I was on my way home from getting dinner on a random Tuesday night. As I was getting off the 60 freeway, I noticed a dark blue 2nd gen TSX wagon right in front of me. Car was driven by an older gentleman and was 100% stock. I thought to myself “It would’ve been a cool wagon if modded” and would be even cooler since I don’t ever see one modified on the street. That thought actually sparked my interest to browse instagram and got me on a mission to find a clean modified example. First wagon that popped up on my screen was Manuel’s CW2 TSX. A quick chat with him and voilaaaaa! A meet up was set up for a photoshoot!
The first thing that caught my eyes on Manuel’s TSX wagon is the blue on blue combination. Finished in Forged Silver Metallic paint, the color really accentuates the angular lines on the TSX wagon. Manuel made a bold move to go with Matte Blue Gunmetal finish on his Volk Racing ZE40 wheels. Hidden behind the wheels are blue colored brake calipers. In my eyes, this color combination works really well! Manuel admitted that he likes clean and simple builds; therefore OEM+ route was chosen for this latest project of his. Type-S front lip, type-S side skirts and body colored splash guards were added to enhance the wagon’s exterior. All Acura emblems were replaced with Honda’s. To add a cherry on top, OEM Bi-Xenon headlights and OEM chrome foglight bezels were added. To untrained eyes, the headlights look just like the OEM ones that came with the car. For those who noticed, OEM Bi-Xenon headlights do not come with the orange reflectors in them; and that alone improved the wagon’s appearance tenfold! At last, Greddy exhaust made the cut to add some grunt to the car.
Overall, I think Manuel did a spectacular job on putting his unique touches to the wagon. As of now, he is somewhat done with the modification and plans on enjoying the car at every chance that he gets. Great job Manuel!
Introduce Yourself
My name is Manuel and I was born and raised in Southern California in the city of Bell Gardens. I’m a tower technician in the telecommunications industry.
WHY A WAGON?
I chose the wagon because I personally liked it better than the sedan version of the TSX and at the time they were not as common and they still might not be.
Did you consider a different WAGON instead of this one?
Absolutely. I had considered the Cadillac CTSV wagon but I would of not had the same financial freedom I have with the TSX.
What was your original objective with your car and has that objective changed?
The goal was always to have a decent looking wagon with a comfortable ride along with being reliable. I think I did an okay job so far.
What style would you say best describes your car?
We can leave that to your viewers to decide? I would say some what of a “performance/track” look if I added some meatier tires perhaps?
Who assisted in the planning/building/modding of your car?
My younger brother George was a huge part of how it played out. There was no initial plans on doing anything to it but one mod lead to another and I just kept going. Hes the one that would push me to change things up.
What do you feel makes your car unique / special in your eyes?
I wouldn’t say its special, but unique that it’s a modded wagon compared to the majority you see are usually stock and older folks driving them.
What is your favorite part/feature/function of the car?
I would have to say the wheels or the bixenon headlights. As we know wheels can make or break any vehicle and that’s one of the things that gets complimented the most.
If you could pick one thing you aren’t satisfied with about your car, what would it be?
POWER!!!! The good thing is there is a solution to it. You can super charge it or turbo it but it’s not in my plans. Would be nice.
What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve faced while building this car?
There’s not much aftermarket support for the cu2/cw2 chassis so there’s only so much you can do to it. And by now the few parts that were available have been discontinued so we were always limited on options compare to some other chassis.
What one word best describes your car?
OEM+
What is your final goal with this car?
For the most part I think I’ve accomplished what I wanted to, as I never intended to do all the things, I did to it besides possibly lowering it and wheels.
