Cornered: A Write Up About Cornering Lights

First off, let me begin this post by saying that much of the information gathered and appropriated for this post is derived directly from auctions on eBay listed by an associate of mine. This person goes through a lot to extract various parts, wiring, and systems from Japanese salvage yards in order to sell them to JDM connoisseurs such as myself and his work in doing so is much appreciated.

This person’s name is Don but his eBay alias is JDMISME. I highly suggest checking him and his auctions out.

So corner lights. What are they? What applications were the made for? Well, as an option from Honda, corner lights were offered for Honda vehicles such as the CD/CE Series Accord, KA7 Legend, DB/DC Series Integra, 95-98 Odyssey and various others. The main difference between the individual vehicle sets are the plastic inserts/bezels that the lamps are attached to and then inserted into the bumper. Those are vehicle specific to match the exact contour of the different bumpers

They look like this:

They work like this:
When your turn signals are turned on, the corresponding cornering light (right or left) will be illuminated to light up that side of the road in the direction that you are turning into. These are handy option items that help you when you're unsure of the road that you are traveling on. They can help to keep you from hitting unseen/unexpected road hazzards that normally would not be visible at night. The cornering lights stay on for as long as the turn signal is on and then they turn off about a second after the turn signals are turned off.

I’ve seen two different kinds used on Legends:



Kind of a squarer type if you look closely….





The other type looks like this…..


Currently the above type is listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $175.00 plus $12.00 shipping. A bit too pricy for me right now, but I imagine I’ll be getting a set or two before Project Legend is completed. I’m partial to the squarer version myself, but if a set like the ones above presented themselves at a decent price, I would definitely not turn them down.

So that’s Novembers second blog posting. It seems that since this blogs inception, I’m really only posting once or twice a month. I intend to change that infrequency for the better however.

I have recently began employment with an amazing car shop and as a result, I now can afford to begin some serious Project Legend undertakings. Because of that, I ideally won’t have to just post about stuff I see on eBay that I can’t afford. I should be able to begin to write and update posts with process updates as well as “How-To’s” that visually document varying modifications and upgrades.

So until then, stay tuned. More coming soon. Hopefully REAL soon.


Project Legend continues……

Importation Information as a Forum Response

In response to a forum topic at Acura-Legend.com, found here:

http://www.acura-legend.com/vbulletin/f4/jdm-drooling-why-doesnt-someone-130010/

I wrote this. Its the most I've written in awhile so I thought I'd start it off as Novembers first blog posting...

*ahem*

Why DOESN'T someone import a RHD Legend. Be it from the UK or the Legend's motherland; Japan. I know what’s holding me back; and that is money. But I fully intend to. When? I'm not sure yet. But I'll do it. I'd like to be the first KA7 owner to successfully swap a 6-speed into a RHD Legend. But I'd also like to see other people do it. So much so that if someone did before me, I'd just be that much more motivated to do the same thing too. It’s not impossible. As anyone here who has been following the Korean Turbo and Supercharged thread can attest, nothing is impossible and there is way more potential in our cars that has yet to be tapped. However it takes initiative.

Like many things in life, all it takes is for one person to do it, say "hey everybody, this is how its done" and others will follow. Just look to people like Christian aka DV8. How long ago did he successfully swap a 3.5 in to a KA7, and now look at how many members have done it or in the process of doing it. Sure, swapping out a higher displacement engine and importing a RHD version of our car isn't exactly the same thing, but you get what I'm saying.

Importing a RHD isn't an easy process. It never has been. But it’s a hell of a lot easier now than it was ten years ago. If you take the time to research it, price it out, adjust your expenses to afford it, find a trust worthy enough DOT certified RI (Registered Importer) to do business with, and are patient enough to have a car shipped to you and then quite possibly and most likely have it sit there undriveable until you sort through all the red tape to get it legal......it is very possible.

Is it costly? Yep. Is it worth it to drive around on the opposite side of a car? Yeah. I think so.

