Brought home a 240 BHP 2006 Honda Accord: The how & the why!

We had recently bought a top-of-the-line XUV700 and that was my first taste of a 200-horsepower car.

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Hello, all TeamBHP members! This is my first post on the forum and I'm grateful to be a part of this lovely community. A little about myself before I begin the juicy parts of this post. I've always been interested in the car community, ever since I saw the first Disney cars movie and subsequently the Fast and Furious series, my passion and love for all things cars has never died. It was only recently that I started getting more into what I thought was just an appreciation. I started spending my free time watching YouTube videos from channels like Donut Media where I learned all about the actual workings of the car and ChrisFix where I learned the ability to diagnose and fix problems, and the confidence to go and fiddle around with the car.

Now back to the accord. This started about 5-6 months ago when I was bored and curious about upgrade opportunities to my 2013 Hyundai i20. It was a great car and I've had a lot of great memories with it but she lacked the power and performance a speed-hungry teenager like me wanted. We had recently bought a top-of-the-line XUV700 and that was my first taste of a 200-horsepower car. There would be no reason to upgrade the i20 since we had that but that car would be exclusively used by my dad since I lacked the confidence and experience to handle such a big and expensive car in the tiny streets of Bangalore. Both my parents supported the decision to upgrade the i20 however my mom specifically wanted me to buy a brand new car instead of a second-hand one, which I was at first, excited about but later realized would narrow down my options a lot. I was given a budget of 8-10 lakhs assuming we got around 3-4 lakhs by selling the i20.

And so the hunt began. I looked across a variety of hatchbacks since sedans would easily be way out of budget. As I was searching I came to realize that upgrading to any one of a variety of new hatchbacks would be a waste of money. They all put out a similar amount of power to my i20 with the only real upgrade being the technology and bells and whistles. This however was not what I wanted from the car upgrade since, to me, it would not be an upgrade from the i20 at all. Hence I began searching the used car market. I looked at some of the sedans that I wanted but they didn't have the horsepower numbers I was looking for, especially given the extra weight of the car since it was a sedan. The Volkswagen Jetta, Skoda Octavia, and the 8th generation Honda Civic were all some of my top choices, the Octavia being the preferred one since it put out a very good 180 horsepower.

I graduated to the luxury/performance car market foolishly since I saw so many BMWs and Audis for very very low prices. I was warned against buying a used BMW due to its reliability issues and the uncertain factor of how the owner treated the car. Eventually, I found a 3-liter V6 Audi A6 from 2011 that put out a whopping 275 horsepower. It was listed for 11 lakhs and I was super excited since I could most likely bring it down by a lakh or two into the budget allocated by my parents. I was infatuated with the car and started researching it to learn more about it. My dad seemed to be on board with the idea for the most part. However I realized that if I bought this car I won't be paying maintenance for an 11 lakh car, but a car that cost over 90 lakhs when it was first sold.

A little disappointed I continued the search for something more reliable and affordable. That's when the holy grail struck me. I saw a listing for a 2007 Honda Accord with a 3-liter V6 that puts out about 240 horsepower stock. The best part was the price was only 4 lakhs. I was awestruck and contacted the seller immediately. I got the service history and didn't see any major red flags. I saw a list of upgrades and part replacements that all added to the value of the car and was in love with the way it looked. A few days later I went with a friend to check it out. After arriving at the dealership we had to wait about an hour for the car to arrive but I had no issues with that. Once it arrived I was absolutely in love. It reminded me very much of the white Acura I had when living in the USA. It looked to be in immaculate condition apart from a tear in the driver-side leather seat. We took it for a test drive and I was awestruck by the insane amount of power under the hood. The driving feel was incredible and I felt super connected to the road and the car. It was perfect. However, the transmission was sluggish when shifting between gears and made a loud clunky sound, which I believed was due to the age and ignored. I was ready to buy it and told my dad the same. The dealer had asked for a deposit of 25k to reserve the car for me until the weekend. I wasn't comfortable doing this and decided to take my chances and trust I could make it on the weekend to buy directly.

