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First Acura - 07 KBP Type-S 5AT - Ownership Thread
Hi everyone, I recently purchased @jim1234664's 2007 TL Type-S with advice from @860_TypeS@truonghthe@horseshoez@Acura TL Builder@TLRoadto300k and others. Already appreciating the community here, so wanted to share this thread as I clean up the car and get it level set mechanically. I was looking for an auto for "mixed use" driving including family trips and some NYC commuting (have my 97 Celica 5 speed for track days and spirited drives) so not planning any huge mods, looking to keep it OEM+ as the last two owners have done with a focus on durability for many years to come. I'll keep posting here with updates. Thanks in advance for any advice, this is my first Acura after a string of Volvos of every vintage, a VR6 Corrado (that scared me off German cars lol), and my Celica.
Right after purchase, before driving 400 miles from Buffalo back to Norwalk CT. This was the dealer that inspected it for me (ask for Tyler in service and his tech Brian, they know 3G TLs):
Interior in need of a good clean, but in good shape. No dash cracks, one rip and a wear spot on driver's leather. Other seats are great. I've always owned black interior cars but kinda digging the taupe:
The previous owner was pretty meticulous about maintenance and did a few tasteful mods. Life got busy for him, he wasn't driving it enough and wanted to pass it along to a new caretaker. So coming to me with 120K miles it has:
- Timing belt/ water pump/ belts/ seals done at 112K
- Full A-Spec kit + roof spoiler
- ATLP V3 J pipe & Stage 3 exhaust
- Custom quad projector Type-S headlights with LED DRLs and iJDMtoys harness
- VMR V710 Wheels with Acura center caps 18 x 8.75
- TEIN Street Advance coilovers
- Transmission drain and filled every oil change, pressure switches replaced
- Original Type-S waffle wheels included in sale (only minor curb rash)
Dirty engine bay after driving home in the rain. Time to learn what this car needs...
From the inspection, my drive home, and initial looking over, my To Do list has a few items for me and my mechanic:
- Full interior clean and leather treatment
- Paint correction and protection
- Flush all fluids and do 3x3 trans drain and fill
- Replace air filter with K&N filter
- Replace cabin air filter
- Replace hood struts (totally gone, using a box to prop up hood lol)
- Replace license plate and fender light bulbs (slightly more complicated than I expected)
- Keep an eye on two minor seepage leaks at oil pump seal and front transmission tube
- Monitor intermittent rattling noise from the accessory belt and tensioner (Acura tech noted this, I've heard it once)
- Wheel balance and alignment, feeling some vibration from the 18s at highway speed, ride is a bit harsh with these wheels. May put stock wheels back on
- Probably will get spark plug change and valve adjustment done once I learn more about this engine
The car is very enjoyable as is, just looking to make it mine and ensure it is running well.
First Manhattan commute parking spot, looks great and not even waxed yet:
My wife and sons got me this keychain for my birthday! Not gonna stance it that much lol but loving the car already.
The Taupe interior make the car feel more luxury (when it cleaned) meanwhile the two tone seat make the car more sporty, I fortunate enough to own both interior color and see the pros and cons.
The hood struts remedy you can buy a pairs (2 years ago) on Amazon for $26 and its vs Honda part cost $75 each its the same thing. 10 mins an a 8 or 10 mm wrench with someone holding the hood for you, that is all you needed. The picture below has the manufacture part number so just use that as a guide, I normally buying part in bulk so some going storage as spare part.
@Acura TL Builder Thank you!! Psyched to have it in the garage and looking forward to the journey.
@truonghthe That's true the single-color taupe is more of a luxury feel, appropriate for a 5AT I think. Thanks for the tip, I tried ordering both hood struts from acuraoemparts.com. Got 74145-SEP-H01 (right strut) but 74149-SEP-H01 (left strut) is on back order so won't have it until end of June. Ah well, plenty else to do in the meantime.
One bad discovery which can hopefully be sorted by my detailer: The paint has some sort of contaminant bonded to it, which doesn't come off with washing. It's like a industrial fallout or a chemical spray or something. Little grey dots all over the paint, trim, and glass (except where the windshield wipers swept). Asked previous owner about it and he didn't know, so maybe I picked it up on the road trip home from a truck or something. In some areas it feels like the paint has the texture of sandpaper. It's not that noticeable until you're drying the car.
So definitely hoping that will come off with clay bar or other detailing method. Weirdest paint issue I've ever seen, but the KBP still shines despite it.
