'99 Accord EX F23A1 - 2.3L 5 speed

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2000 Journal - Update 5/15/02

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12/19/00 - Decided I had enough of staring at the Grant Custom Styling Ring and was going to deal with it.  I thought about "eBaying" it, but that had  3 downsides - 1) I had never tried to sell anything on eBay before, 2) I figured I wasn't going to get more than $30 for it, before shipping, 3) I'd be sticking some other poor schlep with a bad product.  I visited the Grant website and vented to them in an email, hoping they'd be remorseful and take the product back.  It didn't exactly play out that way, but they did suggest making use of their 90 day money-back warranty and try returning it to Pep Boys.   Sounded good to me, so I did.  Pep Boys was quite good about taking it back, and gave me a full refund, minus shipping.  Bottom line - avoid Grant Products, at least their custom styling rings. They're crap.

Amazingly enough, I'm still waiting for my Neuspeed anti-sway bars that I ordered back in beginning of November.  I'm not in a hurry, and don't really need them until April or so, but this is starting to get crazy.   RaceSearch.com reported that they wouldn't likely be in until late January 2001.   If they don't come in by then I'll probably change the order to a set of Eibach anti-sway bars (part #4040.320).

I rec'd my Jet ECU upgrade package.  Boy, you don't get much for the money - a paste board box w/ a nice Jet logo and picture of a speeding front wheel, a corrugated cardboard box for mailing in your ECU, some bubble wrap to wrap the ECU in, and some generic instructions for locating and removing the ECU.   The instructions refer to my application as "Prelude/Accord" and give helpful instructions for removing the ECU by "locating ECU under passenger floor carpet".  I'm not sure how to pull up the carpet on the car, so I'm going to experiment gingerly and maybe talk to Accord guru Tommy Tran for some help.  You then package the ECU up, mail it out overnight to Jet, they reprogram it for a more aggressive ignition timing, and the overnight it back to you.  During the turn around, you're stuck without the use of your car.  I'm going to hang on to this for a week or 2 until I figure out a good time to be without the car.  That'll also buy me some time to locate the exact spot of the ECU.

The Sparco Seat group buy blew up, partly due to some investigation by EJHonda - me.  Spending $1100 for 2 seats made me a bit nervous about making sure everything was spec'd out correctly, so I put a call into Sparco USA corporate to make sure I got the best information about what parts were needed to fit my car.  Sparco USA wasn't very encouraging when I told them about looking at this group buy.  Aparently the vendor offering it, JDM Tuning of British Columbia (I believe), was dealing with a Japanese Sparco supplier.  Sparco USA warned that this would make the warranty the responsibility of Sparco Japan and not Sparco USA.  Sparco USA also believed that the seats being sold were either discontinued or older generation models of current models being offered.  I contacted JDM Tuning and asked them about these issues.  Surprisingly, Nate of JDM Tuning was very honest and said he wasn't sure of any of Sparco USA's claims.  Based on that information, I pulled out of the group buy and posted a warning to the other participants (I'd want them to do the same for me).   Next thing I know JDM is flaming my post by claiming I'm a disgruntled Sparco dealer who is upset about not getting business.  Several guys emailed me to ask about the particulars, so I clued them in.  A week later I get an email from one of the participants that the group buy was shut down because of problems in verifying the order - just like I posted and Sparco USA claimed.  Apparently everyone got their money back and is happy.  To JDM's credit, they stood up for their customers and took the smart route.   Just  one of the things that can happen when venturing into the world of group buys!

My buddy Tommy Tran sent me an urgent warning about Jacobs Electronic ignition systems and potential problems with them.  I'm a big sissy when it comes to problems, especially with my car (heck, I've gotten rid of cars just because of little problems with them), so I decided to bail on the Jacobs system.  I had rec'd an extended money-back warranty period from them (60 days, instead of 30), and luckily I was still a few days away from it.  I called Jacobs and explained that I wanted to return the system.  The phone rep gave me a very hard time about returning it and questioned my common sense several times because I was relying on other's advice.  I finally just kept repeating that I would like to return it and he relented and issued the coveted RMA #.  Tommy is researching ignition issues and is looking seriously at an MSD unit.  I've contacted MSD and have gotten some initial feedback from them.  I'll probably pursue this in greater detail later in January.

Neuspeed stainless steel brake lines ordered from JC Whitney are backordered until 12/28/00.  Once again, no biggy because I'm not planning on needing these until this coming spring.

My Kaminari body kit is supposedly ordered and is awaiting shipment from Kaminari.   This kit was purchased via a group buy, and has also proved to be an adventure.   The guy running the group buy seems to be an ok fella, but he isn't the most accurate vendor I've dealt with, and isn't so hot on keeping customers informed as to their order status.  I was one of the brave souls who sent their money in first on this deal.  A few guys are watching me and waiting to see how I make out before they order their stuff.  Kaminari doesn't have any record of this guy being a dealer for them, despite his claim of being a personal friend of the Kaminari owner.  I was able to verify that my kit was paid for and ordered, although it is under another vendor's name.  Don't know why, but who's to know?  As long as it gets here.  In the meantime I should start to search for body shops who have dealt with kits before and prepare to schedule an appointment for installation in the spring sometime.

Random Technology cat group buy popped up recently, and I jumped in on it.  Unlike most group buys I've been in where there was no set number of orders needed to buy the product at the offered price, this one had a minimum of 10 orders.  That minimum was reached in short order, so it's time to pull the trigger on it.  They offer the Accord 4cyl cat for $170 (part # 822026), so it's a pretty good price.  I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to get under the car to install it now that the Neuspeed springs have lowered the car so that it scrapes on the ramps before the car gets up on the ramps.  I'll have to work something out, especially before the body kit gets installed and another inch disappears between the bumpers and the ground.

12/9/00 - Rec'd my Magnaflow stainless steel cat-back exhaust today.  It looks pretty good (in the box), except for the comically large 4" tip on it - I just don't get that huge coffee can look.  I'm going to miss the dual Remus-style tips on my Vibrant axle-back.  The entire Magnaflow system is straight-through.  I'm just hoping this won't be too loud (ha! ha!), either inside the car or outside.  Of course, after I had ordered the system I found a discussion thread on the 'net from some guy w/ a VW Jetta who described Magnaflow systems as way too loud.  Well, we'll see how it is this spring.  The shop that I ordered this system from , Husker High Performance Exhaust, was excellent in all aspects of the sale.  Major shouts out to them.  I plan on sending an email to Magnaflow to endorse Husker.   Install is planned for Spring 2001.

Placed an order for a set of Neuspeed stainless steel brake lines and a Random Technology high flow catalytic converter.  I figure since I'm going to be replacing all the piping both in front and behind the cat, might as well do the cat while I'm at it.  That way I'll be ready for the Jackson Racing supercharger when it comes out.  I just hope the Earth still has fossil fuel available when this all occurs.  The Neuspeed brake lines are the beginning of my focus on the braking system.  Eventually I'll replace the rotors w/ some cross drilled set - either AEM or Neuspeed.

