Eliminating some of that body roll is a Cusco Type II front underbrace and Comptech titanium strut tower bar. Desmond's got a set of front and rear sway bars on order from H&R to further keep the TSX on a tight track. With many miles of North Carolina backroads driving available, Desmond's suspension mods are a good investment.
"I'm really happy with the overall quality of the car. With the addition of Comptech's short shifter, the trans feels great. But my favorite aspect is the handling character, the overall balance."
We'd be down with the suspension too if it weren't for a prime slice of I.C.E. We're not huge fans of multiple screens, but in a four-passenger sedan built to draw eyeballs to the Desmond Performance name, we see the logic. Desmond has a PS2 running the DVD/game show, outputting signal to four 7-inch screens. No audio company we know of makes a conversion dash kit for the TSX that relocates the climate controls (Metra Electronics does have one for the current Accord), so Desmond retains the stock audio source unit up front (not bad; has a six-disc in-dash changer).
From the stock source, signals travel to two JL Audio amps. The JL 500/1 handles power for the dual 10-inch JL subs in the trunk, while a 300/1 drives the components in fiberglass "kickpods" up front in the footwells and in the trunk lid. Desmond and the DP crew did everything on the install, from fabbing the 'glass enclosures to wrapping the suede trunk lid. About the only thing DP didn't do was sandblast the Acura logo on the Plexiglas amp cover, which looks sweet in the dark with its blue trim lighting aglow.
As he waits on his Comptech blower to deliver the 50-to-75-hp surge he craves, Desmond admits only minor regret with his choice.
"I chose the TSX because there were already so many RSXs around. And the biggest difference holding [the TSX] back is its electronic throttle. But it almost makes me jealous seeing all the mods available for the RSX."
Patience, good man, patience.
Bolts & Washers
Daniel Desmond's 2004 TSX
Propulsion
K24A2 with stock internals and valvetrain. Underhood, it's all pretty basic, only an Injen cold-air intake, DC Sports ceramic 4-2-1 header and DC catback exhaust conceding to additional power. Desmond also integrated Sun Auto's Hyper Voltage and Hyper Ground system to improve the electrical path. Future plans include a Comptech supercharger and aftercooler, once available.
Rims & Rubber
Racing Hart CX two-piece 19x7.5s provide the rolling motion at all four corners. Wheels are a +43 offset with a 5 x 114.3 lug pattern. Rubber stock is Nitto NT555 sized 225/35-19.
Stance
The TSX handles well from the factory and sounds like it takes the twists even better with Desmond's upgrade to Koni Yellow shocks front and rear, featuring adjustable damping and spring perch. Neuspeed race springs make it bounce all around, and Desmond incorporated an SPC camber kits front and rear to level out the lowered sedan. A Comptech titanium sturt tower bar and Cusco Type II front underbrace gives the chassis additional rigidity while Desmond plans his next purchase: H&R sway bars, once they're available.
Resistance
Power Slot rotors work in tandem with Rotora's four-piston calipers, Type H2 ceramic pads and stainless-steel braided lines to slow the TSX. Desmond fills the master cylinder with Project G/Four 335 fluid.
Fashion
Body: The factory satin silver metallic paint extends to a Lucky Star four-piece body kit, Carbon Creations titanium front splitter and VIS Racing M3-style decklid spoiler.
Inside:
Desmond wisely chose to keep the factory interior just the way he found it, with the minor exception of blue ambient lighting in the footwells to complement the extensive I.C.E. setup in back.
I.C.E.:
This TSX is an audiophile's dream. A JL Audio 500/1 amp drives (2) JL Audio 10-inch W6V2 subs submerged in a custom fiberglass enclosure, while a second amp, a JL 300/1, runs the Alpine component speakers in the cabin and another pair in the trunk lid (for setting up shop at shows and parking lots). A quartet of Directed Video 7-inch monitors provide visual entertainment, one in the front console, a flip-down for rear-seat passengers and two fiberglassed into the trunk lid. A PS2 with wireless controllers offers gaming crack on demand.
The additional demand on the charging system is met with an Optima Yellow Top battery and Stinger capacitor. A Viper two-way security system provides theft deterrent. A custom glass piece with sandblasted Acura logo covers one of the amps in the trunk while up above a fiberglass decklid panel, wrapped in black suede, holds two monitors.