adding Headers.

TSX-718

This is exactly what i was waiting for... i remember seeing SKUNK2 stickers on civics and integras back in the day, so i felt a little assured of the brand. But i never knew if it was high quality or just decent quality..
When he said add it to your stock, i knew there was something not right. Dont make any sense to do that move. Thanx

MMsTSX

I suggest Tein Basics or Tein SS or Buddy Club N+ coilovers.
probably the best for the money for you for our cars.

xjohnkdoex

iTrader: (2)

if you search the specific parts people are recommending, or whatever that clown in queens is recommending, you're bound to find a lot of information about the products, feedback by owners, etc...so rather than constantly asking 'is part X good? what about part Y?' just search a little in the performance mod section and you'll find useful info (re: modding your cat converter).

there are also threads in there with mod lists, like 'best value' or 'least to most necessary.' so you can kind of get an idea what route people took in modding their cars, and what parts are the best bang for the dollar.

finally, don't cheap out on your car! the tsx is a great car and it'd be an injustice to just slap some springs onto your OEM shocks. do research, save up, and either get some reputable coilovers or a solid aftermarket spring/aftermarket shock combo.

progress rear sway bar is a nice first mod. it's only like $150 bucks, you fell a change in handling. a CAI/SRI would be a good one too.

CCColtsicehockey

I will quote this again cause its the truth. I would be broke if I paid to have all my stuff installed. only thing I paid to have installed were my brakes cause something about some how messing up the ability to stop and putting your life at risk bothered me at the time. maybe the next set I will do myself.

godfather2

disregard the consultant, there are many of us running around with full i/h/c/e and no CEL. if you do happen to get a CEL, there's like a $5, 5 min fix for it!

CCColtsicehockey

I also highly suggest not discussing your modification plans with the stealership as it just gives them more grounds to try to deny you warranty claims.

TSX-718

i have been researching on this site, i put in as much time as i can, i work two jobs and my lady requires time.. so whatever free time i get, i put in work. i ask only because you dudes are so far ahead of me with this knowledge and Car work, plus i always ask for experienced ppls opinions on topics because they might know something i didnt read or experienced.

Before i get my research started..

Neuspeed (the green ones) springs, my boy said he "took them off a TSX" (but i think hes getting my car confused with the TL) and is gonna give them to me, tomorrow im gonna pick them up. Any suggestions on what kind of shocks i can pair them up with? and does anyone know how much of a drop that particular style is?

thanks for all the help and input

valeratj

Are u serious? has anyone ever been dumb enough to ask stealership about aftermarket parts? WOW.... those guys are always looking to rip u off

visuelz

I'd say go with the Koni Yellow Shocks with the Eibach springs.

Ruserious

iTrader: (2)

Skunk2 is not on the low quality. My skunk2 exhaust is great. I dont know about their springs but they are not cheap shit quality.

emseecoy

iTrader: (1)

Relax Ruserious, he isn't saying Skunk2 are cheap quality...It is just majority people would consider TEIN products than Skunk2 products. Skunk2 has coilovers, but not as many you can choose from such as TEIN. This is a thread about suspension, not exhaust catbacks. I am pretty sure many people can vouch for your Skunk exhaust system..Count me as one...

Hey Tsx-718, a camber kit is a independent link that allows you to change or set an appropriate 'toe' and 'camber' level on your wheels. There are front camber kits and rear ones. I purchased the Ingalls brand for about $144.00 shipped to my door. Took only 4 days to arrive.

valeratj

Just so u know, I found an exhaust shop which builds an exhaust system (from cat all the way to the back) for $100 + cost of every muffler. A custom exhaust could be the way for you to save a few cents I got my flex pipe for TS header from these guys and they installed it. Quality was good, so it isnt some untested BS I am posting here.

I think you need to check out exhaust shops in your neighborhood.