12/4/00 - Rec'd an email from Jackson Racing stating that they ARE going to start developing a supercharger for the 6th gen Accord!   However, the email also states that this will be for the 2000 model year Accord, and that they aren't sure whether they will retrofit the kit to work on 98-99 year Accords because it'll require some changes because of different emission controls.  What?!?   They better include all of us 6th gen owners, that's all I can say. JR says to look for the SC around the fall of 2001.  Better start saving right now.....

Kaminari Body Kit - Waiting for my Kaminari body kit, model # KA98506.

Brakes - Have been investigating the use of EBC brake rotors and pads.   Called them up and they do make an application for the front (Turbo rotors - #GD629, $198/set, Greenstuff pads - #DP2812-2, $59/set).  This cost compares favorably to the AEM OE Caliper Big Brake Kit (#29-512).  The kit upgrades the front rotors in size, and combining that w/ the AEM performance brake pads (front #26-130, rear #26-205), will give you quite a boost in stopping power.  The kit is pretty pricey @ around $500.   It also requires a minimum 16" wheel be used to clear the bigger rotor - more money.  Neuspeed is offering some rotors in cross drilled, slotted, and cross drilled/slotted versions (front #JBR704, rear #JBR526).  Neuspeed also offers stainless steel brake lines, covered in yellow silicone, for around $150/set (part #96.20.37).

Racing Hart CP-035 vs Team Dymanics vs Kosei K1 Racing - While perusing the wares available at GroupBuyCenter.com, I came across a group buy on Racing Hart CP-035 wheels.  Sport Compact Car magazine had just featured an article in their latest issue on wheel weight versus sprung weight.  Supposedly 5 lbs of wheel weight saved can add up to a few tenths of a second in the quarter mile.  Having carted my Borbet wheels around, I've got to believe they weigh significantly more than the claimed 7lbs of the Racing Hart's, way more!  I'm figuring if I could shave the wheel weight down to the bare minimum, then I'd get that much more out of my mods.  The prices on those wheels are hefty, though - $1410, without tires!  My Borbets were around $870, including tires and shipping.  I'm still considering it because my current tires, the Dunlop SP 8000s, aren't so hot when it comes to wet tractions.   I'd like to upgrade them to a better tire, like a Bridgestone RE730 or a Nitto.   I'm trying to contact a Team Dynamics dealer (another excellent lightweight wheel) and see how their weights and prices compare.  Contacted the Tire Rack and they recommend the Kosei K1 Racing wheel.  As soon as I get the specs on it, I'll post it.

Received an email from Alicia of Accord Extremes and she's prepping for a show down in the Houston area.  Can't say much more, but she's getting ready to unveil some mods at the show.  She plans on posting new pics on her website of the mods after she's done competing.  Good luck, Alicia!

12/3/00 - Having to stay inside now that it's cold has simply turned my cabin fever into a parts shopping frenzy.  I've been researching a few items recently: Sparco seats, Random Technology catalytic converter, Magnaflow cat-back exhaust, Racing Hart CP-035 vs. Team Dynamics vs. Kosei K1 rims, EBC brake pads & rotors, and the controversial Jet V-Force module.

Jet V-Force Module - There is continued reports on the SuperHonda website concerning glitches and poor performance problems with the V-Force unit.  Based on these problems, I have been very hesitant to install mine on my car since I don't want the headaches that it might introduce.  Finally decided to call Jet and see if they would be willing to either take it back (2nd choice) or swap it for an ECU upgrade (1st choice).  Asked to talk to Customer Service and spoke to a friendly guy named "Craig".  Craig was very helpful and admitted that there was a problem with the Honda V-Force units.  Jet has a "recall" on them (Craig's words, not mine, but I don't know if Jet is actively contacting all current owners) because there appear to be 2 problems with them - 1) the LEDs in them overheat the unit, causing chip malfunctions, and 2) the fuel map has some glitches in it that cause the engine to run lean at certain times.  Jet is offering to reprogram the units and to drill some ventilation holes in the case, but I decided I didn't want the installation hassles of this unit, on top of questioning whether the fixes would be good enough.   Craig said he would take the unit in trade for an ECU upgrade if I could provide proof I purchased it from a valid reseller.  My heart skipped a beat on this because I got it from a small dealer via a groupbuy, but as it turned out they were a legit Jet reseller, and I had kept my invoice, so I was all set.  Faxed my invoice to Craig, and then he issued me an RMA #.   As soon as they receive the unit Jet will send out the prepaid mailer for me to send in my ECU to have reprogrammed.  I will have to fork over an extra $60 (the difference between the list price of the V-Force and the list price of the ECU upgrade), but I felt that was probably better than me trying to sell the unit on my own and taking a loss on the V-Force.  The prepaid mailer requires the purchaser to uninstall their ECU, place it in the mailer, ship it to Jet, Jet reprograms the ECU based on your responses to their questions (have you installed header, exhaust, turbo, supercharger, NOS, etc.?).  The ECU will have a more aggressive fuel map in order to take advantage of your mods and have the VTEC cam kick in sooner.

Sparco vs Monaco seats - Taking corners in my newly sprung Accord is good and bad: the car has less body roll now that the Neuspeed springs are in place, but the driver has all he can do to keep himself in place taking hard turns in a seat that offers almost no lateral support.  I noticed the lack of lateral support the day I picked up the Accord.  My '92 Civic LX had nice stock buckets in it, and I missed them when I purchased the Accord.  A group buy on Sparco seats caught my eye, so I began to do some checking.  I've always noticed some small ads for Monaco seats in the back of Motor Trend and some other car mags, so I began to compare the 2 seats.  The Sparcos are more expensive, by at least $100-$200 more.  The Monaco seats offer adjustable headrests, while the Sparcos have a fixed headrest.  I posted a query on SuperHonda asking for feedback on both kinds of seats, but only drew responses from Sparco owners, all positive.  No one knew anything about the Monacos, so I've decided there must be a reason for that.  I spoke to a rep at Sparco and asked about installation in a 6th gen Accord.  He claims he owns a 2000 Accord and they fit beautifully, using the Sparco Accord mounting kit.  Sounds good to me.  They are relatively pricey, but one of the claims of a Sparco owner on SuperHonda is that they are more comfortable than stock seats (especially on long rides), so there's my excuse to the wife.

