Developing the identity of RevCircle, one article post at a time. I will add more to come on the types of content and videos that will appear here as I’m still figuring it out.
I always imagined RevCircle as a symbol of the driving and passion for cars. Rev-ing the car! The tachometer gauge and cluster. Watching those RPMs climb and hitting that redline, shifting and getting that continue push when flooring the gas pedal. Even though we live in a world thats moving towards digitization, electrification and analog dash instruments are fading away, I think the symbol of RevCircle can still be relevant even in today’s modern auto environment.
My journey with Cars
I’m been an avid car enthusiast since I got my first JDM car in 2006. It was a 1990 Integra (DA), and the B18A engine. At first, I was enjoying the drive and getting comfortable with the car. It was my first manual car. Even back then it was already an old car, so as months went by, things would break.
First thing to go was the axle boot being torn and breaking, leaving me on the side of the road. However, I learned to fix it. Next issue was the ball joints, but I was able to replace them on the front. After that, changing out the radiator when it overheating and changing out the oil pan when it was leaking came next. It was a pure learning experience, but each time I fixed it, I felt the improvement.
As my car got better and better, I also felt like I was growing as a person that can learn something new. I also enjoyed modifying it too. It was dropped it on Tein H Tech lowering springs. The wheels were even changed to black rota slipstreams and blacking out the headlights too.
My first real project car
My first real project car was in Nov 2007. I got my hands on a night hawk black pearl Acura RSX Type S (DC5) rolling shell. There was alot missing including the interior, front windshield, all the wiring harnesses, motor/tranny, random bolts. I had to piece it all back together. It was my side project and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it at first. I was thinking of restoring it and selling it as it was hyped it in those early years, but I decided to keep it. When I purchased the shell, I was sort of in a rush to get it operational since it was non-op. It wasn’t quite registered in my name and that worried me. I got it up and running in April of 2008.
I believe that the car transformed me as a person, gave me an identity. Learning how to wire, painting with an air compressor, drop in a k20a2 engine and tranny, and really look up and down the car to make sure everything was there was a transformational experience.
The car had an AEM v2 intake, DC headers, and a Exedy Stage 1 clutch and Fidanza flywheel. This car got m e into basic tuning with my KPro Ecu. It also taught me how to source parts. I scoured the web for things from Japan, eBay and taking weekend trips to pick-and-pulls, junk yards, and getting parts from other rsx owners. It was a fun journey in an age before smart phones, and I wish I documented more of it.
The stagnant period
I eventually sold this car 7 years later to a friend. I bought a more reliable gas saver to get me around. In reflection, the RSX was an expensive project car and my new goal was to focus on getting my career going as a designer. Fast forward to today, things are a bit more stable from grinding it out this past decade. Now I want to get back into it. Things are different these days, some performance companies no longer exist. Newer car formats are here that sort of threaten the existence of high performance sports cars. However, I feel the JDM classics are still there and the community is still going strong. I have a lot to learn about everything.
I just got a 2021 Subaru WRX STI Limited and have been enjoying the precision, handling, and power that comes from it. And this year in Jan, I have picked up another 2003 RSX Type S in Arctic Blue Pearl as a project. It’s 20+ years old, all the rubber is worn, paints faded, leaks here and there. So there’s lots to do to get it back to working order. It’s a bit nostalgic and I also feel that I have some unfinished business on the DC5.
What RevCircle will start as
When I was in college, I imagined the RevCircle.com domain to become many things, but one area was to connect the car community. I originally started building a pretty raw social network app for it in 2009 and starting a twitter account; it has been interesting to look back. Things got busy, but I never got around to it, but the spirit of RevCircle was always in me.
Today, I’m starting small and using this blog to just document my hobby and my love for cars. I’m going to write about things I learn, track the progress of my car builds, and catalog any auto ideas I have here.
For now, I’m documenting my progress on my DC5 Project
Thanks for coming here and reading.
-Tri