One day before we were going to buy the car, disaster struck and I was informed that the car was sold. I was completely dumbfounded and very sad. My dad tried talking to the dealer to get more information but it was of no use. A few days passed and I was browsing all the different car websites for something that could even get close to what I had found. Once again the holy lights of the car gods shined on me and I found an OLX listing for a 2006 Honda Accord in nighthawk black, with a 3-liter V6 engine. The car looked to be in amazing condition and the seller had a very genuine story about the car and looked like he really cared about it. I got his number and contacted him about the car. I was grateful to know that the car was still available and assured him that we would be there on the weekend to check out the car. The only issue was that the car was in Mysore and I live in Bangalore, however, my dad said this was no big deal and we could make the trip easily. The weekend arrived and my dad and I along with a family friend hopped into the XUV700 and made the quick 2-hour drive down to Mysore. Upon arriving we looked at the car and it was amazing. It was kept protected and in great condition. After being kindly invited inside for tea we began thoroughly examining the car. The exterior was not as great as the other Accord I had seen but it was still very good for a 17-year-old car. I took it for a test drive and once again felt the power of the V6 and the sweet sweet sound it makes above 5000 rpm. I noticed that the transmission on this car however was incredibly smooth and seamless. Shifts were completely unnoticeable and it drove like butter(This would have potentially saved me over 2 lakhs in a transmission replacement). The ride quality was so comfortable yet sporty and the car resonated with me more than anything else.

After about an hour of examining the car, checking all the fluids, the interior, and everything else I could think of we decided to make a deal. The car originally listed at 6 lakhs was not worth that much considering some of the small things I noticed like some dents and a need to replace the engine mount and all the brake pads. We haggled down to 4.7 lakhs and made the deal right there. I was handed the keys and was in disbelief that the car was now mine. We filled up a full tank and began our journey back to Bangalore. The Bangalore Mysore expressway was the perfect road for me to unleash the speed demon in me. And it is safe to say that if I kept going the speed I was going I'd have made it back home in half the time Google Maps said.

The next morning arrived and the second I woke up I went to go pamper the car. I gave the interiors a thorough cleaning and wiped all the windows with glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. On the drive back I noticed that an annoying constant rattling sound was coming from the glove box but I couldn't locate the issue. There was also some red paint splotched on some of the trim on the driver's side of the car. There were also some aftermarket carpets installed by the previous owner that I detested so I threw them out as soon as possible. I spent about an hour listing out all the things that needed work on in the car. I was told not to drive the car outside my apartment for the first 2 weeks while the registration transfer process was going on and I respected that. I took it to the Honda dealership soon and had them do a full service along with thorough interior cleaning and exterior polishing. I had also asked them to replace the brake pads and the engine mount as I identified had gone bad.

The regular service bill was very affordable at just 4000 rupees the other parts, however, were quite pricey but it was a one-time investment and was worth paying for a safer and more secure car. After receiving the car from service It was absolutely beautiful. The deep black shined constantly and looked stunning. I hadn't told many people about it since I wanted to surprise the people I was closest to by showing them in person. I scheduled a dinner with 3 of my closest friends at a restaurant and acted like the shiny new Honda wasn't mine the entire time. When it was time to leave they were waiting for me to lead them to the i20 and were completely surprised when I opened the door to tHondanda and got in. Their reactions were priceless and I received many compliments about the car which made me extremely happy.

From that point on I was obsessed, constantly thinking of things I could do to make it mine. I wanted to have it completely pimped out with a massive spoiler and underglow and all the classic car guy stereotypes but I later decided that that sort of look was not for me and I went with more of an OEM+ build. The first step to this was to black out some of the chrome that was ruining the look of the rear end of the car. I bought some black vinyl tape off Amazon for cheap and put together a half-decent job of blacking out the chrome in the rear of the car. It looked 100 times better in my eyes. Next, I removed the little red splotch I mentioned earlier with some nail polish remover. These may sound like little things but to me, they're huge and also add a level of connection to the car since you're taking out the time and effort to care for it.

Next, I moved onto the armrest in the centre console that was supposed to open up into two separate compartments but wasn't even open completely. With great difficulty, I removed the entire armrest and took it back up to my apartment to examine and fix it. Honda said there was no fix and that they would have to order a new part, and that part was not available. I wouldn't have that and I discovered that there were a bunch of popsicle sticks shoved into the hinge mechanism which should've been impossible but not. I manoeuvred the sticks outside the hinge and lubricated it with some bicycle chain lube. Worked like magic and had full functionality again. I was elated and felt super proud of myself for fixing something on my car all on my own. I also fixed the glove box rattling sound by tying a rubber band around the hook that holds it in place so that was a very simple yet satisfying fix. The previous owner had installed a third-party reverse beeper thing that was like listening to the cries of hell. I tried preserving it by reducing the volume but it resulted in nothing so I ripped it out entirely and threw it away. Still, the most satisfying thing I've done in my life.