Random Technology catalytic converter - One of the premises of modifying a Honda is that "the less restrictive the exhaust system, the higher output of the engine".  The typical upgrade path includes a new intake, exhaust header, and a cat-back exhaust.  There are those who like to go a step further and address the restrictions in the catalytic converter.  These people take 1 of 2 methods - the first being the owner takes a screwdriver and punches out all of the ceramic honeycomb and precious metal material, thus creating a hollowed-out converter which looks functional on the outside but is in fact just passing exhaust thru w/o any necessary chemical reactions taking place.  We'll call that method the "Illegally Polluting A-hole" method.  The second method consists of purchasing a less restrictive catalytic converter designed to be more efficient at passing exhaust gases thru it.  We'll call that method the "Probably Illegal but Clean" approach - it's legal as long as you replace a stock converter that is damaged or has more than 50K miles on it - which probably isn't the case in most replacements (i.e. me, too.).  Random has this plastered in their ad and on their website.  Out of curiosity I called Random to inquire about the cost of one of these units, figuring if I'm going to replace my exhaust header and add a cat-back system (see the Magnaflow item), we might as well go all the way.  The Random Technology converter for my Accord (part# 822026) is currently $226.  My only question now is 'Will this make the exhaust too free-flowing?".  Most knowledgeable engine guys will tell you that some exhaust restriction is good (don't ask me to explain that) because without a certain amount of back pressure you'll LOSE HP between 0-4000 RPMs.   This won't make too much difference for a drag racer who drives in the 4000-redline area most of the time, but for a daily driver or an Autocrosser, this makes for a drop in performance.  I'm going to post a question to SuperHonda and see what the opinions are.  I'll report them back here.

11/27/00 - The weather has taken a full speed turn into winter, with snow and cold temperatures.  How's an over night low of 5 below zero sound?  My limited mechanical skills do not need to be hampered further by frozen fingers, iced parts, and the like, so I'm waiting on further installations until the spring.  I may contact the garage that put my Neuspeed springs on and see if they'll give my Jacobs Electronics ignition installation a go of it.  I'm just not sure where the best place for the 3 pieces (ignition module, external coil, and some other small 1"x1"x4" part) is.  I've got limited space, even after removing the stock air box, so I'm hoping some professional auto know-how can solve this one.   Hopefully they'll also have a better idea of where to tap into a 12v 'hot keyed' power source, as required by the Jacobs kit.

Since my Borbet wheels don't have all-season tires on them, I've swapped my stock Honda rims with the Michelin XV treads back on.  These rims really make the Neuspeed springs' lower stance stand out, since the body seems to swallow up the tires more so than the fatter Dunlops' on the Borbets.

I'm currently involved in negotiating a purchase of a Kaminari body kit.   It's another group buy off of GroupBuyCenter.com, and involves a rather unorganized individual.  He put up pricing that he had to take down due to Kaminari's agreement with their distributors, and then he changed the discount of the offer, and also tacked on a 2% surcharge for his listed payment method.  Normally this would really get me cranked up, except that his pricing is still below any other price I've found on the web.   I'm just hoping this isn't a scam, which could happen in a group buy situation. I guess I'll have to take that chance in order to get a good price.   The kit is KA98506, front fascia, 2 side skirts, and rear fascia for the Accord sedan.  Shipped price is $675.  I've gotten a ballpark figure from a local bodyshop for painting at around $800 and $300 for installing it.  Kaminari claims it's easy to mount, so I'll do some eyeball fitment after I receive the kit.

GroupBuyCenter also has what appears to be a pretty good buy on Racing Hart CP-035 wheels.  These puppies are 7lbs in weight, and greatly reduce unsprung weight and the intial inertia that the motor has to overcome when launching.  A set of 16" rims is going for $1410 shipped, which appears to be pretty good compared to other Internet prices I've found.  I figure since there isn't a lot that can be done for the 4 cylinder's enhancement, saving weight is one of the few methods left for beefing up the performance of this vehicle.  I'm starting to understand the argument that posters on the SuperHonda website have made about just putting the mods money into getting a V6 Accord or a Nissan Maxima.  The Maxima's 227HP for about $23,500 looks real good when compared to the Accord's $21,000 price tag and $3,000 mods amount - leaving you still with only around 175HP.  Anyway, back to the wheels, I'd probably sell my Honda stock rims, switch an all-season tire onto the heavier Borbet rims, and then run my Racing Harts only during the non-winter months in order to keep stickier performance rubber on them and to save them from the ravages of street salt and spring potholes.  We shall see.

To add to the insanity of this project car, I've been looking at replacing the stock front seating of the Accord.  The current seats offer no lateral support, and it becomes very evident when cornering hard.  I have to brace myself in place by placing my left knee against the door panel and my right knee against the shift console - not exactly efficient when it comes to spirited driving.  Sparco offers a good seat, but at a premium price of around $575.  Debating on whether to just replace the driver's seat or to do both front seats.  Monaco, a cheaper manufacturer, offers some good looking seats for a bit cheaper than Sparco, but I'm not what the trade-off is in quality for the $449 pricing.

11/13/00 - Had an appointment to have the Neuspeed Sport Springs, Tokico shocks, and the AEM alternator underdrive pulley installed by Larry's Foreign Auto Service of Albany, NY.  My first experience with this garage seems to be a good one.  They were very willing to install the parts I purchased (some garages don't like that they can't make money on marked-up parts) and did a good job of it from what I've seen.  Larry's suggestion of keeping the stock spring/shock setups intact didn't pan out because of the large cost of parts needed to do that.  The car is noticeably lower now, doesn't roll in turns nearly as much as before, and yet has no appreciable change in ride quality.  I was afraid that the ride would have stiffened significantly and become a bit harsh, but that doesn't seem to be the case.  Some people say that the springs and shocks will change after wearing in a month, so I'll report back on the ride after a few weeks have gone by.   Had Larry install my AEM alternatore underdrive pulley while it was in the shop.  He told me that they couldn't get it with the alternator in the bay so they removed it and did the swap on a bench.  I haven't stressed the electrical system yet, so I'll report back on that aspect soon as well.

Got home from the garage and noticed a large package from CarParts.com at my front door - my Neuspeed N2 header & Neuspeed copper header gasket.  It's ceramic coated and is a 2 piece 4-2-1 design.  The N2 didn't test as well as the DC Sports ceramic header in a recent magazine review, but Neuspeed was able to get it in my hot hands, so that counted for a lot in my book.  Now I just need to figure out if there'll be any mild weather left this year in order to do the install or if I should just wait until the spring.  I noticed that CarParts.com substituted a Mr. Gasket-brand gasket for the Neuspeed I ordered, but it seems to fit the flange of the N2 just fine.   I got worried when I noticed the application of the gasket was for '94-'97 Accord 2156 cc engines, but it seems to fit perfectly on the N2, so I'm assuming I'm golden - unless the N2 they shipped me is for a 5th gen  Accord 2156cc engine.  That does't seem likely - the N2 package is labelled correctly.  Neuspeed makes a good product, and their install instructions seem to be top-notch.  The more I see of Neuspeed products, the bigger a fan I become of their stuff.

Troubling reports on Jet V-Force performance continue to come in on SuperHonda's web boards.  I'm seriously thinking of contacting Jet and see if I can't trade mine in towards an ECU upgrade.  That would seem to be a much easier install route, which is another benefit in my eyes.

11/1/00 -  Stumbled upon my Neuspeed anti-sway bars on RaceSearch.com's website for a bit cheaper ($30) than what I ordered them for on CarParts.com's website.  Called RaceSearch.com's Customer Service phone number and spoke to a very pleasant and helpful woman who answered some questions I had concerning these bars.  RaceSearch doesn't have the bars completely catalogued on their website, so if you try to order them the shopping cart will show a price for them but won't be able to figure an accurate shipping cost.  Their checkout procedure showed $5 shipping, so the price was a real bargain ($245.12) compared to CarPart's price ($297).  The Customer Service rep explained that the weight for the items wasn't in their system yet, so they had to figure shipping costs by hand.  The total for the order came to $266.79 (representing a more realistic $26.85 shipping cost).  I cancelled my order at CarParts and placed it with RaceSearch.

