When the Acura RSX came out, it didn't seem like too many people lamented the death of the Integra nameplate. Many were overjoyed at the larger engine displacement, the bigger factory horsepower numbers and the emergence of a new series of motors to play with (that being the K-series). The next generation of Honda/Acura power was underway. People immediately took to the platform and started dissecting it, trying to figure out which motor would fit into it and which motors the K20 series would fit in. One such consumer, Brian Householder, was so enamored by the vehicle he decided to purchase two of them off the showroom floor--one for himself and one for his girlfriend. After a trip to South Coast Acura and subsequent delivery of his two RSXs, the real transformation began.
The RSX is a great platform to begin with, but since the credo of import tuners everywhere is "take what you have and make it better," Brian knew he wouldn't be leaving his car stock for long. Within months, he had turned the keys over to Steve and Herman, the Mysterious, of DRAG Competition Products to begin production on a turbo kit for the Type S. After a few short weeks, the car was up and running and Brian was one of the first people to have a turbocharged RSX Type S roaming the streets of the U.S. The turbo kit began with a custom-sized Turbonetics T3/T4 turbocharger that was designed to complement the RSX's larger 2.0-liter displacement and Honda's proprietary iVTEC and VTC technologies. Piping to the DRAG-customized Spearco air-to-air intercooler is chromed from the box with an HKS Racing Bypass valve bleeding air to the atmosphere. A prototype steel-tube manifold spins the turbo and uses a Tial wastegate to evacuate spent exhaust gases. A 3-in. downpipe fires from the manifold to the 60mm A'PEXi GT Series exhaust piping and muffler combination.
Normally, most people would be happy with a new car and a brand new prototype turbocharger kit, but not Brian. Having had the import performance bug for several years and having gone through several modified Accords, he knew the bolt-on turbocharger kit was just the beginning. From the DRAG garage, Brian took the car straight to Dynamic Autosports, world renowned import tuners, and handed the keys over to technician Naoto "Nacho" Negishi. Naoto knew the DRAG kit was good out of the box, but he also knew Brian was born with a lead foot and that the engine would need a little more protection from detonation and fuel starvation. From here, a custom fuel-collection system was devised to keep up with the demands of Brian's style of driving. A polished collector tank sitting in the trunk area feeds the fuel system through the trunk-mounted SX 1200-hp fuel pump to ensure adequate fuel is supplied to the car even under the most rigorous driving conditions. Additional fuel hardware comes in the form of the 440cc RC Injectors and the Walbro in-tank fuel pump. Nacho also decided the combustion temperatures of the factory 11:1 compression ratio would be a little warm with the turbocharger in the mix, so a custom oil cooler--manufactured from a Setrab core, Earl's fittings and a GReddy GREX filter relocator--would have to be installed to keep oil temperatures to a minimum. A GReddy oil catch tank keeps track of excess oil blow-by and is nicely decorated with Mugen reservoir "socks."
Of course, with all this hardware under the hood an advanced level of electronics would be in order to keep everything running in perfect harmony. This begins with the HKS F-CON S piggyback engine management system expertly tuned to an exact air/fuel ratio by Nacho. A Blitz SBC ID boost controller keeps the pressure on for a to-the-wheel reading of 310 hp on Dynamic Autosports' Dynojet chassis dynamometer. An HKS CAMP system serves double duty as the car's EGT sensor and as an additional multi-display unit to complement the host of Blitz gauges--boost, water temp, oil temp, oil pressure and fuel pressure--that tell everything there is to know about the underhood symphony. An A'PEXi Digital Rev Speed Meter utilizes the optional G-Force sensor for a full-spectrum reading of everything the car can do. All of these gauges display their reportings from their respective places on the windshield, in the custom-fabricated carbon-fiber glove box holder or through the car's multimedia system head unit.
Brian didn't want the car to be all go and no show, so he stopped and added a few interior and exterior amenities to raise the level his potential rivals would have to at least meet in order to even begin to compete. It's safety first with Brian, so a full Mugen six-point rollcage was in order. A Mugen quick-release steering wheel ensures the car is pointed in the right direction at all times. Bride Brix racing seats and Trust/GReddy Safety Harnesses keep him planted in the twisty-turnies, and a set of Mugen pedals keeps his kicks on the right pedals at all times. Other interior amenities include some JDM pieces: aluminum side sills for each door, Type R shift boot, Type R instrument cluster, and some underhood Type R and Mugen dress-up goods. In-car entertainment is limited to the Alpine CVA-1003 head unit, which serves dual duty as the radio/CD player and the display for the HKS CAMP system. Brian also had the suspension system upgraded to his exacting standards of high quality. A set of JIC FLT-A2 coil-overs was installed. Rolling stock consists of a quadruplet of Racing Hart CR wheels in a 19x8-in. configuration, dressed to the nines in a set of Toyo Proxes in a 245/35 size. Braking capacity was upgraded with Wilwood's four-piston calipers teamed with equally upsized slotted and drilled brake rotors. The chassis was stiffened with a pair of Mugen strut tower bars, front and rear, while an additional rear chassis stiffener that runs along the base of the rear seats was sourced through Honda of Japan.
Exterior cues are mildly understated, to say the least. Rather than transforming the car into a completely different creature, Brian decided to let the RSX's lines speak for themselves, limiting his interference to a minimum. The complete body kit from Ings, a Japanese manufacturer affiliated with C-West, rounds out the front, rear and side additions. (And no, you can't just go to the store and order it; Brian had it specially imported to make sure there wouldn't be another RSX-S that looked like his.) A pair of Ings eyelids was also added. Honda of Japan contributes to this with its rear "Type R" signage and OEM HID headlights. The exterior carbon-fiber pieces, the bonnet and Type R-style rear wing were sourced from Aeroduo and are just about the only exterior body pieces that aren't sporting the Desert Silver Metallic OEM paint scheme. It's one thing to own a highly desired car as soon as it's available to the public. It's another thing to start adding performance parts to a car that's performance-minded from the factory. As you can see, it's a completely different universe Brian lives in; in his world, the RSX Type S just wasn't good enough, and he had to put the pressure on to make the car into something that was worth his driving time. It must be nice....
HOTBOX
Dynamic Autosports
(949) 457-1234
www.dynamicautosports.com
DRAG Competition Products
*Distributed by Dynamic Autosports
Alpine
(800) 421-2284
www.alpine1.com
APEX Integration
(714) 685-5700
www.apexi-usa.com
Blitz
(714) 777-9766
www.blitz-na.com
GReddy
(949) 588-8300
www.greddy.com
HKS
(310) 491-3300
www.hksusa.com
Ings
+ 0744-42-1652
www.ings-net.com
Mugen
www.mugen-power.com
+ 0484-62-3131
SX Performance
Produced by Essex Industries
(312) 832-4500