2004 Acura RSX Type S - Kunoichi Wa

He asked about all my mods, my goal with the build, and my personal history. Working with the French 3-D artist he collaborated with for the NFS series (who goes by the name 'Sha Do'), he adapted his Kunoichi, or 'Ninja Girl', series with a design that he felt would best paint my story and preserve the balance of my car. The techniques required for installation were so sophisticated that I had to fly him out here, and for three days in Linden, NJ's GrafX facility, he applied his special multi-layered vinyl wrap, printed vinyl, cut-outs, and clear film to my RSX, using methods he probably wouldn't want me to disclose. He brought only the amount of vinyl needed to do the car right the first time, so there was no margin of error. Many parts of the car-like my side mirrors and each rear quarter panel-were wrapped in one full sheet, as opposed to several cuts. Two years later, the finish is still perfect."

During the past three years, Naoko and her RSX won 35 trophies and awards at major shows throughout the Northeast-mostly "Hottest Female Ride" and "Best graphics", with a few "Best of Show" honors thrown in-and still managed to attend additional events and parking lot meets just for fun. We normally end features by asking car owners of their future plans, but in Naoko's case, we asked what advice she'd pass on to those of us just getting started. "Better than a thousand days of diligent study," states one final kotowaza, "is one day with a great teacher."

"This entire car has been a humbling learning experience. Everyone likes to say, 'I got into building cars by myself,' or, 'I did everything my way and didn't listen to anyone,' but that's never the case. You're always influenced by people before you. It's OK to be stubborn and cautious, but choosing who to listen to and learn from makes all the difference. Don't believe everything you see in advertisements or hear from people in the forums. Just because someone has a ton of posts to their name doesn't mean they know what they're talking about. Don't count on sponsors to build your car for you; you need to take the first steps in building a car they'd want to sponsor, and once they do, remember that it's a business agreement and you need to hold up your end. Lastly, start with a plan and a goal and be patient! Spending money to add parts you don't need rather than saving for the big ones you do will waste time and money in the long run. Most importantly, enjoy the journey-it will show in the finished product."

Behind The Build

Hometown.
Bronx, NY

Occupation.
Marketing/Interior Design

Build time.
For-ev-er! [six years]

Hobbies.
Snowboarding, graphic design, illustration, photography, music, cooking, good food & wine

Feedback.
sukalia@hotmail.com

Quote.
"The right time to do it is when I want to do it!"

'04 Acura RSX Type-S

Drivetrain Buddy Club short shifter; Exedy Stage 2 Cerametallic clutch, lightweight flywheel

Suspension Tanabe S-OC Sustec Pro coilovers; Spoon Sports front and rear strut braces, rear lower tie bar; Cusco side pillar bars; J's Racing C-pillar bar; Comptech front and rear camber adjustability; JDM DC5 Integra Type R front and rear anti-roll bars

Wheels/Tires 18x8 Work Emotion XD-9 wheels, RS lugs; 235/40-18 Toyo T1R tires

Brakes Spoon Sports front mono-block calipers, pads; Hawk HP-Plus rear pads; RB slotted front rotors; Brembo rear rotors; Goodridge stainless steel brake likes

Exterior C-West N1 II front bumper, side skirts; Modulo lower rear lip (zenki); Xanthic Design custom silver carbon fiber hood; JDM DC5 Type R rear wing, headlights, emblems; Bellof 6,000K HID lighting; Art Factory graphics, applied by Hiroshi Sawada

Interior Bride XAX II front seats; Sparco four-point harnesses; Recaro door inserts; JDM DC5 Integra Type R suede rear seats, door sills; JT Bodyworks custom carbon fiber interior panels; Spoon Sports steering wheel; NRG quick-release hub; Skunk2 shift knob; Razo pedals

Electronics Defi BF Series gauges (oil temperature, vacuum pressure, water temperature), control unit; JDM DC5 Integra Type R gauge cluster; Apex'i V-AFCII Controller Module; Kenwood KVT-717 DVD head unit; Alpine PDX-F4 amplifier, Type-R front and rear speakers; Bazooka amplified subwoofer

Gratitude Hiroshi Sawada from Art Factory Graphics; Yuki Imamura from Spoon Sports; Toshiyuki Maijma of M&M Honda Racing; Mike Shin from Toyo; John and Nino from Wired Electronics; Kazu Takahashi of Xanthic Design; Jeff and Nick from GrafX; Tsutomo and Ryan from Camber Toe Performance; Siva, David Hruska, Di Lai, Pete Kozinski, Hamid, Matt Romano, Brian Chin for recommending my car to Luke, Somya for the location and shoot, and everyone who supported me!

Vinyl 101