Made an appointment with Larry's Foreign Auto Service, a local independent Honda/Mazda/Volvo repair shop, to have my Neuspeed Sport springs and Tokico shocks installed.   They were very pleasant about taking the job - some places are less than enthusiastic when you ask them to install parts that you didn't buy from them.  I asked them to schedule the installation of the alternator pulley that's left over from the AEM underdrive pulley kit.  The estimate on the work was about 1.1 hours/wheel @ $60/hr, so around $300.  Larry suggested it might be worth while to purchase new shock caps so that I could keep the stock units compressed.  That way, if I ever wanted to swap out the Neuspeed units for the stock setup, I could just undo a few bolts and save a lot of time.  Seems like a good idea, but I don't know if I'll want to go back to the stock units.  Larry was going to get me a price on the parts needed to accomplish this.  I told him about Majestic Honda's website as a part pricing resource, and he was going to check them out.

10/30/00 - Shouts out to Andrew from RPI who has traded emails with me after meeting on the SuperHonda website (he's an Integra driver).  It helps to find some local enthusiasts so that we can trade info on local shops and experiences.  He's found a local shop called Autobahn Performance that deals in Honda parts.  I assumed the place was a VW/Audi joint  from the 'Autobahn' reference, but Andrew visited the place and reports otherwise.  Prices were high, though, he found.  Doesn't surprise me, most shops are in this area.  God bless the Internet!!!

Shouts also out to Tommy Tran for his input on trying to help me find a way through the firewall for routing the wiring harness for my V-Force.  Tommy is a big help.  I only wish he didn't live in Arizona so that he could come over here and show this newbie how to install this stuff right.

Rants out to Matrix Motorsports for leaving me hanging for a DC Sports header for 3 months and never delivering, yet charging my credit card.  I've disputed the charges and hope to have this mess straightened out shortly.

Rants out to CarParts.com for not delivering my Neuspeed anti-sway bars yet.  I receive an email from them weekly stating that my shipping date is delayed a week, no reason given.  I called them on the phone tonight and they blamed Neuspeed for not sending the item out yet.  I'm going to call Neuspeed tomorrow to find out what's going on.  It's been almost 2 months since I ordered the items.  I'm hoping I have better luck with them on the Neuspeed header - CarParts sent the Neuspeed strut tower brace fairly quickly.

Spent Friday night 10/27 ripping out the rest of my stock intake system.   I had replaced the filter box and pipe w/ a DC Sports DAC Intake, but I got lazy and left the resonator chamber assembly that sits inside the passenger side front quarter panel (just in front of the wheel) in place.  Well Friday I decided to take it all out in order to make room for my Jacobs Electronics Ignition system.  I was thinking I had a lot more room in the engine bay from the removal of the filter box, but the resonator chamber pipes still stuck up into the area vacated by the filter box.  The Jacobs ignition consists of 3 parts - ignition module, coil, and ignition trigger, and are going to take a good portion of the empty space where the filter box used to sit.  In order to get the resonator box out, you need to remove the pins from the plastic splash cover that runs from in front of the front passenger side wheel and over it.  The pins proved to be rather difficult - especially the forward-most pin.  It simply wouldn't budge.  I tried pressing on it from the top by wedging a screwdriver in through an access hole nearby, but the plastic pin top broke.  Still wouldn't move!   I tried yanking it from the outside, but it just didn't want to separate.  I used a screwdriver to try to pry the middle pin out of the pin assembly, but the flanges on the middle pin just snapped off.  I finally said enough's enough and used snips to cut the darn thing out.  The rest of the pins came out much easier, and I'm guessing now that some Honda Technician must have put the wrong size pin in when they prepped my car for delivery and installed my options (fog lights, maybe?).  I'll eventually try to replace it, but it seems fine without the one pin.  Anyway, I removed the pins all the way up beyond the top of the wheel well.  I then jacked the passenger-side front of the car up and removed the wheel.  I then pulled the plastic splash guard back and exposed the inside of the front of the wheel well.  I could easily see the 1 of the 2 bolts that hold the resonator chamber.  I removed that bolt, and then felt around for the other one.  The front one was a bit trickier because you had room enough for only one hand to sneak up into the space and use a ratchet to remove the bolt (10mm).   With the 2nd bolt removed the chamber was loose, but there wasn't enough room to just pull it out. I really had to pull on the chamber, twisting it around in several different angles, and also had to pull on the side of the bumper cover in order to make an opening big enough to remove it.  Be careful that you don't flex the bumper cover enough to crease the paint - I came close!  Once the chamber is out, you'll get much more cool air up to your DAC intake, because now there's just an empty space between the opening in the frame where the tubes of the resonator and filter box passed through, and you can see right down out the access and drain holes of the splash guard.  I saved myself about 6 pounds of weight - the resonator chamber is relatively heavy.  That'll help make up for the 8-10 pounds the Jacobs ignition weighs.

Finally rec'd my modified distributor cap back from Jacobs Electronics.   Their "i.C.E Pak" application for the 98+ Accord 2.3L requires that you mail them your distributor cap so that they can add 2 posts to it for connections to their ignition pieces.  The ignition arrived last week sometime, but the cap just arrived 10/26.  I purchased a new cap and sent it to them so that 1) I would be able to go back to my stock ignition if I needed to, and 2) because I didn't want to be w/o my car while I waited for them to modify it.  Jacobs told me it would take a week to get my cap back, but it was more like 2 weeks.  It was a busy weekend this past weekend, so I'm hoping to get the Jacobs ignition installed this coming weekend.  While the kit brags there are no wires to cut, you do need to drill into the frame in order to mount the ignition pieces (3 of them).  Plus, you need to tap into a "key hot" 12v wire somewhere in order to power the system, and they don't suggest where or what wire you do this to.  I'll have to solicit advice on SuperHonda in order to figure this one out.  Also have to make sure that whereever I mount the pieces I don't drill into something behind where I'm mounting them to.  This one makes me a bit nervous, but I'm hoping and assuming it won't be too bad.  Once you mount the pieces and get the one wire into the system, the rest is a piece of cake to hook up.  Just fit the modified distributor cap on and then hook up the wires - 2 to the cap, w/ one going to the ignition module and one to the torquer coil, and then some other wires going to a frame ground and the positive post of your battery.  That's pretty much it.  Jacobs recommends increasing the gapping on your plugs by 10-15 thousands to adjust for the hotter spark.  No precious metal spark plugs!  The hotter spark will melt them.   I think the Iridiums are ok here - I'm going to call Jacobs and ask them about that.

