ApexEight's 2019 CBP FK8

[ApexEight]

Hi everyone, my name's Anthony and this is my 2019 Crystal Black Pearl Type R.

Current pic:

I picked up the car on July 30th, 2022. If you click on my profile, you can see that I've been on this forum since 2018 - I've wanted a Type R for a long time. Before I got mine, I had a 2008 Si. It was Nighthawk Black Pearl, pretty much stock, and made me fall back in love with Hondas and FWD again with my second ever car being a DA Integra and then going through a few different RWD cars (E36 328i, Genesis Coupe, FRS, BRZ). I sold the Si with over 200K miles and it never really gave me any issues - it was a great car. For a while, getting an R didn't seem feasible. Between paying down student loans, getting engaged, getting married, going on our honeymoon, rescuing a dog, buying a house, renovating the house, then having a kid, I started to wonder if I'd ever actually get one. I even started to talk myself down to just getting a 10th gen Si. Eventually, things lined up and I sold the FA5 for more than I bought it for and got what I think is a great deal on the R from an individual up in Charlotte, NC (I'm in Atlanta).

The last pic I have of the Si before I sold it to a teenage kid that was most definitely going to rice it out. Sad, but what can you do.

The first pic I saw of the R.

The first pic I took of the R.

Brought it home.

I never really wanted a black R, or another black car, for that matter. That's what owning a NHBP FA5 will do to you, but I couldn't pass up the deal. One owner, no accidents, stock aside from tint and Amazon all-weather floor mats, low miles, well taken care of, southern car its entire life. I originally wanted Polished Metal Metallic, but over time, CBP has grown on me and I like how its glossy finish contrasts with the satin/matte black plastic around the car.

My driveway is kind of steep so I got these rubber ramps off Amazon to avoid scraping.

I knew I wanted PPF after getting tons of rock chips on the FA5, so I took the car to Atlanta Ceramic Coating and PPF and got the front clip, mirror caps, A, B, and C-pillars, partial roof, door handle cups, door edges, door sills down to side skirts, gas cap door, liftgate spoiler, and cargo deck done with XPEL Ultimate Plus. They did an ok job. My experience was overall not that great. If I had to do it again, I'd go somewhere else, but at least the price was decent.

Back from PPF.

Got some Titanium Gunmetal TE37 SLs. 18x9.5 +38 wrapped in Falken RT615K+ 265/35. I coated them, all four brake calipers, and the exhaust tips with GTechniq C5. I also installed front and rear Sukeban rock guards at the same time. I eventually sold the rock guards as I didn't love the way they looked on the car.

Met @JohnInATL who was kind enough to help me change the oil and add a FilterMag, install the Whiteline transmission mount, switch to Amsoil transmission fluid, and flush the brakes with Endless RF-650. I didn't really feel any difference with the Amsoil and was still getting a bit of notchiness from first to second and third to fourth. I have since switched to ACDelco Synchromesh Friction Modified and have felt a small improvement. It's pretty smooth even when cold. I do have some other things I'd like to do to further improve the shifting, but that will come a little later.

Rainy gas station pic.

Installed the Acuity pedal spacer for better heel-toe action, the Raceseng Circuit Cylinder shifter knob, Suma blue convex rearview mirror, and Primitive Performance convex blue side mirrors as well. Ended up selling the pedal spacer and the mirrors. Ultimately, I unexpectedly use auto rev-matching all the time now and also prefer modulating the throttle with the stock positioning. The convex mirrors threw me off despite having them on other cars before and just felt more comfortable with stock. The shift knob is a carryover from the Si and I absolutely love it. Metal core for a little added weight but not too much to take away from feel and a delrin outer sleeve for a nice feel and resistance to heat and cold. I prefer taller shift knobs as I use a "handle" type grip when I shift opposed to a "claw" grip that is used with spherical shift knobs like the stock one.

Pulled the strut tower camber pins and installed Wunderladen Racing strut locks and aligned the car.

