98-0914 Resurrection
05-25-2014, 10:34 AM
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98-0914 Resurrection
Hey HT, the time has finally come to start my rebuild thread. I've been both dreading and looking forward to this for long time.. Looking forward to sharing my progress and being able to give shout-outs to those helping me along the way, but dreading having to own up to the fact that I made the worst mistake of my life in September, and inadvertently allowed my prized possession to be reduced to nothing.. Worst of all the situation was COMPLETELY avoidable. A few of you might have even seen my post back in September when my car was stolen. Hopefully this will also serve as a warning to any ignorant or complacent R owners out there. The ONE time you slip up is the time you'll lose your car.
From this:
To this:
Just to provide a little history I'll start from the beginning:
In April of 2010 I was scanning craigslist day and night looking for a late 90's GSR for a daily driver. I had been looking for MONTHS. I've always been a very picky person and I can't make a decision to save my life. So one day my then-girlfriend-now-wife had had enough of craigslist and suggested that we go to the local Acura dealership to "see if they had one." I tried not to let her see me rolling my eyeballs into the back of my head and agreed to go for the sake of humoring her. So we pulled up to the dealership and parked right in front with my beater 95 civic (RIP) affectionately nicknamed Skittles because pretty much every body panel was a different color. I mean everything from rust to purple to primer. A soon as I shut my door, this immaculate championship white ghost of a car floated by and into the service department entrance. Like many of us, a 1998 Integra Type R had been my dream car since before I could drive, but I always assumed it was out of reach. Even then I assumed this was an owner dropping off his unicorn for service.
Now usually when you pull up to a car dealership, you're swarmed by salespeople like sharks around a bleeding whale. However.. with Skittles behind us the staff members were probably fighting over who HAD to deal with us. That's probably why it took almost ten minutes of us wandering around aimlessly outside of their front window before the dweebiest, youngest, most inexperienced salesperson to ever grace a car dealership (sorry if you're reading this) found his way over to us and said "What are you looking for?"
I said "Do you have anything like that??" pointing towards the R.
He said "We have that one."
My jaw dropped.
In front of me was a single owner JDM Front 1998 Acura Integra Type R with a clean title and matching VIN's at under 100k! A turbonetics drag turbo kit (old school with a missing link) was installed and the car idled like crap. Apparently the dealership had purchased the vehicle from a father who was tired of his son working on the car. Not even a trade in. They must have also thought it was way worse off than it was. Long story short: We negotiated for a few days, and then the dealership tried to sell the car out from under me. I flipped out, and in the end my cash offer won out over another guy trying to finance the car. I don't know how it was possible, but I ended up purchasing the car for 7k!
98-0914 moved into my garage and I spent the next couple years tinkering with the car and slowly upgrading it. At its best in September of 2013 MOD's were as follows:
Exterior:
JDM Front End Conversion
New JDM front bumper to replace the cut out bumper purchased with the car
Red H and Honda Badges
OEM window visors
Performance:
Bored to 82 MM
Wiseco 9:1 pistons
Eagle Rods
Golden Eagle Block Guard
ACL bearings
ARP Headstuds
Hytech Street Turbo manifold (REAL)
Precision 6262 Turbocharger
Precision 960cc Injectors
HKS SSQV BOV
TIAL 46MM wastegate
Custom Intercooler by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom Intercooler piping by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom Radiator by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom dumptube by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom down pipe by Ricky at Speedfactory
Speedfactory 4 bar map sensor
Speedfactory sandwich plate
Custom 3" exhaust
Apexi WS2 muffler
Security:
Viper 2 way Alarm
Fuel pump Kill switch
Attack Golden Retriever
Etched Windows
For years I was the most diligent and paranoid Type R owner on the planet. Every night my car was locked up in my garage with the alarm on, fuel pump disconnected, engine harness unplugged, and another (and sometimes 2) car(s) parked directly in front of my garage. EVERY night. I constantly stared in my rear view mirrors on my way home to make sure I wasn't being followed, and I stared down every lesser Honda that drove by my house like they were all plotting together. No joke. The second I would hear a fart cannon tooting by I was at the window peeping through the blinds trying to figure out who was snooping. If I had continued down this path my car never would have been stolen. I mentioned complacency and ignorance earlier.. I'll be the first to admit that I became guilty of both, and these traits in combination with a false sense of security led to my car's theft.