The Taupe interior make the car feel more luxury (when it cleaned) meanwhile the two tone seat make the car more sporty, I fortunate enough to own both interior color and see the pros and cons.
The hood struts remedy you can buy a pairs (2 years ago) on Amazon for $26 and its vs Honda part cost $75 each its the same thing. 10 mins an a 8 or 10 mm wrench with someone holding the hood for you, that is all you needed. The picture below has the manufacture part number so just use that as a guide, I normally buying part in bulk so some going storage as spare part.
Dont forget to grease the ball joints when you replace them.
@Acura TL Builder Thank you!! Psyched to have it in the garage and looking forward to the journey.
@truonghthe That's true the single-color taupe is more of a luxury feel, appropriate for a 5AT I think. Thanks for the tip, I tried ordering both hood struts from acuraoemparts.com. Got 74145-SEP-H01 (right strut) but 74149-SEP-H01 (left strut) is on back order so won't have it until end of June. Ah well, plenty else to do in the meantime.
One bad discovery which can hopefully be sorted by my detailer: The paint has some sort of contaminant bonded to it, which doesn't come off with washing. It's like a industrial fallout or a chemical spray or something. Little grey dots all over the paint, trim, and glass (except where the windshield wipers swept). Asked previous owner about it and he didn't know, so maybe I picked it up on the road trip home from a truck or something. In some areas it feels like the paint has the texture of sandpaper. It's not that noticeable until you're drying the car.
So definitely hoping that will come off with clay bar or other detailing method. Weirdest paint issue I've ever seen, but the KBP still shines despite it.
That looks like paint overspray. It will come right off with a clay bar.
Thanks for the tips! Some mostly good news from this weekend:
1. Put in the K&N air filter.
2. You are correct @Acura TL Builder the overspray comes right off with a clay bar. What a relief to feel smooth paint underneath. Either I'll clay the whole car or hand it over to my detailer for full paint correction and some PDR (couple small dings in the hood).
3. Have been getting an intermittent DRL light. Prev owner said it was because LED bulbs are old and one is going. He gave me two new ones to replace with. Started cleaning the engine bay, went through the iJDMtoys wiring harness, cleaned and resecured it, replaced LED bulbs. The harness was mostly just stuffed in the spaces behind the headlights so I found places to secure the ballasts with sticky velcro and re-zip tied everything. Next time the battery needs to be disconnected, I'll run that red wire under the coolant pipe. Fire up the car... DRL light is on and only one bulb is working. Arg. Checked wiring, all connected. Swapped the new bulbs side to side, turn on car, DRL light is on but now both bulbs are working Thought this harness was supposed to solve the DRL light, but I'll take it for now.
4. Read the whole manual, loaded up the CD changer, and programmed the radio stations. Loving this stereo.
@rockstar143 Thank you! Very pleased to take ownership of such a well-built, high quality Japanese performance sedan. I intend to enjoy and keep it for many years.
@SSDarkside Sure, the tires are 225/45-18s. I think that 245/40-18s might give a more "squared off" look and match the OE diameter better on these quite wide 18 inch wheels. Depends what you're going for, if you're into the "tucked" look these appear never to have rubbed the fender at all.
I'm conflicted about this wheel/ tire setup. It looks amazing on the car. Previous owner told me these wheels were a group buy from VMR to get them single drilled in this color. However, the ride is a bit harsh on NYC-area roads. It's surprisingly good for what it is, but still not a lot of tire for the size of wheel and therefore it limits how I can drive the car.
Unfortunately, my mechanic called when he had it on the lift and told me 3 of 4 wheels are developing small cracks on the inner lip of the rim. They are not losing any air yet, been keeping an eye on that. But they eventually will. So at this point, since I have the stock waffle wheels, I'm going to put those on with some all season tires and get to know the car that way. I'm torn between saving the VMRs and getting them repaired and repainted (there is some curb rash) in a year or two, or finding someone local on here who wants to take them off my hands for relatively cheap and refurb them, to run on their Type-S. They are great looking wheels, especially with the stance from the TEIN coilovers.
On the good news front, my cleaning is slowly starting to pay off. The paint overspray is still there, but the chrome is looking better and the interior cleaned up well for now. I treated the leather with Griot's Garage leather rejuvenator, which can be rubbed in with a sponge, left in the sun, and wiped dry. Definitely makes the leather more "plush" and gives it a really nice soft-not-sticky finish and not-too-strong smell. I recommend it. The leather tape is a temporary fix for my driver's seat until I can get the whole seat redone later on. It's in decent shape though, and still comfy.
