Now that the ride height and wheel fitment
were dialed in to his exact specifications, Jose started looking into other
ways to augment the aesthetics of his vehicle. It was around this time that an
acquaintance of Jose’s in California has acquired a Max Racing hood. Realizing
that this was something he needed in his life, Jose made the necessary
arrangements and became the first person on the East Coast with the elusive
part. An ABS P1 front lip continues the aggressive theme of the car, while all
but completely removing the visual gap between the car and the ground. A-Spec
side skirts continue the lowered body line toward the rear of the car until a
Mugen rear lip completes the package. Not one to leave good enough alone, Jose
purchased a Varis rear diffuser, which is actually designed to mate to the OEM
bumper. Previously, Jose had molded the Mugen rear lip to his bumper,
rendering the brackets included with the diffuser useless. Deciding that he
actually preferred the way the diffuser looked when mounted in conjunction with
the lip, Jose and his father simply made new brackets to mount the diffuser.
The
Acura RSX comes with standard four-wheel antilock disc brakes and side airbags
for front occupants
The interior of a car can say quite a bit
about the owner of the car; the majority of the time spent with your car is
usually while driving it, naturally the interior evolves into what suits you
best. Some brand-new cars immediately become littered with trash and clothes,
while some cars that the owner stay in pristine condition for decades. The
connection between the condition of your car’s interior and your personality is
undeniable. In Jose’s case, it’s quite obvious that he enjoys having the
absolute best that the aftermarket has to offer. If you ever have chance to
take a seat in either of the carbon-fiber Status Ring GTs that Jose installed
to replace the bulky stock chairs, the quality surrounding you will be apparent
instantly. From the KEY!S Racing steering wheel mounted to the car via a Works
Bell short hub and quick release to the Williams four-point harnesses, there is
no evidence of “good enough” to be seen.
The
interior of a car can say quite a bit about the owner of the car
The world seems to move at a faster pace
with every passing day; 24 hours hardly seems enough time to work, sleep, and
enjoy life. Passion is becoming such a rare commodity that most people will
tell you that their work is their passion – which is great … for the few who
are telling you the truth. Jose has somehow managed to maintain a career in a
demanding industry and stay passionate about his car, so passionate that, to
this day, he (with the help of his friends and family) has performed all the
modifying, tweaking and maintenance. While there is nothing wrong with having a
reputable shop build a car for you, and there are many legitimate reasons to do
so, some people believe that there is a special connection between man and
machine that that is only attainable by enduring frustrating sleepless nights
under your car, learning exactly where every bolt and nut belongs. When I
interviewed Jose about the passion he has for his RSX, the topic of our
conversation drifted toward the new F&F movie. We discussed which ones were
good and which ones just plain sucked. In the end, it’s amazing that the
franchise if filming their sixth installment. With the release of the movie,
maybe Jose will take his RSX to the theater and enjoy his creation. Although
not a 10-second car, he deserves every ounce of satisfaction felt during that
drive. After all, he definitely put in the wrench time.
2006
Acura RSX back
Engine: K20Z1 swap from a ’05 RSX Type S;
Hasport motor mounts. Custom cold-air intake, fuel line, injector clips, 3-inch
exhaust; Honda RBC intake manifold. Hondata intake manifold gaske. Karcepts RBC
adapter; Walbro 255-lph fuel pump; Fuel Lab fuel pressure regulator; Hybrid
Racing fuel rail; Acura RDX injectors; Marshall/Tovic Fuel Pressure Gauge:
Liquid Filled; Bunny Club Race Header; HKS Hi Power titanium muffler; NGK
Iridium spark plugs; Odyssey dry cell PO680 battery; Wireworx engine harness;
Beatrush oil cap; Chase Bays clutch line; Hondata K-Pro ECU
Drivetrain: Hasport transmission mount;
Competition Stage 4 Clutch and lightweight flywheel
Suspension: Bunny Club N+ coilover; Honda
EM2 front sway bar; Progress rear sway bar and endlinks; Beatrush front strut
bar; Ingalls rear camber kit; Cusco six-point roll cage; Beaks rear tie bar
Wheels/Tires: CCW LM5 18X10 +22, LM5
18X10.5 +19; Falken ZE912 tires; Parts Shop Max lug nuts
Brakes: StopTech ST40 front calipers, pads,
stainless lines; Acura RSX Type S proportioning value, master cylinder, and
brake booster
Exterior: ABS P1 front lip; Acura A-Spec
side skirts; Mugen Rear Lip; Varis carbon-fiber rear diffuser; Max Racing hood;
JDM Integra Type R taillights, Window Visors; Xenon Depot 6500K HID, AeroCatch
hoodpins; Honda badges with i-VTEC badge front grille; PIAA Yellow City Lights
Interior: Status Ring GT carbon-fiber
bucket seats, rails/brackets; Willians harness, shoulder pads; Sparco harness
bar; KEY!S Racing 350mm deep-type steering wheel; Works Bell short hub,
Yoshioka special edition quick release; Honda Civic Type R shift knob; JDM
Integra Type R pedals, console; Mugen mirror cover; custom suede A-pillar, roof
line; Pioneer AVIC-X920BT; Kenwood speakers
2006
Acura RSX interior
Gratitude: “I want to say a big ‘thank you’
to my family and friends, especially my dad, Kam Vaswani, Tony Tran, Kevin
Hemlall, Cathy Vuong, Neel Nana, Adam and Jessica Perez, Steve, TeamSolo,
WirWorx, A-Class Paint & Body Repair, CCW, and Kami Speed.”
