Well here are my suggestions..........

1)Definitely get a mild drop first. I'd go with either Comptech or H&R Sports.

2)A good set of 18" rims.........I would go Volk Racing. Great quality and light weight rims that are designed for your car.

3)Exhaust, Ice Box Intake, and Headers..........all from Comptech and NO, none of these parts will make your car look rice whatsoever.

yeah that would be a great start. :) But who knows.............maybe you'll get addicted to moddin' the car and you'll go out and get the Comptech Super Charger! :D :cool:


BTW heres a pic of my car that I sold earlier this year.........I sure miss her. :(

http://images.fotki.com/v13/photos/4...sc00767-vi.jpg

About the wheels.. I dont have any examples yet. I'll have examples by Friday, and if I dont, then we'll have them made. :)
I got the first round of orders done.

headlights, grill, coils and wheels will get done on the first round. That should be over with by the end of next week. Then, the next week+ after that will go towards the body work with the kit, trunk and finish.

There is a description of the wheels I am looking for:

7+ flat spokes
black/gunmetal rim and spokes
silver hub disc .. something 3in. or wider diameter

some wheels I've seen that come close:
1. This would actually be great if it wasn't $320 for each
2. Spokes are a little thin, and the center silver disc needs to be about twice as wide
3. Needs wider disc as well

So, if you have any suggestions on wheels, I'd be appreciative.

if you're going to lower the ride and add bigger tires you must get a camber adjustment. you'll be eating tires quicker than you think.

i like the headlight improvement though.

http://www.konigwheels.com/images/124_b.jpg
Absolute Graphite 18 x 7.5 Graphite 20.72 lbs. $307.92

http://www.konigwheels.com/images/213_s.jpg
no price given, and i know they aren't 6 spokes..but they look fucking nice. "DTD Spec"


http://www.1010tires.com/images/whee...7gun_large.jpg
Ro-ja formula 7.(gun metal) this wheel actually came to mind first, looks nicer in person.



http://www.1010tires.com/images/whee...lack_large.jpg
Motegi FF6 hyper black. you can get this in gunmetal as well.
quote at $216.99 apiece. not bad.

http://www.trixracing.com/Images/Whe...n6gunmetal.jpg
Tenzo R "mean 6" about 200 as well.


all i can think up at the moment. you could possibly find the wheel you want, if you ask what i'd think that would look good once you got the other shit in line..

i'd set my ass on some Work Wheels. simply fabulous.


http://www.work-wheels.co.jp/wheels/...kcx/photo1.jpg

shit, i hope no red x's come up.






cheers

Wow, I've forgotten how much cheaper mods are for Japanese cars. I'm jealous.

While you're at it, I think it would be worth getting some detailing supplies. Especially with the dark paint, some elbow grease about three or four times a year will really keep the finish looking great.

For "wax," I'd recommend the product at http://klassedirect.com/noname.html . It is a very long-lasting, easy to apply product, and is perfect for dark colors.

Swirl marks and such will inevitably show up on black cars. You can find a product called 3M swirl mark remover (suited for dark finishes) at Pep Boys, and it helps restore that mirror-like finish.

That's about the minimum you'd want to get if you're serious about detailing your car, and will definitely make your car stand out from mediocre finishes.

Wow, I can't imagine spending $4K on mods for a car with none of it going towards making the car any quicker. No offense intended, it's clear from all the cars on the road that lots of people really like doing this, but I'm WAY more a fan of the sleeper. You could spend $4K on performance upgrades, keep the car looking exactly the same (it *is* a nice looking car already) and then shock the shit out of some people when you hit the gas.

But whatever. I'm sure you've budgeted for it and it is going to make you happy, and that's what is really important.

Ramega, my car is fast. That's all there is to it. I don't race it, and I really cant see myself going any faster than I all ready go, which is very fast. I may add a couple gadgets to make up for the extra weight I am attaching to my car, but spending money on making it go fast is like buying 466MHz RAM when your motherboard only supports 400MHz RAM... if you understand the geek reference.

