photographer: Henry Z. DeKuyper
There is no doubt that the import-tuning hobby has its addictions. But Kiet Hong has a very rare affliction. Where most enthusiasts mod their car to the hilt, then move on to the next victim, Hong is in full playback mode, deconstructing and reinventing the same exact car. The instrument of his fixation: Acura's sleek RSX Type-S. Hong and his 2002 RSX share a truly Nirvana-like existence and the divine blessings can be seen here and in the May 2004 issue of 2nr where the Acura was silver and sported the first Veilside body kit in the U.S for the RSX. In the "RSX Type Turbo" feature, the RSX flexed a boosted stock K20 powerplant.
Unbelievably and inexplicably, Hong tore the RSX down to skeletal remains, reprogrammed the DNA and created an even more impressive evolution of the species. A devout JDM worshipper, Hong wanted his RSX to have a distinctively Rising Sun aura and be a fresh, untainted commodity. "I want to be the first one on the block with the latest, hottest JDM parts for everything," says Hong. "I am always trying to stay ahead of the game." The latest metamorphosis finds the RSX flexing a cross-pollinated scheme with a Top Secret front bumper, Chargespeed side skirts and rear bumper, Buddy Club carbon-fiber hood, Chargespeed carbon-fiber trunk and Signal Auto carbon-fiber mirrors. The Acura's illumination is also decidedly JDM in the form of blacked out JDM headlight housings and side markers. The silver paint was sanded into oblivion in favor of a less common, but very loud Porsche-derived red.
While the motor was out during the painting process, it was fortified for bigger boost. Mike Miranda at e-shift Performance in Laurence Harbor, N.J. did the honors of adding Darton cylinder sleeves, lower-compression JE slugs and Crower connecting rods. The top end was left stock but the induction system was upgraded from a basic T3/T4 hybrid turbo to a Turbonetics 62-1 ball bearing unit. The original Cybernation front-mount intercooler was ditched in favor of a XS Engineering Silvia unit and Miranda reworked the intercooler piping to connect the dots. A Nitrous Express intercooler spray bar set-up was grafted into the system to enhance cooling power, which is key to this street/show ride. The rest of the turbo system consists of a Tial Sport wastegate, HKS SSQ blow-off valve, custom downpipe, Tanabe Racing Medalion exhaust and a HKS Power Flow air filter.
The fuel system features a Walbro 255lph pump, 550cc/min injectors, AEM fuel pressure regulator, AEM fuel rail and a custom return line. The RSX K20 uses a dead head fuel system and many tuners elect to convert the system to a return-style that flows unused fuel from the fuel rail back into the gas tank. On the spark side, the lone upgrade is a HKS Twin Power ignition amplifier.