My then-girlfriend-now-wife and I moved into a new place in a really nice neighborhood in March of 2013. It's one of those weird neighborhoods where everyone smiles and waves at each other and your neighbors bring you cookies. All of my neighbors are old people and it's a one way in and one way out little community. It was really easy to start feeling safe and secure. There hadn't been a crime reported in the neighborhood in over three years. I was also getting married in the beginning of September, so I was distracted with planning for the wedding and getting everything ready.
So one day after work I was driving my little white EG hatch home from work and I snapped the timing belt while I was rolling up to a stop sign. I towed the car home and decided my best move was to pull my R out of the garage so that I could pull the head off of the civic and get it to the machine shop. I work full time so I hardly had any time to work on the civic, and I started commuting with my Integra. While away from home I was as diligent as ever; unplugging harnesses, setting my alarm, and only parking where my car was visible. It was at home that I started developing bad habits. This was also the week after my wedding, so I had a lot on my mind and was very distracted. Most of my time was spent boat shopping (honeymoon present to each other) and working on thank you notes for wedding gifts. Summer was in full swing and I started leaving my windows down when I’d get home.. I parked on the street a couple times instead of in my driveway.. I let my guard down.
On September 10 my wife and I pulled up to the house after eating dinner and I realized I had left my windows down all afternoon. I hopped out of her car and jumped in the teg and rolled up my windows. ..Here is the part that kills me.. As much as I hate to admit it, I can’t even remember locking my car when I went inside for the night. Complacency and Ignorance. The next morning I woke up for work at 5:30 AM, went outside, and my Integra was gone. For most September 11 will always be remembered as the day the twin towers and Pentagon were attacked. For me it will also always be the day that I lost my car.. the day that I practically gave it away.
Less than 48 hours later I received a call from the police department. My vehicle had been recovered. The police officer warned me that my engine and transmission were gone, and that the car would need to be towed home. I remember thinking.. “Maybe it’s not that bad.” The officer’s vague warning did nothing to prepare me for what I found when I arrived at the address provided. EVERY single part from my car had been stolen. The only parts left were those with VIN stickers attached to them. The passenger side rear quarter panel had been kicked in, and worst of all.. the b*stards took a sawzall to my front end and cut through my frame rails to steal my core support. What kind of sick, evil, twisted little punks would mutilate a clean titled ITR that way? Especially when there are so few of them left. I still feel sick just thinking about it. Even better, the police officer started to ask me questions that made it clear that they suspected insurance fraud. All of that came to a crashing hault when I snapped that I only had liability insurance (stupid. I know.)
I towed what was left of my R home and put a car cover over it. I had been borrowing my brother’s Saab to get to work since the theft. My wife felt so bad for me that she went and spent our boat money on a 2010 civic SI the same day my R was recovered. She is an amazing girl. I love her more than anything. Even though it was my own fault, I blamed that little eg for taking up the garage space that should have been dedicated to the Integra. I finished putting it back together and sold it within the week. I rolled the Integra back into the garage, and it’s been there ever since.
Since my car was uninsured, it still carries a clean title. It will be restored to its original glory soon. I’ve made a lot of progress since September. I’ve been collecting parts from all over the world, and there have even been few developments in the theft case. So much has happened since September that I could probably keep going on and on for days. I think this is already way too long for a starting post, so I’ll let this digest before I start updating with progress reports and pictures. If this is the only post in this thread that you read, please learn from my mistakes. Protect your cars: Two way security, kill switches, and attack golden retrievers are all necessary. However, these measures are not enough on their own. Never let your guard down, and make sure you secure your car EVERY night. I will personally never own another Honda without LoJack or another similar tracking device again. It is worth every penny. Install an alarm system on your house and garage and make sure that your vehicles are insured by an insurance company that you can trust. Updates coming soon.
