Ack Attack Post 37: The Coloring Book

Each new Acura averages about nine colors. Keep in mind that colors can say things about the consumer. Silver is discreet, yellow is never unnoticed, black is more for a mysterious presence and aggressive attitude, while blue is easily matched to accessories, and red is fast and young. White is for the perfectionist while darker grays accentuate every stylistic line on the car. Shades of green are for the calm person who simply appreciates the car for being an Acura. Do keep in mind that many cars which are still labeled "white" are not really white, but are more of a cream or a light metallic butterscotch.

Of course the younger audience will be interested in what matches. Rims can match the silvers, whites, or blacks, while chrome goes with everything. If the car is an elegant color such as the cream, burgundy, or green, keep the rims simple and classy rather than sporty. Also, keep the rims the same color as the emblems on the car. Silver emblems and gold rims look absolutely horrid together. Calipers are easily painted in gray, silver, black, red, or blue. If a body kit is desired, make SURE it is painted BEFORE it goes on the car. There is nothing tackier than a mis-matched spoiler or side skirts. Make sure the colors are matched - you really don't want a two-tone car. Just remember that metallic colors don't show damage as easily and white and black cars show dirt the most.

Ack Attack Post 36: Girls in the Car World

On the forums and at the shows, few females are to be seen unless they are models for the cars themselves. It's tough to be a female interested in cars because it is such a male dominated area. At races or special events most of the girls who go are either stuck going because of their boyfriend or father or go to pickup guys by wearing half of nothing. Very few girls go to the car shows because THEY are interested in cars. The forums will have a couple, but the guys don't value their opinions anyways. There are always a few guys who tend to respect the girls more based on the mere fact that they are trying. Some guys realize that it has to be tough to be a girl in the car world, while others try to keep it more male dominated by putting down the girls and making them look dumb. A lot of the girls on the forums and whatnot are honestly trying to learn and aren't there to talk to the guys with the "hot cars". Honestly, I could care less if you drive a Mercedes or a Suzuki as long as you can answer the questions I ask. It's sad that girls are seen as objects in the car world, just something else to get your picture taken with at the show.

Ack Attack Post 35: Ranking

It is relatively easy to be confused as to which Acura is the best and which are less expensive or less luxurious. Being that the newer Acuras seem to have a similar style, confusion comes easy even to those who have an experienced eye for cars. The base RL sedan is the most expensive Acura, ranging from $45,000 to $53, 000. The 2006 RL is more expensive than the 2007, but this can easily change depending on which additional packages have been chosen. The 2007 MDX starts at $40,000, making it the second most expensive base Acura. Coming in as a close third is the base TL. Packages can change the ranking drastically because they can be very expensive and if more than one is chosen, it adds thousands of dollars to the base price of the vehicle. The fourth most expensive car is the RDX. Though it is a small SUV, it is only a mere $500 more than the TL. Fifth is the TSX, which is only about $2000 less than the RDX. Though the RSX is no longer in production for the 2007 year, it is the sixth most expensive car which is still considered to be in the lineup.

Ack Attack Post 34: Keeping Up

Over the years Acura has made many changes to their lineup as well as making many additional accessories for their cars and changes to the cars themselves. As older cars have been phased out, newer cars have to stay at or above the bar. Older Acuras had smaller rims, basic lighting, and basic entertainment. Rims on newer Acuras are larger, shinier, and much more expensive and ahead of the game as compared to their older rims. New Acks have the brightest and optimum lighting in and outside of the car. As mentioned in a previous thread, Acura lighting is extremely bright and includes daytime running lights. Entertainment in Acuras has skyrocketed with the introduction of CD changers, GPS systems, and Blue Tooth. Acuras now basically come standard with CD changers. The GPS is a little more expensive, but it comes as part of a "Navigation Package". Blue Tooth is simply a button in the car which the driver can push. This button silences the radio and allows for the phone call to be heard and answered through the car speakers. While this does seem like it would be helpful for many people, I can't think this is marketed towards a parent. If you have children in the car, they probably aren't going to quiet down just because of the phone. Business people would really appreciate the simplicity of using the technology as well as the convenience of being able to answer the phone without having to pick it up. Acura is raising the bar by way of stylistic design, entertainment, and convenience which they incorporate into their vehicles. Hopefully other car makers will be able to "Keep Up With the Joneses".

