Acura Integra GSR Customizing and Modifying

chem123

http://e30m3performance.com/myths/myths.htm

Check out this guy's site. He drives an E30 M3 (like we all should ), and he is able to disprove some myths with simple logic.

Anyway, is suspension travel good? I know I have quite a bit with my setup and then I see my friends almost full race 93 Si with GAB revo's with 600+ spring rates and he hardly has any. It's easy to tell when the cars are jacked up. Curious to hear your thoughts on this subject.

only1harry

not a bad article. As I was reading I was thinking that this guy must have at least a Masters in engineering. Then I see he has a PhD!
Yes, suspension travel is good which is why we 've alwasy said not to lower more than 1.5-1.75". This is also why many cut the bumpstops by 1/3 or 1/2 when installing GC coilovers. To have more suspension travel and not ride on your bumpstops. More suspension travel is advantageous for auto-xers, but road racing/track cars can get away with less.

chem123

"More suspension travel is advantageous for auto-xers, but road racing/track cars can get away with less."

Is this because the R to L transitions are less dramatic in autox?

integraguy16

to add a push-button starter (a-la S2000) to a GSR? And would it be better to house it where the cruise control is (I don't use mine) or in the cigarette lighter? And hands down for power, of the Iceman CAI, AEM CAI, or Comptech Icebox, which is better? Thanks

cjhannan

the few push-button starter installations I've seen on GS-Rs and Type R's have been put where the cruise control button is located. Actually, ITRs don't have cruise control, but they have a dummie plug where it would be on our cars. You probably could mount where the cig lighter is, but that would be a bit harder to reach. Plus, you'll you'll need to make sure it's mounted securely no matter where it's located because you'll be pushing on it everytime you start the car. On a GSR, general consensus and dyno results suggest that the AEM CAI produces the best results, with the Comptech icebox a close second. For ITRs, it's the other way around. You probably won't be disappointed/go wrong with either. Harry and I both have the AEM CAI and are very pleased with it's results. Generally speaking, the AEM is less expensive, too.

bemathew

Didn't get a chance to test it on one of my favourite exit ramps. What is the preasure you guys are running on RE730's?

Did anybody see this? One more item from BSQ.

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=140106

He is selling it for $30.

As most of you know his ITR sway bar mounting kit is a popular and reliable one.

only1harry

I saw something similar in the 2kcivic.com forum. The guy made it out of thin PVC piping. This is a good and cheap alternative to a real CAI, if you want to keep your stock intake and paper filter and pay $100+ less. I 'm sure the gains are at least 4-5whp and there 's a lot less chances of sucking in H20.
Run the RE730s at about 31-32F/30-31R for the first 600-700 mi. or so. They 're a little slippery at first which is why you want to go with lower pressures. After the initial 6-700mi. run them at 33F/32R. I don't go much above that on the street. Even when auto-xing the most we go up on the RE730s is 37F/35R but that's totally different that street driving and not good for high speeds, so keep them in the low 30's.
Be extra careful in cold weather. This is an Ultra Performance tire and does not grip well when the pavement is cold or wet & cold. Don't take turns fast in under 40deg. temps. They 'll slide depending how high the pressures are. When the temps are warmer they grip much better and are excellent in the wet too. Get your self a decent analog tire gauge, nothing cheap or digital.

cjhannan

As I mentioned, our first points race of the season was held on Sunday. We had a MASSIVE turnout -- about 220 cars! I couldn't believe it. I thought, "where did all these feckin' people come from?" I guess it's good news for the SCCA Atlanta region that autocrossing is catching on in popularity. But because there were so many people, we only got 3 timed runs instead of 4 Trying to feel mostly satisfied about your driving with only 3 runs is something I need to get better at, because I'm usually fastest on my fourth run...