-Stan
From this:
To this:
Just to provide a little history I'll start from the beginning:
In April of 2010 I was scanning craigslist day and night looking for a late 90's GSR for a daily driver. I had been looking for MONTHS. I've always been a very picky person and I can't make a decision to save my life. So one day my then-girlfriend-now-wife had had enough of craigslist and suggested that we go to the local Acura dealership to "see if they had one." I tried not to let her see me rolling my eyeballs into the back of my head and agreed to go for the sake of humoring her. So we pulled up to the dealership and parked right in front with my beater 95 civic (RIP) affectionately nicknamed Skittles because pretty much every body panel was a different color. I mean everything from rust to purple to primer. A soon as I shut my door, this immaculate championship white ghost of a car floated by and into the service department entrance. Like many of us, a 1998 Integra Type R had been my dream car since before I could drive, but I always assumed it was out of reach. Even then I assumed this was an owner dropping off his unicorn for service.
Now usually when you pull up to a car dealership, you're swarmed by salespeople like sharks around a bleeding whale. However.. with Skittles behind us the staff members were probably fighting over who HAD to deal with us. That's probably why it took almost ten minutes of us wandering around aimlessly outside of their front window before the dweebiest, youngest, most inexperienced salesperson to ever grace a car dealership (sorry if you're reading this) found his way over to us and said "What are you looking for?"
I said "Do you have anything like that??" pointing towards the R.
He said "We have that one."
My jaw dropped.
In front of me was a single owner JDM Front 1998 Acura Integra Type R with a clean title and matching VIN's at under 100k! A turbonetics drag turbo kit (old school with a missing link) was installed and the car idled like crap. Apparently the dealership had purchased the vehicle from a father who was tired of his son working on the car. Not even a trade in. They must have also thought it was way worse off than it was. Long story short: We negotiated for a few days, and then the dealership tried to sell the car out from under me. I flipped out, and in the end my cash offer won out over another guy trying to finance the car. I don't know how it was possible, but I ended up purchasing the car for 7k!
98-0914 moved into my garage and I spent the next couple years tinkering with the car and slowly upgrading it. At its best in September of 2013 MOD's were as follows:
Exterior:
JDM Front End Conversion
New JDM front bumper to replace the cut out bumper purchased with the car
Red H and Honda Badges
OEM window visors
Performance:
Bored to 82 MM
Wiseco 9:1 pistons
Eagle Rods
Golden Eagle Block Guard
ACL bearings
ARP Headstuds
Hytech Street Turbo manifold (REAL)
Precision 6262 Turbocharger
Precision 960cc Injectors
HKS SSQV BOV
TIAL 46MM wastegate
Custom Intercooler by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom Intercooler piping by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom Radiator by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom dumptube by Ricky at Speedfactory Racing
Custom down pipe by Ricky at Speedfactory
Speedfactory 4 bar map sensor
Speedfactory sandwich plate
Custom 3" exhaust
Apexi WS2 muffler
Security:
Viper 2 way Alarm
Fuel pump Kill switch
Attack Golden Retriever
Etched Windows
For years I was the most diligent and paranoid Type R owner on the planet. Every night my car was locked up in my garage with the alarm on, fuel pump disconnected, engine harness unplugged, and another (and sometimes 2) car(s) parked directly in front of my garage. EVERY night. I constantly stared in my rear view mirrors on my way home to make sure I wasn't being followed, and I stared down every lesser Honda that drove by my house like they were all plotting together. No joke. The second I would hear a fart cannon tooting by I was at the window peeping through the blinds trying to figure out who was snooping. If I had continued down this path my car never would have been stolen. I mentioned complacency and ignorance earlier.. I'll be the first to admit that I became guilty of both, and these traits in combination with a false sense of security led to my car's theft.
