thechase136's AP1 Time Attack Build
Originally Posted by jaor.s2k' timestamp='1453726770' post='23861851
Looks great man! I think all you need is an OEM lip or Gears (RSG) and your set!
How do you like the Shine replica? I'm wondering if the flexible material might be a better choice for track duty rather than the authentic Amuse.
S-Factor, they don't do carbon I believe, cheaper option:


WASP, can opt for chassis braced splitter and stand on it if you wish lol, more expensive, I believe they only do CF:


As for the Shine bumper, I don't think it's that flexible, feels pretty stiff to me. Both of the bumpers I have bought are used, so the previous owners may have added more material in the inside to stiffen them up, which seems like a common practice to do to Shine bumpers. The fitment seems pretty good, but then again, I bought the bumpers used so the previous owners did all the work haha
As for being on the track, they are both FRP by the end of the day, they will crack if you hit something.
Originally Posted by thechase136' timestamp='1453936379' post='23864413
[quote name='jaor.s2k' timestamp='1453726770' post='23861851']
Looks great man! I think all you need is an OEM lip or Gears (RSG) and your set!
Looks great man! I think all you need is an OEM lip or Gears (RSG) and your set!
How do you like the Shine replica? I'm wondering if the flexible material might be a better choice for track duty rather than the authentic Amuse.
S-Factor, they don't do carbon I believe, cheaper option:
WASP, can opt for chassis braced splitter and stand on it if you wish lol, more expensive, I believe they only do CF:
As for the Shine bumper, I don't think it's that flexible, feels pretty stiff to me. Both of the bumpers I have bought are used, so the previous owners may have added more material in the inside to stiffen them up, which seems like a common practice to do to Shine bumpers. The fitment seems pretty good, but then again, I bought the bumpers used so the previous owners did all the work haha
As for being on the track, they are both FRP by the end of the day, they will crack if you hit something.
[/quote]
That was extremely helpful, thanks for getting back to me! I really like the idea of a chassis-braced splitter like the WASP, looks really good on the Amuse front end.
Although I also discovered the Voltex Street bumper last night and I'm in love. i think this may be the way I end up going on my car.
Picked up some goodies today!

T1R 70R-EM Dual Sparrow

Jay doing his thing



The Forbidden hardtop seals also arrived today, I'm going to fool around with them tomorrow and see if I can get the window fitment resolved.

Looks like a much higher quality material & adhesive than what Ballade provided

Quick write up on the exhaust:
To begin, I'm incredibly happy with it. I wasn't expecting to like it nearly as much as I do but I'm extremely glad I went with my gut on this one.
Before we got the car up on a lift, Hugh offered to let me compare the sound of the dual vs single version on a couple of cars that had the same system in the shop. The dual was on a HKS supercharged AP2 with a J's header & test pipe, while the single was on an an otherwise stock AP1 with the OEM cat.
The dual version on the blown Ap2 sounded absolutely brutal. Lots of pops and crackles, and I ended up setting off someone's alarm across the street. The single was at the other end of the extreme, not quite as loud and raw as what I was looking for. Due to my HFC, I figured my car would sit somewhere in between and decided to go with the dual version.
The Sound:
The videos online do not do this system any justice, what they're all missing is the incredibly low frequencies that you feel more than you hear. At idle and taking off from a stop, the exhaust note sounds so deep and aggressive that it feels not unlike being in a car with a big subwoofer.
As you pass 2-2.5k into the mid-range, the bass subsides a bit and it sounds more like amplified induction noise rather than exhaust noise. No fart-cannon stuff here. The VTEC crossover is now a sort of explosive "crack" that's completely intoxicating, I don't know how I'm going to stop doing that around town. And past 7,000 RPM it's just mind-bendingly good, it howls.
And the best part: No drone.
I read that the exhaust had a nice deep tone, but I wasn't expecting it to be this good. Seriously. If you haven't heard this exhaust on an s2k yet, I highly recommend you do because it shattered my expectations and changed my perception on what this motor can really sound like.
Performance:
This exhaust is supposed to be the best performing system for the s2k yet and while I can't verify their claims of 15whp gains until Thursday, I can say I am impressed with the difference I can feel during acceleration.
Throttle response is better overall and it feels like the car requires less throttle to maintain the same speed as it did before. The mid-range also feels much better, not quite as asthmatic as it is in stock form.
I'll keep you guys posted on numbers after next week's tune on the "heartbreaker dyno".
Fitment:
Yeah, so I guess this is the catch. Hugh warned me that these systems had notoriously horrible fitment in the past, but that this V2 revision had the issues all sorted out.
Apparently not. The passenger side tip extends out farther than the driver's side by about 3/4", and both canisters are slightly angled towards the driver's side.
I was pretty bummed out that a nearly $1400 exhaust had fitment issues to this degree, but after messing around with it for a while we got it to look acceptable. Just be aware that you're going to need to cut/bend/weld in order to get the fitment right.
Overall Impressions: I'd have to give the T1R 70R-EM a regrettable 8/10 due to the fitment issues, 9.5/10 if that sort of thing doesn't matter to you.
The build quality is extremely nice, the welds are very well done and aesthetically pleasing, and the finish was immaculate out of the box. No dings, scratches, dents, etc.
The sound is great, the performance is surprising, and NO DRONE!
TL;DR: Sounds good, feels good, looks good, fits like shit.