But that's just my opinion. I'm sure there are plenty of people or even members of this forum who just don't see the value in it or don't think it’s worth the hassle. However I'm sure that some of those same people might just change there minds if someone did it successfully and documented it here on the forums though.

I guess I'm just tired of opening up Honda Tuning every month and seeing the same old Civic, Integra, Civic, (and maybe an) S2000 featured articles. And not just Honda Tuning, but all the other magazines or articles that I read. I want to see innovation. I want to see a car that I can relate to that I drive in......up in a magazine article......or on the cover. To do this, however, is probably going to take just that much extra effort that importing a RHD or at least a front clip and converting it, WOULD take.

Ok...I'll finish up my little soap box rant here...but the title of this thread just popped out at me tonight and I've been wanting to see a RHD Legend over here on US soil for so long, that I just had to say something.

I'll end this by saying that "where’s there is a will, there is a way" and if importing a RHD car was easy, it (like so many other things in life) probably wouldn't be worth it. Just because it hasn't been done, doesn't mean that it can't be done. There ARE ways to do it. There ARE problems you WILL run into. It WILL be challenging. But then again...that's what I love most about owning and modifying a Legend; the challenge.

JDM Honda BBS.....No BS

Anybody got like $1,500.00 that I could borrow?

Wow…so there I was, scrolling through eBay and I came across these wheels being listed…..





“Auction is for a beautiful set of four (4) authentic JDM Honda BBS RG-II alloy wheels. These lightweight forged BBS alloys were exclusively made for Honda for their Japanese KA7/9 Legend. Take a look at the wheel face and you know these are not general BBS RG's. These wheels bearing Honda logo are hub-centric for use on the Legend and they use Honda OEM bulge-type lug nuts.”

Crazy, right? I never knew BBS made wheels specifically for Honda, much less the KA7/8/9 chassis!

Here’s a little more about BBS taken quite literally…..directly from their website.

http://www.bbs-usa.com/

*ahem*

“BBS is synonymous with top-quality wheels. But what makes BBS the best is not just elegant, stylish designs. It’s what you don’t see that makes our wheels the most sought-after and respected in the world.
The wheel has been around for thousands of years, but that doesn’t keep us from reinventing it all over again.
BBS got its start in the 1970s when it began producing wheels for touring car racing. It quickly became a widely recognized name in the world of motorsports because of its ability to produce race-winning wheels that compromised neither integrity nor weight. Over the years, we’ve developed and perfected various technologies used in the production of BBS wheels that have effectively set us apart from our competitors, on and off the racetrack.
Unlike standard wheel manufacturing processes—which have a limit to the level of performance they can deliver at a specific weight—BBS Flow Forming and Forging processes make it possible to manufacture solidly-engineered wheels that are also lightweight. Plus, the BBS commitment to quality, performance, and safety goes far beyond other recognized standards such as the German TUV, or the Japanese JWL / VIA requirements. In some cases the BBS standard is 10 times greater. Building wheels that are lighter and stronger requires a higher level of engineering, better manufacturing technologies, and a well-trained production staff.

Flow Forming

Flow Forming is a production procedure that turns the wheel (or rim section) over a special mandrel and three hydraulic rollers using tremendous pressure. The pressure and turning then force the rim area to form against the mandrel, creating the shape and width of the rim. During Flow Forming, the rim actually "flows” down to create the full rim width.
Less weight is key to record-breaking speed.
________________________________________________
Forging