Anyway, I finished 4th out of 16 STS cars. Again, half of these cars I'd never seen before, many of which had out-of-state plates (I guess these young bucks are going to school down here). I was shooting for a top 3 finish and missed it by one, and I would have been third if it had not been for those two dreaded cones that fell over after I had passed them Overall, it was a great day, had tons of fun (as usual), and felt like I could been .5 - 1.0 secs quicker had I been driving more consistently. If this keeps up, our STS class is going to be a free for all, lots of cars and several good drivers. I'm glad to be in a competitive class 'cause it'll keep on pushing me to find ways to be a better driver. It's satifying for me to know that I've been able to slowly move up from the bottom tier toward the top one -- all this in less than a year of competition experience. I sure hope it continues...

only1harry

Casey as usual. 4th out of 16 is very good. Did you try anything different with the Konis? 3 runs really sucks. Sometimes my best is the 4th or 5th but about 30-40% of the time it's my 3d. I know what you mean though. The majority of the people get better after the 3d run. That happened to me once too. We had 168 cars and only got 3 runs. I took 1 or 2 fun runs afterwards and dropped it by .5 sec. We ran so late it was getting dark and you couldn't even get more than 2 fun runs. I feel more satisfied with 4-6 runs and I 'm glad I get that with most clubs. Auto-x is getting very popular and I 've seen the # of drivers climb about 20% a year. SCCA is getting richer every year and their fees have gone up as well. The reasons I also go to NASA and BMW clubs, is because they have a smaller # of drivers (usually 70-80) and get 7-8 runs. I 'll pay a little more but I feel a lot more satisfied taking 8 runs and finishing by 3-3:30pm rather than 3-4 runs with 150-200 other cars and finish up at 6pm. I guess I 'm fortunate there are several of these clubs within 1 hour's drive. The most important one that I run for regional points and is an SCCA chapter of NY, is 15-20min away from my house.
My V700s just came in. I have to mount them and heat cycle them before this Sunday's event. I didn't go with the new Ecsta V700 because I haven't been reading very good things about them and most said they grip the same as the old V700s so I got the regular V700 that I had last year. The good thing about the new Ecsta V700 is that it comes in 225-45-15" but I want to hear from others if they rub or scrape with Kosei K1 wheels 45mm offset. The new EV700 is supposed to be lighter too but people were saying that they got worn out faster than the V700 and gripped the same, so I 'll stick with old one which they will continue to make.

cjhannan

And I agree. Getting only 3 runs stinks, especially when you're used to and expecting to get four. I tried the same shock settings I ran at the last event (softer in the rear than what I was usually running) and it worked pretty well again. I ended up going 1 to 2 lines firmer to see if I could get a little more rotation but I still seemed to be pushing a lot on the course. In retrospect, I was probably over-driving the course, meaning that I was trying too hard in some of the slower parts and not being patient and taking what the course gives me. Ah yes, another lesson from the school of hard knocks...

Good luck to you for your event on Sunday. How are you supposed to heat cycle your new tires? I don't know if I've heard anyone describe that process before. I imagine that it's similar to how you condition a new set of brake pads -- drive on them a bit to make sure they get hot, but not too hot, and then let them cool down completely. Sound about right?

cjhannan

I just posted these at H-T.com and thought we could discuss them here as well. These come from Andy Hollis, a national level driver and Evolution instructor. He really makes some good points -- most of which I believe are hard to dispute. A couple tips I think are more a matter of opinion, and are better suited to certain types of driving styles than others. Either way, all of them are good to consider and apply if applicable to our autocrossing endevors. Enjoy!

ANDY'S TOP TEN AUTOX DRIVING TIPS

[Just got back from a weekend of teaching Evolution schools and thought I'd share some stuff that I must have said a thousand times. Sure beats talking about rules!]

1) Position first, then speed. Positioning the car perfectly is more important than trying to attain the highest potential speed. For example, you will drop more time by correctly positioning the car nearer to slalom cones than you will by adding 1 or 2 MPH in speed. Same with sweepers (tight line). Same with 90-degree turns (use all of the track). Also, position is a prerequisite for speed. If you are not in the correct place, you will not be able go faster. Or at least not for very long!

2) Turn earlier...and less. To go faster, the arc you are running must be bigger. A bigger arc requires less steering. To make a bigger arc that is centered in the same place, the arc must start sooner (turn earlier).

3) Brake earlier...and less. Waiting until the last possible second approaching a turn and then dropping anchor at precisely the correct place so that the desired entry speed is reached exactly as you come to the turn-in point is quite difficult to execute consistently. Especially when you consider that you get no practice runs on the course, and the surface changes on every run, and you aren't likely to be in exactly the same position with the same approach speed on every run, etc. Better to start braking a little earlier to give some margin of error. And by braking less you can either add or subtract braking effort as you close in on the turn-in point. This will make you consistent and smooth.

