Okay, this is gonna be a lengthy one, with too many photos, so please bear with me here. I'm Ty'Eira Marie Morrison, from lil' ol' Asheville (yes, the Asheville where Biltmore House is, NC.) I ended up here on Acurazine in a very funny way: I'd wanted an Accord for a while yet, searching '93 CB7 SEs and '01-'02 CG1 EX-V6 Sedans, just to ease me into a nice Honda. But, alas, my timing was way off on the Accord, even when I test drove the perfect Satin Silver '01 EX-V6 Sedan back at the end of September '19, took a few snapshots of it in my driveway, and planted a Honda seed that literally even shocked myself.

Okay, we're moving to May 22nd, 2020, a rough eight months later, and I decided to rid myself of a '91 Geo Storm GSI that was a literal disaster in every sense of the word. So I searched, and searched, and searched again for multiple Satin Silver 6th Gen Accord Sedans, but every single one was out of my reach. So I searched for the 3.2TL, and found a few '99-'01 TL-P models that were over 300k and laden with transmission problems... then this '03 Satin Silver Type-S pops up for a shocking $1250. "Hmm, I may have to see if this is still available tomorrow if I don't find anything else," I ponder to myself silently as I await the next day.

So I go and message the guy the next day. "PLEASE tell me you still have this car," I plead with the seller. He immediately fires back "Yes, it's still here." So I spend the next ten minutes inquiring ferociously about check engine lights that were never on, misdiagnosed issues to be addressed, and making sure the car actually moved under its own power. Okay, we know about the general idea of her, but we gotta get down to the final stage: the price. I know full well this man is gonna laugh in my face for foolishly letting the words "I was gonna offer you $1000, but I'm $300 short right now" slip from my impulsive mind and fast mouth. This man seriously isn't gonna sell me a running Honda that now only needs motor mounts and a transmission fluid change this cheap.

"I'll gladly accept your $700, I'm moving in two weeks and need it GONE," the next message rapidly states. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! $700 for a TL-S that runs?! I hurriedly exclaim back, "Oh, we're picking her right on up tomorrow" (edited reply due to forum rules.)

And here we are with Tara Lynne, an entire month and 1,634 problem-free miles later... the only mechanical issues are now motor mounts and a transmission fluid change, the only cosmetics are a set of floor mats, right fender/both bumpers repainted, new set of wheels, owner's manual, and a rearview mirror to be ready for what's to come... she's mostly almost complete in my eyes though. Let me dump these pictures real quick, and run you through the transformation as of today:

5/26/2020 First photo of Tara Lynne. She looks BAD, doesn't she?

5/27/2020 Much-needed bath, but left front caliper blew on the 20-mile trip home.

5/28/2020 Removal of front bumper

6/7/2020 Found a fender and bumper at a junkyard. It's off a little, but it works. Now for the trunk.

6/11/2020 Mini photoshoot, she rolls 230k that night. (1/4)

6/11/2020 Mini photoshoot, rear end. You can see how bad the trunk looks. (2/4)

6/11/2020 Me, just goofing around, taking pictures of both of my girls, Tara Lynne and my '93 Grand Am GT, Quad. (3/4)

6/11/2020 475 miles into ownership, we roll 230k. All the lights that were on (maintenance, seatbelt latch) are now gone, and we're just waiting to do the caliper now.

6/15/2020 Yay, caliper and brake pads are finally on, to get rid of the glowing \"brake" dash light and stop properly... (1/2)

6/15/2020 ...but not without severely spraining my wrist. (2/2)

6/20/2020 Tara Lynne meets up with her best friend, a Sundance Gold '01 3.2CL Type-S.