Thanks for those specs. I've been eyeing XXR 530's but my issue is that everyone is saying you have to go with a 225 or 215 to get it to look nice without any rub. I'd prefer to go with a meatier tire but apparently that doesn't seem to mesh with these wheels. I was hoping your setup would prove me wrong lol. I'm curious to see a setup with these VMR's or XXR 530's and a 245/40. How does it actually feel grip-wise with the 225's?
And that's unfortunate about the cracks, though. But still a good find on the car overall it sounds.
@SSDarkside Interesting. It's a lot of decisions with these large wheels (coming from someone who has never run bigger than 17s – my Celica has 205/50/16s lol). My take is that you'll need to prioritize either looks or handling. The tires on my setup grip okay for cruising, I haven't pushed them hard in corners. On a smooth highway, in the rain, handling felt secure enough. But they do not have the sidewall to really be pushed, especially on bumpy roads. When accelerating hard from a stop and turning, I have spun the inside wheel a couple times. When I mount the stock wheels and tires, I'll be able to give you a better comparison.
@rockstar143 Thanks I have decided to go back to stock wheels. Thought about getting 245/45/17 tires for them as I see many have run those, but decided to go with stock size 235/45/17 and baseline from there. I ran a fatter tire size on stock wheels with my Volvo C30 years ago, and found it made the handling mushier. So I'm getting all season Continental DWS06+ in 235/45/17 as a year-round set for this Type-S.
Two of my stock waffles had some curb rash, so I got them refinished at Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists of Danbury CT. Very fast turnaround but when compared to my other two wheels, the results were... disappointing. They got the Type-S wheel color much too light IMO, and added a couple small bulges to one wheel My goal was to have one good matching set of wheels with new tires. After discussing with the manager, he offered to redo all four of my wheels to achieve a matching, darker color closer to the center caps – and at no additional charge. He said its always difficult to match paint color with center caps, especially for Honda/ Acura. Apparently manufacturers don't give out the wheel paint mix codes. I was impressed by his offer and will give them another chance to make it right.
So two steps forward one step back, but that's how it goes with used cars sometimes. I have also made an appointment with my detailer/ PDR guy. He was impressed that the whole car only had two dents
I think these, painted correctly...with a set of spacers...will really set it off. I think you'll be happy with how it looks and rides.
Cracked barrels on the VMR...that doesn't scream quality...and when they do leak, it'll be when you're with your family 200 miles
from home.
I like this suggestion...You CAN get a smooth ride with 18's but you'll need a thicker tire than you can run with those aggressive specs
I like to make a car look good but I stop when I can't drive it however I want to for fear of scraping and rubbing.
Congrats on the purchase the car looks phenomenal!
as a heads up those wheels are the xxr 530 already they are not the vmr v710. I’ve had xxr in the past those exact wheels and they are a cheap entry level so not surprised they are cracking. Vmr is much better quality and what I run right now
if you post a wheel only pic I can confirm that they are xxrs currently on your car. Xxrs have multi and single lug hole wheels so that makes sense when you said it was a group buy for single drilled. Vmr only comes in single drilled lug holes
It's funny you mention that...I kept thinking, cracks and the look of the wheel looked like an XXR.
I remember when they were ALL the rage.
haha yea everyone wanted them for a while, i remember i got the single drilled ones and was so pumped. then i realized i'm old and got less conservative specs and wanted a wheel that wouldn't crack lol.
the xxr 530 thread has 51 pages of info haha
@sockr1@gatrhumpy Thanks! Super psyched to have this Type-S in my garage.
@sockr1 You have solved a mystery for me. I was wondering why the spokes on these were slightly different from VMRs that I have seen online. They are not VMRs! Picture below to confirm. @SSDarkside I guess I wouldn't recommend the XXRs you are looking at, since these cracked. I think the previous owner had them on for about 20K miles and he only drove the car in the summer. Hope your search leads you to a great looking 18" wheel/ tire combo that also performs. I love the look of these XXRs but will be selling them for cheap with tires and sensors, once I get the stockers back on. Maybe someone will want to refurb and run them on their TL.