My then-girlfriend-now-wife and I moved into a new place in a really nice neighborhood in March of 2013. It's one of those weird neighborhoods where everyone smiles and waves at each other and your neighbors bring you cookies. All of my neighbors are old people and it's a one way in and one way out little community. It was really easy to start feeling safe and secure. There hadn't been a crime reported in the neighborhood in over three years. I was also getting married in the beginning of September, so I was distracted with planning for the wedding and getting everything ready.
So one day after work I was driving my little white EG hatch home from work and I snapped the timing belt while I was rolling up to a stop sign. I towed the car home and decided my best move was to pull my R out of the garage so that I could pull the head off of the civic and get it to the machine shop. I work full time so I hardly had any time to work on the civic, and I started commuting with my Integra. While away from home I was as diligent as ever; unplugging harnesses, setting my alarm, and only parking where my car was visible. It was at home that I started developing bad habits. This was also the week after my wedding, so I had a lot on my mind and was very distracted. Most of my time was spent boat shopping (honeymoon present to each other) and working on thank you notes for wedding gifts. Summer was in full swing and I started leaving my windows down when I’d get home.. I parked on the street a couple times instead of in my driveway.. I let my guard down.
On September 10 my wife and I pulled up to the house after eating dinner and I realized I had left my windows down all afternoon. I hopped out of her car and jumped in the teg and rolled up my windows. ..Here is the part that kills me.. As much as I hate to admit it, I can’t even remember locking my car when I went inside for the night. Complacency and Ignorance. The next morning I woke up for work at 5:30 AM, went outside, and my Integra was gone. For most September 11 will always be remembered as the day the twin towers and Pentagon were attacked. For me it will also always be the day that I lost my car.. the day that I practically gave it away.
Less than 48 hours later I received a call from the police department. My vehicle had been recovered. The police officer warned me that my engine and transmission were gone, and that the car would need to be towed home. I remember thinking.. “Maybe it’s not that bad.” The officer’s vague warning did nothing to prepare me for what I found when I arrived at the address provided. EVERY single part from my car had been stolen. The only parts left were those with VIN stickers attached to them. The passenger side rear quarter panel had been kicked in, and worst of all.. the b*stards took a sawzall to my front end and cut through my frame rails to steal my core support. What kind of sick, evil, twisted little punks would mutilate a clean titled ITR that way? Especially when there are so few of them left. I still feel sick just thinking about it. Even better, the police officer started to ask me questions that made it clear that they suspected insurance fraud. All of that came to a crashing hault when I snapped that I only had liability insurance (stupid. I know.)
I towed what was left of my R home and put a car cover over it. I had been borrowing my brother’s Saab to get to work since the theft. My wife felt so bad for me that she went and spent our boat money on a 2010 civic SI the same day my R was recovered. She is an amazing girl. I love her more than anything. Even though it was my own fault, I blamed that little eg for taking up the garage space that should have been dedicated to the Integra. I finished putting it back together and sold it within the week. I rolled the Integra back into the garage, and it’s been there ever since.
Since my car was uninsured, it still carries a clean title. It will be restored to its original glory soon. I’ve made a lot of progress since September. I’ve been collecting parts from all over the world, and there have even been few developments in the theft case. So much has happened since September that I could probably keep going on and on for days. I think this is already way too long for a starting post, so I’ll let this digest before I start updating with progress reports and pictures. If this is the only post in this thread that you read, please learn from my mistakes. Protect your cars: Two way security, kill switches, and attack golden retrievers are all necessary. However, these measures are not enough on their own. Never let your guard down, and make sure you secure your car EVERY night. I will personally never own another Honda without LoJack or another similar tracking device again. It is worth every penny. Install an alarm system on your house and garage and make sure that your vehicles are insured by an insurance company that you can trust. Updates coming soon.