Controversy still is swirling around the Jet V-Force modules for the Accords.  A few buyers have reported problems with the modules causing sluggish performance and the 'Check Engine' lights to come on.  Jet seems to think that the modules are overheating if they are operated for long periods of time at highway speeds - this would cause all the LEDs to light up in the module, and the LEDs generate enough heat to overheat the RISC chip in it and cause odd behavior.  Supposedly Jet is recommending some sort of ventilation modification, but it's unclear whether Jet is going to perform this for you or not.  Until I hear more, it's staying out of my car.

Rec'd my Tokico shocks from Auto Image Enhancement.  I purchased these to go along with the Neuspeed Sport springs.  The springs will lower the car approximately 1.8", and this lower suspension will cause harder wear on the shocks, which the stock shocks just aren't up to.  The Tokicos are supposedly better suited for the new suspension travel and make a big difference.  Since I don't have the proper equipment to perform this install - like a spring tensioner - I'm going to locate a local garage to do the install.  I'm just debating on whether to wait until Spring (the season, not the part) or to put them on now and ride around in the snow on a bad-boy lowered platform.  I'll probably put them on now and see how it handles in the snow this season.  If need be, I'll take them back off and look to maybe getting a set of Eibach ProKit springs that lower the suspension only about 3/4".   I'll report back on this as soon as I find out how it rides.

10/18/00 - Rec'd my Vibrant axle-back exhaust.   Vibrant is a Taiwanese manufacturer whose reseller here is located in Canada. I was a bit confused by the muffler when I examined it - the #1716 model has dual rounded square tips (a plus in my eyes!) - not the 'coffee can' sized round tip that most after-market mufflers sport, and were stainless steel, but the body of the muffler appeared to be coated in a white epoxy, and it looked a bit rough around the edges - almost like it was used.  I was concerned by it at first, but as I examined it more, it dawned on me (duh!!) that the white coating was only protective plastic wrap.  What next concerned me was the fact that you could look right through the muffler piping from one end to the other - it appeared to be a straight-through design.  I was afraid the neighbors were going to be giving me the evil eye every time I left the house or came back to it - like we do with the kid who visits the people kitty-corner to us in the souped up Civic.   I figured a straight-through design would be really harsh in sound, sort of a 'braap'.  Turns out it has a nice low growl and isn't too intrusive.  If you like to rattle windows then this isn't the system for you.

In planning the installation, I used Majestic Honda's website to view part charts and figured I better get a new muffler gasket ($8) to finish the installation right.  I also needed to get bolts to bolt the muffler to the stock pipe, since the diagrams showed the studs that the stock muffler use are part of the stock muffler itself.  I picked up some zinc-coated bolts (3/8" x 1.5") and hex nuts (3/8") from Home Depot to use in place of the studs.  On Sunday 10/15 I backed the car up on some ramps (a feat in itself since they kept sliding back when I tried to back up slowly, so I had to gun it up on there!).  Since the car is only 2 years old, the exhaust system was in pretty good shape.  I put some Liquid Wrench on the stock hex nuts in order to loosen them up and left it sit for an hour to soak in.   I had to give a good yank on both hex nuts before they began to turn, and actually had to put my foot on the cross beam that runs between the back wheels for leverage.   The hex nuts both broke free and once they were started came off pretty easily.   Word of warning - wear goggles when yanking on exhaust systems and looked at them from underneath - I got an eyeful the first time.   I'd never dealt with the rubber hangers before, so I wasn't sure how difficult they'd be to work with.  Once you get them worked around, they came right off pretty simply.  I had washed the car and the undercarriage earlier to make sure there wasn't a lot of gunk caked on them while working on them.  The stock muffler came off and I cleaned the flange where the muffler connects to the stock pipe.  I could see the remnants of the original gasket (appears to be a hollow lead-like metal ring) - it appeared it had melted a bit, especially at the top of the connection.  In testing the fitting of the Vibrant exhaust to the stock pipe, I could see that the gasket I had bought might not do much in this case (too big for a tight fit), and that the flanges of the Vibrant exhaust and the stock pipe wouldn't fit together completely when bolted tightly.  The stock pipe has a slight rim on it, and the Vibrant exhaust had an indentation of the pipe where it fit to the flange, but it appeared that the rim was a bit longer than the indentation - thus the lack of tight fitment.  At this point I decided it might be bad to not have those flanges fit tightly since they might not only allow exhaust gasses to leak but it would probably hold grime and moisture, causing it to corrode prematurely.  I decided to solve this problem by applying Permatex UltraBlack OEM Hi-Temp RTV Silicone gasket maker to the parts.  I hung the muffler by the 2 rubber hangers and then I bolted the muffler on, applying Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant to the bolts.  I let it sit for an hour and a half, and then came the moment of truth.  I fired up the car, half expecting the straight-through muffler to blare annoyingly within the confines of the garage, but it was actually quite serene - almost too serene.  I drove it off the ramps (the dual tips hit the ramps a bit now) and then revved it up to around 4500 rpms up the street and brought it back. I was almost disappointed at how guiet it seemed.   The next day on the way to work, I began to notice the deeper growl much more, and became a bit more happy with the results.  It has a good sound from idle up through 3500 rpms, but above that it approaches more of the stock sound.  I gave it some thought and I'm assuming that the sound suppression is coming from the remaining stock mid-muffler - it's about 2/3 the size of the true muffler, and must keep some of the sound and pressure characteristics in place.  I've noticed no bottom-end loss of power that some of the cat-back exhaust & header swap people mention.  At this point I give Vibrant a solid thumbs-up!

Rec'd my Neuspeed Sport springs tonight, and when I took them out to have a look, I was surprised to see that they were.....green.  Green?  I'd looked at the Neuspeed website and had seen the cool yellow, silver, and red springs pictured in their online catalog, but hadn't noticed any green springs.  Now I started to suspect this color was the reason that we got a bargain price on the springs.  I started to get a little miffed at the vendor I purchased them from, but then decided to check the online catalog to see if they gave info on how to specify color choices on part numbers, and noticed there wasn't any color indication that I could see.  Since Neuspeed is on the West Coast, I called them and asked their sales person how to specify a color choice when ordering.  He told me that you can't - each spring type is designated to have its own color, thus the Sport springs are green.  The dark green will hopefully blend in with the rest of the dark wheel well.  I was hoping to have a set of shiny yellow springs to show off, but I'll settle for green I guess.  Now I'm just waiting for my Tokico shocks, and then it becomes a decision of whether to have them installed now or wait til after winter and do it this spring.  I'm hoping the 1.8" of lowering they'll provide won't cause me to float on snow-covered roads around here.  Ahh, the price us enthusiasts pay.  I know the answer - get another car for winter.   Hmmm, maybe a nice little Civic that could be supercharged........  I say 'installed' since I don't think I'll be tackling them myself.  The process requires a spring compressor, which I don't posess, so I'll probably just hand this off to a local garage.

The great DC Sports header countdown is on.  I've told my GroupBuyCenter vendor, Matrix Motorsports, they've got to get the header in my hands by 10/27 or the deal is off.  4 months is more than enough to deliver the product.   Not all their fault - it appears DC isn't exactly overflowing w/ product and isn't too concerned about producing Accord 4cyl products right now.  I've found a coupon good for $100 off a Neuspeed N2 header that's good until 10/30, so I'm just drooling for the deadline so that I can get a nicer header for a cheaper price.  If you're interested in the coupon deal, go to www.importhookup.com and check for the 33% off Neuspeed products deal.

