UK Integra R. Low miles & minty fresh

UK Integra R. Low miles & minty fresh

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chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
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Thought I'd share some pics of my latest purchase. 2000(V) UKDM Integra R.

This is my 2nd Integra. I previously owned a 2000(X) UK car in red back in 2008. Had to sell it on when the missus fell pregnant- but now the kids are a bit older I couldn't let this car pass me by.

51k from new. Standard aside from some magnecor leads & a carbon plug cover.

The B18 motor still rates as one of the all-time greats for me- & certainly still the best 1800 4-pot about. Sure the cars aren't 'fast' by today's standards- however the latest hot hatch offerings (corsa/fiesta ST/Clio etc) are only just starting to eclipse them- & all need forced induction to do it.

They are fantastic cars even by today's standards. Light, nimble, revvy & just so rewarding to drive. Nice to get nods of approval from those in the know too!

Anyhow- il let the pics do the talking. Would be nice to make a couple of Sunday meets perhaps.....





















Chris














chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
Thanks- yes it's definitely one of the best examples I've seen.

So many are thoughtlessly modded or suffering with flaky arches nowadays.

One to keep stock & watch it appreciate.

I completely concur with the sense of occasion driving it. I fully get that feeling of pedalling something very special too which always helps

Honda really did hit the nail on the head in a way they haven't done since with the Integra.

Chris


chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
I have seen minters advertised @ £10k+. Tatty/tired examples are ~£4K+ with half decent cars £6.5k+

Residuals are on the up for sure as I guess they are something of a modern classic now

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 14th September 2016
quotequote all
Sillyhatday said:
Yeah, prices have doubled. It made me sad. They used to be so affordable.

As said, forget comparing the modern, over weight, lorry fronted hatches to this. Speed and grip do not directly relate to fun.

These are on my list to own in time. This one looks minty fresh and extra strong at that.

Please god keep it standard!
Agreed- the grip is not endless however it adds to the charm & fun factor immensely.

In a straight line 190hp with only 130lbs/ft doesn't sound too immense by today's turbo standards- but it never ever feels flat/lethargic to me. Lack of weight & short gearing help here no doubt. The super slippery shape helps the top end. I even saw 150mph nudging the limiter on the road Angel in my old one. Amazing for a 5 speed N/A 1800

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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Certainly I paid decent money for mine- but you definitely get what you pay for.

It even wears OEM Bridgestone RE010's. (Now no longer available) These are absolutely key to the steering feel & handling with their extra strong sidewalls.

Yokohama AD08's seem to be the modern equivalent so will fit those as & when

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Thursday 15th September 2016
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SidewaysSi said:
motor mad said:
SidewaysSi said:
Cracking car and loved mine. But missed the ability to power oversteer so changed for something RWD.

Also felt the steering wasn't as communicative as I would have liked.

I was thinking I would get back in one only this weekend but having to spend probably about £5k plus purchase price on one to get it up to scratch isn't for me right now.
£5k and the purchase price? Why so much?
Springs, dampers, bushes, probably rust repairs and full rust protection. Maybe gearbox work and bolster repair etc. Respray if it is Milano;)

Add in other bits as you go along and labour etc and probably not too far from that. Buying a 100k mile car expecting it to be great is leading to disappointment...
Maybe that's an absolute worst-case scenario

Springs shouldn't need replacing really- however I agree with dampers/RTA bushes & other consumables to freshen up if the mileage is getting on

I personally wouldn't touch a car with tin-worm as once it's started you are forever chasing it.

I guess I'm in the fortunate position with such a low-miler that I can replace as I go along. Funnily enough the only bit I can fault is some play in the gearlever. Bushes are all good & it appears to be the universal joint in the shift rod that has some play. It's only minor but I'm a fussy bugger- sounds like a trip to the dealers might be required?

Either that or the existing joint needs stripping & rebushing- my local specialist will be able to advise I'm sure

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Friday 16th September 2016
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I have had both & the Integra is now replacing my Accord.

Accords are peanuts in comparison- however they just aren't quite there out of the box

Heavier, worse gearing (thanks mainly to 17" wheels) & (to my mind) needs work on the standard car to improve matters- final drive, lightened flywheel, breathing mods etc. As standard they are horrendous off VTEC

Even with that done it's still a 1300kg car vs 1100 for the Integra

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
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Squirrelofwoe said:
chrismc1977 said:
I have had both & the Integra is now replacing my Accord.

Accords are peanuts in comparison- however they just aren't quite there out of the box

Heavier, worse gearing (thanks mainly to 17" wheels) & (to my mind) needs work on the standard car to improve matters- final drive, lightened flywheel, breathing mods etc. As standard they are horrendous off VTEC

Even with that done it's still a 1300kg car vs 1100 for the Integra
That's interesting, I personally found my Accord a far better drive off Vtec than my Integra was- mainly due to that H22 engine. In ordinary day-to-day use I didn't feel the need to reach the Vtec crossover anywhere near as often as I did in the Integra. Obviously the flip side was that it wasn't quite as bonkers as the Integra flat out, due to the lower rev limit and as you say the 200kg weight difference is a biggie. But because of the H22 I just found the Accord more fun more of the time, although I know a lot of other people didn't particulary rate that engine compared to the B18 and K20. I guess it's personal preference. My ATR had a Mongoose exhaust system and the obligatory K&N Typhoon, and the noise, even from 3k rpm was just cloud9

In my opinion the main thing the Accord really benefited from though was a lower Vtec crossover.