4) Lift early instead of braking later. Continuing with the philosophy of #3, when you need to reduce speed only a moderate amount, try an early lift of the throttle instead of a later push of the brake. This is less upsetting to the car, is easier to do and thus more consistent, and allows for more precise placement entering the maneuver (remember #1 above).

5) Easier to add speed in a turn than to get rid of it. If you are under the limit, a slight push of the right foot will get you more speed with no additional side effects. On the other hand, if you are too fast and the tires have begun slipping, you can only reduce throttle and wait until the tires turn enough of that excess energy into smoke and heat. Don't use your tires as brakes!

6) Use your right foot to modulate car position in constant radius turns, not the steering wheel. In a steady state turn, once you have established the correct steering input to maintain that arc, lifting the throttle slightly will let the car tuck in closer to the inside cones. Conversely, slightly increasing the throttle will push the car out a bit farther to avoid inside cones. It is much easier to make small corrections in position with slight variations in the tires' slip angle (that's what you are doing with the throttle) than with the steering wheel.

7) Unwind the wheel, then add power. If the car is using all of the tire's tractive capacity to corner, there is none left for additional acceleration. At corner exit, as you unwind the wheel, you make some available. If you do not unwind the wheel, the tire will start to slide and the car will push out (see #6 above).

8) Attack the back. For slaloms (also applicable to most offsets), getting close to the cones is critical for quick times (see #1). To get close, we must move the car less, which means bigger arcs. Bigger arcs come from less steering and require earlier turning (see #2). Now for the fun part... When you go by a slalom cone and start turning the steering wheel back the other way, when does the car start to actually change direction? Answer: When the wheel crosses the center point (Not when you first start turning back!) How long does that take? If you are smooth, it takes .25 - .5 seconds. Now, how long is a typical person's reaction time? Answer: about .5 seconds. Finally, how long does it take to go between slalom cones? Answer: Typically on the order of 1 second. Given all of that, your brain must make the decision to begin turning the steering wheel back the other way just *before* you go by the previous cone!! Since this is a mental issue, a good visualization technique to get used to this is to think about trying to run over the back side of each slalom cone with the inside rear tire of the car. To hit it with the rear tire (and not the front), the car must be arcing well before the cone and the arc must be shallow. Attack the back!

9) Hands follow the eyes, car follows the hands. 'Nuf said.

10) Scan ahead, don't stare. Keep the eyes moving. Looking ahead does not mean staring ahead. Your eyes must be constantly moving forward and back, and sometimes left and right. Glance forward, glance back. Your brain can only operate on the information you give it.

Bonus Tip: Don't forget the stuff in between the marked maneuvers! Too often we think of a course as series of discrete maneuvers. There is typically more to be gained or lost in the areas that are in between. Pay special attention the places where there are no cones.

only1harry

but reading & memorizing this, and trying to do it while you 're coming up to a slalom at 40mph, is a different story
The fact that you have to modulate and position your car with your foot (on the gas or letting off), I 've known for a while plus most of the tips he talks about here. Some I found out by myselft and some I learned by watching other National level drivers and some by talking to them.
Yes, that 's exactly how to heat cycle R tires. You run on them for 4-5 miles at moderate speeds and do not go overboard with cornering or anything. Then let them cool off for 48hrs. Most people rotate them and then drive a few more miles. I probably won't be doing that because I 'm going to try not to heat up the tires more than the rear, and they way you do that is by not taking fast turns. You 're actually supposed to take them off the car after you 're done so there 's no load on them, and let them sit. Some say up to a week, and tirerack says 24-48hrs. I usually let them sit at least 48hrs so I 'm safe.
I don't know if I 'll have time for this Sunday. I 'll try and take off from work tomorrow so I can be ready for Sunday

chem123

great comments guys!

garados

okay. Everytime I need a question answered, I come back to you guys. So, the time is nearing when I get my GC's and koni yellows. I'm going to get them in july hopefully My questions are
1) What the weight distribution of a 95 gsr sedan
2) What are your opinions of 300lbs/in and 270 lbs/in in front and back respectably
3) If you don't like those numbers, what would you prefer
I'm excited about getting this setup and I want it to be perfect. Right now, my only suspension mods are 20-21 mm rear swaybar with new endlinks and urethane bushings, and a 24 mm front swaybar with new endlinks and urethane bushings. The car is pretty neutral as it is, and I want to keep it that way. Thanks for all the help.

