I keep in mind when the Acura RSX first got here out about 20 years in the past, and examples had been in all places. The fan-favorite mannequin loved a five-year lifespan between 2002 and 2006 with a mid-cycle refresh happening in 2005. Acura bought a complete of 114,451 items in the US throughout that timeframe. These days, nearly all of these have been junked, modified, or destroyed past the purpose of no return. It’s been 20 years in any case, and this high-revving sports activities coupe gained reputation within the tuner neighborhood as a platform for modification.

RSX Mannequin Historical past

The RSX had massive sneakers (or tires, reasonably) to fill when it initially hit the streets in 2002. In any case, the Integra which it changed had grown to be well-loved compact commuter for tuners and every day commuters alike. The RSX launched in base and Kind-S variants, and each used a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC inline-four powerplant with “i-VTEC” variable valve timing. The bottom was rated at 160 horsepower and the Kind-S at an excellent 200. Different nuances separated the 2, together with a six-speed handbook within the Kind-S as in comparison with a five-speed within the base.

Susan’s RSX

On January 21, 2002, my neighbor Susan paid $26,485.17 for a 2002 RSX Kind-S from Scottsdale Acura in Arizona together with tax and an prolonged service contract. She had initially visited the dealership to drive an Anthracite Metallic RSX, however it bought by the point she was able to make a purchase order. So, Satin Silver it was. A rear spoiler and window tint had been added previous to supply, and the automobile had 12 miles on the odometer when she proudly drove it off the lot.

Dick Colliver, Acura Govt Vice President, said in the course of the April 2001 mannequin reveal: “The RSX was designed and constructed to ship a real, race-bred driving expertise as a result of efficiency is the hallmark of the Acura model – the frequent denominator that hyperlinks all of our merchandise – and which makes this sporty coupe an important new member of the Acura household.” The automobile was marketed as a gateway to the model, and its goal prospects had been 27 years previous with a school diploma. I didn’t fairly fall into that demographic in 2001 – actually, I used to be recent out of highschool then.

My possession alternative got here on December 13, 2022, when over 20 years later, I took supply of Susan’s RSX after wanting one for thus lengthy. It wasn’t a lot to have a look at. The truth is, it was downright tough cosmetically.

Acquisition at Final

My restoration started in earnest. The primary order of enterprise was addressing the automobile’s mechanical wants. Amongst them, the ability steering system wanted an overhaul, the motor mounts had been shot, the entrance suspension had some clunks, and about half the outside bulbs had been burned out. The excellent news was that the “bones” had been good. The automobile solely had about 124,000 miles on the odometer and had been dealer-serviced most of its life.

Susan turned 75 just a few months later, and once I despatched a textual content message to want her a contented birthday, she mentioned, “I do know it’s foolish, however it warms my coronary heart to know the RSX is in residence.”

Little did she know that by that point, I used to be already effectively into my front-to-back restoration course of. The truth is, by then I’d already taken the automobile to Apex Moist Werks in Phoenix to have them work their magic on getting the physique again into form. I labored with Apex on sourcing some wanted elements like window moldings, alternative headlights, a brand new sideview mirror, and accent fog lamps. I paid a go to to the physique store every Friday to test the progress, and it was thrilling to see issues take form.

The Large Reveal

In late June, the automobile got here out of paint and I spent a complete weekend getting the small print fine-tuned: I labored on the engine bay, the inside, the wheels, and the underbody to make it show-ready. And on July 8, I lastly had the prospect to disclose the restored RSX to Susan. Her response was priceless. We laughed once I talked about how I’d changed the passenger sideview mirror that was held on with duct tape. “I used to be very ghetto,” she mentioned.

I invited Susan to sit down and hearth it up. “No rattles!” she mentioned when she felt how easy the drivetrain was for the reason that motor mounts had been changed. “It’s lovely. You probably did an important job,” she mentioned. “I can’t let you know what number of instances, moreover you, folks had requested me if I wished to promote it.” I introduced Susan with a framed picture of the restored automobile and gave her a hug as she headed again residence.

Takeaways

As enjoyable as it’s to drive an take pleasure in a collector automobile, the true magic of this interest lies within the folks and the relationships. I’ll finally be discovering Susan’s previous RSX a brand new residence now that I’ve had my enjoyable with it, however it’s rewarding to know that I gave a deserving automobile a second probability at life, and hopefully it is going to proceed to be beloved and preserved.

Do you’ve a traditional automobile restoration story to share with us? Let’s hear it! Thanks for staying tuned to the ClassicCars.com Journal.