I'm now sat up pondering what a DC2 would be like with a tweaked H22 engine scratchchinhehe

Do you still have the Prelude mentioned in your profile Chris?
Yes still have the Lude for track fun

I guess all cars are different- this is now my 2nd of each. Engine-wise, the H22 makes more power up top for sure. However it feels very much like it has two different characters. The need to rev it to within an inch of its life to stay in VTEC is tiresome too. The A7 in particular is also noisy compared to other H22's (something to do with piston skirts etc so I'm told)- & noisier than the B18 too!

The mapping on the B18 is just far better as standard- & it's a sweeter motor.

Performance Autoworks are my local specialist & Rich won the title a couple of years back with his H22 DC2 (~270bhp!). Wiped the floor with the competition





chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Saturday 17th September 2016
quotequote all
SidewaysSi said:
They haven't gone up that much in price - most are £4-6k which they have been for a while.
I'd say that points at most available cars being 'average' examples.

Residuals for really good ones are something north of that

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Sunday 18th September 2016
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A few more pics after this mornings wash:











chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2016
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A couple more as it was a crisp dry day:








chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Tuesday 15th November 2016
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Lighting upgrade en route

Warm white LED sidelights to replace the OEM yellow candle-power jobbers

Going to compliment them with some philips clear vision 4300k dipped bulbs.

Hopefully freshen up the look of the car with lights on without looking like a chavvy HID'd monstrosity!

The lighting is probably the one area where the car shows it's age. Given it does get used in the dark I consider it a wise move

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 16th November 2016
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SebringMan said:
Add rust to that list, but that goes for most Japanese cars IME.

That looks immaculate! Has it had much beautification done do to it over the years?
No beautification as far as I'm aware. Just little use & been cared for.

I'm going to get the bonnet front edge/underside painted in the new year as a preventative measure. Moisture always collects between the bonnet & rubber seal causing the leading edge to rot

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Friday 18th November 2016
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Little update.

I've just upgraded the OEM candle-power lighting setup to something a little more crisp & fresh


OEM


Osram warm white LED


LED side vs OEM dipped


LED side vs Philips clear vision 4300k dipped


Finished article!

Very happy with the new white bulbs & colour match. Freshens the look without going chav-tastic.

I think il get some clear vision HB3 bulbs for the main beam too just to finish it off










chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Saturday 10th December 2016
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Side repeater swap yesterday.

Out with the bulky stock UKDM side repeaters replaced with the JDM flat versions. Slightly darker & suit the lines of the car better IMO


uk repeaters


JDM



Very pleased. A minor fettle but I can safely say there is nothing further I need to do externally now



Edited by chrismc1977 on Saturday 10th December 08:16

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Saturday 10th December 2016
quotequote all
Thanks gents

It's certainly one of those cars that just feels so right out of the box.

Honda really did hit the nail on the head. Having been there with suspension & breathing mods on my old one, it really is expensive to improve on the original setup & generally induces some kind of other compromise.

Residuals took a real dip a few years back & many fell into the wrong hands thus the rarity nowadays is finding such a pristine stock example.

A few minor jobs to do in the new year but it really is pretty up-together now

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Sunday 11th December 2016
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https://youtu.be/vsFt_zvgLVQ

My favourite review- bit of Sunday afternoon reminiscing!!

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Monday 12th December 2016
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This morning has been spent fettling rear brakes...

I've been getting an annoying squeak from the back end when reversing out of the garage from cold & was fearing a slider pin might be sticking or everything gummed up.

Turns out the handbrake was adjusted a wee bit tight, but used the opportunity to remove both sets of rear pads- clean up the carriers & re-apply copper grease as required. Slider pins all lovely and free & plenty of meat on the pads.

Both rear wheels now spin freely & no more squeak!

Maybe il get an extra 0.5mpg now too?laugh

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Monday 12th December 2016
quotequote all
-Ad- said:
Fantastic job on the exterior, you've spurred me on to do the same.

Where did you get the Phillips dipped bulbs, side lights and side repeaters from? I've found the side repeaters on Honda performance parts for £27 but am not sure on what LEDs the sidelights take. Dipped are HB4 if I remember correctly.

Rear brakes..... Always fun! Got to do my discs, pads & fluid all around this winter. Looking forward to fresh braking from the rc5+ pads biggrin
Got all bulbs via eBay. Phillips HB4 dipped, HB3 main beam & W5W Osram 4300k LED sidelights.

Side repeaters off a forum member for £10- result! Hendy performance will be your best bet



Edited by chrismc1977 on Monday 12th December 16:46

chrismc1977

Original Poster:

854 posts

113 months

Wednesday 1st February 2017
quotequote all
Little update- not much new with the car.

Have bought a new bolster for the passenger seat as the original has a tiny soft spot..

Also a Spoon gear change rod (OEM Honda no longer available!) as the original had a little play in its Universal Joint. Will chuck the Poly shifter bushes on at the same time...

Looking forward to getting both fitted

Future plans include a new set of OEM wheels from Spooner Restorations with a set of AD08 Yokohamas, geo set up & a freshen of the bonnet underside/lock area (as a rust prevention!)

Oh & it's now 'famous''- featured as a readers car in Modern Classics magazine. I certainly think the cap fits in that respect!








Edited by chrismc1977 on Wednesday 1st February 22:14