chem123

For the spring rates, I would seriously consult Ground Control. Tell them what mods you have so far, what you plan to do with the car in the future, and what kind of driving you will be doing. As far as the weight distribution, I would guess slightly worse than 60/40.

cjhannan

man, you're wearing me out with all these suspension questions... ;-) To answer your questions:
1. the weight distribution between for a GSR sedan is very similar to the coupe. I don't remember the exact percentages front to rear, but it doesn't vary by more the 5% or so. Sure, the sedan has about a 2" longer wheel base, but is only about 100 lbs. heavier. Sure, the sedan has two extra door in back, but the coupes have some big [non-permissible content removed] massive doors up front (compared to the sedans front doors). Plus the glass on the coupe's hatchback weighs a lot. So, if you're worried about weight distribution, don't! -- you're just splitting hairs...

2. 300F/270R sounds like a decent set up... BUT it all depends on what your aspirations are... e.g., street only, auto-x, track, etc. We'll be more helpful if you could remind us again what your plans are.

3. those sway bars will serve you well. Having a bigger than stock sway bar upfront will mean a bit more understeer, and could basically minimize or reduce the effects of the larger rear sway bar you've got. Some of this can be remedied with stiffer springs in the rear, but again it all depends on what you want to do with the car

garados

My expectations are daily driver that occasionally takes long trips and occasional auto-x.

thanks again, and I promise, this will be my last suspension question.

only1harry

300F/275 (GC allows increments of 25lbs/in. only) sounds pretty good but if you like the way the car drives now and you "think" it's neutral then consider this. You stock springs right now are 212F/117R. So if you want similar feel & handling characteristics (but better) you should then have a bigger gap between the front & rear springs. I would suggest 300F/250R at the most since you said that you like the way the car is now, but you say that because you really don't know how MUCH better it can get or feel, and believe me there 's a lot of room for improvement in our cars as far as suspension goes. You 're also talking about long trips and occasional auto-x, so this should work out nicely.
So if it were me and the car was a daily driver, I 'd go with 300-350F and 250-300R respectively. If you feel the rear slipping or coming around you can always dial down the Konis and make them softer in the back. Trust me, if you like the way the car feels now, you 'll be ecstatic with your new setup and the car will feel really tight.
It's a great feeling changing lanes fast on the highway and having the car stay totally flat. My first experience with that was with my brother's Type-R when I drove it (stole it) to the airport to pick him up back in '98. I don't think I stopped grinning and smiling all the way there. I had never experienced such handling before and such lightning fast lane changes. That when I knew what I was missing.. He wasn't too happy to see me in his car though. I parked in the unloading zone about 100ft away looking at him and he was sitting there with his luggage looking at me. A minute went by and he didn't walk over. I then started signaling him to walk over an yelled out his name. He was so surprised. He walks over and says: "it thought it was someone else's R, I was thinking what jerk would drive a Type-R through the pot hole infested NYC to get to JFK.." Needless to say he wasn't too happy. He was so pissed he drove like a maniac back home and I couldn't believe the roadholding and agility of the ITR when he was weaving through traffic. I drove it nicely because I didn't want to get into an accident but he was auto-xing at the time and knew the car well. Plus it only had like 2k mi. on it so it was new and tight.. I don't know what made me tell you this story.. I guess I 'm trying to put my self in your shoes and I remembered the 1st time I drove a car with a nice suspension and then I remember when I upgraded mine. One of the best feelings in the world..

garados

hehe. You got me all giddy now. I can't wait. So, I will go with the 300f and 250 rear. I didn't know that they only offered 25 lb increments. Yeah, I love the way the car is now, and now I can't wait 'till July/August to see how it behaves with the new setup. That is a great story Makes me want to get the setup know, but I don't have any money oh well, gonna have to wait for my tax return :P Thanks again for the help, and I promise, this is/will be my last suspension question.
Argh, I hate that. Before, I could have waited until next year, but now I can't wait to get the new setup. Alright, everybody have a great day:D

only1harry

I know what you mean. What about charging it? You can pay it off when you get your income tax return which by the way arrive much faster now than they used to. Make sure you do your taxes now and you 'll have the check by end of May. You don't have to wait till July-Aug.
BTW, you can ask more questions if you want, but we 'll have to start charging you consulting fees now but seeing how you 're strapped for cash, we 'll waive the fees for a couple of months :-)
Hey make sure you have $150-200 for installation too!

