Heart Begins With H

[jmwhtzl]

Picked up something new today. I know a lot of you guys probably aren't super into this kind of stuff, but the more I drive it, the more I fall in love with it. I'll try to flesh this out with more detail later because it's 12:30am and the room feels like its spinning due to how sleep deprived I currently am, but I felt like posting something little. I'm really enjoying this one.

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[Senor_Taylor]

Not into Hondas?

You'll find the opposite. I like this!

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[Kaan]

I sensed a disturbance in the force... I knew i would find more Honda love here...

too bag I just sold off most of my stuff. I have motor mounts, samco/comptech intake setup, and some other things laying around if you need/want them.

[JPolen01]

I like this. Can't tell the color. Is it dark green?

[Jewels]

Somebody buy me a manual transmission Honda to hoon around in. I'm about done with this CVT grocery getter. I love that I can take it anywhere, but its gutlessness is just about ready to kill me. I drove a buddy's 2014 Civic SI he just picked up, and now my car life seems incomplete.

[JPolen01]

Somebody buy me a manual transmission Honda to hoon around in. I'm about done with this CVT grocery getter.  I love that I can take it anywhere, but its gutlessness is just about ready to kill me.  I drove a buddy's 2014 Civic SI he just picked up, and now my car life seems incomplete.

Trade it in for a Si sedan! 6spd and room for the kid. Win.

[ScottyB]

you came to the right place if you're looking for fans of the DC integra. great cars. a bunch of MM'ers have had them.

Somebody buy me a manual transmission Honda to hoon around in. I'm about done with this CVT grocery getter.  I love that I can take it anywhere, but its gutlessness is just about ready to kill me.  I drove a buddy's 2014 Civic SI he just picked up, and now my car life seems incomplete.

Trade it in for a Si sedan! 6spd and room for the kid. Win.

this.  you can easily carry a small family in one...i do it all the time.  they're priced well and will drive forever, and with snow tires it'll be just as good in the winter as your scoobaru thanks to the factory LSD.

[jmwhtzl]

Alright, found some free time to write more about my new rice-rocket, so here we go.

    I loved my Miata. A lot. It was an absolutely incredible car, and for the nine months or so that I owned it(I still do, it’s now just sitting at the bottom of my driveway awaiting a new home, shameless plug to my post in the For Sale/Trade, WTB section, go check out “FS: 1992 Mazda Miata) it was a great car. But a few months ago the realization that I was ready to move on hit me, and I began hearing the thoughts in my head out. There were a lot of reasons to move on from the Miata, but the big, car enthusiast centered one was that I had no real aspirations for it. I wanted a car that I could sculpt into my liking, to shape into my identity, and this just wasn’t it. The closest I had ever gotten to a real modification(other than buying a rollbar) was a few carbon fiber pieces that I thought looked nice, but after thinking about it I decided I just didn’t have any drive to change the car. Ultimately I became aware that I was just ready for something else. So, what did I want?

    Well, originally I was pretty hooked on the idea of buying something from the eighties like an AW11 MR2 or an ae86(I found the CLEANEST ae86 sitting in some random neighborhood in Staunton, but the owner wouldn’t sell), but after realizing that was a terrible idea, I settled on something that my heart has been dying for since I got into cars.

    Everyone has those few cars that stand out the most, their hero cars, like the FD RX-7 or the Toyota Supra or the R34. None of those ever stood out to me. My heroes were more along the lines of the Civic and Integra Type R, the S2000, and the City Turbo II. Honda’s philosophy of building cars that could deliver cheap, reliable, capable fun inside simple looks had always captivated me. I yearned for a Honda for the longest time, but two things always held me back. The first was the fact that around here, the only Hondas I could find were Civics with rather unappealing paint jobs and questionable modifications, or built GSRs with an asking price way out of my budget. The second, deeper reason was that I was kind of scared. I’m not a fan of the cheaply built, stanced out honda scene that I feel most people think of when they hear the words “modified” and “Honda” in the same sentence, and I was worried I would face a lot of fire if I owned one. Which was weird, now that I think about it, because I usually don’t give a shit about what other people think about me(within moderation). I’m still pretty shy around people I don’t know very well, but for the most part, I don’t find myself trying to conform to society. If that was the truth, though, why care what people think about the thing I’m most passionate about? I don’t know, but at some point I stopped caring about that, too, and decided that no matter what everyone else said about it, it was time for me to delve into the Honda world.