This may sound crazy but I'd love to run a set of 16" NSX wheels from the 90s on this Type-S, with a fat tire. Ever been done? Bolt pattern is the same but I'm guessing they wouldn't clear the brakes, would be too narrow, wrong offset, or some other issue. Just because it can be done... doesn't mean it should be done! I too am getting old
Yup that wheel is xxr530. I had that exact wheel and put in that exact center cap years ago. It’s a good entry level wheel until you realize there are much better options haha
@SSDarkside check out vmr. they have good looking wheels IMO for decent prices and that is what I currently run. Every Black Friday they usually have 25% off too
Yup that wheel is xxr530. I had that exact wheel and put in that exact center cap years ago. It’s a good entry level wheel until you realize there are much better options haha
@SSDarkside check out vmr. they have good looking wheels IMO for decent prices and that is what I currently run. Every Black Friday they usually have 25% off too
Hey everybody got some good progress to report now.
Stock wheels were all refinished (again) by Alloy Wheel Specialists in Danbury and they got the color pretty good this time. Paint code is "P24" if that helps anyone. Since they didn't charge me for the redo, I ended up getting a brand new set of stock wheels for $80 a wheel which is not bad (since they came with the sale).
My detailer is D Dents LLC in Danbury – cannot recommend them highly enough for PDR and paint correction. Danny is a pro and a perfectionist and a chill guy to boot. His shop is always full of awesome cars and they love Acuras. Anyway they got all the paint overspray off, took out the dents, and did correction. So happy with the difference. Now I can enjoy cleaning the car!
My shop in Norwalk put it all together with new Continental DWS06s in stock size with new TPMS sensors, and did alignment, oil change and hood struts at the same time. They also adjusted my TEINs as high as possible, which is not as high as I'd like for daily driving, but looks good. The ride AND handling is noticeably improved over the XXRs with "tucked" tires. I can take corners, I can drive over bumps, it puts the power down better – very happy.
I'll be getting rid of the XXR wheels (with still-good tires, TPMS sensors, center caps and lug nuts) for real cheap. Three wheels have hairline cracks and will lose air eventually, but I ran them for 1000 miles with no issues. DM me if you are local and want them.
Now that I've reached "stage zero" with the car cosmetically and mechanically, I'm researching the valve adjustment, gaskets, EGR cleaning, throttle body cleaning, and other preventative engine maintenance to have my shop do in a couple months. Motor has 120K and I want it to last a long time.
Got to Hondafest this past weekend at Thompson Speedway and finally met up with @860_TypeS who is also in CT and helped me find my TL here on the forum My first Honda show, chill vibe, and we were the two cleanest 3G Type S's I saw. Good times.
The show definitely made me contemplate my direction with this KBP. I think it's going to stay pretty close to stock, because it's in good shape, it's an auto, and I don't want to go down a rabbit hole with mods. Next up is valve service. Might need engine mounts though.
This is not a post I ever imagined I would make. But, I'd be grateful for the community's advice. Last week I was on the Merritt Parkway in CT when a deer jumped from the median right into my Type-S. The whole thing happened in less than a second. The car was incredibly solid, I kept driving straight, and was able to signal, exit, and park. Thanks to Acura engineers and luck, I am fine -- and that is what really matters. But this beautiful, original KBP Type-S sustained significant damage:
I'm so sad. The car is at my body shop who I trust, and the insurance process is happening. AZ forums are public so I can't really get into that, but I'm obviously hoping that the car A.) will not be totaled and B.) can be properly repaired. The damage to the rear quarter panel is what concerns me most. The deer jumped into the front and bounced off the back which caused that. I just had the complete valve adjustment/ plugs/ EGR service done too! The motor was running so smooth. Couldn't open the hood but I was able to restart the car and drive it onto and off the flatbed, and there were no leaks visible, so I'm hopeful the mechanical condition is still good. I'll know more in the next week or two. Cross your fingers this car can be restored to it's former glory, and if you have any thoughts on parts availability that would be really useful.
Wishing everyone (and all your Acuras) a safe Thanksgiving holiday with those you care about.
its sad to see the car in this shape but glad to hear that nothing happen to you, it could be worse. with the damage on the car, it may be a total loss. keep us updated about what insurance decide.
Damn brotha. I'm sorry to see this happen to you. The unfortunate part, insurance will consider this a total loss. If you decide not to get insurance involved, you can source out the headlight, bumper, mirror and two doors. Let the body shop do the qt. panel repair. You might be lucky enough to find the parts in good condition and the same color. You can swap the parts yourself as it's straight foward. I'm a bit more concern that the paint on the fender peeled as it did which seems like it was repaired / painted at some point. So the question is, how much was painted prior, the quality of the paint job and does it match the rest. I'd only be concern about all that if you found parts (oem color) and it doesn't quite match. a body shop will replace those panels and paint the entire side / blend where needed.
