aomechmarine

*the following is my OPINION based on peoples experiences which ANYONE can verify with some Google-fu. It is not intended as bashing. The following info is for/from the Civic SI springs, which is what Im going off of, not enough ILX's modded to go off of. I feel like Skunk2 springs are not an option to me now... best looking spring drop but.... apparently the first sets they sent out came with THE WRONG FRONT SPRINGS! The issue seems to have been resolved. But now they are sold out/ backordered from SK2 directly, so what are the chances you get a bad set from a vendor who had it chilling on a shelf? I don't want to find out... AND - 2 other issues surfaced. (1) no official install instructions (just SUGGESTION if you email them directly) of cutting off anywhere from 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches from the bump-stops? Which one is it? WTF? I'm serious! That seems like a big difference to me! I like exact directions.(2) Others were complaining about defective front springs that squeak a shitload. Apparently fixable or reducible with silicone sleeves on the springs... Eibach springs appear to also be having the noise issue as well on the Civics. I don't feel like finding out it's the same deal for the ILX. Some people had no issues, don't feel like trying my luck out. I'm currently scouring the net for info/reviews on H&R, Tein and possibly even looking at the Swifts for the SI. Any others out there? I'm open to suggestions.

aomechmarine

Still need to install the trunk brace. But might not. Mechanic didn't want to install. Requires a lot of trimming of stuff and that takes time, plus if he does crap job, it'll be really obvious/ visible all the time. Might return it. He said it won't do much. I honestly think he's scared of installing it "ugly", or taking to long to do it right, and that by itself makes me say - "nevermind then"... Installing this stuff requires some trimming of underbody dffusers and stuff. Right now something is definitely not on there correctly. When I Accelerate from a stop, I hear noise from the passenger rear underside, I believe something is rubbing on the exhaust. I smelled burning plastic/rubber as I got home. I'll go back tomorrow and get it resolved. Don't want to blame shop (YET), shit happens. Something is just loose I think. Seems like its an easy fix. The car is not "off" on steering and I looked underneath with a flashlight, nothing stood out to me?......

aomechmarine

Alright so I narrowed it down (so far) to 3 springs based on a few factors -(1) the Tein springs have no complaints that I've been able to find, and they come with silencer black silicone sleeves to prevent spring coil bind/rubbing/squeaking. Drop is good at 1.2 rear and 1.1 Front. They are also the same exact Part number as the SI, so if you upgrade later, then you can have better resale value and chances of getting it sold faster. Found for as cheap as $200. (2) H&R springs also has the same part number as the SI sedan, so again resale advantage. Also made from their own patented metal blend, bla bla tech stuff that sounds awesome... I haven't found any real complaints other then harsh ride. A couple people didn't like feeling everything on the road. Drop is better then most, best from the bigger brand companies at around -1.5 inch. Found online for as cheap as $200 (3) Swift springs are leading the way for me, did not find any negative reviews for various platforms. Also have their own special metal blend. They are specifically for the SI. I would be the first risk taker to do it on the ILX. It's pricey tho, $300+

usdmJON

Id go H&R all day. Definitely not a harsh ride. Ive even had people compliment how smooth the ilx is before I mention I replaced the springs.

aomechmarine

I believe the H&R harsh ride reviews were from people who were first timers when it comes to driving lowered. One was even saying his girlfriend complained about the bumpy ride and stuff. Unfortunately I know (and hate) that feel brah. But that was only few and far between. On different platforms I also read other people's reviews as also being somewhat stiff or somewhat harsh. I never saw mention of noise issues or bounciness or sagging or failure of any kind, which I feel are more important. Again if I had to guess, they are probably first timers. On some other springs, i did read about blown struts - Eibach Sportlines and Skunk2's

aomechmarine

Swift Spec R springs are only a little more then an inch drop, so the only thing holding me back from that is that I may get pissed it's not a huge visually aesthetic difference... Im thinking that would aid in the life span of the stock struts tho... but I'm looking for form and function, and I still plan on adding side skirts with puddle lights, and now I have underbraces which can/will scrape when lowered and going over those random huge dips that always seem to catch you when you live the lowered lifestyle.... decision coming soon, trying to get lowered this weekend. Don't think I could go wrong with any of these 3 spring choices, may just come down to whats in stock and and whats got the right price going...