garados

Don't have to worry about the installation fees. I have my own spring compressor, and my brother or dad can help me if I run into trouble. I sent in my tax return today, so that will be good. Oh, about the credit card, i'm not old enough to get one. Only 16 y/o hehe. The reason I'm waiting until July or August is because I'm going on vacation until from late May to July/August. Going to miss the car *sigh*.

Thanks for waiving the question fee ;o) It's much appreciated.

cjhannan

Vacation from May thru July/Aug.? Oh man, I'm seriously jealous now. Ahhhh, to be young and in school again! I guess I'm lucky I didn't have something as nice as a GSR when I was 16 y/o. I would have got into big trouble with that! I'll betcha $20 that you'll be back with more suspension questions . This stuff never ends...

garados

Yeah, you're probably right. It will never end!! HAHAHAHAHAHA. Anyway, I'm so nit-picky about my car, I want it to be perfect. I'll be back with suspension questions. I like to think that I am a careful driver, so hopefully I won't do anything stupid with the car :P And yes, I'll take that bet, and I'll probably forget and I'll have to pay you $20.

integraguy16

is 17 inc wheels as big as will go on an Integra without modifying the suspension? I'm looking at 215/45/17s for my car. Also, is a CAI mcuh better than a short-ram to justify a $75 dollar difference? And if I go this route, would a DC Sports DAC intake be good for a while, with the option to add a cold-air-extension? And would a water bypass valve fit on a DAC? Could I get a cheapo CAI (there are some $100 ones) and fit a bypass valve on it somehow? Thanks

chem123

Integraguy16, I was in the same boat as you as far as wheels when I was planning what to do with my GS-R once I got it. I also wanted 17s then, but am glad that I went with 16" but almost wish I went with 15". First of all, 17" wheels are purely for looks and without modifying the suspension, you will have a 4x4 look on a sport compact. Tires are also a good deal more expensive on larger wheels. Bigger wheels will also slow your car down with the increased rotational mass. Once again, never buy anything on impulse or modify something just for the sake of modifying because you will regret it later. Seriously, you will have the most fun learning to drive the car. As far as intake, go with the AEM CAI. You can get it cheap from coximport.com (reputable shop) and the CAI is proven to give great gains on a GS-R.

Note: Register on honda-tech.com and learn oodles of information about different parts, set-ups, etc.

only1harry

Listen to Chem. If you really want to go with 17" rims they 'd have to be pretty light and those cost mucho $$ (like $250 & up each). 17" will slow you down and for every extra pound above stock weight, it's like adding 10lbs on each corner (40lbs total). Have you tried 205-50's on your 15" rims? They look pretty good. Try and get some 16x7" (or 17" if you can afford it) that match your GSR wheel weight. The stock wheels weigh 15-15.5lbs. I wouldn't go over 16lbs. There are a lot of inexpensive but good looking wheels out there that weigh over 20lbs. I 've seen some 17" weight 22+lbs! Stay away from wheels that seem like they 're a steel. They weigh a ton and have poor workmanship.
There is a BIG difference between a "warm air" intake and a cold. About 8-10whp worth. For maximum gains you want the filter or intake point to be away from the engine bay, way down there where it can suck in 100+ degrees cooler air. Remember, for every 10 degrees difference, your power goes up (or down) 1hp! Save up and get the "real" thing. Nothing really beats an AEM CAI, and if you 're afraid of H20, get the bypass valve.

