Project Jon's Integra SE

[jongp3]

Figured I should make one of these since I do plan on driving my car at Summit Point next year for at least a Hyperdrive. So I need to start getting it ready.

First things first, some details about the car.

Currently Its pretty much fully stock. 1996 Integra SE (Special Edition) which basically is an LS model with Leather and a spoiler.

The motor:

b18b2? (ill have to check) 140HP at the flywheel
152k miles, however the head has definitively been rebuilt at some point. I'm guessing the timing belt snapped on it.
Brian Crower Stage 2 NA Cams
Stock Valve Train
Ebay Stage 3 Clutch
Stock LS Trany (which makes me wanna cry every time I shift) No grinds but the gears are TOO LONG.
Busted Rear Mount, which I have a replacement for, but no place to do it at. Might just end up paying to have it replaced

The suspension:

Fully Stock, except for the front struts which are KYB Gr-2, got those because my front ones blew out a few months back and I needed something quick.

Brakes, craptastic Midas or some other factory cheapo replacements.
Rear rotors wrapped pretty good (to many drift attempts in the rain) :twisted:

Tires are Kumho SPTs on Koesi K1s 15" 205/50 Summer
Craptastic Sigma Sucky Winter Tires

My Plans:

So far, I plan on doing some sort of brake upgrade. Thinking Redrilled 4 x100 ITR rotors, I have to read up on this conversion but I think I can use stock Prelude Calipers and pads for this? Needs some direction on where to go brake wise. Would rather stick with something that doesn't make me get new Wheels.

Suspension, I plan on purchasing some PIC Performance Coilovers, I still plan to drive this daily so I won't go any stiffer 10k fronts 8k rears. Again open to suggestions on this.

Once I get a place where I can actually work on my car I'd like to get all poly bushings and new control arms under the car.

I need new seats, the ones in it right now are from a 97 Prelude which I Ghetto fitted in there before I left Texas. They are hold up fine for now but I notice they are slowly getting a gangster lean due to the weld that is holding them on one of the corners. I'd like to get some sort of Racing seats, but I need something that reclines and is cheap of course.

As far as looks go, the car needs alot of work, last i counted it had about 24 door dings, 2 big dents and a big wrinkle in the rear quarter. The clear is coming off on the roof, hood, and its already gone on the spoiler. So looks wise I plan on just keeping it like it is for now. Might consider a light wetsand and buff, or a front lip.

So thats about it for now. I figure I need to work on the suspension and brakes before anything else. If I have enough money around spring, I might consider getting a Blox Intake manifold and some sort of header. Exhaust I'd rather keep it stock, because I like quiet but I figure I do need to open it up some for the track.

I know a few people on here have done the Intgera route on the track. Hoping to get some good insight, as all my background is from drag racing.

[.RJ]

Busted Rear Mount, which I have a replacement for, but no place to do it at. Might just end up paying to have it replaced

Its not that hard to do in the parking lot - its not a very fun job and you'll invent new and interesting words but it can be done.

So far, I plan on doing some sort of brake upgrade.

For the HP the engine has, stock rotors/calipers are fine. If they're old, replace the lines and rebuild the calipers. Get some new rotors (autozone has some $13 rotors that work fine), fluid and good track friendly pads.

Suspension, I plan on purchasing some PIC Performance Coilovers

Once I get a place where I can actually work on my car I'd like to get all poly bushings and new control arms under the car.

You dont really need poly bushings, but they are cheap - the two things that usually need attention on these cars is the rear trailing arm bushings and front LCA bushings - they're probably torn and wasted by now.

For suspension... I'm going to pass along the and suggest Konis + GC coilovers. They're great shocks, great support, and reasonably priced - you can probably do the setup for < $900. Add in a stock ITR rear swaybar for cheap and the car will handle very well for a dancing elephant.

Good luck

[ziich]

GSR swap

[jongp3]

So stock brake size is really ok? I guess I got used to the huge brakes on my Prelude, I feel like the teg will never stop. So new lines, most likely SS lines, rebuild the calipers and Autozone rotors? Really? Last time I used them I had them warped in 2 weeks. This was on an Accord.

