Hello,

It's not often that you hear new information about our 12 year old cars. This might be news to some of you guys. As you can see in the below pictures I have recently picked up this '96 USDM ITR. I say '96 because this is the year that this particuliar car was produced. This was the Acura Press Vehicle which was used to debut the ITR to north america. As far as I know there are no other no other north american ITR's that predate this one, someone please correct me if i'm wrong.

Here is a little bit of history about this particuliar vehicle. Acura obviously first owned the vehicle for press purposes. In May of 1998 the car changed hands and was provided to Comptech specifically for the purposes of developing performance parts for the ITR as you can see in the picture of the letter from Honda/Acura NA. After Comptech went out of business the car was acquired by a private party. Then I acquired the car recently.

Here are a couple of interesting facts about the car. There is no number badge on the center console because this is a pre-production chassis. It has never been registered. There is a shade above 5k miles on the car. Honda/Acura didn't develop the B18C5 in time for the US launch so the car has an LS engine and tranny. This car was used for performance part development by comptech, it has comptech sway bars, suspension, nsx brakes all around, strut tower bar, and cold air ice box. All of the comptech parts may in fact be the first ones produced for the ITR.

Sorry for the bad pictures. I will take better ones after I give it a good wash. I was only able to upload 5 pictures, I will make another post with additional pictures of the letter from Honda/Acura to Comptech. Let me know what you think.

Update 1: New pictures on page 4 and a partial revealing of the VIN
Update 2: Response from former employee of Comptech on page 6 (See post by GUILOTINE)

http://hondamarketplace.com/showthre...3#post49706113

 

Unicorn

Wait - no B18C5? The C5 is not that different from the B18C in the 96 spec ITR. Why wouldn't they at least equip it with a B18C spec R engine if the press were to drive it? Mfgs can bring over non-DOT/EPA approved cars for various reasons. Then again I thought pre-production cars were usually sent to the crusher. It'd be interesting to know what the VIN is. Not saying to post it, but I'd imagine it's a very low last 6 digits. What's the ninth character in the VIN? That signifies year. 1996 would be a T.

Very clean! Very low miles! Very interesting!

 

Here is a picture of the letter from Honda/Acura NA to Comptech:

 

nice....thats a high redline for a ls engine

mind saying how much you paid for it?

 

Even stranger that they chose to equip it with a LS engine and tranny as opposed to the b18c1 that is readily available that year.

 

VeRy interesting but hard to believe that they would put LS motor in a Type R...

I can't wait to see some detailed pictures

 

Something I didn't know, something new I've learned about the R in a very long time.

I know Comptech Rs had no VIN, but a JDM-like serial number on the dash.

 

Here is some more documentation. I have other documents but I am not posting them because it shows the VIN.

 

Maybe similar to the Realtime ITRs

 

That is way cool man!

 

The ninth character in the VIN is in fact a T. This is a 1996 chassis.

 

wow!! nice! wtt? lol

 

Thats some cool **** man. Nice pick up!

 

maybe im a retard but whats the big deal about posting the vin? thiefs maybe??? idk

 

nice grab , but i also higly doubt it that acura would just throw in an ls motor all we can do is speculate however i'm sure something happened to the original motor as im sure they would want to impress the press with the actual performance of this vehicle so they further write their articles of how amazing this car revved and handled

 

wow. good find n good luck with it.

 

With the VIN of a vehicle you can at least get a key made through Honda/Acura. You normally need photo ID, proof of ownership and the cash to pay for it, but a little social engineering or knowing someone in a dealership can bypass that, unfortunately.

I would be interested in having the VIN so I can run it through Hondanet. I understand if the OP is wary of telling me in PM even though.

I'm thinking the VIN either would not bring any result or would show as an RS.

 

That's amazing, though it's a pity it doesn't have the true heart of an ITR.

Still quite a feat. to have at your disposal.

 

OK so let's get some more info on the motor, any pics? LS head? Headstamp year, VIN on the bottom of the block by the header. I'm sure it might not have originally had a B18C5 stamped block but at least a B18C block of some type(prototype or JDM). Somewhere along the line the motor was swapped out. It is possible that Comptech sold it without a motor and tranny and the private party put an LS drivedrain in. Until I see matching vins however I refuse to believe it's the original motor...Very cool find however none the less.

 

So are you going to register it???

 

Damm a USDM 1996 ITR :O

Right when we thought we knew it all on ITRs !!!

 

nice find

 

more pics, i just could not believe that acura wanted to put out a test itr and have an ls motor in it.

 

I've also never heard of this, but excellent find! Such low miles, too. I'm in for some pictures of the motor as well.

Mind if I ask how much it was?

 

So, is it basically a RS chasis too ? Painted to look like a ITR

Do you know if it has all of the reinforced sheet metal/bracing of a ITR?

All of this good stuff?

http://www.itr1220.com/graphics_and_...tRunitbody.gif