Ack Attack Post 33: Lights

New Acuras, BMWs, Mercedes, etc. come with really bright, white lights. This helps the driver to see better at night as well as aids in the bliding of oncoming traffic. There are many different types of lights which people with older model cars can buy so that they can see better. Projector headlights, Xenon headlights, Halos, etc. are just a few of the additions which mostly tuners add to their vehicles. For example, Xenon headlights have a longer wavelength and can thus light up a larger area while in use. Many tuners will put HID lights in their cars, but these are modeately expensive for just a light. A HID kit ranges from $200-$500 unless they are already on the car. So pretty much, you're paying a few $100 per bulb. Though they do clear up the view at night and make the car look a little sleeker, it's a steep price for a couple of headlights.

Tail lights are another way to personalize your car. Euro, Clear, and Altezza are just a few types of tail lights which many tuners choose to put on their cars. Changing from stock lights is a fairly easy thing to do, hence why so many tuners have chosen to add this as a customization to their cars. I personally have never seen a tail light conversion on a CL, but I know plenty of Integras have them as do Honda Civics and Accords. Black housing is also very popular in customizing lighting. Black housing is painting the inside of the plastic, the part that holds the bulbs. This can be painted a variety of colors, but it is very difficult to do because you have to bake the plastic - not too many tuners choose to do this because there is a high risk factor for messing up your headlights or tail lights. Tinting is another choice that many tuners use to customize their cars. A spray or lining can be applied to the lights so that they are "smoked" or darker looking. While this does look pretty cool, it isn't legal everywhere. So, as will all customizations, make sure to check your state listings to see if it's legal where you live before making any additions to your car.

Ack Attack Post 32: Tires & Rims

There are tons of wonderful places to get tires and rims, many of which are on the internet. By looking in tuner magazines or other car magazines, you can find at least 10 different ads for tires or rims for sale. Many of these ads transfer over to the internet where you can choose your car and literally see what the rims and tires would look like on your car before you acually purchase them. DiscountTire and TireRack are two of my favorite sites for choosing wheels. I purchased my tires and rims from Discount Tire and have been very pleased with the customer service as well as the products. They also have a wonderful replacement plan. If you get a hole or nail in your tire, just bring it to them and they will fix it. If they can't fix it, they will get you a new tire for as long as the car is under your name. Now, this is not to say that they will always replace the tire. If they can fix it with a plug they will try, but if not, you will get a new tire.

When shopping for tires, make sure that you take into consideration the number of lugnuts on your current rims - it's easier if you stick with the same number rather than having to do a conversion. Also, deciding on the number of spokes you want and the color can take some time. If you're in a rush, I would recommend waiting until you have a longer time to decide on what you really want. There's nothing worse than thinking you've bought the most awesome rims and deciding later that they aren't want you really wanted. Rims are a personal decision and you shouldn't let others' opinions sway yours.

Ack Attack Post 31: Carbon Fiber Special

Carbon fiber is a woven cloth made of carbon filaments. It is extremely light weight, so it can replace large car panels reducing the weight of the car. It is one of the leading materials used in F1 car making because it makes them so light. Tuners with money choose carbon fiber as their stylistic choice though others who are not so financially set go for the "carbon fiber look" which is a simulation of the real thing. Carbon fiber comes many colors so it can match a wide variety of cars without making them sacrifice when it comes to color choice. Tuners tend to go for the basic black carbon fiber because it shows that it is really carbon fiber. There are also textural differences between real and simulated carbon fiber. You can actually feel the woven filaments in the real thing while the simulated CF is smooth and slightly more shiny.

Carbon fiber is often used in sporting equipment, utensils, or musical instruments. Since it is in such high demand, it is relatively expensive. In referencing above, the tuners with money buy CF because of its cost. A cheap CF hood would be about $500. Most tuners aren't looking to make their cars "show cars," so they aren't worried about spending that much money on them. Many CF hoods come with vents in them which allows for more cool air to get to the engine, cooling it down faster, which is better for the car. Overall, CF is a great look and great addition to any car, but it'll cost ya.