[SkittyDoogle]

Got the FEEL’S front fenders back from the body shop a few days ago. Left it with them maybe two weeks back when the shipping insurance paid out. I really gotta hand it to the body shop because they were excellent people. It was a place that specialized in auto and boat repair so they could handle it. I even asked if they could cut out excess material on the inside of the fenders while they were repairing them, and they said it would be very easy.

My original impression of the FEEL’S wide front fenders was that they’d, y’know, be wider than stock. That’s technically true. They’re wider, but only on the outside! They don’t normally add any extra clearance. But because they were wider there was quite a bit of extra material, maybe 6-7mm between the inner lip of the fender and the outside of the fender, so I asked them to cut it out. They cut both fenders but only repaired and refinished the left fender that was cracked. It looks even better that it did when it first arrived!

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Got fantastically lucky on another purchase recently. Basically it’s meant for my CRX but might as well post it here. Limited edition MAX ORIDO x NARDI steering wheel w/ stand. Normally these are only available through a website in Japan and therefore only domestic Japan customers. But my exporter of choice worked his magic and he got me one with a stand, and at a decent discount too! Shipping will eat up the money saved, though.

When I inquired they said they had only ONE LEFT in each color; red stitch or grey stitch. I picked the red stitch for the Mugen theme and he confirmed the order! Orido himself posted pics on Instagram signing some so I asked if my exporter could get it autographed. No confirmation on that yet, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[SkittyDoogle]

As I am 99% sure I’m moving to Texas within a month I filmed a cold start for your listening peasure. Enjoy!
Remember: HPD supercharger, J’s Racing circuit converter, Mugen cat-back exhaust, 93 octane.

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[SkittyDoogle]

Recently remembered that I have a Mugen carbon fiber mirror cover for the interior. After the move I’m going to experiment with resin casting to make tools for forged carbon fiber pieces starting with this piece. Mugen stopped making them but they still have some left so I expect them to be sold out soon. If all goes well I can make replacements for all of the silver interior garnishes on the center stack and console. Happy new year, guys!

 

[SkittyDoogle]

The Max Orido Nardi wheel has finally arrived from Japan, and it arrived the day the AMS carbon wheel got back from the upholstery shop. I’ve never seen a real Nardi wheel before but I am in love with it. It’s similar to my Mugen Racing III wheel made by Momo, but it somehow feels just a tiny bit nicer.

As I noticed Orido was signing some wheels I did request my exporter in Japan ask for it to be signed. Lo and behold he delivered with a signed box and a signiature on the spoke of the wheel itself! Among all of the extra goodies the wheel came with it feels quite special to get a limited edition item from one of the famous drivers from Hot Version - I doubt many of these wheels made it to the US.

Anyways, I’ll dump all of the pictures for your viewing pleasure.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

THE BOOST LEAK WAS FOUND!
I was looking for a shop willing to diagnose the boost leak for me but several dealers didn’t want to touch it and the other shops I went to couldn’t find it. But I tried one of the flagship dealers in the area, to my surprise they were willing to diagnose it that day!

As promised, they were able to diagnose it and record a video to show me the problem. Turns out it was the bracket that mounts to the inlet pipe letting air out through the hardware itself. They showed a smoke test and sprayed it down to show proof. Hilariously enough, the part I ordered and discovered to be junk was the same one that’s leaking and this is the dealer I bought it from! Took it back to the parts department who’s working on the warranty claim.

(The pic above shows a bubble if you look closely.) They were also able to order all of the necessary parts for the fix including hardware and brackets. Basically they’re replacing everything in that area to be 100% certain that it won’t leak again, and we don’t risk another lengthly wait if we were to miss a part and waste more time. While it’s there and the front bumper is coming off I’m having them quote me on the supercharger maintenance including the belt, traction oil and traction oil filter. If they can’t get me those OEM parts then I’ll source some alternatives. I’m really happy that they were able to help out so I don’t have to drop the car off at King Motorsports and spend $1000 to ship the car down to Texas. I love King but I really don’t wanna blow that money if I don’t have to.

They did it the proper way, unhooking the intake to the throttle body and squeezing air past the blower. Not sure how Impulse Performance missed it but they couldn’t see it. Then again, the leak was really small so at a glance even the dealer couldn’t see it until they looked closed. Oh well.

 

[J1000]

Really awesome detective work. Love shops like that! It may just be a design defect with the intake pipe the way the threaded inserts are molded in might promote cracking or something. If you can't find an aftermarket solution you may get away with just JB welding it up. Not the most glamorous but I have JB Welded boost pipes before with great success.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Really awesome detective work. Love shops like that! It may just be a design defect with the intake pipe the way the threaded inserts are molded in might promote cracking or something. If you can't find an aftermarket solution you may get away with just JB welding it up. Not the most glamorous but I have JB Welded boost pipes before with great success.

Yeah, the dealer did a pretty good job. The original pipe and new replacement pipe that I ordered to fix the issue had the same issue in the same spot, so I’ve already warned them to pressure test the next one before it goes on. The previous shop did try using JB weld on that area but it still managed to get through the threads of the bolts so I don’t think it’ll help anymore than it is now.

