Hello everyone..

haven't been on this site in ages.... I had a 96 si, "US EX" which I sold two years ago... was going to buy an 09 Si, ended up picking up an 09 Cobalt SS/TC

So I haven't been in the honda scene in a while...

I have started taking my cobalt to the track... it is an awesome track car!

But since it is my daily driver, I'm thinking it would be better for me to just have a cheap/dedicated track car... which brings me here....

The prices on the RSX-S or Type-R's aren't that bad now, but I will not be keeping 65% of the parts... so if I were to get one or the other, which one could I part out easier? For example ITR seats or RSX-S seats? ITR exhaust or RSX-S exhaust? etc... etc...

I know, this will stir up a lot of debate.. but which of the two would make a better track car? Obviously, the RSX-S is heavier, and will be heavier then the ITR even after weight reductions.. but the RSX-S engine is better...

Honestly, sometimes I just think about making my cobalt the track car and picking up a civic as a DD

Thanks,

John

 

IMO, If you get an R its very "raw" from the get go. You won't need much more than a helmet and any other saftey requirements. That is if your doing HPDE or autox of some sort, you can really test your own driving skills with an R because of how well they're balanced. Also, its almost a sin to mod R's for crazy power just to shoot down the quarter your better off getting a gsr or a hatch. If the strip IS your goal, a type-s is probably your best bet. K20's have a lot of potential for good times even in the heavy chasis's honda puts out today.

 

Should have mentioned, will be road course only... what is the average ITR making to the wheels? I know they are like 197hp, are they under or overrated?

 

That depends on whats on the engine, Intake, injectors, header etc...
There has to be an ITR forum that gives the average numbers to the wheels of an ITR bone stock.
No where near 197 though.
Even the RSX isnt close to its rated hp.

 

ITR all day.
rsx suspension sucks

 

FWIW I have a 00' JDM ITR swap in my EG hatchback. It is 100% stock w/ the OEM intake manifold, OEM ITR 4-1 header.

The only performance enhancing aspects of it is there is no AC, no ps, 3" AEM cold air intake, and custom 2.5" catless exhaust. I am also using a Skunk2 composite fuel rail and a aeromotive fpr.

S300 tuned it made 191whp/136tq on a Dynapack 4000 (SAE corrected).

 

you could have the best of both worlds and build or buy a k-seires powered civic or integra.

 

I own an RSX-s which I used for my first track day and all the way up through HPDE 4 (something like 8 perhaps 9 weekends in total). While it was a good car and I enjoyed driving it, I bet you would be better off with the type r. As mentioned, the car's suspension leaves quite a bit to be longed for. The car is kind of high off the ground and is pretty softly sprung. The suspension gains very little camber gain with compression, and combined with the soft springs, you need tons of negative camber just to get full grip. Plus, the suspension undergoes huge toe in changes under compression too, at least in the front.

I have not driven a type r, nor am an expert on its suspension, but I am sure it is superior to the rsx. Don't worry about the power difference, even if there was much of a difference. Does the type r have a limited slip? The rsx does not and it was HUGELY detrimental to lap times. If I had purchased a limited slip for the rsx, I bet it would have saved 2-3 seconds off lap times...!!

I recently upgraded to an S2000 as my track car and have relegated the rsx to daily driver. The s2000 is so composed on track that going back to the rsx makes it feel extremely twitchy, something that I had not noticed before driving the s2000. I believe this to be due to suspension design and perhaps to very soft/complaint suspension bushings.

So anyway, I recommend against the RSX as a track car. I am not saying it can't be made to be fast (suspension, LSD, camber, caster, bushing kit, etc, etc...), but I wager it will be a lot more work than starting with the integra.

 

hmmm, that's not bad

for the cost of an ITR... could I just build a 92-95 hatch, with a K or B18C5.. and some suspension?

Would it be more or less, like I said it's been awhile and last time I was around the engine alone for a K swap was 6k CDN and the C5 was going for 4K-5K

 

For what you can get an ITR for now you are better off just buying one of those than a Hybrid/swap car or an RSX-S.

The ITR will spank an RSX-S on the track. The power to weight pulls them on the straights and they outbrake them in the corners. Plus the ITR is way more fun to drive.

A hybird/swap car is a lot of fun on the track. I used to own a 97 Civic CX with a B16 and it would run. However, building the car can become expensive (almost as much as an ITR) and most of the time you are looking for ITR parts for it. Also if you ever decide to sell it, it will never be worth what you spent.
Another thing, if you ever autocross with a swap car you will be in street mod and way out of your skill level.

 

What class will you be using your car in? HPDE only?

A magazine did a test with a professional driver on one of the local circuits down here in Australia with an Australian model DC2R against a DC5R (basically a JDM type R with k20a2 and RSX-S brakes and suspension) as well as an 05-06 DC5 Type S (The same as the USDM 05-06 model) and there was basically nothing in the lap times with the two Type Rs being faster but close together. Obviously a US RSX-S won't be quite as fast as the Type Rs we get here but I don't think the speed differential will be quite as much as some suggest. The newer DC5 chassis will be more reliable, easier to find in good condition, and more comfortable when you are cruising to the track.

If you aren't building a car for a specific class and don't have a whole lot of experience then I would go consider going for the RSX.

 

a face only a mother could love....

 

Sure does have a purdy mouth!

 

Mark you make everyone jealous!

 

ITR.. its great right from the start.. although i am a big rsx-s fan, ITR, imo, will be more fun..