6/25/2020 This morning before we leave for her airbag recall. (1/8)

6/25/2020 I thought she was clean here, but little do both of us know, two more baths are forthcoming today. (2/8)

6/25/2020 Kinda glad I can avoid that pit of mud, didn't wanna mess up a \"clean" paintjob pulling off lol (3/8)

6/25/2020 Last photo before we leave. It seems like something is still off though. (4/8)

6/25/2020 And we're home. Wait... something on Tara Lynne looks different from when we first left. Hmm... (5/8)

6/25/2020 ...I still can't point out what looks so different... she looks a bit... sportier than before. (6/8)

6/25/2020 ...wait, wasn't that trunk just faded out this morning? I could've sworn the trunk looked like it was dipped in a vat of acid earlier. It actually matches the car now! (7/8)

6/25/2020 Wait... that trunk also didn't have a spoiler on it before. So THAT'S what made her look sporty! Welp, let's see if we can get the 3rd brake light in the spoiler to work now by rigging and splicing some 3rd brake light wiring. (8/8)

 

Hi Tara, Welcome, I recognize your pics, car and it's new spoiler from the facebook group.

You'll find a lot of great info on how to do repairs and whatnot here, I recommend sorting threads by views to get a good feeling for the items that have helped the most.

 

Thank you. So far, it's just mostly regular Honda maintenance that needs to be addressed. My main thing is the motor mounts, they sound BAD when climbing a hill. I'm getting there though... this is only the beginning.

 

Loving that look my friend!

 

Just wait until about October... I got some wheels in store for her. I gotta get the front passenger spring cut because somehow I'm missing a spring from the Tein lowering kit I have.

 

Welcome to the forum. Well played and well done!!!

 

Thank you. Had to spend my time today pretty much getting title work and temp tags... it literally broke me smh

 

Well, do I have some updates for y'all:

She's not done yet, and this is the absolute most I've done to a car ever. When we left off, I had just gotten the title done with temp plates. Since then:

-Almost had a tire blow out
-Passed NC inspection with a spare
-Had the CEL come on for solenoids (p0740)
-Cleaned the solenoids and screens
-Replaced the front tires on the original TL-S wheels
-Got permanent tags
-Found nine bottles of DW-1 ATF on Craigslist for $45
-Ordered owner's manual and front/side motor mounts
-Changed oil/filter
-Cleaned front wheels

Things I still have left to do:
-Find a rearview mirror
-Find black 3.2TL floormats
-Change transmission fluid (drain bolt torqued too tight)
-Install motor mounts
-Install suspension
-Check timing belt

This is the best car I've ever had TBH. I think buying this car was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

7/2/2020 Oh, man, not the inside of the tire though... And these were borrowed too.

7/2/2020 Welp... this spare should hold for the next two weeks. *sad face*

7/3/2020 *nervously awaits inspection result in sketchy spare*

7/3/2020 *passes NC Inspection in mind-blowing shock*

7/6/2020 *CEL says hello in p0740*

7/7/2020 *pulls transmission solenoids and screens* Oh. So THAT'S why the p0740 showed up.

7/7/2020 *cleans solenoids with brake cleaner* That's much better now.

7/14/2020 ...really? The spare is flat too?! Ugh...

7/14/2020 Welp, this should hold for the next few days, despite showing thread.

7/14/2020 So much for the spare lol

7/17/2020 New tires being installed (1/2)

7/17/2020 New tires being installed (2/2)

7/17/2020 Now that we got these bent OEM wheels back on...

7/17/2020 ...man, those wheels look bad from all that dust 🙃

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (1/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (2/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (3/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (4/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (5/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (6/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (7/8)

7/18/2020 Photoshoot time with my best friend and his Sundance Gold '01 CL-S (8/8)

7/19/2020 Mama getting a Birthday Photo with her TL-S

7/21/2020 All that birthday cash helped out... got her some of the good transmission fluid.

7/22/2020 ...tell me again why I'm changing my own oil with a 15° scoliosis curve in my spine?

7/22/2020 Wow. I was turning the filter the wrong way.

7/22/2020 And we got the old filter off.

7/22/2020 Yay, new filter!

7/22/2020 ...wheels actually look nice when they're cleaned up.