    Alright, with that out of the way, let’s talk about my new project! I’m really excited about this one. I found my new(to me) 1996 Cypress Green Acura Integra RS on craigslist last Friday(it’s now Monday October 1st). The ad mentioned working heat, ac, and the original radio, no mechanical problems, and most importantly, a five speed manual transmission. I contacted the owner via the email address they left and set up to meet the next day. At that point on, Friday couldn’t end soon enough. When Saturday finally came, I met my dad in Grottoes and he, his girlfriend and I made the two hour trip to Roanoke to meet the owner. The drive down was weird. I had already purchased a pass to drive the car back and had the cash to buy in my wallet, but I didn’t really feel like I was actually going to buy a new car.

    We met the owner, an energetic fifty-five year old woman with her husband in the parking lot of a presbyterian church in a small, quiet neighborhood. She said she owned the car for a good ten years and was only selling because she was ready to move on to a more “adult” car, like a BMW. She showed me a rather long list of all the maintenance she’d done on the car, and I took it for a test drive. I’d only ever driven one other manual Honda before an EK Civic hatch some guy in Staunton was selling for cheap a while back. That one sucked. I’d heard great things about the shifter feel and handling in Hondas from the nineties, and that one had no feel in the steering, an awful clutch and a shifter that felt like moving a plastic spork through the air an hoping you caught a gear. This one, though, was totally different. The clutch felt solid, the shifter was smooth and tight, and on the small suburban roads I drove it on, it went exactly where I wanted it to go.

When we returned to the church parking lot I looked over the exterior of the car, and while there were a fair amount of scrapes and bruises to be found, I couldn’t find any rust whatsoever. I was sold. She signed the title and handed me an already signed bill of sale and the four keys she had and we talked for a little while. She said she was sad to see the car go, but was excited that it was going to a new owner who was going to give it a good home. She told a few stories about younger kids trying to race her in their Integras or trying to trade their Hondas for it. She also was very curious to know what I had planned for it in terms of modifications, and asked if I was going to paint flames and put a big shiny muffler on it(she and her husband had the idea that the car scene was still very much in its “Fast and Furious” phase). I assured her I would keep it tasteful. We said goodbye and thanked them and headed to lunch before driving the two hours back home. The entire time I still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I had just bought a new car. Two hours passed and I called Brandon, who was aware I’d gotten a new ride and asked to see it. I met him in town and took him for a quick spin, and he seemed pretty impressed.

Brandon had been hanging out with a few other guys installing some new parts on a WRX hatch(I didn’t catch your names, if you all read this, sorry) and they seemed pretty impressed with my purchase, so I was feeling good. I headed home and pulled into the massive parking lot that makes up my driveway(don’t ask) and walked into my house. No one was home, and almost instinctively hopped right back into the Integra. I went to the car wash(I know, I know, sorry) and gave it a good cleaning. I snapped a few pictures and texted them to my car enthusiast uncle, who was quite surprised to learn I had a new car(I hadn’t told anyone in my family except my mom and my dad) and I headed to his house to show it off. He was pretty excited for me and my cousins insisted I needed a taller wing. Eventually I intercepted my grandmother as she was heading home and showed it her and my granddad, who I could tell thought I was being young and stupid for going through cars so fast, but I didn’t care. All in all, I was pretty proud of my new purchase.

    So yeah, I guess I’ll put a pause on story time and give more actual detail about the car. Like I mentioned, it’s a 1996 Acura Integra RS. The RS, for those who don’t know, was the base model Integra that came with steelies, no sunroof, no cruise, and air conditioning and a radio as options only( I think. I’m not entirely sure). This one is painted Cypress Green, and for the most part, everything works. There are a few little quirks, like the light that lets you know the hatch is open flickers on and off regardless of the state of the hatch and the temp gauge is kind of sluggish, but other than that, it’s got cold AC, hot heat, a pretty nice radio(which I’ve decided I’m not changing. I don’t know why, but I find the stock radio really cool), and it’s entirely stock except for the wheels, which I did some digging on and I’m pretty sure are wheels from the original DA9 GSR, so that’s pretty cool. The interior is super clean, and very comfortable, but the exterior needs some love. The clear is peeling in a few spots and there’s a decent amount of dents and dings that needed to be taken care of. I guess that’s to be expected of a car with 191,000 miles, though, huh?

