PPower

Instead of continuing onto [url=MY THREAD in general forum[/url] about getting the car, it's now time to start a progress thread. It's a 2012 Vortex Blue Pearl wagon with Tech and had the splash guards and cargo tray already installed at the time of delivery with a whole 6 miles on the clock.

Here's a pic that the salesman sent me when it showed up from the dealer trade:


19x8" RDX wheels and 19x8.5" +38 Volk GT-C were bought in advance and waiting on the car to arrive. Both sets have very fresh 235/35/19 wheels that are correct for a 3G TL but about 1.5% too small for the TSX. 245/35/19 which I will end up buying will add 1/4" to each sidewall.


We took delivery of our very first new car on Tuesday, and I put both wheels on the car yesterday to see which I'm liking better. For right now, I have RDX wheels on the driver side and Volk on the passenger side. Both are great looks but completely different. I might just run RDX as winter wheels and then swap the tires onto the others for summertime. Considering it will have a mild drop and proper sized tires, it will look considerably different.

17" vs. 19"

tobwac

awesome choice on color and car
I like the Aspec a lot more plus if you drop it its gonna looks sick

ttk5

Judging just by the pics you posted, I like the Aspecs more too. BUT with more mods the GTC's can easily take your wagon to a new level. The only way i think though, is for you to stance it with coilovers and spacers. If your not willing to do that, go for the aspecs. GTC's arent really made for wagons i think..

718Tsx

my vote is with the rdx wheels

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Looks great! RDX wheels ftw

swarlos

Wow sweetest wagon thus far! RDX wheels definitely flow better with the car. The volks look a little out of place, but with the right drop, you might be able to pull them off...maybe.

Mr. NC

Gold and blue can't ever go wrong, really reminds me of a Subaru Legacy wagon lol.

Drop that thing like a bad habit.

ed_423

run both ;D

TSXKid2010

DO defcon style. two of a certain rim on one side, two of another on the other! "You can;t see both sides of the car at the same time anyway!"

PPower

Thanks, all. I don't think I could pull off the asymmetric look full time, but it IS kinda fun to have two totally different looks going all the time. My brother came over and thought that from the photos he'd like the RDX best but loved the Volk in person. The RDX is definitely more conservative in style while also looking like the bigger wheel. The Volk wheels look like jewels with the freshly refinished lips.

As far as the drop, this just might be the first wagon on coilovers in the US that I'm aware of. I just have to decide which to buy, and I'll get it started along with the rear sway bar (no brainer). It will be fairly conservative since my wife will be driving it at least half the time. I'd love to try out the KW Variant 1, but I am unsure about spending so much more than other kits without really any reviews of the product on the TSX. I'm most likely looking at H&R Street Performance coilovers or Tein SS. Both have their positives, but I think I'm leaning towards the H&R so far. My M3/4 currently has H&R springs on custom valved Koni coilovers.

WeatherTech digital cut floor liners are on the way, and the car is currently being worked on at Auto Distinctions getting 3M Crystalline 40 all around and 70 on the windshield. My brother has had this done on his last BMW 135 and current M3 sedan, and it is AMAZING how much it helps. Ventureshield paint protection is being applied to the bumper, hood, lights, mirrors, tailgate, behind door handles, and the rear door sills (little kiddos step all over them).

proimport

run it just like that volks on 1 side rdx on the other side

PPower

Like Puppetmaster and his plates, I believe I will be going with this plate:



Now to come up with 6 letter plate that's not too pompous...

PPower

Crystalline tint is on. 40 around the sides and back, 70 on the windshield. Ventureshield is on the hood, bumper, headlights, rear door sills and "Acura", rear bumper, under door handles, and door edge guards thanks to J.P. Johnson at Auto Distinctions in Tulsa, OK.

Here are a couple of shots showing current and Photoshop lowering.

Volk GT-C


PS lowered


RDX


PS lowered

24boosted

Looks awesome dropped. I like your choice in mods and being unique with the wagon. Keep it up man.

TSXKid2010

The RDX dropped looks like OEM, if that's the look you're going for

Personally, i'd do dropped volks

ClutchTSX122

i would go volks...your car has given me a whole new outlook on wagons...keep up the good work

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Overall I like the RDX more. The blue on gold thing I'm not a huge fan of. If the spokes on the Volks were gunmetal, that would have my vote 100%

PPower

Now I'm back home again and was able to "lower" the rear views.

RDX


PS lowered


Volk GT-C


PS lowered

24boosted

My chop of your ride.

ed_423

hawt.