Wheel spacers just came in! Getting itchy..... Have a hookup with the H&R springs in stock, not sure how soon I can pickup... waited so long to get low it's starting to irritate me.... pics of spacers and chrome tow hook

aomechmarine

Purchased Swift Springs for civic Si sedan and rear camber arms guys. I traded the trunk brace back in and a little cash on top for the RCA's. Monday morning/afternoon my 3 last suspension mods will be going on. Spacers, springs, and RCA's. WAY later I MAY get air bags, or if my struts blow and I may go to coilovers, but this will probably be it for me suspension wise. (except brakes and wheels, far away tho) Can't wait to show before and after drop pics! This drop is probably the WEAKEST one I've read about tho. The front is only -1.2 inches and rear is -1 inch. So, I think this will work good for me tho. Because of the underbraces, my car may still scrape underneath. And sometimes my car is full of gear and people, so it will be lower then. I still want to add those OEM skirts with puddle lights, don't feel like scraping and breaking those. I also was willing to pay a bit more for this pricey pair because I've had bad experiences with springs in the past, hopefully all goes well.

aomechmarine

Alright so got my spacers and springs installed, was gonna get the RCA's in, and then the shop told me they were missing a piece like a metal sleeve for the bolts to go through.... SO.... yeah not doing that, just getting my money back. The Mech said i'd probably have some camber wear but it would be really small if any. More annoying however is the noise that seems to be coming from the rear. I had the guy take a look and he said he tightened up some stuff, bla, bla, bla, long story short - less noise, but still a lot of noise coming from the rear. At this point, I'm just gonna remove the rear lower tie bar, which is most likely the culprit. Not worth the aggravating noise. Very disappointed right now. But, it's cool. As long as I can remove it and forget about it, I'll be cool.

aomechmarine

I also called the visor guy today, prototype round 2 test fitment scheduled for Wednesday at 11am, but I'm actually gonna see if maybe tomorrow I can squeeze in. I was trying to get laser eye surgery on Wednesday, I've already had my consultation and assessment, all I gotta do is schedule my appointment on Wednesday. It's a very simple elective surgery, if you got the cash, and if your eyes are good for it, they'll do it ASAP. recovery is quick as hell too. might still be able to do both on Wednesday tho, I'll just have to schedule the surgery for 2 or 3pm, if they still have an opening..... we shall see.....

usdmJON

I anxiously await your visor fitment.

aomechmarine

Test fit 2 now complete. I didn't take pics because he only tried out the one that was off the first time. It will now go into production. How long until we get these? He wouldn't say. But I'm thinking the soonest would be roughly 2 months. PROBABLY more like 3 tho. So maybe... November-ish? Future holiday gifts for the ILX owners in your life maybe - Hmmmm? Here are some pics of my car lowered and and with spacers.

usdmJON

Larger pic so people dont have to click


Looks good. Are you happy with the height?

aomechmarine

last pics/updates for a while. Gonna be out of the loop while Im getting super laser vision. Im excited - this is how most comic book heros start out - a normal day.... when suddenly the laser machine blows up and radiates my eyes! "AGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!! My eyes - they burn!!!! AWWWWWW NOOOOO WHYYYYY????" Then Id like lose my vision and develop super other senses .... COOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL.......

aomechmarine

Front springs settled in a bit more. The drop is now sitting about 1 fat finger in the front, 1 finger in the rear. I also got test fitted for some underbracing. More on that when it comes out. Bought an 8 piece chrome door pillar set today, along with chrome gas tank door cover. Gonna have the door pillars cut to fit under the window visors whenever I get those. The company that makes them is Remin. They're on Car ID - one of Acurazine's official vendors. The door pillars come in various colors, I was really thinking gloss black, but since I'm gonna cut them, I was scared the finish may chip or something.
Bought the rest of the OEM bodykit today. Paid $850 for side skirts and rear shipped to my house. Already have the front lip, pretty sure it was $250-ish or maybe $350-ish... but I forgot. Got the receipt somewhere. So I spent around $1100-1200 total, not good, but not too horrible either. Next step is getting the sideskirts fit with VIP puddle lights. Getting pretty close to finishing most my my build. Only things that will be left are expensive as hell, and far and away.

aomechmarine

hey guys talked to my dude Alan the visor guy at HIC visors. Looking like November for the visors. In production.
Full OEM lip kit installed now, as well as VIP LED puddle lights (they are in the side skirts). Would recommend anyone getting the lip kit to consider getting the LED puddle lights. Specifically those that were /are going to pay someone to install it anyway. My dude charged me less for the puddle light install then the Acura dealer wanted to just install one piece of the kit (obviously a rip). So basically free install of the rest of the lip kit. For materials and work, my guy only charged $275, and I had a custom switch installed so I can turn the lights on when the car is off. However, I would NOT recommend this. It was a nightmare to install the switch. Because of all the lighting timers and the computer on our car, my installer spent HOURS trying to figure out how to do it. And he's no joke guys, he's been doing badass customizing for around 15 years and he has some of the sickest VIP cars I'e had the pleasure of seeing firsthand. He's got all the certs and bla bla too. He's legit and an honest guy. I don't think it will be worth your money to go for the switch, since most places charge by the hour. This dude charged for the job. I'd recommend calling a few shops and seeing if they will give you a flat price for the job. Called 4 different spots, Autofashion in San Diego also was giving me a very slightly cheaper price, but I'm pretty sure the switch situation would have been a fail through them. They're legit, but this guys better at electronics. look him up - TN Auto Inspired. Real friendly guy, great customer service,which is huge for me. Can't say the same about other shops, sadly. And now if you you use him, the install will be way quicker since I was a guinea pig. Probably 2-3hours.

