When putting together a project, you can have all of the right ideas in your head and all of the right tools in the garage, but if you don't have the parts to do so, well then you might as well just have a beer and look at it. Thankfully we don't have to sit idle and can simply hit up the fellas over at AFHK located in Manchester, NH for our fix of authentic Honda and Acura parts. Not just run of the mill maintenance stuff either, AFHK keeps in stock a slew of discontinued Type R goodies, aftermarket K20/K24 hybrid swap parts and even odd Mugen bits here and there. So, tell me, what's your local Honda parts dealer like?
I'll be honest, these days I seldom place orders as my personal EG project has been on hold for a few years and the EK that once took its daily chores is off the road as the reigns now sit with the FA which as a much newer car, needs only regular maintenance and upkeep.
With that said, the FA was in need of new things so my man Ryan was quick to compile inner and outer tie rods, a few bottles of transmission fluid, some PLM oil filters and other extras...
...like this JDM FD2 Type R shift knob with a new red stitched shift boot to match. You gotta live a little am I right?
The main reason I was here however was to pick up this gem of an assembly. A brand new in box P30 cylinder head that found its way onto AFHK's inventory all the way from a warehouse somewhere in Europe. Since Honda of America doesn't have access to this part number, they were unable to jack up the price which meant that AFHK was able to scoop this at a reasonable price from a dealer out west.
When I originally came across this, I was in awe but never in a million years thought that I could end up owning it. After being on the market for little while, the new price was simply too good to pass up and so I pulled the trigger. We're not talking about a bare head here either, this thing is fully loaded with brand new camshafts, LMAs, valves, rocker arms, rubber seals, gaskets, washers, studs and so on. Best of all, for someone like me who enjoys OEM power and reliability, it's the perfect pairing since the head will remain in factory specification.
The EG will be one healthy running car in the not so distant future as I've got an 80k mile B16A2 full swap ready to be torn apart to mate this head onto. Until then, life continues and being at AFHK where the magic happens, I just had to take a closer look.
Colin had already gone home for the day, so Ryan was kind enough to show me some of the cool stuff they have. Off the bat this one caught me right off guard, an USDM Type R front seat skin to reupholster worn seats. Who even knew they made such a thing?
Brand new factory sealed Type R floor mats are a refreshing sight to see. Plenty of used ones in the market but brand new is going to be near unicorn status. These are the sort of parts that you oughta get now but the reality is that you should of bought these long ago. AFHK stresses that Honda owners of older models acquire these parts whilst they are available and it's not for pure sales. Simply a reminder that if you leave it for later, you might not ever be able to get them in the future and quite likely at a much steeper price point with the passing of time.
Ryan had no problem opening up the sealed packaging to show me these headrests and matching armrest complete with the Type R badge. The hospitality was excellent much like the service. I chose to visit at twilight when the phone is quieter and the walk ins slow down as the boys are quite busy in the daytime. Folks from all across the US place orders daily and as far as pricing goes, AFHK pretty much dominates the competition and are unbeatable. When you pair all of those attributes with the quick turnaround time and convenience factor of being able to call them, email and sometimes even text, you soon realize where the next bulk of your paycheck is going to go.
Much of AFHK's business revolves around the K series engine and for good reason. With its popularity in racing and their owners insatiable thirst for power, spares and replacement parts are essential to any agenda which they make sure they keep in stock ready to ship as soon as possible. Whenever certain flagged P/Ns are sold, the POS system prompts an authorization to replenish that inventory to a given quantity and this helps reduce turnaround time which is often vital especially to us who often need to get our vehicles repaired as soon as possible.
The inventory is constantly changing nonetheless as cool things get ordered and sold, but some stay in a time capsule appreciating in price or awaiting demand. It's not all Type R stuff either, much of it is regular golden era stuff for EFs or EGs. Above are CRX rear hatch shocks which can no longer be ordered and current stock is final. Once they're gone, that's it.
They are a Honda parts dealer after all and stock tons of regular stuff too, like hubcaps for assorted vehicles as seen here. It's not a Honda museum for enthusiasts even though it feels like it is.
Ryan and Colin are the face of AFHK and both are great guys to deal with. What I really like about AFHK is that at the end of the day, they are enthusiasts with their own projects and understand exactly what you are talking about and often will save you the hassle of sourcing part numbers.
An interesting sight to see while there, was the plethora of blacklisted OEM Takata airbag inflators. As you probably know, this is the biggest recall in U.S history and presumably these will find their way back to recycling at some point but until then, they will sit in a dark corner and in the back shelf as they cannot be sold.
Eye candy and red tags everywhere, I felt like a kid in a candy store and can't wait to go back next time I need to pick something up in person, like maybe that B18C5 valve cover for the P30 head? Hrmmm...
I hope you enjoyed this exclusive insider look at where many of us order Honda parts from as we are never short of projects. A big shout out to Colin and Ryan for doing such a great job for the community and helping us source OEM parts ever so effortlessly. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram if you aren't already and check out their website as you can place an order directly on there if you'd like! Till next time...
-Claudio
