Michael S

Hi, I'm new to the forum but I'v had my 99 TL since new. To tell the truth, I've never really grown to love the TL because at street-legal speeds the handling is - at least to me - boring. I replaced the tires with Dunlop SP 9000s which helped a bit but not enough.

Because I found the Acura dull, I bought a Miata, which I absolutely love to drive. I've been steadily modding the Miata, and am delighted with the results. Since the Miata community is enormous, I've had the benefits of miata.net and other enthusiasts with lots and lots of reviews of various aftermarket parts. The suspension mods I ended up with on the Miata were Koni's, Jackson Racing Sways, and (currently) Toyo Proxes. (I also bought Panasport wheels for looks, but they don't help the handling)

So now, rather than dump the Acura (I need a business car), I want to make it more fun to drive without making it too harsh. I'm not looking for cosmetic improvements and I don't want to drop too much money into a 3 year old car.

My instinct is to go with Koni's and Comptech sway bars, keeping the OEM wheels and springs. The problem is, if I decide I want springs later, I get to spring (no pun intended) twice for labor.

Does anyone have experience with this setup?

Michael S

bump. anybody?

ChucksCL-S

Yes that is what you want and I commend you for your insight. I drive all day for work and after many tries and failures have ended up with Koni yellows ( lower perch) stock springs (H&R OE's are a possibility later) Comptech sways frt & rear and Michelin Pilots. The car still sits alittle high by about an inch and the H&R OE's would fix that. Wheels are OE. You'll love the ride and handling - on on-ramps I can hang with anything (except your Miata) and the car is very neutral. When wifey uses the car for a couple days I just dial the Koni's softer. Good luck.

ChucksCL-S

Also to have alittle more fun without spending a ton get yourself a cold air K&N type intake and performance mufflers for a nice 8 to 12 HP boost. It's there because I drove a TL like mine that was a loner all stock and it was noticibly slower. If you want to really go nuts next get headers for a 24-30HP boost beyond 5K rpm's. Also keep your eyes here for a mod we've all been waiting for called th RES that goes on the intake ($300) to add 13-16 HP. Headers cost $1100. Supposedly the RES is in production.