lastgr8

21 months after selling my 2007 Type S 6MT I'm back in the Acura game with an even rarer example. A 2003 CL Type-S 6 speed manual with navigation. As I understand it, around 2700 manuals were made and less than 800 of them were the nav spec? - Any clarification/verification on that would be appreciated.

It's far from a pristine example but with some work it's a very solid base. It's been used as your normal daily driver then college kids car by the previous owners for the past 8 years. It has 254K on the clock, some minor mechanical issues (wheel bearing?, SRS light, O2 Sensor, odd suspension setup), some cosmetic issues and rusty rear quarter panels. On the other hand it's been reasonably well maintained, the interior is almost mint and other than the quarter panels the rest of the car is almost completely rust free.

My sons and I will be doing a light restoration on it this summer. Address the mechanical issues, weld in some new metal for the quarter panels, fix the front and rear bumpers, probably get some new wheels, and vinyl wrap it. I tend to like tasteful and understated mods (see link to my 07 above) so nothing major. But then again, stock, this is one of my least favorite pre-2009 Acuras so it does need some help

I'm going to be posting the details of the "odd suspension setup" as a question in the tech forum. It appears to have H&R lowering springs and Bilstein shocks in front with stock rear. Which is probably why the front bumper cover is all smashed to $#%@!


As it sits this morning after a quick and dirty rehab of the lights and bumper

As purchased

Ascension

Welcome back! Congrats on the ride! Do you miss your old Type-S? Does the CL Type-S feel as quick as your previous 3G?

lastgr8

I absolutely do miss my old Type-S. The CL does not feel as fast as the TL, I think by the book, it's not terribly far off (1/2 second 0-60?) but the big difference is that the TL was more evident just getting in and driving. With it's lower RPM torque and quicker steering it just feels "sportier". When I first drove the CL I thought it was much more of a luxury cruiser however after driving it a little bit and gaining confidence in it I've learned that you just have to work for it a little more than I'm used to. It corners as well or better than my TL, the steering just needs a lot more input. It has plenty of power, you just need to keep the RPMs higher than with the TL. I will say even though my CL has twice as many miles as my TL did, I like the shift feel much better in the CL. It just feels more precise, I don't know what the difference is. Overall though the TL felt like a more modern car (because it is obviously) but being an old fart, the CL has much more of what I think of as the classic Acura feel, which is quiet and smooth but very quick.

My perception is off because I daily my twin turbo, 4 second 0-60, Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which has dynamic chassis control, torque vectoring, etc. and a Nürburgring time faster than an NSX or Lexus IS-F so I have to recalibrate and not think about speed but the feel. The Cayenne is fast, but it's so insulated and effortless you're into "jailtime speeds" before it feels like it. Both the TL and CL Type Ss feel (felt) "quicker" just driving around town or shooting down a country road.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, the CL-S6 does not get the love; however, it was the 2G baseline platform that gave you the 3G 2007 TL-S6 progeny.
Although, I can confirm, based on the Facecreep pages devoted to Frankenstein Civic swaps, they are coveted for their parts.

That might have a little something to do with the J35A8 vs the J32A2, of course.:wink:
Best of Luck with your family car renewal project.