Took a quick look at my V-Force install project.  I ran into all sorts of problems on this one.  Couldn't find the TPS from the lousy pic and description of its location in the Haynes manual.  I think I've found it on the backside of the throttlebody (towards the firewall), but I really don't want to guess since I'm supposed to splice into its wiring.  I then couldn't find an easy way to snake the wiring of the V-Force module through the firewall and into the engine bay.   My buddy Tommy Tran has come through again with some hints and suggestions on how to proceed.  I'm hoping to give it a shot sometime this weekend.

10/11/00 - Rec'd my Jet V-Force tonight.  It looks relatively complex - involves splicing wires and routing some thru the firewall - stuff I've never done.  I'm going to have to research this one pretty good before jumping into it.  Once again it'll be a busy weekend, so I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to take a crack at it.  I want to make sure I make the wiring connections watertight so that they don't corrode in this climate, so I'll be sealing the connections w/ either silicone or better yet, dielectrical goop that's available at Home Depot - once I find out what it's called I'll put it in here.  All I know is that it's blue and you paint it on to connections to seal them.   I've had a chance to study the instructions and it doesn't seem too difficult once you sort out the parts and run thru the directions several times.  These aren't the best directions, and there is no schematic to identify the parts that are shipped with the kit.  I'll try to take some pics and get them displayed once I put it in.

Called Jacobs Electronics and placed an order for an I.C.E. Pak ignition upgrade for my car.  I supposedly got a deal on the system due to Jacobs coming out w/ a newer version in blue - the current model is black - plus the fact that I don't require their plug wires since I have more than capable Magnecor 8.5mm wires on the car.   The price for the complete blue set was quoted at $550, but my price for the older black version w/ no wires was $358.  This will involve replacing the stock ignition system w/ a new coil, ignition module, and a modified distributor cap.  For some reason Jacobs doesn't provide this piece - you need to mail yours in to them and they modify it.  Rather than be w/o the car for a week, I picked up a new distributor cap for $18 at my Honda dealership and mailed that to them.  This way I'll still have my stock cap in case I need to revert back to the stock ignition system, and while I wait for the system to arrive.  Jacobs claims gains of 7hp, 9% more torque, and 10-12% better fuel economy.   The idea is that the ignition creates a spark that is much more substantial and creates it several times per stroke to ensure complete combustion.   We'll see.

Still haven't heard anything on my DC Sports s/s header.  The merchant, Matrix Motorsports, seems to be pissed off that I've complained to my credit card company about Matrix billing me more than a month ago for merchandise that I still haven't rec'd.  Too bad.  If I haven't rec'd the item by end of next week I plan on going a different route and trying to track down a Neuspeed N2 ceramic header for my vehicle.

10/7/00 - Doug of Delmar Auto Radiator confirmed that the Vibrant cat-back system doesn't exist for my car.  I checked with Vibrant and found out their axle-back exhaust (part #1716) is fully s/s and requires no modifications to install - important to confirm since Doug told me that often axle-back systems require some welding to get the flanges set properly to connect to stock pipe (that's why he recommends cat-back systems).   I went to the Vibrant website and checked through their dealer listing, which turned out to be their wholesaler listing - although most will sell directly to a consumer such as myself.  Ended up placing an order with Racers Equipment out of Rhode Island.   $240 + $30 s&h with the system being shipped directly from Vibrant to my home.   I've got my fingers crossed on this deal - mostly because I couldn't get any feedback from the SuperHonda webboards as to whether these systems are good or not.   Vibrant seems to be a big player for Dodge Neon modifications, so I'm hoping I couldn't have gone too far wrong here.  The pictures I've seen on various websites look good, including shots of a system on an Audi A4.

Still waiting for receipt of my DC Sports s/s header.  I've been waiting 10 weeks for it, and I guess that isn't uncommon when dealing with DC Sports parts.  They make a good product, but they aren't a very large manufacturer.  I guess they can't keep up with demand.  Plus, I figure that they probably dedicate most of their manufacturing to the Integra/Civic market, because most of their customers come from that segment.  Unfortunately, the reseller who originally took my order for the DC header and the now-realized non-existant DC s/s exhaust system entered a charge for these items back on 8/24/00.  I've had to start a dispute w/ my card holder.   I'm just hoping the reseller doesn't get pissed off and cancel my order - it's by far the best price I've been able to get ($340 for DC s/s header).  I'm considering sending the header off to Oklahoma once I receive it for a special coating at High Performance Coatings.  They've quoted me $155 for a full inside/outside treatment of the header.  I'm beginning to wonder if it would be worth it to purchase a cat-back system that isn't s/s and just have it coated here as well.  Considering HPC gives a lifetime guarantee against rust, it may be worth it.

Still waiting for my Neuspeed anti-sway bars to arrive from Carparts.com.   The order has been delayed 3 times in the last 3 weeks, so I'm not sure what is the story there.  I'm tempted to hold most parts for installation until this spring (and save them from a winter of corrosion encouraging road salt), so I'm not too annoyed....................yet.

Installed the AEM TruPower Underdrive Pulley power steering pulley from the kit I rec'd last month.  That pulley is the easier of the 2 (the alternator being the other) that come in the kit.  The alternator pulley is real tough because the 22mm nut that you need to get off is buried within the deep cup shape of the smallish alternator pulley.  I have been unable to find a hex wrench that has a severe enough offset in order to work within the pulley indentation.  I'll have to let a mechanic who has the proper tools have a whack at that one.

Sent my money in for a purchase of Neuspeed Sport springs and Tokico Premium shocks.  The Neuspeed Sport springs will lower the body of the Accord 1.8" in the front and 1.7" in the rear.  I had to set my car in various positions at the bottom of my steep driveway to see if the front would have enough clearance after the drop.  Best I can see, I'll just need to go slow out of the driveway.  The Tokicos are recommended to work in conjunction with the shorter travel of the Neuspeed springs - the stock shocks are configured for a longer spring travel rate and therefore will wear out pretty quickly with the shorter Neuspeed Sport springs.   Living up in the pothole-infested Northeast, I'm hoping I don't have ground clearance problems during snowstorms and freeze/thaw cycles during the spring.  We shall see, and I'll report my experiences here.

