I'll post it here first because I know more folks here before posting to the model specific lists. RJ, feel free to lock this if you feel it not appropriate.


KONI North America periodically needs to get cars to test fit parts in the R&D Dept. Our standard program is that if you will loan us your car for a day or two (usually), when we are done you get to keep the new KONI parts and installation for free.

We currently have a new KONI Sport Kit program that we need to borrow cars for Norht American ride height confirmations on. The kits include four KONI Sport dampers and a set of KONI branded lowering springs. We prefer that the cars that we use be basically stock in the suspension department so we have a baseline measurement against stock parts.

In the next few weeks and months, KONI needs to borrow several cars including a '94-01 Integra non-Type R, a '02-03 RSX, and a '91-97 Legend. There will be a few other cars needed as time goes on but these are needed first.

If you have or know of a car that we could use for testing the Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky area preferably not too far from Cincinnati, please contact me aty 859-586-4100 ext 316 or email to lee@koni-na.com

 

Sweet deal.

 

Do ITR shocks, springs, and rear swaybar on a GS-R count as being "stock" and usable for testing?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by IN VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do ITR shocks, springs, and rear swaybar on a GS-R count as being "stock" and usable for testing?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ummm...no. Sway bar I can live with or disconnect one side of but the springs wouldn't give us a stock ride height to compare heights to. I honestly can't think of a good reason why someone would put ITR shocks on a car unless your stock shocks were dead and gone and you had some free ITR take-offs. Since they require changing the control arms, for me it would go well into the territory of "more trouble than it's worth". Maybe it would be a little bit more performance gain than painting your car ITR white not by a lot. Maybe "better than nothing" is of greater value than "nothing" but it will never be "something".

It looks like I have a lead on an Integra and possibly a Legend but will need an RSX soon still. We're likely to need some Civics, Accords, and a Prelude before too long but first we need to get past this round.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I honestly can't think of a good reason why someone would put ITR shocks on a car </TD></TR></TABLE>

Cheap upgrade when paired with ITR swaybar... All can be had for $350-$400....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Cheap upgrade when paired with ITR swaybar... All can be had for $350-$400.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

If you saw a dyno graph on the ITR shocks, you'd just get the sway bar and save yourself a lot of labor. Just a bit more primative bump valving that is going to have more effect on seat of the pants ride feel than the otherwise not really contributing much to the big picture.

 

The springs are lower/stiffer than the GSR springs, and if your stockers are blown it makes a nice upgrade to buy it as a complete 'kit'

 

The ITR shocks and ITR springs are strictly for winter and street driving. I switched to the ITR rear LCA's to use ITR coilovers.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Cheap upgrade when paired with ITR swaybar... All can be had for $350-$400.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Only a month and ITR brainwashed

 

I went from oem GSR shocks to oem ITR shocks (both under 5K miles) on an EG hatch and the handling difference was night and day IMO.

Anyhow, any chance of designing an EP3 shock that doesn't require you to hack up the front oem strut? I think (know) that's the reason you don't sell more for the EP3. And right now, there are zero shock replacements for that car on the market. It would be a goldmine IMO.

And yes, you could borrow my 02 Si for a day or two

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRX Lee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It looks like I have a lead on an Integra and possibly a Legend but will need an RSX soon still. We're likely to need some Civics, Accords, and a Prelude before too long but first we need to get past this round.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I've got a 100% stock '99-00 Civic Si that I'd be willing to drive over to Cincy to let you borrow for a day or two, if you ever happen to need one. Anything to give me an excuse to take a vacation

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Anyhow, any chance of designing an EP3 shock that doesn't require you to hack up the front oem strut? I think (know) that's the reason you don't sell more for the EP3. And right now, there are zero shock replacements for that car on the market. It would be a goldmine IMO.

