NEW G1 FAQ

[NuclearSymphony]

AFTERMARKET

GENERAL:
As with most aftermarket parts, you usually get what you pay for. Cheap Ebay parts (using that term as a generality, as some very quality items can be found there) are at your own risk. As our own Legend Fut used to say: "Pay for the best, and cry once."

BRAKING:
Fluid - Honda fluid recommended for most street applications. Track or competition events may necessitate racing fluid with a higher boiling point, such as Motul or RBF.
Pads - OEM pads are great for daily use. Aggressive street/light track applications may need to step up to Hawk HPS or EBC, while heavy track/endurance use will require more aggressive pads like Hawk HP+.
Stainless steel brake lines - Technafit or Goodridge recommended.
Rotors - OEM blanks are fine for nearly any use up to a track event. For extended competition with prolonged repeated braking, step up to slotted rotors from StopTech or Brembo (paired with better pads).
Larger rotors and calipers will increase stopping power and fade resistance, but will also add weight. Keep in mind, larger rotors will also likely require different caliper brackets at the very least.
KA2 - upgrade front brakes to KA3/4 or 98-02 Accord (260x23mm rotor).
KA3/4 - Front brakes from 92-96 Prelude VTEC (282x23mm rotor); 95-97 Accord V6 (282x25mm rotor); Rover 825/827 (285x21mm rotor); 98-99 Acura CL 3.0 (282x25mm rotor)
DBA (Disc Brakes Australia) makes a 282x28mm rotor in the correct bolt pattern - P/N 2514.
Project Mu front rotor (282x25mm) - P/N SPPH106-S6.

SUSPENSION:
Please keep in mind, most of these are NO LONGER MADE. These part numbers are for reference.

KA2
Intrax springs (-1.75"F/-1.5"R) - P/N 10.1.008
B&G springs (-1.6"F/-1.4"R) - P/N 041001
PI springs for Rover 825 (-35mm F/R) - P/N 75-002 on Ebay UK
KYB GR-2 shocks (Front - 341113L / 234044R; rear - 234044L / 234045R)
KYB shock mounts - SM5058 F/R
Rover/Sterling rear 16mm sway bar (need those end links or Moog K90342 and K90343)
'96+ Rover Vitesse front 26mm and rear 21mm sway bars
Strut tower bar

KA3/4
B&G springs (-1.4” F/R) – P/N 041002
Eibach Pro-Kit springs (-1.2” F/R) – P/N 4009.140
Intrax springs (-2.0”F/-1.75”R) – P/N 10.1.005
ST springs (-1.5” F/R) – P/N 60425
Vogtland springs
RS-R Ti2000 Down springs (front: -35-40mm, 4.60 kg/mm; rear: -25-30mm, 3.40 kg/mm) – P/N H160TD/227309
Esperia Super Active Down springs (front: -55-60mm, 4.8kg/mm; rear: -45-50mm, 2.8kg/mm) – P/N ESH-155
KYB GR-2 shocks – Front 341112R, 341113L; rear 341116
KYB shock mounts – P/N SM5058 and SM5059; boots – SB108 and SB107
Tokico HP struts – P/N HU3653, HU3654, HU2826 (both fronts and rear)
Bilstein HD struts – P/N 24-011990, 24-012003, 240-11921 (both fronts and rear)
Strut tower bar
Tanabe 20mm rear sway bar – P/N TSB009R
Energy Suspension poly end links (KA4 only), front/rear sway bar bushings (will need to re-use OEM bushing brackets or trim the ES brackets to fit).
Ground Control adjustable sleeve system – they use fixed-rate Eibach springs tailored to your driving style. Made to work with OEM or aftermarket shocks.

*Get an alignment immediately after lowering your Legend. Even though there is nothing the mechanic can do in terms of correcting your alignment (unless you get a camber correction kit), you can at least know how severe your settings are.

Cutting Springs
Springs are made for individual applications, which are designed to support the specific weight of the cars they are applied to. When you change this spring rate by cutting or burning the coils, they stop becoming effective at supporting the full weight they were originally intended. The engineering that went into developing that important part of your car's suspension and handling is now rendered ineffective. At best, you may bottom out a lot or just endure a very stiff and jarring ride. At worst, your car may lose control and hit something or someone.

Shocks
With only a moderate amount of lowering (1.5" or less), your factory shocks should still be able to handle the increased spring rate and retain a comfortable ride, if they are still working properly. Anything lower will most likely require high performance shocks to handle such a drastic change, as your OEM shocks may stop becoming effective and prematurely wear out. As with most older cars, when in doubt, upgrade your shocks, even if only to OEM replacements.

