I'm considering picking one up for daily driving use, auto x, road course and whatever. To have fun with once in a while but mainly to have something fun to drive that won't give me problems.

What should I look for when searching? My budget is low at a $6,000 max and I'd rather spend less. Does it matter what year out of 94-01? Is it GSR or bust?

How well do these cars handle, I'd like to hear from someone with track experience not some highschool kid that thinks they know what they're talking about. I'm not an newb when it comes to cars, just THESE cars.

What are known problems? What should I look out for?

Is it better to buy a bone stock one or a tastefully modded one?

Would you rather buy say... a Supercharged LS? or an NA GSR?

What should I take with me for knowledge when looking out?

 

https://honda-tech.com/forums/acura-integra-6/all-gen-integra-%5Bfaq%5D-diy-write-ups-how-etc-2419202/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/forced-induction-16/%2A%2A%2Aforced-induction-forum-faq%2A%2A%2A-1024174/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/road-racing-autocross-time-attack-19/faq-road-racing-autocross-forum-2574277/
These kind of questions are generally answered all over the place, or are personal preference. Start reading up on the FAQs. Supercharged vs NA? Check dyno charts.

 

That's quite some requirements for a car.

$4.5k will get you a decent 94-97 GSR with about 140k+ miles. I'm not a big fan of GSR's since the whole chasis is practically the same to an LS, RS, and GS. Also, as you can tell, I despise drag race since money is the biggest factor to a fast car.

Yes, the 98+ are a tad bit different. The front lights, and bumpers are different. They got rid of the trunk release lever on the driver's side and placed it on the trunk itself. The steering on a 98 is much firmer and smoother than a 94-07, IMO. You can oversteer if not careful on those turns. Suspension-wise, the 98 feels more firm on corners.

I owned a 94 LS and now, I own a 98 GS. They stole my old LS from the park.

What you can expect from a GSR is not much different than an LS in terms of autocross and mountain runs. The only difference is the slight increase in straight run speed. Corner's entrance speed and exit speed determines which car will be faster. Also the tires and suspensions :D BUT DONT ROAD HOG....I've seen too many accidents happen with idiot mountain drivers who take the whole road on a blind corner

Don't do straight runs...that's the fastest way to break your engine. They're a pretty fun autoX or mountain run car. Remember, no matter what drivetrain the car is, they will all understeer if the front tire's grip have been exceeded.

I'd like to buy a stock car and see what the car can do in a stock state. If you buy a fixed up car, you'll never know the max potential of the parts put into the car. You can add parts as you like to fit your taste. It's kinda ridiculous to buy performance brake kit if you're a straight run guy. Same goes for fully adjustable suspension if it's not for circuit racing and just regular street driving. Know what you want to do before putting things on.

If the engine sounds clicky, don't buy it. That's a sign of a worn down or neglected engine. These cars tend to get loud shortly--even after a valve adjustment. It's always good to buy one off a white lady who doesn't look like a car enthusiasts :D

I haven't ran into much trouble with the 2 integras. Only my 98 needed a head resurfacing since it never had one and it just so happen to warp on me, the 2nd owner @ 110k. Oh yea...another big issue with Honda cars is the stupid radiators. The caps are made of plastic, which is clamped onto the core. When yours go out on you, get an all aluminum radiator. It may be a bit more but it's better than a plastic cap.

Besides that, integra are a pretty good car for regular street driving and occasional spirited driving style. If you want speed, the GSR will be a good car. But they require premium gas though

 

Here are my opinions:

I'd get a clean car with low mileage that seems to have been well cared for. The engine feel and chassis tightness can tell a lot about a car, IMO. I'd also shoot for a 94-95 if you want to mod, as having an OBD1 ECU will make that much easier. Otherwise, the newer the better. I'd also get a GSR for the best price/performance balance.

They handle well for a car of their era, with low weight and a highly communicative feel that is VERY hard to get in modern cars, in my opinion, but I don't autoX or race on tracks.

A well treated engine will last hundreds of thousands of miles, if not indefinitely. At 120k look for radiator leaks (in the upper seam, actually), and expect to replace the clutch every 60k or so. As Honda uses interference engines, you will need to replace the timing belt upon purchase unless you know its mileage. Electrical faults are very rare. Tranny's are wonderful but a bit weak. Synchros seem to be a problem, in my experience. My first and fifth gear syncros are both slowly failing. It's partly a result of driver incompetence, however.

A matter of opinion. You can save money on inevitable mods by buying one already modded, but lose the pleasure of doing it yourself. You also run the risk of mods being improperly executed. You can trust the reliability of an OEM part, but not necessarily the reliability of a modified part. Maybe this is baseless, but I tend to think that people who do mods are performance enthusiasts who are more likely to run their cars hard, but also to take pride in them and care for them. I, however, bought my car bone stock from a woman who just wanted a fun red sporty car to commute 2 mi to work in, and it has been a very strong car.

A matter of preference -- which do you want? I would caution against buying an FI setup you know nothing about. A poorly set up/tuned FI Honda motor can tank FAST. Personally, I would steer clear of cars with many mods, unless I was only looking for a project car and wanted a head start. I'd also get a GS-R, as you are already getting a lot of performance and a lot of potential. LS engines can be very fast, esp. with VTEC heads or FI, but can also be finicky when modded that way. I think maybe a GS-R gives you more flexibility in balancing modification cost and performance targets, since you don't have to take a big financial plunge (FI or VTEC conversion) to make one fast. That said, if you want an LS turbo, it may be better to just buy one for roughly the same cost as an unmodded one, and spend your money tying up loose ends if the car winds up having some problems.

When you see a used car in person and take it for a spin, you can feel whether it was loved by its previous owner. Cars communicate a lot as you drive them around. Now I only buy a car if I can feel that about it.