The biggest problem I had with this car however was the lack of any audio input except for the 6CD player that came in stock. There was an aux option present on the head unit but no aux port in sight. Upon doing some research I discovered that for some reason honda included a port to add an aux connection but never gave one from the factory. Why they did this I have no idea but there wasn't much I could do about it. After researching my options I found a complete head unit replacement made specifically for my car which would give me a large 10-inch screen with all the fancy tech in newer cars. However, this would ruin the old-school look that I desperately wanted to preserve in the car and was automatically a no. The next choice was to install a single din radio unit that is directly connected to the speakers but this created complications with the HVAC controls that are baked into the head unit. My last option was to get the adapter kit that plugs into the port that Honda provided and then allows me to connect to my phone via an aux connector. This was the cheapest and the option with the least compromises and risk. I searched for the part but was only able to find it being imported from the USA through Amazon, It was priced fairly high but was completely worth it. 5000 rupees and 3 weeks of waiting later it finally arrived at my doorstep.

The next morning after watching a tutorial on the installation process, I went down to my car and started disassembling the center console entirely. With a decent amount of difficulty and fiddling I managed to remove everything I needed to and plugged in the connector. There was no response from the system. I was heartbroken. All the waiting and money was wasted and I had no other options, which is quite important to me because I love music in my car. I decided to give it another shot and pressed in even harder when I felt a slight click. I didn't want to get my hopes up so I turned on the system and low and behold, the aux option showed up and the music started playing. To say I was happy was an understatement. I whooped really loud in the basement even though there were people around and recorded a video of my triumphant success. I reassembled everything and took it for a quick spin. The audio quality of speakers from 2006 blew me away, sounding as good if not better than the 12-speaker Sony system in the XUV700. With how good the subwoofers and door speakers sound there's no need for an audio upgrade anytime soon. This was another thing I had done all on my own and was super proud of.

Fast forward about 2 months or so and I had decided to go meet a friend who lived a little far away from me. This was because I wanted to show them the car and also get the opportunity to drive on NICE road since I could finally go fast. After returning home I discovered that the brake lights would not turn off no matter what I did. Even if I turned the car off they would stay on. I knew the battery would die so I tried disconnecting it but it was like the negative terminal cable was welded on. I couldn't just leave the car like that otherwise the battery would die and it was too late to go to the showroom. I realized I could go and remove the fuse that controls the brake lights and after some digging, I found the right fuse, however, this fuse also controlled the traction control system and the horn, so the car would not let me drive without it in place. I was unaware of the issue that had caused this and I narrowed down the options to a broken brake light switch since that's what controls the lights when you press the brake pedal. After some digging on the internet, I discovered that this problem had occurred to other people on the internet, The suspected culprit was a small rubber plug that is responsible for pressing the switch and opening the circuit when the pedal isn't being pressed. I went down to my car and found pieces of this rubber plug on the floor mats. I was very happy that this was the issue and not something significantly more expensive, unfortunately, I could not find the part needed anywhere online, and the 2 different garages I called, along with Honda didn't know what I was talking about without showing it to them. This kinda sucked cause it meant I couldn't drive the car until someone from the USA could get the part for me. My dad had a friend there but he would only be back in India 3 weeks later. I was prepared to let the car just sit there cause there was nothing I could do about it. A couple of days later it occurred to me that the shape of the plug is very similar to a thick bolt. I scoured my toolbag for something that could be a fit but didn't find anything. Luckily there was an auto parts and accessories shop 2 minutes away from my apartment so I stopped there on the way back home from college and scavenged their spare screws and bolts. I found a handful of good candidates, paid them 20 rupees, and got to work.

The fix required that I remove all the trim below the steering wheel and steering column, which was actually pretty easy with a bit of fiddling. I located the place where the rubber stopper was supposed to be and screwed in the best-fitting bolt with a nut. Voila, it was a perfect fit and the brake lights no longer stayed on. Feeling super satisfied I reassembled the trim and parked her back in the garage.