-Stan
Last edited by Built2grind; 01-31-2015 at 06:28 AM.
05-25-2014, 12:33 PM
#2
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Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
That was such a gut wrenching story to read. I have been fortunate to never had my R stolen from me , but I have been fucked in other ways during my ownership. I can't think of another make and model where the owners get fucked so hard.
05-26-2014, 06:19 AM
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Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
fcking *** holes pisses me off what they did to your car, GL with build. If need any parts LMK I work at Acura parts dept
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05-27-2014, 05:57 PM
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05-27-2014, 06:18 PM
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Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
LoJack is now as important to me as gas. Actually.. Now that I think about it.. I got LoJack for my new car before I ever bought it gas. True story.
05-28-2014, 05:40 PM
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Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
Updates coming soon. I'm just on honda-tech for now.
That's awesome! I really appreciate the support. What a nice gesture! After I've caught this thread up to real time I'll let you know. Thanks dude.
That's awesome! I really appreciate the support. What a nice gesture! After I've caught this thread up to real time I'll let you know. Thanks dude.
05-28-2014, 06:06 PM
#17
Honda-Tech Member
Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
Good luck with your rebuild! Just looks like a blank canvas. I went through a similar rebuild, i had a build thread on NWP. I started out buying everything brand new, which at the time i didnt mind, but the cost started to get out of hand. I ended getting a complete running donor car. Now when the R comes back from paint i have a complete running car to use.
05-28-2014, 07:14 PM
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Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
UPDATE:
After leaving off on such a negative note, I think it's only right to share a more positive chapter in the story.
After months of endlessly searching craigslist, eBay, and everywhere in between for any sign of my car without a solid lead.. After months of hearing nothing from police or detectives.. After COMPLETELY giving up any hope for any form of justice or redemption.. I got the call I had been waiting for.
January 28, 2014- 139 DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS STOLEN- A warrant was served. A car was impounded. And best of all, a week later I got back MY ORIGINAL MOTOR AND TURBO KIT!!
I can't go into specifics because of an ongoing investigation, but I can say this: I was contacted by a detective. For a solid week I spent every waking hour collecting old photos, serial numbers, and receipts. This was probably one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I tried to do everything I could not to get my hopes up. In the end having excellent documentation and a little good luck gave me a light at the end of the tunnel that most in the same situation can only dream of.
The day we were reunited:
After leaving off on such a negative note, I think it's only right to share a more positive chapter in the story.
After months of endlessly searching craigslist, eBay, and everywhere in between for any sign of my car without a solid lead.. After months of hearing nothing from police or detectives.. After COMPLETELY giving up any hope for any form of justice or redemption.. I got the call I had been waiting for.
January 28, 2014- 139 DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS STOLEN- A warrant was served. A car was impounded. And best of all, a week later I got back MY ORIGINAL MOTOR AND TURBO KIT!!
I can't go into specifics because of an ongoing investigation, but I can say this: I was contacted by a detective. For a solid week I spent every waking hour collecting old photos, serial numbers, and receipts. This was probably one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I tried to do everything I could not to get my hopes up. In the end having excellent documentation and a little good luck gave me a light at the end of the tunnel that most in the same situation can only dream of.
The day we were reunited:
Last edited by Built2grind; 02-03-2015 at 04:02 AM.
06-03-2014, 02:46 PM
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Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
Thats a tough story to read, its so sad that people do this kind of thing, but its really great to see that you got the car and original motor back. Can't wait to see more updates!
06-05-2014, 02:46 AM
#23
Honda-Tech Member
Re: 98-0914 Resurrection
I read this briefly at work yesterday, but I never noticed the dents bro.
That's so frustrating to see, it's bad enough they completely stripped your car, but to then kick in the quarter panel is so fucked up.
I'm so sorry these pos scumbags did this to your car.
That's so frustrating to see, it's bad enough they completely stripped your car, but to then kick in the quarter panel is so fucked up.
I'm so sorry these pos scumbags did this to your car.