 

I've went to the mountains with my buddies once or twice a month. Some 2, 240sx users, 1 RSX, a civic coupe and 2 integra, one GSR and mines. The RSX has the fastest straight run speed but the driver's a noob so he's slow on the turns. Between the 240 and integra, whoever's more experienced with the road is faster. Besides the drivetrain, they're almost a perfect match for each other. The RWD will give the 240 a bit more advantage over the DC.

I took the 240 out for a spin and that thing is pretty fast on the turns but has a tendency to whip the tail around. The only difference I can see with the 240 and my integra is that it wont let me downshift to the next gear until I've fallen into a safe rpm zone. Might of been the stock ordeal. Heel-toe wont wont work with the 240 but does with the integra.

 

It doesn't really matter what year Integra you decide to buy, what you need to worry about considering what you plan on doing with the car is if the car has been in any accidents that could have cause frame damage in any way. For what you're looking to do a GSR sounds more like what you'd enjoy. But don't get me wrong, an LS isn't that much of a downgrade.

On a scale from 1-10, stock performance handling for all Integras, (non Type-R) from 94-01 I'd have to rate between 5-8. Remember, tires, wheels, condition of springs/strut does make a difference.



Known problems when buying is odometer fraud. Make sure the title/carfax/ all paperwork lines up correctly. Try not to buy an Integra that's been hit, smokes real bad (that's if you don't mind doing motor work).

It's always better if you can IMO to buy a bone stock car. That way you can do whatever you'd like to it, and it wasn't somebody else's problem that you were getting yourself into.

I'd rather buy the NA GSR because you know the supercharged one has been beaten on. Not in all cases but a lot of the time people get rid of these because it's time to start replacing internals in the motor that they've destroyed from beating the hell out of it and not preparing the motor the correct way to force so much air down it's throat.

Never really trust what anyone says about a car they're trying to sell. Look to see how many previous owners, condition of title, if it has a good inspection, and if it doesn't, why doesn't it? If the motor has been replaced, why? See if maintainance records are available. Why is the buyer selling the vehicle? Ask ton's of questions, and look into every little thing.


That's just some of my thoughts. I'm sure there is someone on here who has more experience with these cars on the track that can help answer your questions. But I've been there done that, and learned the hard way when it comes to buying cars especially Integras. This is just my $0.02, hope you got something out of it. Goodluck.

 

I think I can answer your question pretty well. When I moved to a different college I sold my heavily modified FC RX-7 and bought a GSR sedan. My GSR has 120k on it when I got it and about a two inch thick folder of maintenance records from the dealer, it was in pretty dang good shape. I was big into autocross and HPDE type track events with the FC and had a blast with it but needed something that didn't blow up etc. I do miss RWD sometimes and sure it doesn't handle as well as the FC but it's still a decently fun car to tool around in everyday. I've found it to be a really good balance of fun/econmy. Stomping on it around town I get about 25, with the FC I got 15. It has a decent amount of body roll and understeer but I think that with about a $200 Progress Group sway bar that can be mostly fixed. I've got mine on stock wheels with decent Falkens and it sticks suprisingly well for a basic sedan, brakes are okay, and acceleration is pretty good.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the car pleasantly surprises me with how good it really is almost every day I get in it and I've driven it about 17,000 miles over the last year and a half. It's not really good at any one thing, but it has above average performance in basically all categories and it makes me smile when I drive it hard, because it always surprises me with how good it really is. I really don't have anything to complain about, I'd strongly recommend it to anyone looking for something more fun than the average car but also much more reliable.

 

I roadrace and autocross frequently. I have a suspension on my integra and I think it handles very well. To give you an idea, I had a corvette driver from the expert heat wanting to come get seat time with me to see "How I was getting my honda around the track so fast"

Personally for autocross, etc. and if you have the experience. I would try and find a blown integra or one with just a good body and do a B20 swap... It can be done for 6 grand or less...

 

I have run my 94rs integra on the stock suspension for 4 years now and find it handles very well in high speed corners with the right tires. A 94-97 Rs Gs or Ls would be the way to go price wise as you can find them for a couple grand untouched. You would easily be able to setup a suspension to your tastes and give the motor a mild build with money to spare. If your looking to stay mostly stock and get a little more power a Gsr would be your best bet though it will usualy run you more. As far as problems if you found a car owned by an older couple they usualy will keep up with the maintance on the car and keep it in really good condition. The only problems with buying a modded car is you dont really know how well the job was done and if it will last.

 

just look around.a decent one goes for about 6-7k.remeber gs-r hold its value.if your lucky you find at lowball price.i bought my gs-r had blownmotor..drop in a newone now its runin like a champ.gl

 

A lot of good information here, So I won't say too much.
Sounds like you're a guy who would like a little bit of performance... Get a GSR. LS owners will say it's not that much of a difference.. well not until you hit about 4400RPM and them 5700ISH. Then it starts pulling, and you'll love it. VTEC for the win.

I would recommend stock FOR SURE. A Honda taken care of will last forever. If you can find a stock gsr with over 100,000 from an older adult, you'll pay less than 6 grand, and it will be much healthier than some kids modded one with 60,000 miles, TRUST ME.

My brother purchased his 01 gsr from some kid.. At about 65,000 miles, it started running shitty, and needed to be rebuilt.

I bought my 95 from a 60 year old woman who was the original owner. It had 130,000, and it now has 150,000, and the engine is emaculate. Doesn't burn any oil, doesn't smoke, runs perfect. When taken care of, nothing beats a Honda. Driving a high mile fifteen year old car, doesn't feel like it.

Be PATIENT. Find a good one, so you don't have to worry about problems down the road. It's not always about the miles (to a point) its about how hard it was driven during its life. They are out there, just keep looking, and definitely go with a gsr.