As for the Rear mount, i've attempted it a few tims, maybe im just to fat to work under the car, but I really need a lift it seems. Or maybe just a better jack on a flat surface.

As for suspension, i've considered the Koni's and Ground Controls, but I'm really set on the PICs, for the price I don't see how you can beat them.

As for a swap, if this motor blows, a GSR or Type R is going in.

[.RJ]

So stock brake size is really ok?

Yeah, they're fine - you need new rotors, good pads and fluid - it will stop very well I think a few of the guys here have ridden with me when I had the racecar.

As for the Rear mount, i've attempted it a few tims, maybe im just to fat to work under the car, but I really need a lift it seems. Or maybe just a better jack on a flat surface.

You want to remove it from the top. It will still probably take an hour to replace though.

As for suspension, i've considered the Koni's and Ground Controls, but I'm really set on the PICs, for the price I don't see how you can beat them.

What do the PIC's sell for, and what do the shock dyno charts look like? They're not a bad product, but I'm definitely all up in the koolaid here.

[ScottyB]

Yeah, they're fine - you need new rotors, good pads and fluid - it will stop very well I think a few of the guys here have ridden with me when I had the racecar.

+1 vouch. balls were up in the stomach stopping for 10A at road atlanta hock:

i had stock everything except for hawk HP+ pads on my old accord and it could stop with some authority. i never faded them, and for a 3300 pound car i drove it really hard at times.

[.RJ]

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://picperformance.com/store/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=82">http://picperformance.com/store/scripts ... ategory=82</a><!-- m -->

Ok... just trying to give an honest opinion here - I dont think you really get alot for your $$ - you can buy non-adjustable dampers for less than the price of the Konis, but what do you get with the dampers?



Not much... they dont build very much force at low speed, and this is what controls the chassis. They also build up a lot of high speed force, so ride quality wont be great over harsh roads and bumps on track either. This still looks pretty good compared to a lot of the other dampers I've seen, so all is not lost.

Where do the springs come from? They're certainly not Eibach - I wouldnt use anything else, too many quality control issues with most other springs that I've seen - with Eibach you know what you're getting, every time and its the same as whats marked on the spring.

Or, you can spend more than a set of konis/GC's and get this - same problem as with the others not building very much damping force at low speed and the adjustment range is really kind of crap - indicative of cheap adjustment inside the shock.



There's some good shock dyno info here:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1104049">http://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1104049</a><!-- m -->



Ground control sells a set of coilover sleeves on their site for $300, and you can find a set of Konis usually under $550 new.

I DO freebase the koolaid with the Koni stuff, but I have always been happy with them on my cars. I wish they'd hurry up with the truck shocks

[jongp3]

PICs are 760 plus shipping

edit you found them

[PDenbigh]

I'd listen to .RJ. In case you don't know him, he's a helluva driver. He built and then drove his Integra to a 2nd place NASA season champ, (It was 2nd, right?). He blew his engine in a race while in 1st and was so far ahead that he still got 2nd by the time it was done.

Now, don't listen to *everything* RJ tells you. As a matter of fact listen to nothing he tells you UNLESS it's about how to build an Integra ;-).

[.RJ]

Thats the shock dyno, and I honestly have no idea if its good or bad.

See above For the integra, you really want adjustable shocks for the track, its worthwhile to be able to run the fronts a little softer.

Edit - thanks pete :lol:

Edit 2 - I think either setup will be a big improvement over stock and you'd be happy with it - I just think the Koni stuff (:kool is a better product, and been proven on the race track for a very long time, and not by sponsoring people with free product

[Mike]

GSR swap

no... tranny swap.

i'd 3rd (or 4th) the koni yellows and GC coilover recommendations even though i don't drink the koolaid. for a budget, there's nothing better.