Mr. NC

Let's see that PS lower....lol and a bit more cambuuuuuuur

VortexBlueTSX

I like those volks a lot my friend they look good! :Thumbsup:

tobwac

I still vote for the RDX wheels for some reason i dont really like the GT-C

ed_423

its a tough choice man, the rdx wheel look very oem, but the volks look very tuner like.

jrtls03

iTrader: (1)

Looks great! I like the rdx's also but you know I'm biased

PPower

I think that in the meantime, I'll probably switch to the RDX wheels and swap out for Volk in the summer. Besides, those already have compatible TPMS mounted. The RDX wheels, being OEM, give it a more subtle look of the sporty wagon that could have come from the factory. The Volk are definitely more of a statement, not loved by all, but loved more by those that do. Definitely more showy in all the good and bad that goes with it. The spoke design with a lip of the Volk make the wheels look so much smaller up close, but it looks killer as you get a bit further away from the car.

Next up will be to get H&R coilovers, F&R camber kits, swaybar, and 245/35/19 Continental DWS.

mrstak

iTrader: (1)

My vote's for the aspecs as well...but that's cuz i had them in 18s.

the more i look at the volks, the more i could get used to them. so that's why i stopped looking at your pics :P

both wheels look great dropped though... on the progress!

PPower

I just thought I'd point out a potential issue for people lowering a wagon. At 5'9" wearing boots with a 1" heel, I have about 2" to spare of headroom to the open tailgate, so I'm barely going to clear with a 1.5" drop. I really wish they made just the rear glass pop up like BMW to make opening the rear easier for headroom and inside he garage. This is also a reason why Outback/Allroad/XC70 made so much more sense to people than the lower version.

TSXKid2010

I think if you went with the volks, you'd hafta do things all around the car just because it'll make it look tuner LOL

VorTSX

Car looks great. I personally like the lowered with RDX look. I'm a fan of OEM plus though. Nice and clean.

I wish they sold the wagons here in Canada, very nice.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Volks gotta go...
RDX's or something else all day long. GREAT start though! Love it...keep your stockies as your winter wheels!

S14 n Tsx

^^ Volks doesn't look right..
RDX or Aspec is way to go.

opboarding

I think the main thing throwing me off with the volks is that they look a little too small because of the lip. I do like the gold on blue though.

PPower

My general rule is that for a given appearance of size, a wheel with a lip like these Volk needs to be 1" bigger that a hub-to-rim spoked wheel. If it's a step lip like BBS LM, make that 2". There is a guy in Germany with 20" wheels on his grey wagon, and while huge, they look alright because of the lip. I wonder what how the responses would be between 18" A-Spec and the 19" Volk. All are good wheels with different looks. I'm just glad I have options to change it up as desired.

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of love for the Volks though, cause I think this is pure sexy time.

PPower

UPDATE: no pics, but....

Volks are off for now. The TPMS light is now off again.

ARRIVED
-WeatherTech floor liners: they're awesome
ORDERED:
-Ingalls ball f&r camber kit
-Progress sway bar
-OEM pieces for top mounts to not break down factory units
-Tein SS: I changed my mind on the H&R. Adjustable damping might be good with the extra rear weight of the wagon & they are rebuildable if needed.

NEXT to order:
-Continental DWS 245/35/19

Brentcjdm

Can't wait to see the progress! Had I known that the sedan coilovers would have fit I would have got a black on black Tsx wagon instead of my 2011 Wrx hatch. Anyways, these are the wheels I would have went with on a black wagon, I think they would look very nice on your ride after its dropped.

24boosted

^RSDs ftw, have them on my Evo X right now.




I used to own a set, but I would've gone with a lower offset and face 2 for the concave spokes.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Can't wait to see it dropped!

PPower

Those RSD's would definitely fit an Evo more than a TSX IMO. I'm personally not a fan of the dark wheels, but most people seem to. I had a set of 17x9 Drag DR-31 (Work CR Kai knockoffs) in gunmetal on my Saab 9-2x after I just missed buying the real deal wheels used in bright silver. Dark wheels don't show brake dust, but you have a hard time seeing the design of the wheels, look less "classy" to me, and as I found out, show off even a slight curbing like a mofo when the bare metal underneath is shown.

I bought these Volks on the black market here, but it seems like the 8.5" wide +38 is fairly aggressive for the TSX. The rear could be a BIT more aggressive, but then one couldn't rotate the tires. While the Face 2 is cool, that DECREASES the amount of lip by the depth of the concavity. In this case, I'll take lip over concavity. Going off of this chart, I'll have to check the size of my lip, but I'm guessing mine are the 19x8.5" +39 (high type Offset A) w/ 42mm lip. The other option would have been flat face +40 w/ 55mm lip, or Face II +43 w/ 42mm lip. I'm guessing the "high type" to fit "high pad wheel" means to ensure BBK clearance.
http://www.upgrademotoring.com/wheels/gt-c.htm

24boosted

Trust me I know my wheels when I say the concaved face would make the wheel appear to have a larger lip even if it physically doesn't. Regardless wouldn't matter since you didn't order them first hand and have no control over the disk type. Here's my TSX with 19x9 +22 on 245/35 Azenis tires with 90mm lip.