Last issue I talked about the up-and-coming female sector in the import show arena. When I say this I don't mean the scantily-clad model sector; I'm talking here about show participants, chicks that build cars and take 'em to shows, then beat the guys at their own game.
Southern Cal resident Erica Lam is another of these self-made women. She bought this V6 Accord less than a year ago, and already it has caused quite a disturbance in the Southern California show scene. There's a good reason for the stir: The car sports one of the cleanest R34 widebody conversions we've seen, and since this modification is rapidly becoming one of the most popular among body sculptors nationwide, you can bet your sweet ass that we've seen one or two this past season.
To really appreciate the bodywork on this Accord you need to see it in person, but if you've missed it at the shows then you can hopefully get the idea by perusing these pics. The widebody kit is actually a TRD Supra treatment, which was adapted to the Accord by Auto Explosion in Gardena, Calif., then sculpted to resemble the intimidating, squared-off haunches of an ill-natured R34 Skyline. Skyline bumpers front and rear sourced through VIS, R34 light assemblies nose and tail, and a fearsome carbon-fiber wing from C West convincingly wrap up the illusion. Additionally, all exterior distractions like keyholes and door handles were shaved, and a new Eclipse gas filler door replaces the faceless stock panel.
To see just how well all the components line up, note that the lateral creases run in an unbroken line from the upper rear corners of the headlights, through the forward flares over the front wheel wells, across the natural upper fold in the Accord's door panels, and through the flares over the rear wells. You could hold a ruler up to your eye and the lines would match up perfectly; now this is the essence of true body panel mastery. Erica gives Steve at Auto Explosion all the credit. She says deciding on a body shop to put her car under the knife was probably the hardest call she had to make, but in retrospect it seems that she made the right choice.
"There are many different custom body shops in Southern California, but the one that came highly recommended by my friends in the scene was Auto Explosion," she testified. "Their impeccable job on the exterior alleviated my concerns and allowed me to focus on the next step on my project car."
This next step was ensuring that she would be heard at the show events, as well as seen. Creative Car Audio, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., helped her in this department, assembling a custom "false floor" system in the car's trunk that consists of a pair of Alpine amps and a digital capacitor, which drive Boston Acoustics Pro Series components in the car's cabin and three JL Audio 12-in. subwoofers mounted below the amps. An Alpine CVA head unit with slide-out screen sits at the system's head, and hooks up with a PlayStation 2 mounted in the glove compartment for visual stimulation (if the car's exterior isn't enough to stimulate you).
Erica's final step in creating the quintessential show Accord was matching the car's interior with its exterior. Kreative Auto Interior was up to the task, matching the dash and all dash inserts, door panels and carpeting to the baby blue pearl that graces the outer surfaces. They also reskinned all seating surfaces (which include a pair of Recaro SRD buckets up front) in custom blue vinyl, added carbon-fiber dash accents, and installed a pair of AutoMeter gauges, reading air/fuel ratio and oil temperature in a custom A-pillar pod. Other additions to Erica's cockpit include a chrome fire extinguisher, Indiglo instrument faces, and a couple of electronic gadgets in the form of an A'PEXi VTEC controller and HKS turbo timer, though the Accord's six remains naturally aspirated--more on that in a minute.
When Erica finally got her car back, she sat back to admire all the work that had been done--and to nurse the big hole that had been punched through her wallet--and realized with horror that she had forgotten one major detail.
"I looked at every detail on the car, then looked some more, and then I finally realized that I had forgotten about the tires," she said. "How can my car be complete without the proper rims and tires?"
She wanted to roll in style, she said, but the decision on rolling stock was complicated somewhat by the severe augmentation of the factory's panels effected by the TRD widebody. No measly 17-incher was going to get the job done. Rex at Sprewell Racing (yeah, that Sprewell) in San Gabriel, Calif., helped her with the proper offset to accommodate her wheel of choice, the massive 19-in. Racing Hart C2s now tucked under the R34 flares. V-Spec coil-over springs and Koni adjustables drop the car over the huge rollers, which were wrapped with Toyo Proxes TS-1 rubber, sized 245/35 in front and 265/30 in back. The Racing Harts also cage bigger brake assemblies incorporating PowerStop cross-drilled and slotted rotors and carbon metallic pads.
The engine hasn't seen a lot of action yet, mainly because there isn't a huge market for V6 Accords, as any V6 owner can tell you. Mods have been limited to an Injen intake and 5Zigen exhaust. The valve cover has been polished beautifully, and steel braided hoses, a blue Optima battery and blue vacuum hoses keep the engine bay nice and clean. Still, Erica would like to squeeze some more power from the V6, and says she is considering a nitrous system to ease her power troubles for the time being.
Speaking of the time being, things just keep getting better and better for Ms. Lam. Though she financed the early phases of this project herself, she has caused such an uproar in the show scene (three trophies in two shows, so far) that she's starting to acquire a fair share of sponsors, like Toyo Tires, which provided the Proxes rubber for the massive Racing Hart wheels. As I write this she is also preparing to attend the SEMA show in Las Vegas, the largest aftermarket vendor gathering in the nation, where this car will be part of a sponsor's booth display. For their help turning her project into a dream come true Erica would like to thank Chris at VIS, Mark at Techna, her brother Binh and sister Tuyen, Toyo Tires, and her crew, Team Decepticon.
"Without your support, patience, and ideas my car would not be half as crazy as it is today," she stated. "As a final note, I hope that by taking part in the import scene I will be able to motivate more females to participate." That should say it all.