    The engine in this teg is the stock b18b2(correct me if I’m wrong but this is the b2, not the b1, right? Right? Ah, whatever), so no VTEC unicorns to be unleashed under here. It burns oil, like any Honda, but at some point down the road(waaay down the road) I want to swap in either a GSR engine or a K20. I guess I’ve got time to figure that out, though. Mod wise, I know pretty well what I want to do, but first up, it needs coilovers. This is the most pedestrian car I’ve ever owned, and the ride is great, but call me crazy, it’s TOO nice. It’s floaty to the point where it’s liable to make you seasick. My girlfriend’s stock 2007 Honda Accord is stiffer. I’m planning to save up for some Tein Street Advance Zs, as I’ve heard they’re pretty solid, especially for the price, but if anyone has other suggestions, I’m open. From there, I want to build this into a solid street car that can handle like it’s on rails. I also want to make sure that I only build this once; it’s going to take a while, but I’m staying away from replica parts or cheapo stuff. I have a vision in my head of exactly how I want it to look, though, and it’s going to take a long time, but for the first time in my car owning experience, I’m really excited to build this.



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Also, I'll post more pics tonight. These make the exterior look a lot better than it is.

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[Kaan]

its a freaking term paper...

My red integra was a 94 RS... I got it with 199k miles of semi-neglect... put 41k miles on it, then started tracking it. FYI you have a B18B... no numbers for you.

things that "failed" on mine around 200k were the clutch master cylinder/slave cylinder (pretty easy to fix), radiator crapped out (the CX racing has held up great but wont keep AC... so be aware), and a front hub went bad.

beating on the car at 240k miles, I killed both rear hubs (no biggie) and I popped the head gasket.

[jmwhtzl]

its a freaking term paper...

My red integra was a 94 RS... I got it with 199k miles of semi-neglect... put 41k miles on it, then started tracking it. FYI you have a B18B... no numbers for you.

things that "failed" on mine around 200k were the clutch master cylinder/slave cylinder (pretty easy to fix), radiator crapped out (the CX racing has held up great but wont keep AC... so be aware), and a front hub went bad.

beating on the car at 240k miles, I killed both rear hubs (no biggie) and I popped the head gasket.

Sorry, I love to write. Also, I kind of know Honda engines, but not really. What makes it b1 or b2 then?

[Jewels]

Somebody buy me a manual transmission Honda to hoon around in. I'm about done with this CVT grocery getter.  I love that I can take it anywhere, but its gutlessness is just about ready to kill me.  I drove a buddy's 2014 Civic SI he just picked up, and now my car life seems incomplete.

Trade it in for a Si sedan! 6spd and room for the kid. Win.

Funny, you should say that.  His is the sedan with the 6 spd, and its cause they are expecting their first kid.  But alas, with my house payment, I cannot afford another car, mine is paid off so I will drive it until the wheels literally fall off.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Holy crap thats a ton of words, I'll read it later when i have more time, but still want to say congrats! Theres definitely integra love around here, just see Honda Challenege. Can't wait to see what you do this one!

Julie, come come my dealership can help you find a honda!

[JPolen01]

Dude come on. Give us the TLDR or some proper formatting. That is a mess.

[jmwhtzl]

Alright, alright. TLDR: I like Hondas, so i bought an Integra, and I like it.

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[ScottyB]

i wouldn't bother with a K20 swap. there are so many ways to make power with a B-series, it'll take you a year just to read it all. you don't need more than 200hp in that thing to have a ton of fun.

forget the Advance Z kit. Ground Control coilovers with koni yellows and be done. if you want to keep it really cheap just get konis and then whatever lowering spring you like.

[jmwhtzl]

i wouldn't bother with a K20 swap. there are so many ways to make power with a B-series, it'll take you a year just to read it all. you don't need more than 200hp in that thing to have a ton of fun.

forget the Advance Z kit. Ground Control coilovers with koni yellows and be done. if you want to keep it really cheap just get konis and then whatever lowering spring you like.

Yeah, 200 is the absolute max Im shooting for, so I still have no clue whats going to happen engine wise. I really just want to build it for backroads. Also, I didnt even think about GC with Konis, I'll look into that.

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[ScottyB]

Yeah, 200 is the absolute max Im shooting for, so I still have no clue whats going to happen engine wise. I really just want to build it for backroads. Also, I didnt even think about GC with Konis, I'll look into that.

