Dumb, Stubborn, and bound to end up penniless…….

[aklackner]

It’s been a while since I posted an update:

Got both door windows and exterior handles out. Door molding are off too!

It’s about time to start getting all the bits together for paint and swing by the paint shop to start mapping out when to get everything over!

I’ve also continued collecting some fun odds and ends.

Here’s some of the latest:

[aw614]

I've been tempted to get the hybrid racing shifter, but the aesthetics of how the shift boot sits annoys me, (same way the k-tuned one bothered me too).

Honestly I just want a stock dual bend shifter height and throw with that spherical bearing which looks like the biggest improvement in the shifter feel.

[aklackner]

Yeah, this is still experimental for me. I may end up going with a custom shift boot or, with the Circuit Hero cover modified with a boot (thinking a ring and short leather inverted shift boot), or even back to the OEM shifter.

I will say i really like the NSX-S shift knob, great weight and feel.

[aklackner]

Finally working with a shop to get my shell in and painted!

Took the roof liner, and few more random bits off. Will try to get my glass guy to pull the remaining windows so I can have the old tint stripped while paint is done.

I may still pull one or two more items from the interior so I don’t have to worry about water, sanding dust, and rubbing compound. Bumpers, side skirts, fenders, door handles, mirrors are all loaded inside, all ready to go as soon as the shop has time.

[coolhandluke]

I am excited for you. Post paint, I hope it is a seamless process towards putting the car back-together, which is far more fun.

[Vtecwreck]

I missed a lot! The undercarriage looks awesome! I really like the color, looks untouched. I’m also looking forward to the paint. It was most definitely the longest process but it’s very worth it in the end!

[Stin1]

Finally working with a shop to get my shell in and painted!

Took the roof liner, and few more random bits off. Will try to get my glass guy to pull the remaining windows so I can have the old tint stripped while paint is done.

I may still pull one or two more items from the interior so I don’t have to worry about water, sanding dust, and rubbing compound. Bumpers, side skirts, fenders, door handles, mirrors are all loaded inside, all ready to go as soon as the shop has time.

So much hard work. Looking forward to seeing more updates.

[aklackner]

With the holidays (and all things body shop) everything is moving slow.

I had initially shared a bunch of photos but the owner asked if he could stop by my house to inspect before giving me an estimate. While I was initially frustrated that this slowed things down I was really glad we got a chance to, literally, talk over the car and it's incredible he came to me on a Saturday!

I got the estimate today, $6,500-8,500.

Estimate includes:
Install of new frame ends and radiator support, staging all panels and adjusting before final welding to ensuring proper fender\hood\bumper alignment.
Stripping the body (excluding undercarriage\interior) to metal
Closing OEM antenna location (replacing rear mister with roof mount gps & amplified am\fm antenna)
Dent removal\body repair, filling, blocking, and all other paint prep (concern around prior quarter panel work, obvious from waves in body line, is basis for wide estimate range and for stripping to metal)
Full PPG paint job
He'll store the car for an extra 2 weeks after it's sprayed (and bake it twice during this time) then color sand and polish it
Lifetime warranty
I'm providing all parts and will do all final assembly myself, which is how I wanted it.

It will still be about 2 weeks before he's ready to take the car then he'll send a flatbed to pick it up.

A lot more than I should spend on this project but not bad by LA prices. I guess that depends on how the work goes.

The same shop did some paint on my friends (silver) s2000 and I still can't tell what all was done, even looking for it, so I know they can do quality work.

[hungsteR]

Closing OEM antenna location (replacing rear mister with roof mount gps & amplified am\fm antenna)

What are you going to be using for this, do you have a link you can share?

[aklackner]

I was looking for an external gps antenna for my data acquisition system (racecapture, I’ll try to do a post on that separately) and most options seemed to combine amplified am/fm which gave me an option to lose the OEM antenna and eliminate likely future issues and leaks from there.

I never liked that the rear mister on the Integras seemed prone to clog and I’ve been nervous about the line leaking, so seemed like a good option to replace.

The unit I bought ended up being from eBay from a German seller, it appeared a bit higher quality than some of the cheaper ones out there. It also looks similar to a raised version of the oem mister.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2654509939

It’s a pretty nice unit made what looks like cast aluminum with a nice smooth black finish. It comes with a rubber gasket with a lip around the outside and covering most of the bottom. Testing gps with the RaceCapture unit yielded results similar to the antenna included with the RaceCapture unit (both tested inside rear window).

I haven’t tested the am/fm antenna, but I typically stream music so if I lose some signal strength it won’t be significant loss for me.