There aren’t enough people with these kits so I’m pretty much on my own with finding solutions. For example; maintenance. Three items are required for replacement: Traction oil, traction oil filter, and supercharger belt. The oil and filter are discontinued, so I’m resorting to Rotrex SX150 oil (used when the kit was installed) and a Jackson Racing traction oil filter. However, Honda still stocks the HPD belt so I had the dealer order that. Figured that I might as well do the maintenance while the front end is already torn apart even though I’d be okay for another 10 months.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Just got the traction oil and filter in the mail!

At first I was confused. I know the traction fluid works because it’s the same stuff King ordered when the kit was installed, but the filter says it’s for automatic transmissions. Maybe it was a mistake? I hit up my corner shop friends and they told me it’s the same as a traction oil filter. Doing some digging I found that traction fluid is made for CVTs so receiving and using an automatic transmission filter makes sense. Would be nice to know from the seller in the future, but otherwise I’m satisfied with what I got!

Noticed that it’s made in Australia, so that’s kinda neat.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

I forgot to put the AMS carbon wheel pics on the build thread. It was redone by Kirk’s Custom Upholstery. The guy did an amazing job!

Before:

After:

He was able to buff the scratch out to the point where I don’t even notice it unless I look very closely. When the boost leak is fixed and the supercharger maintenance is done I might just have the dealer swap the steering wheel for me.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Gathered all of the parts for the boost leak, supercharger maintenance and much more. I'll try to break it down. Just got a new phone and the images aren't uploading properly so I'm taking screenshots.

Instruments:
- Reupholstered AMS carbon steering wheel
Swapping all the old parts from the old wheel onto the new one, but keeping the cruise control switch from the new wheel since it's in better shape
- Tachometer lense
It was rather scratched up from my dumb ass poking at it
- HPD supercharger maintenance
HPD belt from dealer plus traction oil and CVT transmission filter (compatible with traction oil systems). I also asked them to replace any part that the manual labeled as "do not reuse." It's way premature but might as well do the maintenance when everything is getting done.
- Engine air filter replacement
Hasn't been touched since the supercharger was installed so might as well replace it.
- Transmission service lid
Was not secured properly and it fell of so I ordered another one.
- K'Spec GARAX Room lamp lense kit and 5 piece LED set
Might as well let them do it since It's cold outside and I'm lazy.
- Mugen Room mirror cover
See above.
- Oil change
Making the move to Texas soon so might as well. I like to have it done way early anyways.

Left it all in the passenger seat and did my best to detail all the work to the advisor who was kind enough to oblige my requests. Surprisingly they only quoted me 3.5 hours plus some extra parts so it'll save me a lot of money and time compared to going to King Motorsports. I'd rather have them do it but it'd cost me $1000 for shipping to Texas and that's quite a bit of money considering the time and cost of moving already.

They probably at least started the work late Monday afternoon and should have it done by Wednesday. Will update when it's all wrapped up!

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Had the local corner shop swap my steering wheel buttons around so they work properly. One interesting note about the wheel from Japan is that their cruise control works differently. The US switch is like a toggle, where engaging it makes it push in, but pushing it again will make it pop back out. The Japan switch just acts like any other button and doesn't push in or pop back out. Therefore cruise control doesn't work properly. Oh well.

The Mugen mirror cover doesn't actually fit over the mirror. Turns out it will only fit over the mirrors WITHOUT the backup camera. My mirrors is slightly larger than the standard one. Might sell it to someone else.

Last but not least, the Garax room lamp LED kit didn't fit either! The later ZF2 models like mine get a normal style 194 bulb but the older cars get a bulb that looks a bit like an old ceramic fuse. Coincidentally, my map light assembly switch is bad on the passenger side. The part for the older models claims to work on 2011-2014 cars so I think that'll make it possible to install the Garax LED kit! Went to the dealer today and put a unit on express.

Old style unit:

New style unit:

 

[SkittyDoogle]

As crazy as it sounds, the switch for my dome lights was bad when they attempted to install the Garax LEDs. The passenger side light actually wouldn't turn on. Since I couldn't imagine the old style and new style were much different I ordered the older one to fix the issue - two birds with one stone! Left it at the shop for them to install it tomorrow.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Just before the move the local shop I frequently went to gave me a warm send off to Texas. They installed the new map light switch assembly for me. We found out the original map light switch in the car was bad so it needed to get replaced anyways. One struggle was realizing that the wiring harness for the older map light switch was different even though the housing was the same shape. And because these cars are so uncommon I had to order a brand new wiring harness only for the pigtail so they could thread the wiring from the car into it (costing almost $200. Ugh).

Even though it cost a lot of money in terms of parts alone it really makes a difference! Now the interior has a cool white hue making it feel modernized. The camera makes it look a bit more blue than it really is. Oh well.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

I've settled into Texas a little more so I've finally had a tiny bit of free time on my hands. The CRX is off getting some servicing done and I decided to swap its Mugen Forma shift knob out for a Mugen Billet 5 speed shift knob because its throws are at a much weirder angle. I always wanted to put the Formula knob in the CR-Z but the shaft of the Hybrid Racing shifter was too thick for the J's Racing shift boot collar to fit over.

