Whats going on guys. I’m super excited that this forum is back and I hope it thrives as we move forward. Starting a build thread on nwp is something I’ve always wanted but I was young when the previous forum was around. I still remember being a kid and checking nwp almost daily. At time, my older brother had a red em1 and since then I knew I had to own one.
My first car was a 1995 Eclipse GSX. I had a love hate relationship with that car as something was always breaking. When It ran, it ran great but the problem was getting it to that point. Long story short, I ended up selling that car to put a down payment on a 2005 tacoma, which I still own. All through college I spent whatever money I made on modifications but I always felt like there was something missing. I knew I had to buy a Honda.
I graduated college in 2019 and after a few months of working I was in the market for a car. At this point, I was looking for an itr and wasn’t really considering an EM1. But, in January of 2020, I came across a deal that was too good to pass up.
I found a black, 1999 EM1 on craigslist, which was the spec that I wanted when I was younger, at a price that I couldn’t pass up. I immediately called the owner and bought the car. The car was clean title, unmodified, one owner car, and all of the vins were still in place. The exterior and interior of the car weren’t in the best shape but after driving the car I was convinced. It was probably the best mechanically maintained Honda that I had driven up to that point. Underneath the hood and the undercarriage were near mint, with only minor flaws. Here are a few pictures of when I got it.
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For a few months, I collected exterior pieces (trim, molding, etc.) to get it ready for paint.
I also powdercoated a few parts in the engine bay and replaced random bolts. You an never go wrong with oem honda parts.
Off to paint.
After paint, the car sat in the garage for a couple of months to allow the paint to properly cure and harden. After a couple of months sitting, I sent the car to a detail shop to get detailed and ceramic coated. This was the product.
In 2019, I picked up a set of mf10’s I was originally going to use on an itr but I’m going to do a 5 lug conversion on the EM1.
I’ve been slowly piecing together pieces to rebuild the suspension. Was debating on what brand coilovers to go with. Was going to go with KW v3’s but after some thought, I decided I was going to go with higher end coilovers. I was torn between JRZ, AST, and MCS. I ended up going with MCS (Motion Control Suspension) due to their involvement in the Porsche community and great service. I contacted Brian at Karcepts and he hooked me up with a set of MCS dampers, Karcepts top hats, and custom spring rates. Karcepts and MCS are awesome companies to work with. Great products and customer service.