T1R 70R-EM Dual Sparrow

Jay doing his thing



The Forbidden hardtop seals also arrived today, I'm going to fool around with them tomorrow and see if I can get the window fitment resolved.

Looks like a much higher quality material & adhesive than what Ballade provided

Quick write up on the exhaust:
To begin, I'm incredibly happy with it. I wasn't expecting to like it nearly as much as I do but I'm extremely glad I went with my gut on this one.
Before we got the car up on a lift, Hugh offered to let me compare the sound of the dual vs single version on a couple of cars that had the same system in the shop. The dual was on a HKS supercharged AP2 with a J's header & test pipe, while the single was on an an otherwise stock AP1 with the OEM cat.
The dual version on the blown Ap2 sounded absolutely brutal. Lots of pops and crackles, and I ended up setting off someone's alarm across the street. The single was at the other end of the extreme, not quite as loud and raw as what I was looking for. Due to my HFC, I figured my car would sit somewhere in between and decided to go with the dual version.
The Sound:
The videos online do not do this system any justice, what they're all missing is the incredibly low frequencies that you feel more than you hear. At idle and taking off from a stop, the exhaust note sounds so deep and aggressive that it feels not unlike being in a car with a big subwoofer.
As you pass 2-2.5k into the mid-range, the bass subsides a bit and it sounds more like amplified induction noise rather than exhaust noise. No fart-cannon stuff here. The VTEC crossover is now a sort of explosive "crack" that's completely intoxicating, I don't know how I'm going to stop doing that around town. And past 7,000 RPM it's just mind-bendingly good, it howls.
And the best part: No drone.
I read that the exhaust had a nice deep tone, but I wasn't expecting it to be this good. Seriously. If you haven't heard this exhaust on an s2k yet, I highly recommend you do because it shattered my expectations and changed my perception on what this motor can really sound like.
Performance:
This exhaust is supposed to be the best performing system for the s2k yet and while I can't verify their claims of 15whp gains until Thursday, I can say I am impressed with the difference I can feel during acceleration.
Throttle response is better overall and it feels like the car requires less throttle to maintain the same speed as it did before. The mid-range also feels much better, not quite as asthmatic as it is in stock form.
I'll keep you guys posted on numbers after next week's tune on the "heartbreaker dyno".
Fitment:
Yeah, so I guess this is the catch. Hugh warned me that these systems had notoriously horrible fitment in the past, but that this V2 revision had the issues all sorted out.
Apparently not. The passenger side tip extends out farther than the driver's side by about 3/4", and both canisters are slightly angled towards the driver's side.
I was pretty bummed out that a nearly $1400 exhaust had fitment issues to this degree, but after messing around with it for a while we got it to look acceptable. Just be aware that you're going to need to cut/bend/weld in order to get the fitment right.
Overall Impressions: I'd have to give the T1R 70R-EM a regrettable 8/10 due to the fitment issues, 9.5/10 if that sort of thing doesn't matter to you.
The build quality is extremely nice, the welds are very well done and aesthetically pleasing, and the finish was immaculate out of the box. No dings, scratches, dents, etc.
The sound is great, the performance is surprising, and NO DRONE!
TL;DR: Sounds good, feels good, looks good, fits like shit.
From what you saw, where do you think most of the cutting/bending/welding needs to happen? I have a used one sitting laying in my room right now that I don't mind chopping up to make fit.
Make sure the surface you're sticking the Forbidden seals to is super clean and heat up the adhesive/area a bit before installing them. I've had some problems with the seals peeling around the window curve. Really the only Forbidden product I'm not happy with. If you're careful you can probably get the hardtop 95% noise free though
Make sure the surface you're sticking the Forbidden seals to is super clean and heat up the adhesive/area a bit before installing them. I've had some problems with the seals peeling around the window curve. Really the only Forbidden product I'm not happy with. If you're careful you can probably get the hardtop 95% noise free though
Nice choice on the exhaust
When I was selecting which one I wanted, I was stuck between the T1R 70R-EM and Greddy SE. Both are great sounding exhausts that give a deep tone, unfortunately the Greddy drones, which is the biggest downside (supposedly the V2 is supposed to be better about it). Look wise, imo, the Greddy looks better under the Ap2 rear, which is what pushed me more towards it and to me the exhaust tips look a lot better on the SE. But I will say the T1R looks great under the AP1 rear, maybe it would have been different if I had that rear bumper. Performance-wise, they both claim about the same if I remember correctly. Fitment on the SE was pretty much spot on, I switch over to Ap1 hangers and everything went into place. And videos never do any exhaust justice, I recorded a video of my own exhaust, doesn't capture any of the deepness haha
When I was selecting which one I wanted, I was stuck between the T1R 70R-EM and Greddy SE. Both are great sounding exhausts that give a deep tone, unfortunately the Greddy drones, which is the biggest downside (supposedly the V2 is supposed to be better about it). Look wise, imo, the Greddy looks better under the Ap2 rear, which is what pushed me more towards it and to me the exhaust tips look a lot better on the SE. But I will say the T1R looks great under the AP1 rear, maybe it would have been different if I had that rear bumper. Performance-wise, they both claim about the same if I remember correctly. Fitment on the SE was pretty much spot on, I switch over to Ap1 hangers and everything went into place. And videos never do any exhaust justice, I recorded a video of my own exhaust, doesn't capture any of the deepness haha
From what you saw, where do you think most of the cutting/bending/welding needs to happen? I have a used one sitting laying in my room right now that I don't mind chopping up to make fit.
Make sure the surface you're sticking the Forbidden seals to is super clean and heat up the adhesive/area a bit before installing them. I've had some problems with the seals peeling around the window curve. Really the only Forbidden product I'm not happy with. If you're careful you can probably get the hardtop 95% noise free though
Make sure the surface you're sticking the Forbidden seals to is super clean and heat up the adhesive/area a bit before installing them. I've had some problems with the seals peeling around the window curve. Really the only Forbidden product I'm not happy with. If you're careful you can probably get the hardtop 95% noise free though
It's the flange circled in red, and you'd have to increase the radius of the bend in the pipe highlighted in green to get the fitment right.