Please excuse the rough screenshots as my phone's camera images don't cooperate with the forum. >_<

The first thing to do was to remove the shaft and put it on a lathe. It took a bit of time because the shaft is made from stainless steel. The job itself was a little rough but we will never look at that rod ever again so it doesn't matter.

Then we went over it with some strips of sandpaper to make it a little less rough.

After it was done I slipped the collar on and screwed the knob on for a test fit. Looked promising!

Installation went as easy as disassembly and it turned out great! The lower grip position due to the lower shift knob make it feel even shorter than before! I get to try it out tomorrow morning on my way to work.

 

[Fediej]

I've settled into Texas a little more so I've finally had a tiny bit of free time on my hands. The CRX is off getting some servicing done and I decided to swap its Mugen Forma shift knob out for a Mugen Billet 5 speed shift knob because its throws are at a much weirder angle. I always wanted to put the Formula knob in the CR-Z but the shaft of the Hybrid Racing shifter was too thick for the J's Racing shift boot collar to fit over.

Please excuse the rough screenshots as my phone's camera images don't cooperate with the forum. >_<

View attachment 66494
The first thing to do was to remove the shaft and put it on a lathe. It took a bit of time because the shaft is made from stainless steel. The job itself was a little rough but we will never look at that rod ever again so it doesn't matter. View attachment 66495
Then we went over it with some strips of sandpaper to make it a little less rough. View attachment 66496
After it was done I slipped the collar on and screwed the knob on for a test fit. Looked promising! View attachment 66497
Installation went as easy as disassembly and it turned out great! The lower grip position due to the lower shift knob make it feel even shorter than before! I get to try it out tomorrow morning on my way to work. View attachment 66498 View attachment 66499

Having access to a machine shop is a great perk! Made it a lot easier to make some custom pieces of my own.👍

 

[SkittyDoogle]

I've settled into Texas a bit more. Passed emissions and inspection. Renewed the insurance and managed to get my new Texas Driver's license! Both cars are now legally registered so I'll be keeping the old plates around as souvenirs.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Latest update with this car is the arrival of Spoon Sports lowering springs. Reason being is that they drop the car up to an inch, still maintaining good ground clearance and suspension geometry, with the addition of a stiffer rear spring. Spring rate was approximately 2.61kg in front and 2.9kg in the rear with the HPD springs. But this kit brings it to 2.5kg up front and 4kg in the rear! It's only a slight increase but the lower ride height and stiffer rear springs will make the car more eager to turn in and rotate especially under braking at lower speeds. The Spoon springs were also the only kit I could find still made that listed their spring rates and I would have picked another company because Spoon builds shitty products. :/ Oh well, at least they just stick their name on these.

It's a nice touch to have them label the front and rear springs but I think that should be obvious.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

Today we installed the Spoon Sports lowering springs! It was my first time doing real wrenching aside from basic maintenance so it was a good learning experience.

First thing to do was to prop it up and get the wheels off.

Thankfully, College Hills Honda has the instructions for the HPD suspension on their website so it was easy to figure out.

There was a healthy amount of box wrench usage. So much so that the passenger side end link stripped internally. The cost of the end links are so high that it's more reasonable to just buy the Spoon Sports front sway bar kit instead since it comes with new end links. Northern climates are hell on cars.

Using a bottle jack we supported the hub to prevent the axle from coming unseated.

After lots more wrench use we got the camber bolts out and the strut came out.

The Autozone spring compressor was handy. Although it did end up sctratching through the paint on some parts of the strut. Oh well.

The rubber mounts and spring clips easily slapped right onto the new springs!

It slipped right back in. Notice how the Spoon logo conveniently faces directly out just to show a bit of flex on those other nerds at the meets. 🤣

The Spoon front spring is only slightly shorter than the HPD spring. But since the Spoon springs are progressively wound it would naturally drop a bit more. Note the slightly conical shape of the Spoon springs.

Next post will continue with the rear.

 

[SkittyDoogle]

The rear is so much more simple than the front. All I had to do was lean on the rotor until my roommate could slip the spring out.

Supporting the tension with the jack we could remove the bolt holding the dampers to properly remove the springs on both sides.

Just as before, the rubber mounts perfectly fit!

Both springs were easy to slip in. The rusty bolts gave us a bit of trouble but with some convincing from the electric impact they settled in.

Once the car hit the ground I was curious to see how the middle would compress. Turns out it compressed completely! And of course the Spoon logo is facing towards the rear.

The front spring rate actually decreased slightly, from roughly 2.62kg to 2.5kg and it was only a smidge lower than before. However, the rear stiffened up quite a bit, from 2.9kg to 4kg, and the drop was much more noticeable! The increase in spring rate is very noticeable. Gotta say I'm kinda excited to take it autocrossing to see how it does at the track!