7/22/2020 Yeah, I gotta hurry up and paint this fender and bumper to the lighter Satin Silver.

7/22/2020 This spoiler makes it look like a different car now.

7/22/2020 I love this car and everything about it. I never wanna lose it.

Now the real fun begins. I get to try and find gold JDM Saber Type-S badges, grille, and Honda jewelry for the steering wheel. That should be fun.

 

Looking good! What's the tally up to?

 

Outstanding!! That's a great score on the ATF. Done the screen and solenoid thing myself. Your selfie under your car should be your profile pic.

The fun never stops!

 

It's definitely shifting better now, I can say that much

 

I enjoyed reading your story! you are gifted with the ability to convey your words beautifully!!

paired with the photos, this thread is awesome! glad you found the TL-S and this forum!

 

Thank you so much. I'm about to update the thread in a few

 

Just a bit OT but my niece got married a few years ago at the Biltmore. I went to college in Oakdale NY which was the former home of William K Vanderbilt. My niece had her family and close friends pre-wedding lunch at 12 Bones! Dang good BBQ!!!

Looking forward to your progress........

 

I swear I commented on this car before. Either I'm cracking up or it was another thread with the same pictures because I remember the front right fender changing when the front end got fixed up.

Regardless; cool story... It's great to see someone passionate about (relatively) old cars that need some work.

 

I love this story. I'm originally a Charlottean though, I just moved to Asheville because that's where my husband and soul mate was from. But Asheville is a very wonderful place to be.

 

It was this one then. This car is now all over AcuraZine, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Reddit, and any other social media sites you can think of.

I'm pretty heavily known in the car community anyway, just because of my 1 of 719 '93 Quad 4 High Output Grand Am GT Sedan alone... this TL-S just added that much more "popularity."

 

So, as y'all remember, last Wednesday I changed my oil and filter (and man, was it so black, it looked like it hadn't been changed in three years.) I was finally able to change the transmission fluid today, since I wasn't able to last Wednesday... and, whew, baby, let me tell you... I had a TIME trying to break the transmission drain bolt (despite my 124lb self breaking the bolt within 90 seconds.) When that drain plug came out, that transmission fluid was so thick and burnt, I almost thought somebody put used motor oil in the transmission. That scared me, big time. I already know I researched the CarFax extensively for any service records... all CarFax will tell me is that it was a lease from Spitzer Acura in PA (6/2002) that got turned in to my local Apple Tree Acura (3/2005,) a local Ford dealership picked up the car after it must've gotten love tapped in the back (8/2005,) and it's been with one person for fifteen years until I took over. The service records are very sketchy after 7/2007 (around 95k.)

So, now that we know this car was probably most likely taken care of until the last few years, I'm gonna attempt to attach my small photo progress (and a couple YouTube videos


7/30/2020 ...okay, let's go flush a transmission now. *sighs in fibromyalgia*

7/30/2020 Okay, after two excruciatingly painful minutes of bending my 15° scoliosis curve another degree... the drain plug finally decided to break.

7/30/2020 Do you see how dark that transmission fluid was? It was as black as that fluid pan with absolutely no sight of red to be seen in the fluid. You'd have seriously thought somebody pumped this transmission with three quarts of used motor oil, it was so burnt.

7/30/2020 Letting the excess drain completely out... This gives you a better view of how dark the transmission fluid was.

7/30/2020 Well, dang it. This fluid was BAD bad. This looks so horrible, I'm legitimately scared to think about what would happen if I didn't buy this car.

7/30/2020 Aww Yeah, Mama's giving her baby the special DW-1 treatment today. You better enjoy this, Tara... you got two more rounds of this.

 

 

 

Why didn't you fill from the fill plug? Just curious about that dispenser top DW-1 system going into the dipstick

 

I'll guess she has the oil jet in the fill hole.