A few weeks later my dad's friend from the USA returned with the right part and a set of brand new LED projector headlights for my car. This was super exciting since the headlights would now be of function without having to use the high beams since the old school halogens were showing their age (All other halogens inside the car are staying stock because it takes me back to the 2000s). I tried doing the install myself but only managed to install one of the high beam lamps since I later discovered that all the other lamps can only be accessed by removing the bumper and I definitely lack the skill level to do something like that. I took the car to a trusted garage by the reference of a close friend and asked them for a quote on the price. It came to around 1800 which I felt was reasonable. Upon receiving the car later the same day, I was disappointed. The headlights looked awesome and everything was installed correctly, however upon inspecting the engine bay and the areas touched I discovered that the intake hose was not attached to the engine. This was completely unacceptable since if I had not checked who knows what irreparable damage could've been caused by the engine sucking in debris or something. I decided to be cool about it and let them off after they rectified it. But I lost all my trust and confidence in this garage. This install later came back to bite me when I discovered the front bumper was put on shoddily with a missing clip and a clip or two definitely broken. And to add even more insult to injury just a couple of days ago my battery grounded out and the car would simply not start. I had some experience with this so I was able to set the battery in such a way that I could take it to the showroom to get properly fixed. It's safe to say that I am never taking my car back to this garage again. (I'm keeping them nameless since I have no interest in attracting any extra attention.)

Now I would like to review the car as a whole. One of the main reasons I chose a car almost as old as mine is because they just don't make cars like these anymore. There's something about the charm in these cars that the industry these days lacks. You can tell the passion and love put into making this car. Having a Japanese-built engine and parts adds to the “JDM” feel and heritage of the car, something which I greatly admire. The pickup is absolutely incredible, it's so incredible that seeing 70kmph on city roads feels slow to me and I crave the chance to floor it. The suspension is so smooth, soft, and comfortable. Yet on highway drives due to the lack of ground clearance, as I like to call it, the car is planted and handles like a dream, with absolutely no body roll and instantaneous feedback when I turn the wheel to overtake. It feels solid and confidence-inspiring. I have never felt more confident driving a car at 160kmph let alone even reach that speed but this one just takes the cake for me. Even when I drove the XUV700 at around 140, due to the high ground clearance and SUV body type I was still uncomfortable maintaining that speed for long. The interior is covered in genuine leather and soft-touch plastics everywhere. The fake wood trim, although needs a touchup adds some class to the car. Did I mention the driver gets 8-way fully electric adjustable seats and adjustable lumbar support? Not to mention they are extremely comfy with a lounge sofa-type feel that you can sit in for hours. The air conditioning on these old Hondas is just amazing too, it'll have the car icy cold in an instant. I absolutely love this car with all my heart and can't help but look back at it every time I leave it.

Another big factor in buying an old car is that there will be some small things wrong with it, this is obvious and something I actually was looking forward to. These things give me the chance to get my hands dirty and spend time with the car, giving it my time care, and affection. Something that deepens the bond with your car. We also have to consider that this is a Honda and this generation of engines along with its younger brother the infamous K24 are bulletproof engines. Honda's reputation for reliability is very reassuring. And I was glad to know I had a natural affinity for fixing the small things on my car. To a lot of people, a car is just a locomotive vehicle, but to me, and I'm sure all the members of this forum their car means a whole lot more to them than just transportation.

I had thought to include My Trip to Gudibande Fort in this thread but I realized that it was already really long and it'll be better to have a dedicated post on the travel sub-forum where I can write about it in much more detail. Overall apart from the absolutely atrocious mileage of 4kmpl on a good day in the city (and it's required to run on 95 octane in the user manual which makes it even more expensive). This car has been an absolute dream to own and drive. It's light on the pocket maintenance-wise and fulfils all the speed thrills any kid could imagine. And to make things better we sold the i20 for 4 lakhs so essentially the net price of this car was 70000 rupees. There are still many things I want to do to it, like a proper paint correction ceramic coat, and some light tint. But for now, Toothless as I've named it, Is perfect in every way, down to the last-minute detail.

Thanks a lot for reading! Happy motoring.

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