And yes, you could borrow my 02 Si for a day or two </TD></TR></TABLE>

I would LOVE to be able to have a complete strut housing for the EP3 but I don't see any way it can be done logistically within a price range that people could pay for. We will always make a full strut housing when we can make it viable and will only go for an insert when a housing is not an option. Not that inserts are bad, just not the first preference. Don't for a moment think I haven't tried a number of different ways to do this over the last 18+ months, I just haven't found a way to get over the huge financial obstacles. The steering arm, spring perch, and bracketry are so extremely expensive to make tooling for and produce in the acceptable market volumes that the purhcase price and the manufacturing risk would be very high. Your comment that there are "zero" replacements is proof that this is a tough nut to crack, no wonder no one else offers them. KONI can offer the cut-a-strut insert application because we have the patented system that no one else has and it allows us to offer performance dampers for these cars, MR2 Spyders, PT Cruisers, etc., etc. that no other company can at this time. There are a few companies that offer threaded coil-over kits at a high price but they have eliminated the spring perch stamping from the equation and it still costs a lot. I would in a heartbeat make a complete strut and am still trying to find a way but until that point, the cut-a-strut insert is the only game in town other than stock dampers. Goldmine it might be, nightmare it has been so far.

I have been a hardcore Honda guy for more than a decade but I have to admit that the '00+ Civic/'01+ RSX suspension is the worst design that is on the market from a damper point of view, just a major disappointment. The front has issues and the rear really does too that people don't know about. Most people don't know it but Honda has made several running changes along the way to deal with problems too, they are just too tight lipped to acknowledge it. The car was important to KONI to get an application for so we have dealt with a number of issues to make this happen.

We may very likely want your borrow your Civic Si in the future to confirm some issues on it as Honda needless to say is not offering up any info. Keep in touch and we can likely work something to our mutual benefit. Send me an email with your contact info, IM is too short lived.

 

tell us more about these Koni springs. are you going to be making more applications?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Targa250R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I've got a 100% stock '99-00 Civic Si that I'd be willing to drive over to Cincy to let you borrow for a day or two, if you ever happen to need one.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Send me an email with your contact info. We don't need the car immediately but may soon.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LX4CYL &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">tell us more about these Koni springs. are you going to be making more applications?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Patience Grasshopper. The cards have not all been played. We will have some new kits that are specifically matched springs and dampers. We will not be selling springs alone, just in complete kit form to make a well rounded package. Our intent is not to displace the well respected spring companies like Eibach, H&R, Vogtland, etc. as we have very good relationships with all of them, just to offer our own well balanced complete package requires a spring of our own specification. Applications will be coming soon.

 

Lee,

I'm in Cincinnati and have a stock Integra GSR. I emailed you about it and left my number. I've very interested and flexible!

 

I have been a hardcore Honda guy for more than a decade but I have to admit that the '00+ Civic/'01+ RSX suspension is the worst design that is on the market from a damper point of view, just a major disappointment. The front has issues and the rear really does too that people don't know about.

Tell me about it. I've been pulling my hair out trying to get the car to work correctly. And we won't even mention what kind of rear springrates some of the RSXs use to try to get the car to turn

Email sent to you.

 

sweet deal

 

Thanks for all of the interest, I think we are currently in good shape on the Integra, RSX and Legend that we were needing for test fitting.

I will post later when we need other cars as there is always something going on. Thanks again.

 

DANG....I was too slow!!!

 

Lee, don't listen to Todd00....

Use my 100% stock 02 Si.

We're both in central Ohio.

 

Crx Lee, I have a 93 Honda Del Sol Si (if i'm not mistaken, the del sol, civic 92-95 and 94-01 integras all have the same setup....me thinks). My suspension is uncomfortably stock and I'm in Louisville Kentucky...if that's not close I don't know what is *crosses fingers, but knows that I'm not that lucky *


Modified by joetrisman at 2:34 AM 2/19/2004

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by joetrisman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a 93 Honda Del Sol Si
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Although the shocks are the same for those cars, I don't think the car will be and we don't plan any new kits for the Del Sol alone. Sorry.

 

EDIT:
whoops, i was talking about HYPERION-x but i didnt read the whole thread. my mistake. i should have read


Modified by 1slowcivic at 4:31 PM 3/5/2004