[jongp3]

I've heard you can put a 4.4 FD in the LS trany? Is this true?
Would it just be worth trying to get a used GSR trany? I'm just always alittle worried i'd get one that grinds, and I have no problems with the trany I have now, other then the gears are to LONG.

This is the number 1 thing I hate about the car. The trany gearing BLOWS. Shifting at redline in first to second brings the car to alittle over 4 grand. 2nd to third is worse. 5th gear is worthless unless you are on a FLAT stretch of highway doing 70+.

Also the damn CEL keeps throwing a code for System to Lean. Pulled the plugs they are semi whitish. It'll clear up with a can of sea foam and 93 Octane tho, within 100 miles of putting 89 the CEL comes back on. Its an LS its suppose to take 87, WTF?

EDIT: If I did replace the trany, is it worth looking into an LSD? I hear good things about the OBX LSD that is suppose to be a copy of the Quiafe LSD. OBX has a lifetime warranty as well.

[WRXtranceformed]

Can you not just swap out the gears to steeper gears in Integras? You can do it really easily in cars like Mustangs, Camaros, etc.

[jongp3]

Can you not just swap out the gears to steeper gears in Integras? You can do it really easily in cars like Mustangs, Camaros, etc.

From what I understand and the charts I've looked at, B tranies share almost all the same gears, the difference is mostly with the FD gear.

[WRXtranceformed]

Right, but do any aftermarket companies make different gears for them? For some cars they're so cheap it's a joke... like $150 in some cases.

[jongp3]

Right, but do any aftermarket companies make different gears for them? For some cars they're so cheap it's a joke... like $150 in some cases.

I see what your saying, as far as aftermarket gears go, its usually a waste unless your pushing big numbers, as the stock gears hold power up to 400-500HP, hell the race car we built didn't have any problems pushing 703 to the wheels, but 3rd gear did sheer all the teeth off a few weeks ago.
The factory GSR, and ITR tranies have great gearing.

[Andy]

Why don't you some track days. Maybe you'll find out that you need something you never thought of and what you thought you really needed, wasn't really necessary at all.

Also, if you really get into trackdays, the entries will eat up a lot of your budget.

[WRXtranceformed]

Right, but do any aftermarket companies make different gears for them? For some cars they're so cheap it's a joke... like $150 in some cases.

I see what your saying, as far as aftermarket gears go, its usually a waste unless your pushing big numbers, as the stock gears hold power up to 400-500HP, hell the race car we built didn't have any problems pushing 703 to the wheels, but 3rd gear did sheer all the teeth off a few weeks ago.
The factory GSR, and ITR tranies have great gearing.

So you'd replace an entire transmission just to get better gearing? I thought the whole point was just to get better gears for acceleration / the style of racing you want to do. I don't think you necessarily need bullet proof gears, but I would think it would be way cheaper just to buy the gears if it's possible.

[jongp3]

Right, but do any aftermarket companies make different gears for them? For some cars they're so cheap it's a joke... like $150 in some cases.

I see what your saying, as far as aftermarket gears go, its usually a waste unless your pushing big numbers, as the stock gears hold power up to 400-500HP, hell the race car we built didn't have any problems pushing 703 to the wheels, but 3rd gear did sheer all the teeth off a few weeks ago.
The factory GSR, and ITR tranies have great gearing.

So you'd replace an entire transmission just to get better gearing? I thought the whole point was just to get better gears for acceleration / the style of racing you want to do. I don't think you necessarily need bullet proof gears, but I would think it would be way cheaper just to buy the gears if it's possible.

Yeah its usually cheaper to replace the whole trany. GSR tranmissions go for 500-600, ITRs 750-900 w/LSD. A whole gear set with syncro's plus labor i'm looking at way more. There is very little aftermarket support for gears and syncro's so the prices are higher, most people buy factory gears for replacement when rebuilding a transmission. AT least this was the case 2-5 years ago with H tranies, maybe B tranies have more options i'm not aware of?

[WRXtranceformed]

The joy of cheap Hondas. Be happy you're not rebuilding a Subaru. Multiply all of those figures by 6.