10/5/00 - Magnaflow's supposed stainless steel cat-back exhaust system turned out to be only s/s at the muffler itself, with the rest aluminized piping - no good for the harsh climate here. The Magnaflow ad in the 10/00  issue of Sports Compact Car said it was full s/s, but when I called Magnaflow to inquire about it, they said it was aluminized piping (???).  I took a quick look at a 5Zigen axle back system called a 'Slash Tail'.  I would think that I could install something that only involves pipes from the axle back.  However, the stainless steel muffler on this setup turned out to be only stainless steel on the tail pipe and the front of the muffler (the end where the pipe comes out), with the rest being aluminized (talk about cheap!).  If it was all s/s then I probably would have gone with it - easy to do myself, plus relatively cheap compared to a full cat-back system, plus I could use my good quality stock piping to hook it up to.  I called a local shop, Delmar Auto Radiator, and spoke to a guy named Doug.  Doug told me he's "old school" and is familiar w/ Hooker headers, Holley carbs, and Hurst shifter mods, but wants to get into the import tuning market.   Finally found a guy who seems to be happy working on cars trying to put a bit of zip into them.   Doug did some checking for me and found an all s/s system from Vibrant Performance, out of Canada.  Said the systems are real nice looking, with a good sound, and are popular on the East Coast here.  After checking out the website for Vibrant and looking at some brief descriptions, I called Doug and placed the order today.   Problem cropped up after I got home tonight when I rec'd an email from Vibrant's sales rep saying that they don't currently make a full cat-back system for my car, only an axle-back.  The sales rep did offer up that I could have a full cat-back system if I use a dual muffler setup similar to what comes on the stock V6 models.   Only problem with that is a dual setup tends to be overkill on an inline 4 cylinder engine, and purchasing and maintaining 2 s/s mufflers is more expensive.  It would, however, provide some extra breathing if Jackson Racing issues that rumored supercharger.   Hmmm, going to have to call Doug and find out what the story is w/ his system that he ordered for me.

Also place an order for a set of Neuspeed Sport springs and Tokico Premium shocks.  These replacement springs will lower the car approximately 1.8" in the front and 1.7" in the rear, giving it a bit better look and a lower center of gravity.  The Tokico shocks are meant to handle the shorter travel that the shock will have to absorb once the new springs are in.  The stock shocks are meant to dampen a longer rate of spring travel, and they tend to wear out very quickly when used with a short traveling spring such as the Neuspeed Sports.  Once again this is a mod that I'll probably need help installing, since it requires special tools in order to compress and remove the stock spring/shock assemblies and then compress the new spring/shock assemblies for mounting.  People do tackle this on their own, so I'll have to poke around for some advice and consult my Haynes manual to see what they say about it.

Finally ended up placing an order for a DC Sports stainless steel (s/s) header from Discount Auto Workz in Beaumont, TX.  They offered to match the $340 price I got from Matrix earlier, plus these guys seemed to be a bit more together.   However, I've emailed them twice now to find out what the status of the order is and I haven't gotten a response from them yet.  Hoping it doesn't turn out to be another no-communication vendor like Matrix was sometimes.  Heck, I hope I have the header in time for next summer!

Awating the arrival of my Jet V-Force tuning module.  This little computer box modifies the air/fuel map that sits in the Honda engine's ECU and sets it up to be more aggressive.  With more aggressive mapping, the power kicks in sooner and you tend to spool up speed faster.  Most people are raving about it in the SuperHonda message boards, but there are a few unhappy users of the product.  Will require some wiring into the existing electrical systems, so I'm going to have to plan this install very carefully in order not to mess anything up.

10/2/00 - Flash!  There's a rumor on the SuperHonda web boards that Jackson Racing is creating a supercharger for the I4 Accords.  This would be great news, and an excellent way to add 50-75 HP to the 150HP stock engine.   I'll have to start saving my $$ now just in case this comes true.  The guy I heard it from said he was told that in an email JR plans on introducing it sometime during the summer of 2001.  I was kind of doubtful about this until I saw that JR just got done introducing an SC for the CR-V!  If they can put one out for that weak 2.0L engine, they better put one out for us.  Want to help me encourage Jackson Racing to go forward with the supercharger application for I4 Accords?  Send them an email at jacksonracing@mossmotors.com and tell them you're a 98+ Accord owner waiting to purchase a supercharger.  It can't hurt!

Tried to track down a stainless steel cat-back exhaust system being offered by Magnaflow today.  I looked up dealers on their website and found that almost all the local Monro Muffler, Cole Muffler, and Midas Muffler dealers were listed as installers.  Great!  Problem is, every shop I called up had never heard of Magnaflow and didn't know how to get a system ordered for me.  Sounds like it's time for another email to Magnaflow to see if they can resolve that situation.

10/2/00 - DC Sports has tried my patience severely.   I tried to place an order with a reseller for DC Sports cat-back exhaust system and stainless steel headers.  These are the same parts that I've been hunting for since July, trying to find a good price and someone that can actually deliver the parts.  I complained to DC themselves about the situation, and they emailed me a friendly note stating that I should try 'Southern Performance Warehouse', located down in gator country, and that if they didn't have the parts DC would ship them out on their behalf!  That sounds like a plan, so I decided to give them a call.  First off, they make fun of me because they are 1600 miles away from me, but I explain that DC told me to check with them.  Ray at SPW tells me, 'well we do like the business', so he gives me over to their retail side of the business.  I agree to purchase both items, and explain to them DC has offered to ship the parts on their behalf if they don't have them in stock.   The SPW guy agrees to this and then attempts to call DC to verify a shipping charge to my ZIP code.  A minute later he comes back on the phone to tell me that DC just informed him that DC doesn't even make the cat-back exhaust system that I'm trying to order!  Damn! Then he goes on to explain that DC mistakenly put the product in their 2000 Equipment Guide and that resellers are offering it based on that.  DC hasn't even decided if they will make the system, hoping to figure that out around December of this year.  Now I don't know what to do, because DC was the only vendor that makes a decent exhaust system in an all-stainless steel configuration, one that would be necessary to survive the harsh winters around here.  I ended up placing the order for the DC Sports header with DiscountAutoWorkz, of Texas.  They offered to match my price on the Matrix Motorsport deal, so I figure I'll get at least the header on a good price.    Right now I'm trying to decide whether I should just give up and order a GReddy exhaust system, or if I should order a system and have it coated by someone like High Performance Coatings of Oklahoma (this is a national effort, here!).  The HP Coatings would prevent rust and keep surface temperatures down.  Pricing for getting the header coated is around $110 for just the outside, or getting it coated in and out for $155.  For all the complaints I've seen of people having their stainless headers either turn bluish or have handprints cause a permanent stain on them, this coating might be worth it.  They offer it on complete exhaust systems, too - you just ship them the parts to cover.

10/1/00 - Ended up putting the Denso Iridium spark plugs in today.  They appeared to have a nose that would indicate that they'll run a bit cooler than my stock plugs (the Iridiums are a shorter nose), so we'll have to see if they foul quicker because of that or not.  The old stock plugs looked pretty worn for only having 16K miles on them - they were covered in carbon, had rust-colored streaks up the insulator, and were gapped too wide.  The Densos were gapped according to the manual recommendations, so I just had to put them in.  I tried to do everything right, even using Permatex Anti-Sieze Lubricant on the threads of the plugs to ensure they'll come out easy next time.  I drove them the next day (10/2) and noticed that my idle seemed to be smoother, and the engine seemed to be much quicker to respond.   I didn't drag down in low rpms in a high gear like I normally would.  I can't wait to see how the gas mileage is with them in - I've got to believe it will improve, even with my heavy foot trying to see how good they are.