It'd be nice if my camber were a bit more even. Maybe I should get some subframe collars or the Honda subframe alignment tool. It'd also be nice to at least be in spec for caster, although a lot of FK8s seem to read low. Maybe I should get an anti-lift kit.

Got a deal on a PRL HVI which added some much needed noise. I actually like the stock exhaust. Not having drone on the freeway is great. A little more volume when getting on it would be nice, but the bypass valve noise keeps me mostly entertained.

Sold the TEs. I wasn't feeling the color. They got really dark when dirty with brake dust and almost looked black. TEs are my dream wheels and these were my first set and if I paid that much for them, I wanted them to stand out lol. They were nice when clean but given their matte texture, they really held onto brake dust, even though I had coated them. I luckily found a local buyer. Kept my tires.

Back on the stock dubs.

Got the same exact wheels, but in Mercury Silver. Also went with black valve stems this time, but not the actual Rays ones because they're overpriced, imo. Shortly after I ordered these and was preparing myself for the wait, Rays released their new silver finish, Diamond Silver. If I had the choice, I would have gone with Diamond Silver. It's similar to Mercury but not as reflective. I prefer that look but am also happy with Mercury. Kind of cool that it's an OG finish too. Coated them with C5 again but also added EXOv4 on top as well.

Wheel selfie.

On. I also removed the red pinstriping. I initially tried to cover it with black vinyl tape but it was hard to get perfect because the stuff I got off Amazon wasn't a perfectly consistent width due to imprecise cutting by the manufacturer. Had to go back with a heat gun and Goo Gone to get the residue off that the stock pinstriping left behind. Happy with how it turned out.

Ass shot.

When I installed the wheels, I wire wheeled the rusty rotor hats and painted the centers of the hubs with Rustoleum black paint. Looks a lot better imo. Heat gun helps speed up the drying process. I'm also using McGard spline drive lug nuts with floating seats which helps prevent the lug pockets from getting scratched. Project Kics Iconix R40 and Rays Formula Nut FN-II use the same design and look cooler, but are much more expensive. I'm fine with the basic design.

Went to my first car meet in years and met @Z06Chris and felt inadequate.

Replaced the all-weather mats that came with the car with 3DMAXpider mats and transferred the Type R emblems over. Best mats ever. Also installed this Amazon tempered glass screen protector onto the headunit and ProClip dash and phone mount.

Just about completed my interior protection/utility initiative with OEM seat back protectors and cargo net. I actually bought the cargo tray from a member on here minutes after buying the car.

Installed the Artwork Bodyshop splitter that had been sitting for a while. Their mounting "solution" doesn't make any sense, so I copied the way the Verus splitter is mounted, just without the splitter rods (not my cup of tea). It's on there solid and has handled speed without issue. Please disregard the super sus jack situation.

And that just about bring us to now. I've got a lot of parts waiting to go on, primarily brakes and suspension, but it's hard to find time to install stuff between work and family life. I want to eventually track the car at least a couple times a year and just improve as a driver really. This won't be an exciting thread, but I've wanted to document my ownership of this car and I'm glad I finally got around to putting it together, thanks for reading.

 

[keller]

Congratulations, man. Your CTR shows really good taste. I loved the mats with the emblem.
I laughed with the wheel selfie, that's something I definitely would do

I picked up the car on July 30th, 2022. If you click on my profile, you can see that I've been on this forum since 2018

This really amazed me. I always read your posts, even from years ago, and you are so knowledgeable about the car. Really, it seemed like you had your CTR since forever.

I also installed front and rear Sukeban rock guards at the same time. I eventually sold the rock guards as I didn't love the way they looked on the car.

I don't like them too, but I'm worried about dents and chips. How is your door paint/ppf holding up?

 

[ApexEight]

Congratulations, man. Your CTR shows really good taste. I loved the mats with the emblem.
I laughed with the wheel selfie, that's something I definitely would do



This really amazed me. I always read your posts, even from years ago, and you are so knowledgeable about the car. Really, it seemed like you had your CTR since forever.



I don't like them too, but I'm worried about dents and chips. How is your door paint/ppf holding up?