In the past few years, “forged” has become quite a popular term in the aftermarket wheel industry—but not all forged wheels are created equally, just as not all cast wheels are created equally.
When the goal is ultimate performance, only a BBS forged wheel will do.
The BBS forging process requires up to 16 million pounds of pressure, and a multi-stage forging process. Starting from a billet of 6,000 Series Aluminum, or a special Magnesium alloy, every stage of production is optimized to create the best forged wheel in the industry—so it’s no wonder why BBS supplies wheels for today’s supercars more than any other company.
The forging process used to make our aftermarket wheels is the same process we use to make our Formula 1 wheels and Original Equipment forged wheels used on the Porsche Carrera, Ferrari 360 Stradale, Ford GT, and a variety of other high-performance and luxury vehicles.
BBS forged wheels have style and substance.
Light weight wheels deliver better performance, but lighter wheels—without compromised reliability—are not as easily achieved as many companies would have you believe. The aftermarket wheel industry has been flooded with products promising light weight—however they are not always strong enough to survive in the real world. BBS forged wheels are not only light, they’ve been designed to handle all environments gracefully and safely.
Why is Flow Forming such a big deal? Because during Flow Forming, pressure applied to the cast rim actually changes its mechanical properties, so its strength and impact values become similar to those of a forged rim. That translates to up to 15% less weight when compared to a standard cast wheel.
BBS currently uses Flow Forming in the production of CH and RC one-piece wheels, and for the rim sections of the RXII, RKII, RSII, and RWII multi-piece wheels.”

So that’s it pretty much. I’m pretty stoked on those BBS wheels, I can’t afford them, but I’m psyched that they made these for my car and I found out something new.

Illumination Thru Fog: 91-93 vs. 94-95

Well, in a previous post I alluded to the fact that I was moving. Since then, I have moved and along with me came everything that I have amassed over the years for Project Legend as well.

Along with all my current possessions that I have yet to install and wire up, there is also the never ending search for the parts or “pieces to the puzzle” that I don’t have. A significant piece happened to pop up on eBay while I was in the final days of getting prepared to move. This same eBay auction also happened to end while I was going to be driving, therefore leaving me unable to bid on it. Well, the auction ended and I did not bid on it, nor would I have because it went well beyond my price range.

Call me crazy, but $270.00 for some OEM fog lights is just too much. Well, maybe not for some people but for me, during this time of economic instability, it sure was.

As much as I hated to see the fog lights slip through my fingers, there may be a silver lining in those clouds after all. I’ll get to that (don’t you worry) but before I do, I’d like to talk a little bit about the fog lights and why they probably went for as much as they did.

First off, some images of the fog lights that were posted:

And now, some images of the two separate OEM bumpers and there respective fog lights:

As you can see, there are two types; the rectangular and the circular.

The rectangular fog lights and the bumper that allows for them is specific to the production years of 1991-1993, while the circular fog lights and there respective bumpers that allow for them are specific to the final two years of production; 1994 and 1995.

While both of these OEM fog lights, as well as there wiring (and even there switches!) are hard to come by, I believe the rectangular 91-93’s to be even more so. In all of my searches, I’ve only come across a few. I should also state that the few that I did come across were in very poor condition. With that being said, it’s not hard to understand why the fog lights that were being bid upon on eBay went for as much as they did.

Still, $270.00 is a bit much. In comparison I only paid $250.00 for my JDM one piece headlights from Japan, and that was WITH shipping.

Ok, now for the silver lining: two days ago as I was about to board the Bay Area Rapid Transit train to San Francisco, I noticed a parked Magenta painted Legend with those same 91-93 OEM rectangular headlights installed! Like a kid in a candy store, I ran up and got on my hands and knees while eyeing them up and down. To my delight they were in excellent condition. The Legend however, was not. First off, it was painted a rather hideous shade of pink and many of its parts were in various states of decay. So upon arrival back into my new home in Oakland, I proceeded to write the owner of this Legend a note which basically stated my intentions of buying his fog lights from him.

Hopefully he’ll be into it. Hopefully he won’t know that they are worth (apparently $270.00) and hopefully, by this time next week, I will have in my possession, a slightly used pair of OEM Stanley produced 91-93 fog lights for a fraction of what I would have gotten them for had I usually done what I do; sniping to win an auction on impulse when I really should have saved the money.

However, even if that doesn’t pan out, I guess I’ll just have to hold out for the Mugen bumper and its respective fog lights:

JDM x Euro Collabo's?

Just got my JDM power folding mirrors back from my tint guy.



They turned out pretty good I think.