Saw a beautiful black Honda Prelude today that had a modified exhaust on it - the growl was amazing, and made me want that damned exhaust system even more so.   I gotta get it put on soon, or I'm going to feel really ridiculous screeching around at 40 w/ a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds.  I've noticed a lot of modified Hondas cropping up in this area - clear lights, big exhausts, slammed suspensions.   If I can't get the exhaust set up soon, maybe I'll investigate a set of Eibach ProKit coils and some good shocks - KYBs, Bilsteins, etc.  I'm still waiting for my Neuspeed anti-sway bars.  They are supposed to ship tomorrow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  I'm not going to be putting much on soon because of the cold weather, so I'd like to get things fixed up now.  Because of the cold, I'm a bit hesitant to put my Indiglo gauges in now for fear that when the warm weather comes they'll expand and buckle in the display, causing the needles to get caught on them.  Maybe we'll get some nicer weather like we did this past weekend where I can get some time to work on them - but with my parental and household duties, I doubt it.

9/25/00 - A mix-up by the YMCA for volleyball gave me some free time tonight.  I decided to tackle the DC Sports Short Shift Adapter.   This harmless looking hunk of aluminum is supposed to reduce shifter throw by 25-35%.  That means quicker shifts, which means quicker car.  The DC Sports instructions looked pretty simple, but for 2 facts: 1) they didn't show how to get to the uncovered shift cables, and 2) they were just plain wrong!  The instructions made mention of a 6mm hex nut - but all the hex nuts involved were 10mm.  The instructions had you bolt the adapter to the shifter, and the bolt the shift cable to the adapter.   The problem there is once the adapter is bolted to the shift then there isn't enough room to get the cable end onto the bolt on the adpater - the bolt end comes too close to the shift shaft to fit it.  I loosely bolted the shift cable to the adapter, and then bolted the adapter to the shift shaft.  But I'm ahead of myself.   Getting the plastic shift trim off was fun - but it required some re-working of the Haynes manual instructions.  One complaint I have about the Haynes manual is there just isn't enough detail.  I want to be told which way to turn the hex nut, which way to pull on the fastener, how many fasteners are there, etc.  I gently popped the cup holder out by putting my hands, fingers down, onto each side of the cup holder (one on the shifter side/front, and one on the arm rest side/back) and just twisted the bottom of it towards the driver's side.  It popped out and revealed to fasteners - one on the front and one on the back.  Now you can pop the shifter trim by putting your fingers under the driver's side back corner of the shifter trim and just pull up - slowly but with a good amount of force.  It'll pop, and then you need to pop another fastener in the opposite corner.  2 more fasteners pop near the back of the shift boot, and then there are 3 fasteners at the front end of the trim - 1 in each corner and 1 in the front middle.  Once that's out, the shift cables are there for all to see.  I'll post a page of some photos of the whole deal.  Next up is removing the shift boot adapter that connects to the stock shift knob and seal the boot to the shift shaft tight.   Not to put it on permanently, but good and tight to keep dust out of the shifter pivot point.  I put some woven material on the shaft that Tommy Tran mailed me (he's a great guy!!) and hope to cover it on top with the overlap of a Razo shift knob, while at the bottom the shift boot will be snug on the shaft.  Not sure if I can find some large rubber washers to accomplish this, or if I'll purchase some ties and snug it down good  I want something that can come back off if I need to get in there again.

9/23/00 - I installed the Neuspeed strut tower brace on Wednesday night.  Odd behavior by the brace made the install take about 10 minutes longer than the 3 minutes it should have.  Dropped the driver-side bar end on first, then walked over to place the passenger-side end on.  The bar appeared to be about 3/8" too long, but the instructions warned that the bar might not line up exactly with the strut studs, so you might have to jack the car up and loosen all strut hex nuts in order to position the studs for bar addition.  Tried several different easy force methods to get the passenger-side end to drop on but no go.  Finally, just before jacking the car up and making it much more complicated, I decided to try putting the passenger side on first.  Thank goodness I tried this action-that-I-knew-would-not-make-any-difference, because the bar dropped right on both sides!  Can't explain that one.  I'll take pictures of it soon.

9/19/00 - Received the first of 3 Neuspeed parts from CarParts.com - a strut tower brace.  This will mount inside the engine bay between the tops of the 2 strut tower assemblies.  Looks like a pretty easy install - just remove the back 2 nuts on each strut and drop the brace on the bolts.  Neuspeed says you may have to loosen the other nuts on the assembly if the bolts don't line up for the brace to drop on to the 2 back ones on each side.  It'll probably be my luck that I'll have to mess around with this, but you never know.  Sounds simple enough.   Kudos to Tommy Tran of SuperHonda and Alicia of Accord Extremes who showed me the error of my ways in trying to purchase a DC Sports brace first.  They pointed out the superior utility of the Neuspeed bar over the DC one - lighter weight, no flex joints, cheaper.  "More go than show", as they say.

I've now got quite a few parts here waiting to be installed: a yellow HoseTechniques.com Honda Starter kit, a set of EL Indiglo gauges, a carbon fiber gauge cluster trim ring, a Razo shift knob, a set of Razo racing pedals, a polished/carbon fiber e-brake handle, and an AEM Tru-Power Underdrive Pulley set.  Here's how helpful Alicia of Accord Extremes is: she's given me advice on installation of the gauges, the gauges trim ring, and the e-brake handle either through email or via her excellent website.

Matrix Motorsports is still dragging its feet with the delivery of my DC Sports stainless steel header & cat-back exhaust system.  Apparently they were unable to get the parts themselves and had to go through a DC Sports distributor - taking more time and costing them more money.  I'll give them credit for honoring the great prices they quoted me, but it has been very hard to get information out of them as to what is happening.  They've also charged my credit card, even though the unit hasn't been shipped yet.  It might get nasty before it's done.  We'll have to see.    I got hooked up with these guys via the GroupBuyCenter.com website.  The idea is that you save money by getting cheap prices when people buy in quantity.   However, I've found that most buyers don't have the cash to get all this unnecessary crap, so it only attracts the marginal vendors - small guys who are looking to scrape by.  Some of them are excellent on both price and service, and some aren't.

So far I've got Borbet wheels w/ Dunlop SP Sport 8000 205/55R16 tires, Magnecor wires, Neuspeed Strut Tower Brace, and DC Sports DAC intake installed.  The wheels and tires are a must - big handling improvement over the stock wheels and rubber.  They look much better, as well.  The DAC intake has been pretty good - seems to give the car a bit more power while it resonates and gives your acceleration a nice sporty rumble.  It does give some harmonic vibrations in the 2300-2800rpm range under normal acceleration.   I've seen people complain about this with the AEM Cold Air Intake (CAI), so I'm assuming this is normal and probably a factor in why Honda engineers place a resonator tube on the stock intake.  Of course that's disconnected now, so you'll hear the noises it normally would suppress, both good and bad.  The Neuspeed brace seems to have taken some of the body creaks out of the mix - it's difficult to say how it has improved handling.  Handling seems to be improved, but it's hard to quantify.

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