Oh wow, thanks for the kind words. Haha yeah I've done a lot of research on this car, sat back and watched as people figured things out about it, and also threw in my two cents here and there. It's really helped me plan out how I wanted to build mine. I was also worried about removing the rock guards but so far the wider wheels and tires haven't caused any damage that I can tell. I think the ZL1 rock guards look a lot better - I may get those one day, maybe once they have their Black Friday sale again.

 

[JohnInATL]

Quite the write up!! The Mercury silver are gorgeous. Makes me want silver wheels

 

[keller]

Oh wow, thanks for the kind words. Haha yeah I've done a lot of research on this car, sat back and watched as people figured things out about it, and also threw in my two cents here and there. It's really helped me plan out how I wanted to build mine. I was also worried about removing the rock guards but so far the wider wheels and tires haven't caused any damage that I can tell. I think the ZL1 rock guards look a lot better - I may get those one day, maybe once they have their Black Friday sale again.

I have the ZL1 and I'm not a huge fan of them. It's great that you had a positive experience without them on wider wheels.

The convex mirrors threw me off despite having them on other cars before and just felt more comfortable with stock.

I installed an OEM R1000 left mirror on my R. I think it's much better than the flat one that comes with the car, never really got used to it.

 

[AlphaDigital]

Good stuff dude! looking forward to watching the progress you make with the car!

 

[ApexEight]

Wow, almost a year since I started this thread. Time for an update.

Sold the Mercury Silver TEs. They were nice, OG/SLs are classic, but I couldn't get over the finish. I loved the color, but Mercury Silver is shiny and reflective. Not what I was after.

Ordered this set in the same exact spec but in Diamond Silver. Instead of being reflective, they're a little flatter, but are also "glittery" with a lot of metallic flake. They arrived with a bunch of defects, much more than what I had seen from my previous two sets, so I returned them for a full refund.

Back on the stock 20s with PS4Ss.

Upgraded my brakes with FL5 air deflectors (R: 445258-T60-A00, L: 45259-T60-A00, flipped sides for direct bolt-on FK8 fitment), removed the front dust shields, installed Koolboot rubber boot heat shielding, DEI gold tape on the speed sensors, Paragon two-piece slotted front rotors, Centric blank rear rotors, Project Mu Club Racer pads front and rear, HEL carbon fiber front brake pads shims, and Wunderladen rear brake caliper pads. Also slapped on some Project Mu caliper temperature stickers because I thought I was building a racecar.

Made it to Atlanta Motorsports Park with @Z06Chris. Had a great time, but we were in the novice group since it was our first time on the track and got held up by a lot of traffic. Will do intermediate next time.
Onboard of my best lap:

Got a used set of TE37 Saga in Bronze Almite/OG Bronze. 18x10 +40, Face 4. Paired with 285/35 Accelera 651 Sport 200TW tires.

Only have a few pics with them at stock height because the very next day...

It was dropped on Espelir springs. Huge, huge shoutout to @REDRAGN for installing these for me. We also did the EVS front lower ball joints for additional camber, and the RV6 rear sway bar. Cut off the small section of the front bumpstops and left the rears alone. Very happy with how they ride and handle.

The results. Really loved the aggressive look. Oh, I also sold the Artwork Bodyshop splitter.

Had the stock outer mufflers replaced with straight-through mufflers from TotalFlow. Happy with the deeper tone and increase in volume. No drone when cruising.

Paid a visit to Chris who trimmed my rear overfender plastic pieces. Always a treat seeing his build. His TE37Vs are outrageous. My setup would rub on certain bumps, usually while turning/when the suspension had load. Not so much hitting dips straight on. I still hit the rear metal quarter panel with this setup, but it wasn't that bad/frequent.

Got a matte black windshield banner from a local business, StickNWrap, after failing to install my own. Also had the blackout rear reflector vinyl installed.