What my car lacks is unique appeal. It was part of the best selling line of cars in it's model year and so that's just a special way of saying, "Everybody has one." So, screw all that sleeper crap. I want my car to be stylish and classy.

amen to that hal!

Fast, stylish, and classy are all very relative and subjective terms. That said: enjoy modding your car! But if you ever get the chance, drive a really fast car. Better yet, learn *how* to drive a fast car. You may just catch the fever...

Halx, dude, be prepared for some pretty stupid shit like that when you're talking about your baby.

Anyway, the first thing you should do is get some new wheels. I know you already plan on that, but it should be the first mod you do because the car will have a whole new look and the grip will be awesome compared what it is now. Also, upgrade your shocks soon after that. With the increased grip, the body is going to lean really far when you corner hard. Get some Koni, KYB or Tokiko (best!) adjustable struts and some coilover springs. The coilover springs come on a threaded perch that slides over the shocks and allows the car to be raised and lowered until you find a ride-height you like. A shop will charge you way too much to install shocks, so do your best to find someone who could help you do it first. I did mine for free, and a friend had to pay over $250 just in labor to have a shop do it for him.

That grille in BonneFan's post on the front of that black Accord looks awesome! You should do something like that, too. It gives the car a nice, understated look.

Another point about wheels: if you want 18s that look like 18s, get something without a huge lip. A lot of wheels have a big polished lip, so the spokes are made shorter and curved inwards. This actually makes them look smaller than they are. Check my wheels out: the spokes go all the way to the edge, making 17s look like 17s instead of 15s or 16s. LINK Of course, you should ignore all of my advice and everyone else's and go with whatever you think looks best.

Guys, I am not much of a car guy, I just care about quality, safety, and good value. Thus, I do not understand why people spend so much money on accessorizing their car. But then, I will spend money on any book aviation related. Anyway, I enjoyed reading everyone's posts and their suggestions to Halx on helping him make his car the way he wants it. In short, if you like it, then it is money well spent. Halx, please post some photos of the cars progress.

Ouch!

When looking for wheels, realize that open designs show off your brakes. I think it looks really goofy seeing huge wheels with the now puny-looking stock rotors. Also, check that your rotors and calipers actually look good enough to be shown off. I think a lot of cars that come stock with closed wheel designs have rather unattractive calipers (bare iron). I've never looked at an Accord that closely though.

Mille Miglia EVO 5's look very nice

http://www.millemiglia.co.uk/images/wheels/evo.jpg

They are available in your bolt pattern in 17, 18, and 19 inches. So you should be set. I think they look aggressive, yet tasteful.


And if I did some exhaust upgrades, I would go with CompTech... good stuff.

You must have a good friend doing the work for you, because thats an awesome price if the work is done right.

WarWagon - sister's good friend's boyfriend :p

I'm going with these wheels
http://www.performancestyleattitude....tal_side_l.jpg

The grille I was gonna get is not avail, so I guess I'm holding off on that.

So phase 1 is gonna be: wheels + lower + headlights
Phase 1 will be done either this week or next week.
Phase 2 is: body kit + trunk shave + glass finish + intake + security
that will hopefully be done by the end of the month.
Phase 3 may include: brakes, muffler, engine work

Keep us updated Halx

Damn, Halx, nice list of upgrades! Don't forget some tasteful pedal covers and maybe some white gauge faces.

BoCo, I aint touching my interior. It's just fine as it is.

First thing that should be done...suspension. Period.

Drop that puppy down, and you won't be able to thank yourself enough. I like the idea of the black strip on the lights in the rear...
And as far as wheels...I'd go black wheels with a polished lip...

Can't praise good JDM styling enough...just can't go wrong with it.

I'm curious...you obviously priced this stuff, but what exactly is it?