Thanks for the good wishes. Fingers crossed for sure. If my Type-S is declared a total loss, I'll see if it can be properly fixed/ insured so I can continue to drive it. The engine, trans, interior etc are all in excellent shape. Such a shame. I was about to put in the Progress rear sway bar and endlinks, they are sitting in my garage!
I am glad that you are ok, the car for sure is a total of loss. If you looking to fix the car properly I would guess it about $8-$9k, keep us updated with the result.
That is insane and makes me understand why people hate deer...
I'm glad you were okay and kept your wits about you.
I hope you're able to salvage that thing, if not...it's just a car
and I know a guy in need of the progress rear sway
If you were so inclined you could probably buy it from insurance with a check
and then part it out and do great since everything under the surface is in great
condition.
Pour one out for my Type-S, it is a total loss. Everyone here called it.
Insurance offered me less than I paid for it in May. Still working through that with them, trying to get their settlement to reflect the car's value. Learned a lot about insurance and totaled cars this week. All parties involved get really weird as soon as your car is declared a loss, and they all have an angle.
The consensus from my body shop and PDR guy are that it would take 100s of hours and probably $10-15K to fix, who knows what structural damage would be discovered in the process, and how good the result would be. That deer really went out guns blazing.
Rather than let it sit outside in December while I deal with insurance, I drove it home (slowly on local roads), washed it, and put it in the garage. Definitely feels more tragic to me now that it's on stands in the garage, unable to be driven. I intended to keep my first Acura for 10+ years, and here we are a little over 6 months later.
The engine (fresh off valve adjustment) is running fine, the rest of the car is in the same condition as before, the refinished waffles and the A-Spec kit didn't take any hits. I'd love for these parts to go to people who will appreciate them, but I don't have the time, space, or resources to do a part out in the coming months.
I'm contemplating buying back the car from insurance so someone else can part it out, but have my doubts about selling a salvage title car to a stranger in this day and age. It's just sketchy. I have zero desire to post one of those ads on FB Marketplace ("Price is firm! Need it gone today!" etc etc.)
So, even though it pains me to give up this beautiful, unique, still-running KBP Type-S to the insurance company's wrecking yard... that may be the best option I have.
I'm sorry to hear but we all knew this was going to be the case. Insurance is your friend when everything is going well and they are collecting their payments, but not the case when it's time to actually use them. I ended up suing my own insurance company because they kept playing games with us. Full coverage (750K policy) and they kept declining medical procedures for my wife who got injured in an accident 2 years ago (Not at fault). I went into full rage with them. I ended up getting more for the vehicle than it was worth in mint condition (3K more). The entire process was terrible. I'm still fighting with them to this day.
As for your TL, it's a different world now since covid and the chip shortage has fucked things up. Used car prices are way higher, so fight it with everything you have. Its best to provide prime examples of same vehicle and what they priced at. Show maintenance records, it does help. I would at least keep the A-spec kit and sell it on the side. That will sell quickly and you can get an additional 1K in your pocket.
Thank you @04WDPSeDaN. That's true about insurance companies. Sorry to hear about your wife, I hope she is doing better now and that drawn out process you've been dealing with comes to a close soon.
Your Type-S is inspiring BTW, I checked out some of the pics in your photo thread. Really top condition and I'm sure it's taken a great deal of time and effort to get it there and keep it there.
I'm doing pretty much what you suggest with sending comparables, records, etc. Should find out this week if the settlement is revised in a good direction. Fingers crossed.
06-05-2021, 02:01 PM
Thought this harness was supposed to solve the DRL light, but I'll take it for now.
I have decided to go back to stock wheels. Thought about getting 245/45/17 tires for them as I see many have run those, but decided to go with stock size 235/45/17 and baseline from there. I ran a fatter tire size on stock wheels with my Volvo C30 years ago, and found it made the handling mushier. So I'm getting all season Continental DWS06+ in 235/45/17 as a year-round set for this Type-S.
My goal was to have one good matching set of wheels with new tires. After discussing with the manager, he offered to redo all four of my wheels to achieve a matching, darker color closer to the center caps – and at no additional charge. He said its always difficult to match paint color with center caps, especially for Honda/ Acura. Apparently manufacturers don't give out the wheel paint mix codes. I was impressed by his offer and will give them another chance to make it right.
My first Honda show, chill vibe, and we were the two cleanest 3G Type S's I saw. Good times.
