I've been searching for an Adriatic Blue Pearl GSR for a while now, but they're too hard to find. So today, I made an offer on a 99 ABP LS in great condition, and will be picking it up next week.

Question:
What else (besides the motor) do I need to change on my LS to "convert" it to a GSR? (ie ecu? suspension? brakes? sways?)
I'd like to completely match everything up to Gsr-spec.

I'm not interested in visual mods, only performance.
Thanks for any help!

-tag

 

I will probably not be the last person on what to do with this car that you are going to buy. It sounds to me like you had your heart set on a GSR?? If so, why don't you just avoid the trouble of converting an LS to a GSR, and just buy any old color GSR and get a new adriatic blue paint job. Converting your LS to a GSR will cost much more than just getting a good paint job. The motor, im, ecu, trans alone will run you nearly twice the amount of getting a new paint job. Then you would have to have it installed unless you are mechanically inclined, and that will more than likely run pretty expensive. Then on top of that you have just to list a few:
1. front strut tower bar
2. new intake ( i think they are different sizes the LS and GSR)
3. throttle body
4. headers
5. exaust
6. leather seats ( if you are going all the way)
7. not sure if they are different but ( gear box, shift linkage, etc.)
8. GSR wheels, tires, 15 inch
9. GSR wing, if you didn't get one on your LS

And I'm sure that there are more things.....just can't think of them right now

My suggestions to you would be to go and buy any GSR and paint it the color you want. Or for all the money you would put into converting your LS to a GSR, don't stop with GSR parts. Buy aftermarket things for your LS (engine, suspension, etc.) that will make you superior to a stock GSR. Get a coilover suspension, and slap a turbo on it and run ~6-7 psi and wave bye bye to the GSR in your rear view mirror. You could build the motor too if you have the money and run even more boost, and wave bye bye to lots of cars in your rear view mirror.

My advice to you on modifying cars is to not jump into things head first, and to investigate all your options before you dump all your money into something that you are going to regret having done. Even on your purchase of your integra. Weigh your options before you buy anything, so you are not stuck with an LS when you really wanted a GSR.

Welcome to Honda-Tech, its an addiction! Good Luck with whatever you choose, and keep us informed!

Later,
Jon

 

WTF are you thinking? Why the hell would you want to buy a LS and make it a GSR, it's a waste of money. If I were you, I would turbo that bitch, and spank the **** out of any GSR. If you're not a fan of FI, then frankenstein it. Get yourself a VTEC head, and you're all set, you'll be faster than any gsr out there. Also, why would you want to get the same suspension set up as a GSR? It's a waste of money, If I were you I would try to get a 5 lug conversion, with some ITR suspension, or maybe some nice aftermarket coilovers.

 

I agree with hondajon. You'll save time and money by just buying a GSR instead of converting to a GSR.

 

ECU, tranny, shift links, drive axle. I think thats it. They have some good package deals on the net if you are looking for used motors and have a place to install them at. Let me know if you want them.

 

Thanks for the replies guys!! I love this board.

I didn't know there were so many things to change out, and that the costs would be so high.
So I've changed my mind and will just either go turbo or vtec head.

Question #2:
If this is my daily driver, which would be more reliable: Frankenstein LS/VTEC or Greddy turbo @ 6-8 psi?
Also, how much should I expect to spend for the VTEC head method?

Thanks!!

 

I actually think it woudl be wiser to jsut turbo it like he previously said. Faster car that way and the LS is the one ot turbo. Or at least supercharge.

 

More realiable IMO is the JR Supercharger. Can't vary the psi, but its a lot of bang for your buck nonetheless.

 

Okay, so if I supercharge my LS with the JR kit, will I be the same or faster than a GSR in straightline performance?

* The main reason I want to increase the output of my LS to GSR levels is for slightly-agressive freeway passing, etc (VTEC). But since it's going to be my daily driver, I like the fuel economy of the LS. That's why I was siding with the frankenstein setup. (NA = more reliable I am thinking than FI)

Hmmm, lots of great ideas. Pls keep em coming!

Thanks
tag

 

JRSC . Had one on the ITR, didn't like it. Going all motor now. For reliability, you always go with all motor. So do the LS/VTEC conversion, but don't spend the whole day beating the **** out of it.

 

Listen, just get the LS. In the end you will be much happier with a boosted LS than a GSR. I recommend getting a DRAG III kit, they are pretty cheap nowadays. LS was made to be boosted.

 

I'll take your advice and stick with the LS, and go FI.
Which method of FI do you guys recommend for daily driver -- sc or turbo?
I'm thinking sc for better gas mileage.

Thanks again for the great info so far.

 

IMO, i think you should get the LS, and keep it an LS...just do some bolt-ons and you should be happy, its not like the B18B is that bad...i mean, it's not as fast as a GS-R...but its not a slow car by any means...for driveablility factors such as fuel efficiency and wear and tear on a daily driven car, if you dont have deep pockets like some of our fellow HT members, keep the LS N/A...anyways enough ranting on my part...just do what makes you happy...if you got enough cash to turbo your car, and youre not looking at keeping it reliable forever, then do it...if you want your car to maintain somewhat stock reliability, then keep it N/A, and stay away from LS/VTEC unless you know a really good mechanic...

 

The LS is a very solid foundation to build on. If you want some cheap thrills, get a nitrous kit. The stock B18B bottom end can take 75 shots on a dry kit easily. And up to 100shots on a wet system. I'd go with the wet system. Then later on you can use that in conjunction with your turbo. For a good turbo kit, I prefer DRAG Gen III or a RevHard kit. DRAG is cheap right now at groupbuycenter.com

On another note, the Jackson blower for the LS is useless. It doesn't utilize the larger pully that's on the GS-R and ITR blowers. I wouldn't waste the money on that. For similar money you can get a Greddy turbo without the intercooler and still be making a lot more power. Good luck.

 

I agree with many who have posted. If you want good gas mileage and reliability you might want to stay away from most FI applications, especially LS/VTEC. I had a JRSC on my LS and although it was no beast it was a lot more fun to drive, the gas mileage was still good, and I had no problems with reliability. You can also look into making the GSR style blower (M62) which is superior fit on your LS. It all depends on what youre looking for. If you really want the power all of the time on the freeway NOS does not sound like a good idea because you can't spray all day. If youre really serious about going the JRSC route check out the forced induction forum on http://www.hostboard.com. Good luck and have fun

 

I think turbo is a good choice for a daily driver. Gas milege should remain almost the same unless you're using the turbo all day long.

 

I think the JRSC will actually take up more gas than the turbo, because the JRSC is forever on. However, the turbo only starts up after a certain RPM, so if you're not beating on it, you won't waste as much gas as a JRSC. When I had the JRSC, it ate up gas like a motherer, I was only getting around 190 per full tank, depending on how much I beated on it.

 

How do the stock autoboxes hold up to FI upgrades. The reason I ask is because I have a slowass 96 RS auto and I am thinking of going turbo or s/c. Man I wish I got a GSR. If I hear that the tranny wont hold the power then I will have no other choice than to get a 95-96 LS-S (5 speed so I can transfer my AEM cai and thermal exhaust onto and save money) or a 95-96 GSR (which I cant find any in GOOD condition).

Word of advice dont get the auto you will regret it