Are you going with a full adjustable coilover setup,
http://www.carreview.com/Channels/Ca...duct_54531.jpg

or just replacing the springs,
http://www.prolightstar.com/images/hr150x100.gif

or replacing the springs with coilovers?
http://www.cartunerz.com/groundcontrol/coilcolor.jpg

A quality set of Eibach, H&R or Intraxx springs should be about $200-$250 and would lower your ride up to 2.5"...I'd reccomend that instead of the coilover, if you don't want to mess up the feel of your ride.

In any of these cases, why is 'Lower' listed seperately? Is that just the labor for installing the lowering springs/coilovers or...what? If you have a jack and a socket wrench, you should be able to install them yourself, or (at least) with a car-oriented buddy holding your hand.

Also, unless you're doing the full adjustable coilover shock(about $1000-$1500), have you considered replacing the shocks as well? If you just lower it, without putting aftermarket shocks/dampers in, you may make your ride extremely harsh.

I really like the cosmetic mods, I think you're on the right track there...but don't fall into the trap of thinking that 'lowering' is strictly cosmetic.

the coilovers I am getting are honda-specific and will let me lower 1" - 4" ... adjustable. I'm gonna just go with 1.5" at first. The price for 'lower' is actually the labor involved for everything (headlights, tires too). As you can see, I'm doing this in phases, so if I notice anything I need to change about my ride between phase 1 and 2, I'll make sure to get it covered in phase 3.

18" rims is a must, also coil overs, new head lamps, maybe some customs fog lights, altezza tail light replacements possibly, body kit, grill, low pro tires, exhaust, maybe throw some neon under it, cold air intake will give it a lil bit better performance and maybe a spoiler if u can find one that looks decent.

Remy, are you trying to make my car look like a clown?

Ok, i just dropped it off to get wheels and headlights...

if you thought THAT took a long time to get started, you don't know the half of it.

The bottom line is, never pay a mechanic in advance, even if all it is is to purchase parts.

lmao

like a clown

Man you're always good for a laugh :)

I remember when you first bought her, showing EVERYONE pictures :)

Can't wait to seen Phase X, the fretting and the wondering if there is anything else you need to put on.


Remy - Nadia is not "Hi, i need to look JUST like ANOTHER car in a MOVIE"

She has class, she has character, she is one of the FEW accords that I like.

Here is phase 1

http://www.tba-ownz.org/img/nadia/p1-1.jpg
http://www.tba-ownz.org/img/nadia/p1-2.jpg
http://www.tba-ownz.org/img/nadia/p1-3.jpg
http://www.tba-ownz.org/img/nadia/p1-4.jpg

Phase 2 will get started next week

She looks very nice now, Halx. It's nice to see someone actually doing exterior mods on a car without ricing it out.

I look forward to seeing what else you've got planned.

I totally agree. I'm a truck guy and tend to side on the 4X4 mods, but in your case that is one of the nicer cars i've seen in a while. Good job:D

Thanks guys :)

It rides as smooth as a caddy, and hugs curves like a long lost aunt. I'm very pleased with it so far, but I am gonna have them raise it at least .75" because the 2.5" drop is a little too close to the ground and my neighborhood is not flat at all. (See the mountains in the background?) I've scraped the bottom of my nose more times in the last few hours than I have in the entire year+ I've had it.

Looking sweet!
Now get started on that trunk! :D

Yea, I know what you mean about the height being too low. My Acura is at factory height and even a few times it's scraped the nose coming out of a friend's driveway.

cars as art get me going a hundred miles an hour!
excellent thread progression...
very cool, Hal!

I agree..... Tint the windows, put a gold superman logo on the front grill and corner of rear bumper, add some rims, and you can pose as Shaq...:-)

If all you need is les than an inch, you're lucky. My car is almost 8 inches off the ground and I have to crawl on some roads around here.

Looking good so far, good choices for parts, and it looks very professional, unlike much of what I see around here.

I love new Accords, souped, tuned or not.