integraguy16

I'll try to get light wheels in 17", but if I can't find any for my price, I'll get 16"s. And I probably will get suspension, I was just talking about camber adjustment and such. Some larger wheels on smaller wheels require you to run outrageously high degrees of negative camber. My dad drove my car twice and recommended bigger wheels with lower profile rubber, and if I gained a few pounds, it wouldn't hurt me too bad. I know it's still unsprung weight, but there are things I can do pretty easily to make up for it since I won't be auto-xing or anything like that. Would cross-drilled and/or slotted brake disks add or subtract weight? And if I need to get a new hood anyway, is a good-quality carbon fiber hood good? I can get a JDM OEM quality one for about $550, which is about $100 less than a steel replacement. And I know I'd need locking hod pins to keep it from flying up. Thanks a bunch
P.S. I live in TX, and we get alot of rain. Do I NEED to be afraid of H20? I mean, does the valve affect performance to where I wouldn't get it as a precaution?

only1harry

I like your dad!! Wish mine was like that when I was 16.. I remember getting yelled at when I was 17 because I bought slightly bigger & wider tires for my '71 Nova 350SS. I paid for everything my self, even the car, and I got yelled at..
Anyway, any carbon fiber hood you get will help as long as it is ligter than stock which should be. Different rotors shouldn't be a problem with weight either, if anything they 're slightly ligher (x-drilled).
You need to be afraid of taking in H20 if you get floods where you live. If your car is stock height, and not dropped, I wouldn't worry about. Just stay away from big puddles that are more than 3" deep or drive very slowly over them..

chem123

We had flash flood warnings the other day with literally 5" in some spots. I have the AEM CAI with the bypass valve and I just let off the throttle when going through huge puddles and I didn't worry about it at all. That, and I have my stock d16y7 engine that costs just a couple hundred dollars

only1harry

haha, look at it this way too.. if you ever blew your engine, you 'd have an excuse to throw in a B18B,C or C5!
Seriously though, yes the best thing to do when going through a puddle is to get your foot completely off the gas, because you don't know how big that puddle really is.

garados

What's the max width tire that will fit on the stock gsr wheels? I think it is 205/xx/r15. Tell me if I'm wrong. Thanks

cjhannan

Garados, that's about as wide as you want to go on a 6" wide wheel. 205/50-15s are on the tight side, but work very well on our stock wheels. There are a lot of good choices in that tire size, too. Also, some good choice in 195/55-15s and 195/50-15s (like the Bridgestone S-03s which Tire Rack has for $76/each right now. To be sure, ANYTHING would be better than the POS Michelins that come as standard issue....

integraguy16

is that just from a auto-x standpoint? And would 17" wheels with stock susp. (for now) really make me look like bigfoot? Also, anyone heard of the Arospeed front-mount intercooler style CAI? It mounts in your grill. It's on group buy center for $175. They also have 15" Konig Caffeines with tires for $699 and free shipping. Should I get something like that, or would 16"s be better for me, since I'm going mostly for less tire and better looks?

garados

Are you going to get rid of your old wheels? If you are, I would be interested in having/buying them. Yeah, 17's make you look like bigfoot. I know. That's why I'm trying to get some 15's or 16's. Also, the 17's slow you down.

chem123

Integraguy, first thing you need to do is identify your priorities. I am 18 and was very close to buying a GS-R so I think I can identify with you. What do you want out of your car performance-wise? What do you want out of your car looks-wise? How much do you have to spend? Your answers to these questions will determine how you modify your car.

15s, 16s, or 17s? The smaller the wheel: less wheel weight, less tire weight, cheaper tires, more tire selection, and cheaper wheels. If you have no desire to take your car to a HPDE (High Performance Driving Event) or local autocross and you want to spend money on wheels rather than other areas, eliminate the 15s. If you have any inkling towards performance and care what you spend on wheels and tires, eliminate 17s. This is the best I can say until I know how much $$$ you have and what you want it to do.

Some cool, cheap, and lightweight wheels to check out:

http://www.g-speed.com/enkei/

Rota Slipstreams, Subzeros, and Circuit 8s (www.groupbuycenter.com)
Kosei K1 Racing (Tirerack.com)

Konig Helium (www.groupbuycenter.com, 11.34 lb, 15", $385 shipped)


Don't ever buy anything Arospeed. I hate to make the generalization but it is true. Their intake is not nearly as good as the AEM.

17s with stock suspension would be ironic because you want to get 17s for looks but it wouldn't really look good.