WHEELS:
For maximum performance, bigger is not always better. Larger diameter wheels and lower profile tires do significantly better in cornering because they flex less and stick better, but this is all at the expense of acceleration ability, and most of us want to accelerate out of curves and turns. Not to mention the obvious: larger wheels and tires can add more weight!
It may very well be that a 15x7 or 16x7 wheel and sticky tires will do much better for your application in terms of performance than a large, heavy wheel that serves more for appearance. Something else to keep in mind is that extremely lightweight and racing wheels are often not as strong as normal street wheels. Racing wheels are meant for use at the track, where there are no speed bumps, railroad tracks, potholes, or curbs.

Spacers - as with every other part of your car, spend the money for quality items. Porsche and BMW track machines use H&R spacers all year round, with zero failures. Tales of spacers breaking or damaging the car are usually indicators that someone bought the wrong type or a cheap brand.
These are great for getting that perfect stance and fitment without having to buy new wheels.
H&R Trak+ spacers - 5mm 1064640, 10mm 2064640, 15mm 3064640

5-lug conversion:
Front 97-01 Prelude hub and bearings (44600-S47-000, 44300-S84-A02)
Rear 99-03 TL hubs (42200-S87-C52)

TIRES:


DRIVETRAIN:
Short throw shifter
Poly shifter bushings (shifter base and linkage end bushings are same as 94-01 Integra)
Lightened flywheel (OEM = 23lb.)
Stainless steel clutch line

EXHAUST:
OEM catalytic converter replacement: Magnaflow 22625 (49-state legal); 36625 (50-state legal)
OBX headers
Stromung cat-back

ENGINE:
K&N drop-in filter (P/N E-0999)
Cold air intake
Bored throttle body (Maxbore)
Aluminum crank pulley
Colder thermostat (2001 Integra aftermarket T-stats fit); Mishimoto Racing 155-deg (for C27A4)
Gude C27A4 cams (HAC505) - never tested in a Legend
Paeco Imports claims to make cams and a full 3.0L stroker kit, but to date has never actually produced or sold any (likely these are simply prototype estimates, with no actual buyers to fund the parts).

FORCED INDUCTION:
Only a handful of first-generation Legends have had a turbocharger added. Forced Air Technologies in Arizona was one of the first and most widely-known. The kit utilized a Garrett GT25 setup featuring a Vortech rising rate fuel pressure regulator and RC Engineering 320cc injectors. With stock internals (C27A1) and stock compression (9.0:1) this kit yielded 223 whp and 220 wtq at 8-psi. This kit was installed and tested on a 1989 Legend coupe L (Gold Rush) as a custom one-off project. A production kit was never assembled, and FAT no longer exists.

To date, only one supercharger has ever been installed on a first-generation Legend.

ENGINE SWAPS:

JDM engine swap - C27A: retain rear valve cover, air suction valve (intake), and front exhaust manifold (if no spot for EGR lift sensor).

The C27A1 was used as the test engine for the NA1 Acura NSX. For production, the NSX received the C30A (2977cc V6, DOHC, four valves/cylinder with VTEC, bore & stroke: 90.0 mm x 78.0 mm, compression ratio: 10.2:1, power: 270 hp @ 7100 rpm, 210 lb-ft @ 5300 rpm). Since the C30A is externally identical to the C27A1, it was theorized that the NSX engine could be swapped into the Legend. It has been successfully completed by Car2n (LegeNd-SX), including a Comptech supercharger.

Also TTC27A4 Accord
Another 1 or 2 turbo Legends
C20AT swap

INTERIOR:
Redline Goods leather shifter boots + armrest covers
Aluminum pedals (Autovation.net, OEM Acura TL-S, Mugen)
LS Auto Climate Control swap

EXTERIOR:
KA4 EDM clear corner lenses - P/N 33600-SD4-965 and 33650-SD4-965


Additional Media/Articles:

Consumer Reports (1989.07) - Japan's Best

Motor Trend (1988.02) - All Promises Have Been Kept

Motor Trend (1988.05) - Acura Legend Sedan LS

Motor Trend (1988.09) - Acura Legend Coupe LT

Motor Trend (1989.11) - Top 10 cars of the 80s

Motor Trend (1989.11) - Top 10 new car buys_Import

Motor Trend (1990.09) - Acura Legend Coupe vs Infiniti M30 Coupe

Please note: this is a WORK IN PROGRESS. I've been compiling this information for years, with the help of several forum members and a ton of research. Several items will be slightly inaccurate or incomplete for some time to come, until I have time to finish editing and linking everything properly.

If you are able to fill in any of the blanks (for example, paint code corrections on the earlier models, etc.), and you have a viable source (ie. from Honda/Acura, not something you once heard of), please feel free to send me a PM with the correct information. Please DO NOT reply to this thread - you've seen what happens. A bunch of random posts clutter up the information.

Several categories are still to arrive, including links to DIYs and OEM/aftermarket parts availability. Bear with us as we try to finish this up as soon as we can!

Thanks for looking.