More on these later....i'm in the process of moving.

In Japan they call them “Blinkers”…..

About a month and a half ago, I took a long, hard look at my bumpers turn indicators and decided right then and there, that it was time for a change. The ones that I had were still installed were the original 16+ year old “blinkers” that came with the car. So on top of faded and disgusting yellow-ish plastic, the left one was also super warped from a baking experiment gone wrong. More about that later. Anyways, I priced a pair of all-clear aftermarket turn signals on eBay because I had initially purchased some about four or five years ago and was somewhat happy with the look but not the quality. So after mulling it over for some time, I decided on staying OEM. Stanley should be used on Honda’s when it comes to lighting, and that’s just the way it should be. Period.

After a text to my in-guy at the local Acura Dealership about pricing info, I received a text back with the somewhat egregious price $130.00. Steep, yes, but justifiable I though, because along with the JDM 1-pieces looking hell fresh as well as in conjunction with the Alpha Touring “H” badged grill:

I just couldn’t take away from a clean OEM front end by installing anything less.

Could I ADD to my front end by installing anything more like the Mugen bumper however?



Yes, but until I come across another Mugen front bumper, I was going to have to settle for just new OEM turn signals.

Back to the story. Ok, so I told my guy “bet” and a week later he told me that they were in.

Brand spanking’ new in some bubble wrap. (Oh, and notice how the parts sticker says “Honda”. Because that’s what my car is; a Honda.) So that was about a month ago, and when I got them, I placed them on my “all-things-Project-Legend-that-have-not-yet-actually-been-installed” desk.

That is until last week, when I finally had some spare time and actually took advantage/initiative of that spare time to go about installing them. I toyed with the idea of taking out the amber interior lens before doing so, however.

How so you ask? Well, this is done by baking the lens assemblies themselves in an oven, there by melting the adhesive of the lens’s front portion and by doing so; allowing access to the interior portion of the lens. This is the separate amber plastic piece that covers the bulb and causes the actual amber luminescent color. Some people do this, and it looks good honestly, but after dwelling on it for awhile, I decided to leave it as is; OEM.

Well, they went in a little tough, but they are in and I’m pretty happy with the look.

Plight of the Navigator Part III

When looking at the original equipment markets (or “OEM”) that all the KA7 Legend’s were made for, it is important to realize the key differences in each markets components, as well as the goals and purposes of each in order to determine what Honda was trying to accomplish for each market group. For instance,

To the best of my knowledge, the Japanese domestic market was the only market to bestow an optional navigation trimmed center console upon the KA7/8’s chassis.


Because the space required for the navigational monitor and controls takes up most of the space in the center position of the dash, the climate controls were moved to the lower portion above the audio controls and the air vents were compressed to fit


A separate GPS antenna for this system is then located on the rear dash of the vehicle

(The GPS is in a small box entitled “GPS” in the bottom left corner of the pic, the other antenna is for a factory option remote start system….which I’m not going to get into until a future post)

As for the heated seat switches, all of the domestic Markets offered them, but only the USDM center consoles had them sans wood grain garnish.

Wherareas the EDM and JDM center consoles did have a wood garnish.

Or even if they didn’t have the heated seat options with controls….they usually still came with the Gold Etched “Legend” woodgrain garnish….


This brings up the major difference between center consoles in relation to all of Honda’s offerings for each specific market, i.e. e-brake equipped vs. foot brake equipped. All USDM KA7’s are LHD (left Hand Drive) therefore have an emergency hand break mechanisms and levers located directly to the right of the driver’s seat that protrudes ort of a designated slot area next to the shifter. In Contrast, all EDM & JDM legends are RHD (Right Hand Drive) and come equipped with foot operated parking brakes. As well as hand operated break release levers located under the steering column on the dash board. The Heated seat controls on all USDM center consoles protrude out of a rather unsightly plastic trim piece



Whereas the JDM & EDM center consoles had there heated seat knobs/controls incorporated to sit flush in an optional matching wood grain trim piece


Continued in a later blog….