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yeah past 200 you're going to run into issues with getting the power to the ground, and you're either going to have to dish out for a typeR trans or installing an LSD in what you have. either way its going to cost more than you probably feel good about.

there are a billion ways to set up the suspension on a DC teg. one of the great things about this chassis is that its one of the most popular tuner cars of all time. research research research. every possible way has been done at least 100 times and thankfully that was almost entirely during the heyday of forums like this, so its easy to find reviews, tutorials, and build threads.

if you just want a fun backroad car, you can't go wrong by just getting some good shocks, springs, a rear sway bar, and some brake pads with a higher heat tolerance. top it off with a proper set of tires and you can harass plenty of faster cars up in the hills if you want to. i've driven slow cars my whole life and this combination has worked for me every time without spending too much.

don't turn your nose up to used parts either. there are great deals to be had...an old rear sway bar doesn't work any different than a new one. old konis can be rebuilt and revalved. springs have a long service life. i put the suspension together in my 2.5RS for about $500 using used struts, springs, and a bar and incrementally added/rebuilt it over the years. my total investment in suspension after 10 years of driving it was about $1200 by the time the car was totaled and it had years of life left in it.

[jmwhtzl]

Yeah, 200 is the absolute max Im shooting for, so I still have no clue whats going to happen engine wise. I really just want to build it for backroads. Also, I didnt even think about GC with Konis, I'll look into that.

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yeah past 200 you're going to run into issues with getting the power to the ground, and you're either going to have to dish out for a typeR trans or installing an LSD in what you have.  either way its going to cost more than you probably feel good about.

there are a billion ways to set up the suspension on a DC teg.  one of the great things about this chassis is that its one of the most popular tuner cars of all time.  research research research.  every possible way has been done at least 100 times and thankfully that was almost entirely during the heyday of forums like this, so its easy to find reviews, tutorials, and build threads.  

if you just want a fun backroad car, you can't go wrong by just getting some good shocks, springs, a rear sway bar, and some brake pads with a higher heat tolerance.  top it off with a proper set of tires and you can harass plenty of faster cars up in the hills if you want to.  i've driven slow cars my whole life and this combination has worked for me every time without spending too much.

don't turn your nose up to used parts either.  there are great deals to be had...an old rear sway bar doesn't work any different than a new one.  old konis can be rebuilt and revalved.  springs have a long service life.  i put the suspension together in my 2.5RS for about $500 using used struts, springs, and a bar and incrementally added/rebuilt it over the years.  my total investment in suspension was about $1200 by the time the car was totaled and it had years of life left in it.

Basically everything you said is what I'm planning to do to it. 

Also, used parts are okay, I just have a hard time finding stuff that I want, but I have a feeling finding stuff for a teg should be a cakewalk.

[Kaan]

I'm on koni/gc... I was on the OTS koni and 500lb ground controls. I sold them on the CHEAP to get my hands on a set of koni race shocks.

B18B1 and B18B... the B18B is the "newer" version with slightly better cams (worth 5hp or so... but you have them) and some updates to the intake manifold/sensors.

Koni/GC, ASR rear brace (or the Comptech is the JDM pimp stuff) with an ITR rear bar, take the front bar off your car (after shocks/springs), some good 200 TW tires, some hawk/stoptech street/strip pads, and super blue.... done!

If I had the budget I would go K series... but you have a native b series car, so all the money you would spend on harnesses, mounts, fuel return, AC/PS, etc... you can just put into the B series engine and trans.

I'm going with the GSR because of rules. If I were just building a street car I'd piece together some "poor mans" ITR (GSR block with an ITR/B16 head)... BUT it requires building the bottom end. The GSR is a lighter crank, but it needs to be balanced... and you want ARP to spin where the ITR/B16 head will make power. The GSR will be the cheapest stock engine to make 200hp... but you are going to need to work it over to make it reliable....

that being said, I have put down 160-170hp/130-140ftlbs with a B20 block/head... Honda Challenge H2 spec built head on a stock block.

Be ready to get rid of your trans when you swap the motor. the LS/RS trans is terrible for having fun... you want at least a GSR... but the ITR/B16 is best.

[JPolen01]

I dreamt of a K swapped integra back when I was in high school and the k series was the new rage. To do it right takes serious money. I remember looking into it and with the donor engine/trans it was up in the $9-$10k range.