If it were my car, I would do the following:

ITR 22mm rear sway

AEM CAI

Falken Azenis (205/50/15) on stock wheels or on one of the wheels above

Solo short shifter with some cheap ball knob

Good set of pedals (less space between brake and gas)

AXXIS Ultimate (not Metal Master) brake pads, very versatile (just front)

*keep front pads for street*

Valvoline Syn Brake Fluid

Goodridge Stainless Steel lines

Acura OEM Front Underspoiler (I love these things)

Remove badges (Acura, and "VTEC") and possibly rear spoiler

Good SA helmet

SCCA Solo II membership

several HPDE and track events

Once I could outdrive my car, I would go Ground Control (400F/500R, yes I have driven a GS-R with these rates and it is VERY nice) with Koni Yellows. I would also invest in at least one racing seat. Down the line, harnesses and a 4-pt rollbar would be nice as well as a smaller diameter aftermarket steering wheel.


Remember, when you are racing a car you are doing it to have fun and improve the nut behind the wheel--you don't have to necessarily be competitive or spend big bucks on a car to have fun and give yourself a good platform to learn on.
You may not need most of the things detailed above, but before you ask what we suggest please tell us what you want to spend and what you want to do with the car.

cjhannan

Good advice you gave to IntegraGuy! Spoken like a true master... I agree with you on all things, except maybe the short shifter (some people report problems after the install). A pedal kit is, I'd say, purely optional. Cosmetic mods are a tough call, b/c it's really a matter of taste and "in the eye of the beholder..." kinda thing.

Integraguy: listen to Chem; he gave you some important questions you should answer first, before heading down the road of making any modifications. If it's important to you to have a nice looking, uniquely modded car, with little or no intention of performance driving, then so be it. A C/F hood, bigger wheels and tires, and other stuff should make you happy. But please realize that if you have aspirations to auto-x, attend HPDEs, etc., then some of what you do cosmetically will hinder or interfere with your ability to "go fast." Also, little things (like the C/F hood) would bump you from a stock or street class in auto-x to a "prepared" class where you would have a woeful time trying to compete. Think about it, ask a lot of questions, talk to as many knowledgable folks as you can, think about it some more, and then figure out what direction you want to head. Have fun and good luck.

chem123

Have you heard of people having problems with the Solo short shifter? I was under the impression that it was good, but I've never tried one out. Pedals are not for appearance at all. I recommended them purely because it makes it a TON easier to heel-toe and there is less of a transition when you get off the gas to brake. Have been enjoying your comments in H-T, Casey!

cjhannan

Chem, what have I been saying in H-T? Not too obnoxious I hope. BTW, Chem, what's your username over there...?

integraguy16

I'd be going to is maybe the occasional drag strip with my friends (we don't really race on the street), so I'm not worried too much about that. And I am planning to lower the car, but I'm gonna need new tires soon anyway so I'd probably get the wheels then. I have a friend with a '98 GS with I/H/E, lowered about 2" with 15" Enkeis, and it looks good, so I'm probably gonna go with 15" or 16". And the CF hood is only because I need a new hood. When bought the car, the hood was messed up. And I am looking for performance, but that's definitely not all. No Auto-X 'cuz I gotta keep this car at least 4 yrs.

swinga7

you can go with the 15" 10lb mugen rims. they are like $420 apiece.

http://www.kingmotorsports.com/

click the mugen link

chem123

First of all, tell us your name or please make up a name so I don't have to type your username . What makes you think the car will not last four years if you autox? The wear and tear on your car is not really that much. Your stock brakes will last the first 1-2 years depending on how often you go. You are really just driving moderately fast for at most 2 minutes per event. It's not like you are swinging out all over the place overdriving the car and then pulling some kind of whack hand-brake drift to save yourself. The best drivers drive smoothly...they don't even look "fast" to the casual observer. You should try it at least once just so you can never regret that you didn't. You literally bring yourself and $20 and you are set. Plus, you can brag afterwards to the chicks that you have mAd dRiVinG SkILz y0! Really not a wear and tear event. Track events, on the other hand...

