Happy to report the snow is all gone after last week's warm weather - ES2s should be back on within probably 2 weeks.

Also happy to report I decided on the 265/30s out back. Still trying to decide if I can fit the 245/35/19s up front on 19x8.5 +20 wheels (with spacers). I can't quite remember if I had much in the way of rubbing issues last year while running 235/35s. 245s might be pushing it.

Finally got a chance to do a proper hand wash on Sunday afternoon as well, and I feel like a new person now. Feels so good to finally have it truly clean again and feel how smooth that paint is. Next up will be a well-needed interior detail.

 

Congrats on the no snow, buddy! Do we have wash pics?????

 

Didn't have time to get any that day as I was trying to get the wife's car cleaned too while it was still light out. Snapped this driveway show this morning before heading out to work though. Still looking clean 5 days and about 250 miles later!

20150320_073529 by KJ TL-S, on Flickr

 

Still looking classy, San Diego!

 

i wish i could afford a garage in san diego...
my car gets a ton of pollen on it within 1 week of washing it


kurt, going way back to your audio decisions, i finally got my audio all hooked up and running and the front speakers made a huge difference! i recommend you finish up that audio! there is much more clarity and it just sounds like you're sitting at a concert. even my wife likes it, though she was against me doing a "trunk rattling high school sub and front speakeres).

and that's with my low end jbl components, i think your components were much better quality

 

I'm actually moving next month and will be back to having an attached garage instead of detached like this one, which I'm very excited about. I can't imagine ever not having a garage though, nor will I ever be the type of person to fill a garage with crap to the point of cars not fitting in there.

And Dave, thanks for the update on your audio, I'll have to read up on how it went for you. How hard was it? Did you run into any issues? Given that I haven't ever been able to bring myself to sell the stuff, its obviously still on my mind as an option. I guess I'd like to install the my sound deadening stuff that I bought a couple years ago at the same time, as well as fix the rattle that I have from the front of my sunroof when I have it popped open and the bass hits. Any ideas on how to fix that?

Edit: Did you do any write-up about your install? I didn't see it in your thread.

 

I haven't written anything up yet but plan on creating a thread on it this weekend and also doing a small update in my progress thread (man i'm so behind on my progress thread haha).

i'll let you know when i get both posted up and i'll have full details in there, i took a bunch of pics along the way.

i have to say it's probably the most frustrating installs i've ever done but it was my first audio attempt and me not having a cd player to set gains myself threw some wrenches in the mix. i do have a bunch of tips that could help you out, and i think it would be worth it for you in the end.

as frustrating as it was, i am very happy about doing the upgrade now, it sounds great (well great to me but prob not to an audiophile)!

as for your rattle, not sure how to specifically fix it, but i would start with some 1/2 foam tape from home depot and try to find the exact spot that is rattling, and then add some tape in that area to keep everything tight. hard to say without hearing it

 

Thanks Dave, looking forward to seeing your write up.

I'd like to say I'll get to it soon, but with a move coming up next month, and then baby #1 in July, I'm not positive I'll find the time, especially if there are lots of headaches involved. Who knows tho....

On a side note, I need to do a 1x3 soon. What all do I need for that? Just fluid? Would Redline D4 be a good choice? I know thats probably a loaded question with tons of different answers, but figured I would ask. The amount of info out there is almost overwhelming. So far I've had one 1x3 done, and it was with standard Honda fluid. I figure if Amazon has Redline for a good price, I may as well grab that instead. Just want to make sure I would have no issues with using straight D4, or if it needs to be some sort of blend including the Type F.

 

Yeah I ordered a case of the Redline D4 from Amazon and did the 3x3 over the course of a month and it's worked out just fine. I actually have to order more for a 3x3 on my wife's MDX.

 

I love a guy that puts maintenance at the top of the list...so many just spend money on things they can see. Kinda like having a chiseled physique but being unhealthy. Good shit.