aomechmarine

Also wanted to add to anyone getting either a rear sway bar any kind of bars. Apparently, on our cars there is a "settling in" factor. You may or may not have some annoying noise and/or rattling until things "settle" a bit, and/or you may want to just adjust shit then, but at some point I'd recommend re-torqueing or retightening shit up. I also went over to DC Sports for a test fit on a new front (under) sway bar they are coming up with. Looks like the other ones already available, but they are trying to get it a little better. Will probably go back for some more fitments (although I'm running another one for now).

aomechmarine

Last note for now. The Remin chrome door pillar/exterior kit.... I am torn between a couple things dudes. First I'm not sure WTF there definition of real chrome is.... Because this shit is NOT real metal.... The first kit I got from some other company on Car ID was REAL chrome aluminum metal, and looked fucking GREAT. BUT - those guys didn't have a more complete kit like Remin does. So when I ruined the door pillar overlays by taking them off to test fit the prototype door visors, I went with vinyl wrap. Wouldn't really suggest that either. Doesn't adhere that great to the Polyurethane OEM door pillar.

The Remin Kit comes with (up to) 8 pieces. On side would be - 1)triangle piece that the side view mirror connects to, 2)F&R door pillars, 3)little door pillar. And then an optional gas door cover. Because they are not real metal and some kind of plastic, they seem somewhat easy to bend/damage before install if not careful. They are a lot more reflective then the vinyl wrap, but the real deal aluminum was the best by far.
Upside - because it is some kind of plastic, it seems it would be very easy to cut at home vs getting some kind of metal shop or buddy with the right tool to cut the aluminum (so I can fit the visors over them). Other upside is I know people want other stuff beside chrome, Remin has multicolor Carbon Fiber overlay and different gloss colors... Already bought it, we shall see....

usdmJON

No advice on the pillars here. Id go stock black over anything.


Cant wait for these visors!!! Youre the man.

lmend17

(Chants) Window Visors!!
Window Visors!!

aomechmarine

Hey wanted to overkill clarify something. My installer only charged me $250 for the parts (puddle lights, switch I provided, wires) and labor for the sideskirt/puddle light install. So he only charged me $25 extra for the rear lip to go on too. So If you did the full kit and puddle lights with him, he might do it for like $300, just haggle a little. He's a good dude.

aomechmarine

Talked to a local AWESOME detailer today. I have a clearcoat swirl on the hood from some neighborhood cat (FUCKING PUSSY!) So he's done little random scratch jobs for free even. Good guy. But Once I get the visors, I'm gonna get the exterior detailed and remove the thin chrome lining on the doors, and then I want to try either the OEM TLX or Civic SI colormatched lining or I may say fuck it and just get our OEM one which is like 3M clear stuff. But I want protection for the doors, parking situation sucks. Then that will be kinda the final way it looks until I get a decent cashflow going then I'll get bags and wheels.

aomechmarine

Added the Remin chrome door pillar pieces (at least what was not already chromed) Honestly can't recommend these. As I suspected, the plastic pieces are easy to bend or kinda warp a little. When you glue stuff like this on your car, (visors, decals, moldings) you want it to be a little forgiving because its hard to get it 100% straight in one try. This shit is not forgiving. It definitely got a little warpage look to it but I only added the chrome gas door cover (not too bad) and the little pieces that go over the black triangle that connects to the side view mirror. One got kinda warpish. Its Ok with me only because the visors will partially cover them/ I may have to remove or cut them to fit the visors anyway. So having tried 3 different window pillars, I'd say go real METAL chrome. B&I on Car ID was the better option for me. They also have SES that says its triple chrome plated, but the B&I was blingy enough and under 50 bucks with military discount for me, whereas the SES is just over $80 regular price. B&I also has carbon fiber trim at $75 as well, if anybody wants to try that. JUST DONT DO THE REMIN BROS. CAR ID is an Acurazine sponsor so I think they give us a discount or something if you mention it. Keep in mind you will have to modify them if you get visors and want both on the car.