Casey, I am "kent, clark" on H-T but don't post often (my brother uses it more often than me). I just search stuff when I have a question or IM the pros on the site. I read practically every thread in the ITR and Comp forums. The Civic forum used to entertain me but not so much anymore. Sometimes there is something cool in the Integra, Tech, or Hybrid forums but not most of the time. If I am really bored, I check out some of the other forums. Some of the good people on the board are Neo, VTEConly (haha, sound familiar guys?), Teken, Mike K, HXguy, HXman, Matthewk, Houston, Crack Monkey, Cobra, Yoshi, Driven, and the S and M Racing guys. A VERY good source of information.

only1harry

is still on H-T? I haven't seen him in a while.. I thought he left because he got involved in the board's politics. He was taking sides with some users and they took his moderator status away. That was like a year ago.. He 's a good guy and used to own a g2 Teg. Tell him Harry/VTEConly says hello if you run into him on the boards. Anyway good to see you guys here giving good advice.

cjhannan

I don't know if Teken is still around on H-T. Seems to me I've seen him post recently, but I can't say for sure. If memory serves, he was always a straight-up kind of guy...

Harry: the new 15x7 "loaner" set of wheels I just got access to have a 42 offset. Do you think I'll need spacers to avoid any "rub" problem? Thanks!

chem123

Is definitely on H-T now, he is the moderator in the "Best Buys" section but doesn't venture much outside of it. Along the lines on H-T, the search function is pretty horrible right now...don't know why. The newbies are doomed.

integraguy16

Greg. And my brakes are starting to go now. Are "big brake" kits worth it, like Willwood, AEM, or the like? And they require 17" or up, don't they? What pads would ya'll recommend for aggressive street driving? And would stock-sized cross-drilled and/or slotted rotors be a worthwhile investment? Thanks.

jc58

We recently purchased a 91 Integra LS with 112,000 miles on it for our son. It drove very nicely, and the engine seemed to run very well. It was quite smooth.

It had not had its timing belt changed yet, so we did that immediately after we purchased it, at a local auto repair facility.They also changed the water pump and adjusted the valves. After picking it up, the engine seemed to vibrate much more than before. ( It actually hurt my ears). I took the car back to the garage that changed the timing belt, stating something had to be wrong, such as the timing or a loose vacume hose.

They checked it over again, gapped the plugs, but indicated that the timing was correct. We go to pick it back up tomorrow, so I am not sure if they have fixed it or not. They state that although there is still a vibration, it is not as bad.

I am not a mechanic, so I have no ideas what could have happened after having the timing belt changed that would result in the increase in vibration.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could have caused this. Is there anything special on these engines that they might have missed?

chem123

Nice to know your name. As far as brakes for "aggresive street driving," all you actually need is a set of pads like the AXXIS Metal Masters. New rotors may not be necessary and for a low-cost replacement many go with Brembo OE blanks. If you want to, you can get stainless steel brake lines (helps with response, don't expand like rubber hoses after hard braking) and some decent brake fluid for the street (i.e. Valvoline Synthetic brake fluid DOT 3/DOT 4). If the rotors to look better, slotted is the way to go...don't get cross-drilled (they crack).

sphinx99

Are there any maintenance disadvantages to steerl brake lines? I'm just curious why this isn't a stock "feature" on most cars. Is there a reason beyond cost?

only1harry

Funny you mentioned this. My friend owned a '91 Integra LS as well. Had his local mechanic change the timing belt. Got the car back and it was vibrating slightly plus had a weird little noise that wasn't there before. After much arguement with the guy, he took it to the Acura dealer and had the timing belt checked. They said it was installed improperly and some bolt were not torqued to factory specs. Not sure exactly what was causing the vibration but he didn't seem to have as a big a vibration as you do. After the dealer was done with it, it was back to normal like before.
It might be worth next time to take it to the dealer or Acura/Honda independent shop since they work on these cars all the time. You might pay an extra $50-75 but most of the time it's worth it plus the dealer gives you a 1yr/12k mi. warranty on any the work they do. Good luck

only1harry

There 's probably one other reason besides cost that SS braided lines are not standard on most cars. After extensive use, I 've heard that sometimes rocks or other debris might get caught between the stainless braids and the rubber underneath it. This eventually may tear up the line inside.. These are not full stainless steel hoses. They 're stainless steel braided "covered" lines with the acutal line being rubber underneath. This is what I 've read. Whether it's true or if it happens frequently I don't know. I just inspect them myself whenever my car is up on the lift for oil changes, etc. or whenever I take the wheels off myself to mount others or rotate them.