Got rear fender flare trims from JMJR Design. They sell the files that you then have to get 3D printed then painted. Also switched up the brake setup. Didn't love the squeal, lack of cold bite, and lack of modulation I was getting from the Project Mu Club Racers, but they're more of a track pad, so I just wasn't using them in the correct application. Also sold the Paragon rotors to free up some funds. Went with Dynamic Friction blank front and rear rotors and EBC Bluestuff NDX pads. Removed the caliper temperature stickers because I realized I wasn't building a racecar. I also eventually painted the backing plates of the rear pads black as I didn't like how the blue clashed with the red calipers.

Sold the Sagas. They were sick, especially the Face 4 concavity, but I ultimately wanted to move on from the color. The Accelears were super cheap but I got tired of the noise and ride, so I was happy to be back on the PS4Ss. Got my rinseless wash process down which has been huge for keeping me sane owning a black car. It's allowed me to wash more frequently. Saves a ton of time and is much more flexible. Also got a spare set of sidemarkers paint matched.

Finally got around to installing the Perrin intercooler I had beet sitting on for a while. Removed the logo with paint stripper as it was pretty beat and I just prefer the logo-less look.

Cleaned the HVI filter and installed the half side cover I got from Chris. He used the other half on his to get more noise, and I heard the area gets some cool air to cool the ECU. Definitely more turbo noises. While I was there, I did the Dream Automotive silicone throttle body coupler, even though my stock one hadn't torn (yet). Also deleted the clutch salve cylinder delay valve. Cutting a slot with a dremel tool made getting the C clip out way easier/possible (shout out to this post for the idea https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/cdv-delete-findings-and-results.86865/post-1288054). I also recommend getting a set of heavy duty picks. Cleaned up and greased the rod end and the clutch fork with Honda UREA grease. Also installed the Hybrid Racing shifter cable bushings. They utilize delrin and appear to be a slightly better design than the Acuity ones. Changed the oil and filter and install the PRL x PTP inlet pipe blanket to hopefully help with IATs. Also modded my ACT sensor (https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/mod-your-act-sensor-and-gain-hp.41988/).

Attempted to install the JMJR Design 3D printed V2 front lip and cracked it, 100% my fault. Glued it back together (it has to be printed in like 5 sections because of its size) and threw it on. I don't really notice the crack but I may get another printed and painted and keep this one as a spare. It's really aggressive but I'm not scraping too bad, surprisingly.

My #4 coil and spark plug were showing heavy corrosion from rain. A decently common problem on these cars. Thanks non-functional hood scoop? The tip of the #4 plug and all the others were fine but I swapped them to NGK Ruthenium HX gapped to 0.20". Cleaned up the #4 coil and used a fat bead of dielectric grease to prevent water intrusion. You can see how it kind of creates a seal against the valve cover. No pics, but I also cleaned up the battery posts, terminals, and ground with a brass wire brush and dielectric greased them as well.

Installed the Verus Engineering brake master cylinder brace. I'm usually disappointed with the difference mods make, but that was not the case here - this brace absolutely makes a difference in pedal firmness, even in regular driving. It's not going to make the pedal rock hard, but you can tell its working. I had been chasing more brake pedal firmness and was considering braided lines, but I'm now satisfied with just this brace. Just be careful setting the rivet nuts into the firewall.

Installed the Wunderladen catch can. Easy install, but getting the stock line off was kind of a pain. I moved the wiring harness/covers out of the way to get a bit more room.

Went on a little test drive. Front end looking mean.

Went to the Honda Hennessy meet and got a fitting parking spot number, I think. Will and Chris have two of the best FK8 builds in the world and they're both local. Both are good guys too.

That catches us up. I'm now completely done with everything in the engine bay, so I've emailed my spec sheet to Mike at 1:1 Tuning to get my Stage 1 "off-the-shelf" tune. Excited for that. I've also pre-ordered my next set of wheels. They won't be here for a bit. I can't wait. Got a few other things planned. Would love to get back out on track soon, but we'll see when that happens.

Thanks for reading.

Edit: I don't know why this picture is showing up at the bottom here, I can't delete it lol.

 

[REDRAGN]

So many good mods! I'll be at SCCA Track Night at Road Atlanta on May 21st if you can make it!

 

[gizmoyong]

It’s very cool, thanks for sharing !

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