 

Good to know. I may pour some into a cup a few times to see if it looks "gelly" like in the thread I saw that had a big problem with it. Assuming all looks well, I'll move forward. That thread wasn't about D4 anyway, Redline racing I think it was.

I feel like I did all my mods early on, before any real maintenance was due. Now that I have the car just how I want it, all I gotta do it maintain it. So now I'm learning how to do as much of that as I can. I figure with good preventative maintenance, I can get a lotta years outta this car still since its only barely at 63K right now.

Oh yeah, because photo galley. Not clean, not a great picture, but I just love the way it looks parked in front of a house:

 

^^^ I feel the same way, brother.


The Type S got some 73 degree weather/love today with a thorough wash.

 

Yeah, well, at least mine isn't beige

 

Look how much more sexy yours looks!

 

Cleannnnn

 

Tell him you'll trade straight up for the Maserati.

 

The Ghibli is sooooo ugly. It looks just as poorly proportioned in the rear as the new C-series Benz. Like, it literally looks like somebody crushed everything past the drivers side door to the rear bumper.

Looks like a damn Mazda 6

 

^^^ I agree-I was looking at a Maserati Gran Turismo before I decided on the Stingray.

 

whaaaa....did ya move to San Diego?

well hot damn! The car still looks mint Kurt...

 

I'd hit it.

 

Exactly what I did.

 

Well, turns out I am still alive over here. Been crazy busy with a move last month and now trying to get the new place ready for the first baby to arrive in about 6 weeks.

Finally got the ES2s back on a little while back. No time for a photo shoot, but I'll be damned if it doesn't still look nice straight out of my phone's camera.

20150520_073131 by KJ TL-S, on Flickr

I found out at the time that the little 5mm spacers I had been running in back were a requiredment to get the center caps on. I didn't have them with me at the time, so I still need to get those put on.

I did end up switching the rears to 265/30/19, and I love the look they have and the rim protection they give me here in construction season. Here are a few quick pics of that fitment.






I did find time finally to do an interior detail, so it feels like a new car in there now, such a relief. Still on my list before the baby comes are another oil change, ATF 1x3, maybe a brake fluid/power steering flush, and a good wash/clay/polish/wax. I'll probably throw the rear window spoiler on there at some point too, although I've been saying that for so long that it's lost all meaning at this point.

One last thing on the list is so adjust the Teins to a more comfortable setting, probably very close to the softest. The ride is too harsh for the wife to even want to be in my car right now, so I'm hoping that I have room to really soften it up for her and the baby. Unfortunately, I've never taken out the back seat before, so I'm unsure of how much of a pain in the ass it will be to adjust the rears. I have the RV6 sway bar though, so at least the fronts will be a piece of cake. Any pointers on getting the back seat out?

 

It's actually not too bad....just those 2 bolts behind the head rests were what gave me trouble. They were a pain in the ass!

 

+1 getting the rear seats out is a piece of cake...the only thing which I recommend is put some tape on the 12mm socket...at times, when you pull the ratchet out, the socket will fall through and is a pain in the rear to get it out!

Congrats on the soon to be here kid dude...is it a giant pain in the butt and joy beyond anything you have imagined...about a year back, I did the same, reduced the preload, softened up the suspension, put the rear seats back in, traded my true duals for XLR8 resonated exhaust hahaha...

 

[QUOTE=swoosh;15451756 it is a giant pain in the butt and joy beyond anything you have imagined...[/QUOTE]



^^this . Your life will never be the same, but in a good way. But good lord that first month or so home with the baby is exhausting.... We just had our second child 2 weeks ago and we're both spent!...but it does get a little easier after that first month or so. Congrats my friend!

 

our little girl is about to turn 17 months...it's a blast. enjoy every minute you have with him/her.

oh, and the car looks sexy...as usual!

 

Definitely excited about the little guy on the way, I can't believe he is almost here. Things will be changing, that's for sure, but all for the better. Can't wait.

