NathanDC4

Hey guys, I have an 2001 SE Integra, I was wondering if I should do cams, cam gears, etc. Or would it be best to wait for a turbo. I am currently in college right now and will not have the money to do the most until summer. I would just love the information.

I do NOT plan on doing too much to my car, I want to have a "reliable" route for the car.

Thanks!

Caoboy

Keep it stock if you want reliable.

NathanDC4

But i want the POWAAAA

Caoboy

Three things, pick 2. The other is what it won't be.

Reliable

Powerful

Cheap

NathanDC4

Im not gonna go cheap, just saying that nothing is going to be done right now.

I always push for Reliability and Power.

Was gonna just do cams, and get new wheels, tires, plus i have a spot where I have to paint at a body shop. So yea, idk cus if i turbo later on I'd have to build the bottom end of my engine right?

Caoboy

Why cams? What is your reasoning for picking cams as your first mod?

NathanDC4

cheaper, plus bolt ons can make about 190 crank. 160whp.

Caoboy

are you including the price of an EMS/tuning in your 'cheaper' figure?

NathanDC4

I will be buying an s300 and getting a tune. Yes.

Schister66

As someone who built and turbocharged my ONLY car in college (back in '06/07), i wouldnt recommend it. Financially its a risky move and when your car is out of commission (and it will happen), then you're bumming rides. Not to mention, you really dont' have the finances to properly build the car so you'll always be fighting an uphill battle against "iffy" parts.

My advice: Focus on graduating...when you're done and have a real income, you can build/ boost/ buy whatever you want.

WingZer0

with no finance, you should wait for a small/cheap turbo setup instead of throwing money for cams that probably makes little power for the LS.

blackeg

403's and a tune. it will keep u happy while you save cash and graduate college. after that u can go to town on turbo stuff.. ever since ive had a turbo honda over a decade ago ive always had at least 1 other vehicle. schister is spot on ur car will be down at some point or another

Schister66

Another option would be LS/VTEC. Heads aren't that much and the rest of the pieces (dowels, oil line, etc) amount to another $1-150. If you want to stay straight LS, go with the advice above.

trm4life

Cams, intake manifold, cam gears, ignition systems etc...flashy bolt ons...are USELESS and will do NOTHING without having an ECU tuned for them. You want power NOW? Do that flywheel! Guaranteed increase in power! Consider the crank pulley too, and don't listen to the horror stories. Get one thats not CHEAP and crank it down proper. I've yet to see a crank pulley without the rubber of the heavy OEM pulley be proven to cause engine vibration or failures. Other than that, lighten the load. Good quality headers, flowmaster,HKS (or another good company) muffler and wheels should give you a good 20-30 pounds weight reduction!

NathanDC4

Can i turbo after this without any problems?

ss_zoidberg

Sell the car and buy a MS3

Caoboy

If you have to ask, you need to do more research.

Geis

Thought you need other vtec accessories like the pumps and whatnot

I'm boosting my sole daily without a backup because 126/month insurance

trm4life

Absolutely. As long as you have the ECU. If you are hellbent on turbo, don't go cheap. Make sure the turbo is a true name brand. Now days there are hybrid and dual variable vane turbos that will make your head spin when you learn what they can do compared to a standard turbo.

-Always run full synthetic ( I do anyway, pushing 300,000 mi) and replace it FREQUENTLY! (yeah yeah you can go 10,000 miles on synthetic blah blah)...you want it to last forever, don't go over 5,000 mi between changes. The oil keeps your turbo cool!
-Know that if you only run 6 lbs of boost (which isn't much) you don't NEED an intercooler...however you probably should do it anyway.
-If you decided to keep the stock engine internals, you probably aren't going to last long. There's a good chance your pistons and rings just won't take the beating.
-Proper turbo set ups, engine mounts, bushings, suspension, brakes...all of this is very VERY expensive. Probably many times more than the value of the car.
-Don't do turbo if you aren't going to start with brakes. Bigger brakes means bigger rims and new calipers. Wilwood or Brembo.
-You're likely at the least going to want to replace all your bushings for poly so you don't sag on the throttle and have less body roll in turns
-Check out the people who have the proper set ups. They all run new pistons, rings, rods, bearings...and all of this stuff is name brand
-If your staring at that 1-2 thousand ebay turbo kit stop looking. The turbo itself is going to eat **** in a year. Find someone who has a used high quality turbo, or find an old diesel cat engine somewhere and you can make something truely unique! You know that turbo has taken a beating, so it's ready for more!
-Personally I've always wanted to see what a proper supercharger would do to these engines. Many old GM's have them and they're still on the road. So you'd think they are rather durable!
-Fine someone who's done it before! They will know everything you need to do right, and what you just shouldn't do!

reallydude

if i could do it all over again id go this route!!

NathanDC4

I dont plan on pushing 300-500 hp i only wanna do the basic LS Turbo build.

I have a list of my build here:

https://honda-tech.com/acura-integra...-mods-3269227/