15 replies to this topic

[cbstdscott]

The Tokico Illuminas were a really good all around strut/shock. A single adjustable design, you could dial them in soft for the street or twist them up stiff for performance driving. And while they were a darn good item, they were not priced so high that they made your eyes water when you got to the check out counter.

 

I say "were" (as in the past tense) because they just are not available brand new any more. Tokico stopped making them about 2 or 3 years ago.

 

If you want any sort of "performance" strut/shock for our old cars you need to lay out a lot of money for a set of Teins or hope to get lucky to find a used set of Illuminas for sale. A used set of Konis might be floating around, but be prepared to refinance your house to rebuild them.

 

If only we could get Tokico to start up production again on the Illuminas. I wonder if there is enough demand amongst the 1st/3rd and Integra communities to get Tokico to go back into production of Illuminas?

 

If they were available again, would you buy them?

 

Scott 

[CSPCRX]

I have used them for years. I would not buy them over Teins that are now available. They are to long for lowered cars and the design makes it easy to damage them internally. Good street shock, yes. Good race shock, not up front! I would rather see koni bring their shocks back.

[icebox187]

I love my pieced together used set. Id buy another set if I could find them new in the original price range. Group buy maybe?

[E-Man]

I love my pieced together used set. Id buy another set if I could find them new in the original price range. Group buy maybe?

What was the original retail price?

[icebox187]

I think at about the time they stopped making them they were around 120 per corner. I just looked at Andy's and the other models for newer cars are up to 147 so that's probably more realistic. The bu2741 for the rears are around still new in box, the fronts are impossible to find new.

[Sinub]

I would buy some.

[Doodson]

I have rears for sale with Ground control sleeves

[PuddleSkipper]

I would buy some as well, beings this will probably take awhile and I have other stuff on my list to get first.

[E-Man]

I think at about the time they stopped making them they were around 120 per corner. I just looked at Andy's and the other models for newer cars are up to 147 so that's probably more realistic. The bu2741 for the rears are around still new in box, the fronts are impossible to find new.

 

 

Thanks icebox - I was thinking that $600 was reasonable.  I was lucky to source a complete NIB backup set a couple of years ago at a good price.

 

Scott - Illumina's have spring limitations so they aren't the best option for racing applications - J-Man blew one of his rears autoxing.  No idea of the mileage on them when it blew but I'm pretty sure his 450# springs were close to the shocks limitations.  

 

I ended up piecing together a mixed set for the car - Yellows for the front and some lightly used revalved reds for the rear which were a match for our spring rates.  It  took me about a year to source the complete set and the sale of the front Illumina's helped defray the overall outlay.

 

Elliot

[icebox187]

If I had yellows I would probably run something custom like afco in the rear. The front end seems to be the area no one wants to touch. Im guessing it's a liability issue because we have no upper control arms.

[CSPCRX]

The front is critical on these cars as well as many other FWDs.  The rear just follows around.  If you have enough rear shocks that can control the springs, are proper length so your actually using the shock and single adjustability your golden.  There is so much demand I just do not know why Koni will not make them again.  They are the unicorn of shocks for our cars, from a performance standpoint.

[gtpilot]

Last run of them that was done by KONI (to my recollection) was that I worked with Lee Grimes and KONI, organized a Group Buy, put money down for the run and had them built and then sold them back to the folks that wanted in on the Group Buy....has anyone tried to organize a build like this to make it worth their while?

 

I have a full set of BNIB KONI Reds (front and rear) that I would prefer to be shortened re-valved KONI Yellows...

[Omega Mugen]

Do you have any more of those shortened Koni reds? I'd be interested.  Hit me with a PM.

 

To stay on topic, where can I buy the little red knobs for the top of the front Illuminas?  Mine popped off.

[CSPCRX]

I do not recall who i spoke to at koni but i could not even geta one off set of custom struts made. I told them i didnt care what the price was, and they said no. Bilstien was willing and they were going to be $1500. I then found a pair of double adjustable shortened yellows. Paid a pretty penny but it was worth it for, what to me is the best struts for these cars ever made.

[Sinub]

I do not recall who i spoke to at koni but i could not even geta one off set of custom struts made. I told them i didnt care what the price was, and they said no. Bilstien was willing and they were going to be $1500. I then found a pair of double adjustable shortened yellows. Paid a pretty penny but it was worth it for, what to me is the best struts for these cars ever made.

What a coincidence. I was also interested in asking bilstein if they would do a group buy about a month ago but lost hope.

 

Also if bilstein ever decided to make some performance adjustable shocks for our cars I believe it would be better than the teins and even the konis especially because they would probably make monotube shocks!

Edited by Sinub, 14 November 2014 - 07:22 PM.