Ok, as many of you know my fiance (JDMek) and I own a RHD Integra Type R. We've come to a dilemna. Should we continue through the registration process (a royal pain in the *** btw) to get it fully street legal or go all out track car??

Street plans: Mild turbo setup for 350whp, built motor, neptune, full interior, street tires, a/c, power steering, etc.

Track plans: road race setup, full cage, more suspension mods, stripped, no a/c no power steering, onefab topmount turbo manifold, 350-400whp, also built motor, neptune, etc, but with R compound semi-slicks, racing seats, etc.

what do you all think?

Really fun street car that's equally as capable on the track, but attracts severe amounts of unwanted attention from ricers and cops alike but something i can enjoy everyday

or

AWESOME track car, no need to finish registering, much safer being farther away from theifs, better turbo setup with more power, faster, but something i'll only be able to enjoy once a month, maybe less, and will also need to buy a truck and trailer to get it there.

 

I would make it a track car but I think that u should drive it near stock on the track before you go and decide to put 400whp on a road race car.

That is a lot of power on the front wheels and with that much power comes more stress on the brakes and tires.

So if you are looking for something trouble free and fun the car would be nice with nice seats and roll cage and suspension. I think that much power asks for more problems on track. Too much power can leave u spinning out. And traction becomes a problem too mid corner.

You will no doubt be fast on the straights. But it's coming to a stop and having ur tires get grip i would see as the problem.

Remember that overheating can also be a factor. When behind another car there is not much air going into the intercooler. But I suppose if you set the car up right and you can drive it and handle the car right turbo road race car can be a good thing too. I just think that it sounds easier than it is. There are a lot more things to worry about.

 

thanks for the advice, i've considered all those, and i'm by no means a n00b to the track. i grew up racing 600cc Superbikes and have tracked everything from 600hp vipers to 560whp civics.

and allow me to clarify on my road race comment of my possible plan for the R, not real racing just track days. Motorsport Ranch just got approved to build a 2.26 road course track 20 miles from my house....:D

 

Track car, f00!

Good luck

 

First problem is, dont turbo a Honda that you plan to use as a dedicated track car, if you're seriously considering that read the rulebooks like the HC CCR for example. I wouldnt even consider getting involved in these (anytime soon) but if I was Id read the rulebook (like I have) and see what classes I'd be placed in. They have almost every mod covered and what is legal and what isnt.

A turbo isnt legal in the HC from what I understand, and if you were to use the turbo with other organization you could be placed against some crazy unrestricted cars.

Personally I think you need to drop the turbo ITR idea, IMO its really pointless. Buy a broken block, sleeve it then have fun but dont blow a decent N/A motor just for fun.

 

sounds like theres more pros than cons when and if you make it a track car. if i had a second car that was nice looking i would do the same to mine.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KOALA YUMMIES &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">First problem is, dont turbo a Honda that you plan to use as a dedicated track car, if you're seriously considering that read the rulebooks like the HC CCR for example. I wouldnt even consider getting involved in these (anytime soon) but if I was Id read the rulebook (like I have) and see what classes I'd be placed in. They have almost every mod covered and what is legal and what isnt.

A turbo isnt legal in the HC from what I understand, and if you were to use the turbo with other organization you could be placed against some crazy unrestricted cars.

Personally I think you need to drop the turbo ITR idea, IMO its really pointless. Buy a broken block, sleeve it then have fun but dont blow a decent N/A motor just for fun. </TD></TR></TABLE>


again, i wouldn't be competing with the car, only use it for HPDE's. i'm not interested in building a true race car, too much money to invest.

and don't worry, no matter if i track it or keep it streetable, the B18C won't be the block getting the turbo. it will be either a JDM GSR block, or a B20B block. i like power, but i'm not willing to destroy the ITR heritage.

 

Registration wise ... Make it a race car and that that part of the importation process. Maybe race/show with a 2500 mile per year limitation.

There's no reason why you can't track a turbo car if you take some precautions and make sure their's enough airflow through the radiator, oilcooler and a BIG intercooler.

Also, turbos are legal in NASA as an HU (Unlimited) entry, after which it could probably be run as an ITE car in SCCA.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KOALA YUMMIES &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A turbo isnt legal in the HC from what I understand, and if you were to use the turbo with other organization you could be placed against some crazy unrestricted cars. </TD></TR></TABLE>

As a tracking turbo ITR, I have to agree with ALMOST everything Koala just said.

However, if you're serious about it (which you aren't) you could race a turbo ITR in a new class called "HU" with Honda Challenge. Unlimited class. As far as I know, there's no real competition there, and will likely be won by the team with the deepest pockets and the most power/grip, which may be its demise.

If you do a real mild setup, you could turbo and track an ITR on a built motor, semi reliably, with an oil cooler and bigger radiator. I'm doing that now. But the number of problems seem to escalate any time you're adding more heat or higher cylinder pressures. OEM brakes are even "sorta" good enough, especially since you can choose to run track-only pads.

From a cost-benefit factor, though, if I had a track-only car, I'd keep it N/A so you can spend less time under the hood, more time driving it, and keep the cage and motor legal for HC or SCCA in order to preserve some resale value.

-Chris

 

again, i'm not looking to compete with this car. if was was looking to compete, i sure as hell wouldn't have gone all the way to japan to get a car. i would have bought a usdm and built a sanctioned race car. i just want to have fun with the car, and am sick of driving it on the street where it is suceptable to thieves, cops, and bad drivers.