And good to know about the seats. One day I'll just need to dedicate some time and get to it. Is there any downside to running the Teins too soft? I know there are 16 clicks of adjustment. Would all the way soft be a bad way to do it? Or maybe a click or two stiffer?

 

Kurt, I think that depends on personal preference!

I always suggest mid point as a starting point...put it to 8 and see how you like it, it all depends on the height, spring compression (since on Teins you do not have preload adjustment, as you lower the car, the spring is expanded hence making a comfy ride, while at higher heights, the spring is compressed, making a stiff ride)...so start off at 8, see how you like it, and go accordingly...

for the time period you take to find your comfy spot, leave the rear seats out

 

Love it!

 

adjust the coils now!
once the kid seat goes in, it will be more of a pain in the ass ...

 

Coils will definitely be adjusted pre-carseat. And I guess I was asking about if it would for some reason be bad for the coils to run them that soft, but I guess I can't imagine why it would be. If that was the case, they probably wouldn't let them be adjusted to that extent.

And Anil - do I totally not understand these things, or did you have that reversed? Lowering it expands the spring and makes it comfier?

 

^^^

when you lower on coils like Tein (which do not have a full body thread), you are basically expanding the spring and hence it will be a comfier ride...

when you raise the car up, now the coil is pressed (kinda like preloading it) hence its a stiffer ride...


thats kinda the reason I sold my Tein Basics and went to a full threaded body coilover like ISC...in the ISC, the spring is 175mm long, if I leave it at 175mm the ride is pretty good...now I can set it to 180mm (relax the spring) and the ride becomes comfier BUT when taking bumps I will hear clunking....I had mine set to 170mm (compress the spring) which gave me a very firm ride and a lot of control! This adjustment was independent of the height adjustment!

 

So much knowledge...thanks Anil.

Anyone have a nice writeup on removing the backseat? I suppose I could just look in my service manual too, should be detailed in there pretty well.

 

I used DeathMetal's write-up below that includes pictures...which was very helpful.

https://acurazine.com/forums/tires-w...-091-a-816065/


Also, I attached the Acura printouts. Good luck with it.

 

Two screws under the headrest, two bolts the side of the bottom cushion and one bolt in the middle. I would recommend before taking it out ... lift the back seat and put some tape so the metal piece doesn't rip your bottom cushion.

 

Thanks guys, that doesn't sound so bad.

 

there are many stories on here of it taking over an hour to remove the rear seats

it really doesn't take that long
can be done in 10 minutes alone, just need to know where the bolts are buddy

 

I never put the lower seat middle bolt back in. That one was the hardest one for me.

Also, with the Tein, (IIRC) you'll never really full compress them while the car is in the air so where the perch is is irrelevant since it will only be fully compressed while on the ground.

So I disagree with Anil on that...when I raised the car up, the car is a lot more comfortable, even just a half inch. I think it has to do with where the car is sitting on the damper's full compression stroke. Try raising it...but be prepared to hate the look. I have mine almost at full soft but don't find that it's night and day.

I will say that putting the progress bar on track setting (tightest) made the car a lot more harsh because you'll feel bumps on one side of the car across the entire back end.

 

Hey Kurt,

Its been a while!!! Car is still looking amazing my friend

 

I reread my post and I think I may have mislead...

am not talking about compressing the springs while in air vs on the ground...am talking about compressing the spring to raise the car...this compression acts like you are preloading the spring and hence results in a harsher ride since there will be less spring travel...

with my ISC's...I preloaded the REAR springs more to get a more controlled ride, less travel and it made the ride harsh...I also preloaded the fronts spring but not as much, this allowed for slightly more spring travel and hence to counteract the understeer....

as you can see in this pic, with the car in the air, there is not much room between my rear fender and rear wheel/tire....where as the front has more room!

DSC_1742 by Anil Sadhwani, on Flickr