Provocateur

Why JDM? Why do you want your car to look like something it isn't and never will be? Spend that money on something useful, like engine upgrades. Keep the stock USDM look but have a roaring motor under the hood, so the next guy that challenges you can be left in the dust confused.

You don't need to waste your money on Hondata if all you have, or are planning to get, is mild bolt ons. A high lift duration cam, increased compression ratio, turbocharger, etc. that increase the air flow and require more fuel would need Hondata but a set of cams, intake and exhaust don't necessitate the purchase of a very expensive engine management system.

dc5s

However, on a I/E type S hondata is showing gains of nearly 30+whp and on FI cars it makes for nearly 60-80 depening on other mods. Plus the tuning factor and being able to monitor all my motors functions through a single screen will in the end be more economical and classy than a bunch of guages, tachs, and manual work.

Provocateur

Whoever told you that was blowing smoke up your ass. It will provide minimal gains, if any, to a stock motor. (A motor with intake/exhaust is still stock.)

JGordon

I agree that the KPro is overkill if all you're doing is bolt-ons and maybe cams, but the Hondata #4 ECU Reflash (~$600) is generally considered to be a very good investment. It's designed to work with an intake and exhaust mods.
For some reason Honda chose to run the K20A2 really rich from the factory, and the hondata chip leans it out some, remaps the fuel & ignition curves, and raises the redline to I believe 8600. It helps smooth out the hp curve on the low- and mid-range, making the car more driveable around town. This is one of the things that they fixed on the '05, with a significantly updated and revised ECU.
It certainly won't give you 30+ hp, but 5-10 peak hp and better throttle response elsewhere on the curve are still worth it.

And Dc5s, your obsession with being "VERY JDM" is expensive and frankly, rather crowd-following. You'll find that this board and ClubRSX both don't have too much tolerance for people who want to do JDM stuff just for the sake of being JDM. Buy based on price and performance, or what looks good and is of high quality, not because something happens to be available from overseas.

To whoever asked, Mugen does make a Header with an integrated metal-core cat, which looks beautiful. But it costs $2000. I think that's the only one on the market right now.

mikeyr0th

Not everyone wants a creeper like you! It's all about personal preference and what the OWNER of the car wants. I myself enjoy doing things to the exterior and interior of my car that set it appart from the rest. To say that a car never will be what a person attempts to achieve is also crap considering that at the time I didn't have enough money or resources in order to aquire a Type R, however if I mod enough of the car over a given course of time I could eventually have a Type R (If that's what I wanted). I personally like JDM, I don't go to great extremes in order to make my car JDM simply because I am a follower, because I really don't give a $hit what's "in" at the time. I mod my car to be different from the masses of other RSXs out there. However, once you start on a particular theme, its hard to get off of that theme because most people have a finished product in their head WAY BEFORE they even complete the mods. Although there has been a cult following of JDM, it is still set apart from everything else(the same as aftermarket OEM mods are). I'd just rather not drive down the road and see my car across from me, and if that means spending a few extra dollars, then so be it. Again, not everyone is going for all engine in their cars so who is the one who is being biased based on what they want, the JDM people or your view of what you think a car should contain?

Snoopy

no, no matter how much you mod it, it will never be a type r. if it didnt come from the factory that way, it will never be one.

Provocateur

That is exactly what I am trying to say. My car didn't come from the factory Type-R, so I can put as much JDM shit on there as I like but it will still be a USDM ACURA.

Provocateur

I am a little biased toward the whole JDM look and I have seen some that I actually liked because they invested the time and money to do it right. The problem I have with JDM is what the definition has shifted to and how people follow like sheep. If most ricers invested the amount of money into the motor rather than unpainted body kits, big loud fart cans, and ugly, flashy wheels, they would all be driving 12, 13, and 14 second cars. If you want JDM, you need to have the power to back up the looks. And frankly, 90% of the "JDM" Honda/Acura drivers I see on the road cannot do this.

AcuraFanatic

Gah this whole JDM craze is fvcking gay. Just do it so it looks nice, not so it conforms to a standard.

mikeyr0th

see, you are still under the assumption that everyone wants a fast car just like you. I personally do, however some are simply in it for the style and there is no reason for them to have a fast car if they aren't interested in racing it. I look at it one way:

IF YOU AREN'T DRIVING THEIR CAR THEN WHAT DOES IT MATTER TO YOU????? :thinking:

What is the point of making your car a 12 or 13 second car if takin it to the track is not interesting to you. If you try and romp on it on the highway then I'll just drive by you and laugh while you are being raped by the police officer.

If there is one thing I've learned about street racing, its that it is only a matter of time until you get nailed for it. I have a total of about 1000$ in fines because of it. IT IS a rush, but to me it wasn't worth it, to you it may be.I don't really care either way, I'm not out for you, I'm out for me.

BOTTOM LINE
If you don't like my car then :madfawk: cause I like it