Radios are for wimps. Kyle Dick hasn't exactly said that, but looking at his 2004 Acura RSX Type-S, all stripped out and ready for the track, it might be what he's thinking. Or perhaps it's because he couldn't hear it anyway, once every piece of the sound deadening material had been jettisoned.
In any case, this contrarian attitude of taking a street car and ripping out all the creature comforts is something to be encouraged. "It was a no-brainer to start modifying it," says Kyle. "I've always liked modding cars. But I wanted to do something different, something that no other RSX owner had done."
So why buy this car when an Integra Type R would have meant less stuff to throw away? "I was looking at a DC2, but ended up going with the RSX because it was newer. And safer, theft-wise," says Kyle, who makes a habit of going against the grain. "My friends were into Hondas, but I was a Mitsubishi guy." He has owned a '99 Eclipse GTS and a '91 3000GT with the VR4 engine, perhaps not the best cars to stop him from defecting to the big H.
Kyle started the build while he was still a student, short on cash and stuck for time, so phase one was done piece by piece. The first thing to break the OEM spell was an Injen cold air intake, followed by an RBC intake manifold (a Civic model). Then a DC Sports race header was connected up to a custom "LCA dump" exhaust (so-called because it dumps just before the lower control arm).
Once he got into his stride, though (and got a job as a sales associate), the engine bay took on a whole new aspect. Although he kept away from the internals of this venerable K20A2 2.0-liter four, Kyle decided that laughing gas would be just the kind of fun he was looking for: nitrous oxide, supplied by an NOS 75-shot direct-port system. To keep up with demand, in went an Aeromotive fuel regulator and a BDL fuel rail, all modulated by a Hondata K-Pro management system.
However, there was a whole lot of tidying up and decorating to do. Both the battery and fuse box were relocated (the former to somewhere near the passenger-side inner front bumper, the latter to the glovebox). The brake lines were re-routed, and stainless lines with AN fittings were used in place of rubber hose. Then it was off to the chrome plating shop to prettify the T-bracket, valve cover, intake manifold and various sundry items. And then the bay was painted in custom copper as a finishing touch.
Kyle definitely came to the conclusion that air conditioning (despite living in California) and power steering were for wimps. He even ditched the ABS, which might just be a delete too far, but we'll have to trust that this 22-year-old knows what he's doing. Well, him and his much-appreciated partner in wrenching, Mando Molina, who has been involved in virtually every aspect of this build. "Without his help, the car wouldn't be the way it is," says Kyle.
The only problems so far have been in relation to the wiring. To fix them, "I just traced the wires," Kyle says. "Patience can go a long way. Just take your time with everything, and make sure you have it right."
That approach must also have paid dividends when installing the suspension, fitted by "mostly me, with the help of a few friends here and there," says Kyle. Koni yellow shocks team up with Ground Control coilovers, accompanied by a Mugen front strut brace and rear mid bar, a J's Racing rear strut brace, Cusco B-pillar side bars, and an Autopower four-point roll cage. Kyle also went with a Carbing rear upper tie bar, a Comptech rear lower tie bar and Function7 lower control arms. Apart from now being extremely rigid, the car sits about 3.5 inches closer to the ground than stock, "as low as the chassis will allow," he says.