aomechmarine

Removed the two big junction produce leather pillows I had in the backseat. Kept the halfish size one(its a little wider) Backseat is too small for that many pillows, the satin ones are great, smaller leather one will be a nice pillow to crash out on. Would not really recommend the Hip Pads they make. They feel better on older bigger luxury cars. Our car seats are a little more ergonomic. I'll still keep them for when I go to car meets and stuff, but not really drive with them on. The neck pillows work good, but they are a little stiff for my taste, wish they were a little softer. People usually love or hate those when they sit in the car, usually more love 80 -20 I'd say. So those i'll keep in the car too. Might smash my driver side one under some heavy books or something to soften it a little LOL.

aomechmarine

Been calling the visor guy. Still in production. BU HEY ITS NOVEMBER GUYS! SOOOON......
Great news! I maybe getting a nice discount on some wheels. Wheels weren't really in my budget right now, but if I get a hookup, it might happen within the next couple months, maybe sooner. Real authentic wheels too. Original price is around 1200-1500ish depending on finish/size, which is right around what I was eventually looking to spend. Probably gonna wait till around Christmas time, my gift to me. LOL

MissMae87

looking forward to hearing about these vent shades.

danielledva

i got the remin chrome pillars years n years ago for my 03 g35.. on the 3rd year, each piece had rust forming around the edges, sweeeeeeet. that shit's still stuck on there good too lol

danielledva

i wrote weathertech last march, and again last month for the window deflectors. still no one out there making them, any chance civic sedan will fit? lol.. Also, I got the wheels Acura offers for the ILX and I absolutely love them they're diamond cut and like gun metal gray. nice nice

aomechmarine

Terrible news guys. I was just told the visors wont be ready until January (probably)... the wait continues...

aomechmarine

Short answer NO, because the front window slant is just different - BUT... IF you wanted to try this... I would suggest going to a shop that has THE GLUE ON TYPE - IN STOCK. and then it MAY work, but in no way would it line up 100% correctly, HOWEVER - if it lines up "good enough" it may not necessary look bad - it would mostly just have to cover up the the chrome accent cleanly, thereby somewhat removing the obvious nonfitment tell tale sign. I thought of doing this myself a WHILE back, but the shops around me kept selling them out as soon as they'd get them, SI's/ Civics are obviously easy/popular to tune. I would go with the Mugen Si reps as well.

aomechmarine

oh, to clearly overstate - the reason you need them to be in stock is because you'd want to ask if you could just visually line them up - Id even take tape with me and just kinda tape them on - see how they match up. Take pics. If its not terribly off, Eff it, id do it. if the shop is kinda iffy on it, just let them hold on to your phone or wallet or something while you kinda size up the situation.

MissMae87

Has anyone tried to fit them? The cars look extremely similar. I asked acura but they didn't know.

aomechmarine

Short answer is no. TLX is a bigger car and OEM visors are generally clip on injection molded pieces -the fitment would be really good on TLX and not likely at all on the much smaller ILX.

aomechmarine

But you can always try anyway by visually matching them up to see if they line up good enough. Really, you should try Civic SI aftermarket glue on type visors. I would have already, but my local speed shops are always out of those visors, Si is a popular car to mod.

usdmJON

Well it seems someone beat you to the punch.


They look to be off just barely.

Personally I think they look horrible and would not put them on my ILX even if they were free.

The visors you had test fitted look 100x better due to how the back window visors end.

le^2

The only type of visors I will put on is the Weathertech ones where it doesn't cover the window trim. That said, did I miss the post where aem test fitted a window visor? I just skimmed through this thread but don't recall seeing any.

mvidal6

mehh they should look like this and follow this layout,

aomechmarine

The ones I testfitted do look like that, only "slimmer", as in a little more hugged to the car. It could probably be a lot slimmer like an OEM Lexus one with clips, but those go for $300 a lot of times.

The visors are made they are just stuck at the port. The dockworkers are on strike / work is backed up, they are just sitting there. The visor guy is a small businessman, doesn't have the cash to grease palms.

Wait continues.

aomechmarine

That fitment is OFF. MAYBE it would PASS if the car was black, and it had blacked out the chrome pieces. PASS/OK - still wouldn't look great.

usdmJON

I dislike the back window.

aomechmarine

Weirdly - front does look like an OK fit - even tho supposedly the front windshield angle on our cars is different?

"Compared to the Civic Si sedan, the ILX has a slightly shorter overall length, sits lower and is almost two inches wider (including a track that is about a half-inch wider), all of which help give to the ILX sportier proportions; even the rake of the windshield has been changed to give the Acura sedan its own distinct presence. The ILX introduces a more refined design language for the marque, with key elements like the scalloped headlights, raised hood and wide rear haunches, all of which are also present on the RLX"

2013 Acura ILX 2.4

There was a better article with actual numbers/degrees compared, but it was so long ago, it was just really hard to find.

Also props to the guy for at least trying it. Hey, ya never know...