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I recently purchased an '09 TL with Tech package from Copart (Salvage Car Auction) for only $4,000. The only problems were the rear passenger and front passenger doors were dented from a wreck alongwith the bumper being slightly damaged on the passenger side. I purchased 2 doors and anew bumper and am just waiting to get the painted and put on. The car also came with the aspec kit and the "luxury" rims.
This is my first car build I've done on my own. My dad owns a garage and works on cars himself so I have all the tools and skill necessary to fix this car. I'm excited to now be an Acura owner, after coming from a basically strictly Chevy family. If anyone has ideas for mods or things I should do, let me know!
Not bad..... What direction are you hoping to go with your build?
I'm not really too sure, this is my first car I'll actually customize. I'd love to hear if you had any ideas. I was thinking of doing an exhaust to it, possibly an sri, tint for sure, subs for sure. But I'm not sure if there are any Acura trademarks to abide by.
Ktuner, PCD/HFPC, and exhaust if you so choose. Since you got a 3.5L getting an SRI ain't bad but make sure you get it tune.
I had looked at the Ktuner but had no clue the use of it, increasing fuel economy? But when you say a tune for the SRI, how do you mean? And i was looking at possibly doing a j-pipe.
I had looked at the Ktuner but had no clue the use of it, increasing fuel economy? But when you say a tune for the SRI, how do you mean? And i was looking at possibly doing a j-pipe.
Ktuner is like Hondadata or any tune base unit that unlocks better efficiency and power in the car. IMO I would do the Ktuner and PCD/HFPC before a J pipe.
I had looked at the Ktuner but had no clue the use of it, increasing fuel economy? But when you say a tune for the SRI, how do you mean? And i was looking at possibly doing a j-pipe.
It's wayyy more than just for fuel mileage, this isn't some $20 "Miracle Chip". KTuner is an independently created solution for programming your ECU/ECM. The only other one out there is Hondata, and that's a whole heck of a lot more expensive(but has a whole heck of a lot more tuning options, although unnecessary).
They're equivalent to Bully Dog or Edge programmers for trucks, only just for Honda/Acuras.
Although it is one of the more expensive mods for our cars, $450-650, it is also one of the most important (I say it should be your first or second mod). You want to get a SRI? Well, unless you tune ignition and fueling, you're going to lose power over the factory air box/plumbing. Exhaust modification is more important than intake mods, simply because the engine already has pretty good intake, but it's being hindered by not being able to evacuate the air out the other end. However, if you're looking to do a head-back (headers are casted into the cylinder heads in J-Series, so not "header-back"), you could run into hp and torque loss pretty quickly without tuning, especially with PCDs and the O2 sensors throwing codes. All of the bolt on mods available for our cars don't "require" tuning per-say, but these are high performance engines made specifically by Honda for the Acura side of the company with more precise specifications than any American car or truck that I've ever owned. Something like fuel octane can make it throw a fit like a damn toddler (amongst speculation and controversy, Acuras ARE "Required" to have 91+, not a recommendation). So not only will you feel a performance bump with installing mods, you'll also notice the change in normal operating characteristics much more than you would in a chevy, without tuning. But whether you go with Ktuner or Hondata, It's really important to tune so that you get the most out of your mods and so that you don't cause any damage.
I'm sure that anyone on these forums would agree that -
1. The best intake is the stock intake for this car, at this time.
2. Start with Exhaust first. Lots of people, including myself, start with the intake (Drop in air filter, TB and Manifold Spacers + Thermal gaskets, J37 TB and Manifold Upgrade....) to only feel the added performance once they do exhaust mods.
3. Get your car tuned after doing multiple mods.
Since I got my 4G TL I haven’t done any huge updates, but I have done some small ones here and there just to make the car a little bit more of my own. I started with changing the stock 4300k HIDs with some aftermarket 8000k HIDs, I like the blueish tint a lot more than the yellowish stock tint. I also replaced the stock DRL Halogens with some 6000k Ice white LEDs. These LEDs also make the car look much better. I just couldn’t stand the look of the halogens on such a sleek car like ours. The LEDs just fit the car so much better. From there, I installed LED reverse lights which drastically increased the light output during reversing. Also just looks better on the car. I updated the stock license plate bulbs with LEDs which are brighter and don’t make the car look cheap. I also updated the stock door/puddle lights with some projected LEDs that project an Acura logo on the ground. Then finally, I got my car tinted, 15% on all the windows and then 35% on the windshield. Looks greats, keeps the car cool, and I’m still able to properly see. Thanks for checking and reading! I’ll keep this updated, as I have just purchased an American Bass XFL1222 and will have that running on 1000W in a custom built box. Once that audio is installed I’ll do another updated. The plan after that is to get an OBX exhaust and a test pipe or a Megan racing pipe.
ruined the headlights with 8000Kelvin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you just made it harder to see at night..you'll be straining your eyes. which is bad for your eyes.
Hopefully you dont ever drive in the rain at night time, cuz you wont be able to see shit.
ruined the headlights with 8000Kelvin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you just made it harder to see at night..you'll be straining your eyes. which is bad for your eyes.
Hopefully you dont ever drive in the rain at night time, cuz you wont be able to see shit.
I haven’t noticed any difference in lightning, if anything they are brighter. Even with 35% on the windshield and 8000k, it’s not hard to drive at night. Just paying attention and knowing your speed helps more than anything.
they are not brighter...lumens actually decreased.. (lumens is the measure of brightness)
Kelvin temperature is just color. Kelvin has nothing to do with brightness, or lumens...in fact the more Kelvin temperature, the less output of lumens.
you def. are decreasing your headlight output by trying to look "cool".
IF you want a little color, 6000K is the highest one should go, as 6000k still has enough lumens for visibility.
Last edited by justnspace; 06-25-2018 at 11:18 AM.
I didn't see this thread initially. Props to buying a damaged car and fixing it up. I've considered a few times but I'm too lazy $4K seems like a great deal. Although I'm not a huge fan of the 4G before the mid-model refresh, I like the color and the wheels. I'm not a huge fan of the high kelvin lights either, but I did replace my front parking lights with LED's which I'd estimate are somewhere around the shade your headlights are. That's only the parking lights/turn signal light though. I stuck to stock for the headlights.
I might have missed it but did you end up purchasing the doors and fender with the same color or were you going to have them painted?
12-19-2017, 10:46 AM
but I'll keep this updated as the build progresses.
$4K seems like a great deal. Although I'm not a huge fan of the 4G before the mid-model refresh, I like the color and the wheels. I'm not a huge fan of the high kelvin lights either, but I did replace my front parking lights with LED's which I'd estimate are somewhere around the shade your headlights are. That's only the parking lights/turn signal light though. I stuck to stock for the headlights. 