 

...hell, I didn't even know there were fill holes 🙃 I already had the dispenser top equipment from five years ago and this made it easier for me

 

gotta love your style. whatever gets the job done! I'll take some pics of the fill hole location and post em just in case

 

So here are some pics of where the fill hole is located. I have the jetpack on my transmission which is that black hose on top with the nozzle that sits in the fill hole. If you do not have the jetpack system, then it will just be a 17mm bolt.
With the jetpack, I only have to remove one 12mm bolt on the bracket to access the fill hole. The nozzle can be pulled right out.
*All pictures are orientated as if you were standing in front of car facing engine*

 

...so basically behind the intake... I'll have to remember this (I know I won't, even with the photos in front of my face)

The crazy part is gonna be changing the filter come 9/30 🙃

 

Yeah that filter sucks. Definitely take out the battery and air intake for better access.

 

First off - great find, great thread, and great work! You, ma'am, are doing it right.

In each of those two 0 - 90 videos, you can hear a high-pitched sort of whistle or whine that follows the RPMs. Does anyone know what's likely to cause that? I don't want to clutter up this thread, but I had to ask because I have the exact same whine and those videos capture the sound wonderfully.

 

Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about. I thought all Hondas did this though lol. I remember the CB7s doing it too, and the CG1s.

 

I wanna say it’s the torque converter. Some do it right away, others not really. When it’s whining in park is an issue.

I could be wrong...

 

I believe mine just does it in any gear that's not Park or Neutral TBH

 

I guess let me update. It's not much, but my car refuses to give up, even with a very harshly driven 4000 miles and every major fluid changed since purchased. I'm still waiting to get at least the motor mounts put on to soften the ride a bit, but here we are as of now:


8/10/2020 Everyone: "You finally cleaned up the headlights, it looks like a new car!" Me: 🤦🏿‍♀️😒 "It's the same $700 Honda I dragged home"

8/10/2020 ...I guess the 6k LED high beams are fine. It's those 4300k stock HID low beams that don't have enough output for my eyes. (Yes, I'm very aware the passenger low beam is burnt. The lighting really isn't that good for my eyes anyway, even when both worked last month)

 

Light conversion in the future? Whatcha thinkin for solution?

 

...probably 6k for the low beams.

 

Welp... we got the first piece of what will be a crazy project... everyone wants Inspire badges, I decided to go Saber.
Here's the first piece:

8/27/2020 A PhotoShopped rough draft of the front end in its final draft. Going for gold badges because I want the badges to stand out (plus gold is the only choice I have with the rear badges.)

8/27/2020 Actual photo of the grille being sent from Canada.

 

Okay, we finally got the first piece of the Saber Type-S puzzle. It's not much, but Tara's standing out already.


8/27/2020 ...just the stock front end, that's all.

9/3/2020 "What happened to the grille? Looks like someone stole it..."

9/3/2020 "Why is the winged Acura piece on your dining room table?"

9/3/2020 "Oh, I see now, you're gonna adapt the winged Honda piece into your old grille. This should be interesting."

9/3/2020 "Oh, wow, it only took you two minutes to swap the grille? That was fast!"

9/3/2020 ...I'm gonna have to get used to seeing this front end, but whatever makes this TL-S (or Saber Type-S) stand out from all the others. I absolutely love it though, despite having to now find a gold "H".

 

Very cool thread, I have really enjoyed reading it. I am curious though, how did you pass NC inspection with a failed headlight?

Also, in a few years this car won't need an emission inspection anymore. They just changed the law so any car that's 20 years old only needs a safety inspection. However, depending on your county you might not need that anyway, I know it's required in my county so I have to pay the full $30.

 

So apparently, the thing about my headlights are the fact that they work when they want to work. And I'm in Buncombe (of course Asheville has to be one of the 22 cities in NC to require emissions.)

But I was more worried about the spare tire than anything.

 

Hey I have parts for sale for your car motor mounts especially. Let me know what else you need or whatever and I am sure that I will probably have it lol.

 

...wish I didn't already have the mounts in my backseat 🙃