Thanks for the tips regarding the seals, I'm crossing my fingers. I'm hoping the combination of the seal being thicker and placing it closer to the exterior edge of the hardtop might get it to seal around the windows better.
Nice choice on the exhaust
When I was selecting which one I wanted, I was stuck between the T1R 70R-EM and Greddy SE. Both are great sounding exhausts that give a deep tone, unfortunately the Greddy drones, which is the biggest downside (supposedly the V2 is supposed to be better about it). Look wise, imo, the Greddy looks better under the Ap2 rear, which is what pushed me more towards it and to me the exhaust tips look a lot better on the SE. But I will say the T1R looks great under the AP1 rear, maybe it would have been different if I had that rear bumper. Performance-wise, they both claim about the same if I remember correctly. Fitment on the SE was pretty much spot on, I switch over to Ap1 hangers and everything went into place. And videos never do any exhaust justice, I recorded a video of my own exhaust, doesn't capture any of the deepness haha
When I was selecting which one I wanted, I was stuck between the T1R 70R-EM and Greddy SE. Both are great sounding exhausts that give a deep tone, unfortunately the Greddy drones, which is the biggest downside (supposedly the V2 is supposed to be better about it). Look wise, imo, the Greddy looks better under the Ap2 rear, which is what pushed me more towards it and to me the exhaust tips look a lot better on the SE. But I will say the T1R looks great under the AP1 rear, maybe it would have been different if I had that rear bumper. Performance-wise, they both claim about the same if I remember correctly. Fitment on the SE was pretty much spot on, I switch over to Ap1 hangers and everything went into place. And videos never do any exhaust justice, I recorded a video of my own exhaust, doesn't capture any of the deepness haha
I'm absolutely loving the sound so far though, and supposedly it gets louder after being broken in a bit. I was so happy to see a completely empty tunnel on the way home from the shop last night lol.
Yeah, from what I have taken in, those 2 are probably more on the deeper note compared to other exhausts, which I really like. I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. And I am not sure about which one is louder. The Greddy looks like it would be tame, but it is pretty loud, cold start I am pretty much an alarm clock for my apartment building. My coworkers tell me they can hear me come in at work (can't sneak in if I am late lmao) and same with my friends, they can hear my car at the entrance of the apartment complex lol
Take some videos!
Take some videos!
Yeah, from what I have taken in, those 2 are probably more on the deeper note compared to other exhausts, which I really like. I have gotten a lot of compliments on it. And I am not sure about which one is louder. The Greddy looks like it would be tame, but it is pretty loud, cold start I am pretty much an alarm clock for my apartment building. My coworkers tell me they can hear me come in at work (can't sneak in if I am late lmao) and same with my friends, they can hear my car at the entrance of the apartment complex lol
Take some videos!
Take some videos!
You're totally right about that, those deep bassy tones seem like they travel really far. I have yet to cold start my car but seeing as it's parked between two apartment buildings, I think my neighbors might prefer my stock exhaust lol.
I might take some videos today, in-car and stationary is no problem but there's not many places around here to set a camera down and drive past it without someone immediately stealing it...









