Okay, initial tune is complete. And damn is she running good. Definitely more responsive on the throttle, shifting better and digging hard. Acceleration is significantly improved, 1/4 throttle and she's off like a rocket / shot / prom dress, pick your description.

I'm trying to get approval to borrow a runway, failing that MPD told me where the street races are on the weekends and when they patrol them so I'm hoping I can find an abandoned road and get some good 3rd gear runs in so I can datalog and tweak everything.

So far it's been an excellent experience with John. Do wish I could dyno but with everything else and where I'm at this has been an excellent alternative.

 

Been a couple days with the tune. A couple hot and sticky days with the AC running at all times because I'm a fat dude and I melt otherwise. I still need to datalog but I figure I'll wait until Saturday and do the runs with my larval unit (son). I won't let him drive the car but every so often I guess it's okay if he sits in it...

General impressions continue to be positive, noticed the following:
- Increased throttle response
- Shorter shift time response
- Better shifting
- Digs hard and accelerates hard from a roll
- Exhaust tone is slightly different, doesn't seem quite as deep. Not bad, just slightly different chances are no one else would notice
- The hiss seems to be muted although I never thought it was that bad
- Midrange seems slightly different according to the butt dyno, don't think i'm getting quite the push I had but there seems to be a little bit more at top end. Mind you, I have not fully explored top end. Don't plan to unless I get a runway or some track time and I'm afraid if I do that I'll enjoy it. The change is really negligible and could just be the butt dyno, hard to say for certain until I get more driving time with it either way, more than enough midrange to do whatever I need to do
- The DS (I know, I need a 6MT) kick down or down shift is one heck of a flare now. I dig it.

Wish I hadn't waited so long to get this done.

Other than that, trying to get some tweaking done. Need to replace the undershroud so I'm thinking TollBooth *****, lights are almost done and should be here soon. Will probably swap out to VLEDs and Osrams while those are being swapped. Bought some horns, mirrors are ready to be worked on, going to try something which will either work really well or be really rice. Guess it may also depend on perspective but what the heck I think I'll like it. If I don't well, there's already a pile of parts in the garage.

 

Sheesh these are gorgeous! And that engine bay I've been admiring for months...that's yours!! Nice. I can't believe I just now discovered your build thread. I thought I had browsed thru most of the sites good stuff. Clearly I was mistaken.

I can't help but notice your car is Black Obsidian...and you don't have an IPL bumper yet. I happen to have an IPL bumper FS Rex. Hmm I wonder what color it is?

 

he doesn't have an IPL bumper because he drives a Sedan but there is a bumper mashup in the works right now

 

What's wrong with an IPL and a sedan Choy? Bumper mashup can you clarify plz?

 

the sedan never had an IPL bumper it only has a sport or a journey option.

R1 took a sedan bumper cut it in half along with an IPL bumper to make a sedan IPL bumper

 

Just saw this, sorry for the delayed response. Thank you for the kind words Red. As Phil pointed out I can't run an IPL without modding the bumper. I have a couple projects in the works right now, once I see the result I'll need to decide on a bumper. Will likely go sport but we'll see. Would LOVE to go WALD but can't confirm whether there's a 2010 option and am having some issues sorting out shipping even with the help from the JDM Parts Ninjas.

Might be changing up the bay a bit in the near future; need to decide on intake and see how I can mod my engine cover. Having some small parts custom made in JDM land should result in some definite one of a kind items.

 

I apparently had some time on my hands today and was going through photobucket. Here are a couple pics I never posted or decided I wanted to clog the interwebz with.

4x4 stance pre Rays and coils


As high as I can get the car on the current springs (yes, it's dirty, yes, I've washed it)


What I come home after most trips


I think I kinda want these...

 

Your killing me with the 4x4 stance junk lol. It serves as a reminder that regardless of how sweet the rest of my car looks when I go pick it up (just an hour from now btw!!) it's still going to have some desperately needed lowering action needed in the very near future.

I may say F it and grab some air! I may decide to stay frugal and roll with some swifts only. Only time and some very careful measuring of the trunk space with the top down will tell.

I love those racing seats Chris. But do you really need them???

Also my wife and I both had our phones stolen while playing with th me kids in the park this last weekend! So if we have exchanged numbers before please text me everybody!! I no longer have your digits if we haven't been talking for at least 6 months.

 

I don't NEED the seats. But I kinda want them. With a Top Secret bar and some additional burnt Ti and neochrome gadgetry...

Air would definitely chew up your trunk space. Although.... Talk to David, he could probably set you up with something in your spare tire area (do verts have spares?) or elsewhere in the car which wouldn't leave you with no room. He's really good man, did you see his S2k? Though I'm still partial to the Audi S4 he did.

 

Do any of us NEED anything lol? I'm the last person to tell anyone to slow down. Go for it.

Yes us vert owners have spares

We will see. I'm leaning towards waiting on the air.

 

Probably not... Although one of my neighbors needs wheels and tires; someone stole them off their G overnight. Sounds like I got lucky my son happened to be outside last night. May need to clean the garage out after all which means I need to get some mods done and things sold I do believe.

Did make some small changes this weekend. Started with the magnesium paddles and went CF

Before


After



New care package from Japan arrived


Installed my ARC radiator cap with custom VMS cover as well
Before


After


There was also a bath a wax but I'm fairly lazy with pictures these days.

 

Now thats a color!

 

Hey Chris, are those the new Black Series filters from R2C, or are they just dirty?

Didn't Kirk get the Blacks? I was wondering if you bought them from him.

 

They are the Black Series filters and, good guess, I did get them from Kirk. It's a subtle change; I would say I was surprised anyone noticed but you do have that eye for things.