after many years of reading and enjoying everyones stories here i now have one of my own

i have been wanting a type r for 17 years and now finally can say i own one

1997/98 i remember the type r coming to the states. the local shop here at the time apex motorsports got a 97 itr. i remember vividly it in the back getting a set of 17" volk te37 rims installed on it with less than 100 miles on the odo. i never did spy a 97 on the lot of our one and only acura dealer at the time scottsdale acura but i would go on the weekends and admire the 98 they had sitting outside the showroom. i ordered the type r accessories that were advertised on the back of super street magazine thinking maybe one day i would own one.

early 2000s i went and looked a phoenix yellow itr i had seen advertised on autotrader. it was local to me and very nice condition. i came close to pulling the trigger but alas i did not.

in 2006 my friend trian purchased a 98 and had it outfitted with nearly every mugen part available. 2007 rolls around and he calls me asking if i wanted to buy it at a smoking price with all the mugen parts installed and all the stock parts. at the time i was going thru a divorce and couldnt afford to do so. trian ended up selling the car to our buddy joe

after i was back on my feet from the divorce i started actively looking for a type r again

2010 took me to chevy dealership in north scottsdale. they had just gotten a 2001 black itr in on trade. the slimy salesman half knew what he had and was unwilling to deal so i walked away. the search continued.

2013 was going to be my year or so i thought. while wandering craigslist i spied a 2000 phoenix yellow itr with jdm front. my friend ryan had a phoenix yellow a few years back and had sold it to a kid who outfitted it with the front end. i wondered if it was the same car. i went to look at it and while looking i called ryan and confirmed it was his old car. the kid didnt have the ecu so i was unable to drive it. after a week back and forth trying to schedule a day for me to come and test drive the car. tuesday we agreed for the following sunday would be the day as that was when we both had free. sunday morning comes and i call and confirm that we are still on for the afternoon. cant get a hold of the guy. finally in the afternoon i get a hold of him and he tells me he has a family reunion to go to. a bit upset i say ok when are you available again. he said monday. i had plans monday going to concert so i suggested tuesday. he said that would be ok. on my way to the concert i get a text from him telling me sorry he sold the car. i was livid. the search continued.

a few months later my friend bryant asked me if i wanted to buy his 2000 black itr. it was rough around the edges and for the amount of coin he wanted i told him i would have to pass. he ended up selling it for quite a bit less than what he quoted me after putting money down on another car and being squeezed on time constraints. crap. i would have paid that price for it had i known. the search continued

all the while these other itrs were coming and going my buddy jaime had this 98 shell he was going to build. knowing that i had wanted an itr for years and having quite a few car projects going on he offered to sell me the shell. i had a project myself at that time and didnt have time or space for a shell. jaime pushed on with the project and began installing parts. decmeber rolls around and he is nearly done with the car. i had been helping him with odds and ends parts he had needed to finish it. he calls me and tells me he cant complete the car. he needs another back surgery. he offered to sell me the car with the rest of the parts so i could finish her properly. being the holidays and all i told him i would have to see what i could do. we were able to complete the deal this past weekend and i picked her up this week.

there are a few odds and ends to finish up and some parts i need to procure but with that i introduce you to 98-0841. thanks for reading

 

this goes without saying im sure..




but you enjoy that!

 

Haha I remember Kwan's Type R. He riced that thing out toward the end of ownership.

You're car looks pretty clean. I'm a little jelly. Enjoy her and keep her safe.

 

Very clean! nice grab.

 

thanks

when did kwan have a type r? when he was running apex in tucson?

thanks it has fresh paint and badging

thank you

 

Sheepballs..LOL
Looks pretty good..

 

Yeah. Before he really got into his Supra phase. Did his brother Homer run the one in Phoenix? Man I miss the scene from back then. It was so much better.

 

very very very nice mang. I was in a similar situation as you, searching for soooo long. Dealt with SO MANY flakers and people pulling the same ****, "I'll meet you for sale Tuesday" and Monday during the day suddenly "Its sold". I went through 3 or 4 of those in my many year search.

You say she needs to be finished up, but from the pics I see, she looks to be in good health!! What does she need!??


Mileage?
Title Status?
Paint?
Accidents?
OEM?
Upgrades?


Did you still have the parts your ordered in 2000?!?! That would be so awesome to finally lay those parts in a home.

What are your plans for heR now that you finally have one?

CongRats again!! I just recently purchased one myself and Im ITCHING to get behind the wheel but NE salty roads have her tucked away sleeeeepppinnnn...

 

thanks

yeah i vaguely remember the R. definitely remember the supra phase. big kwan was doing pharmaceutical sales or something like that when the tucson apex was up and running. i agree it was better back then. dang we sound like old fogies now lol

 

thanks man. its definitely been a journey

she needs little things here and there installed. like random plastics, inner fender liners, rear items, etc

has gsr leather seats so those are being sold and on the search for itr fronts

mileage - 37k
title - salvage
accidents - no
paint - fresh paint as of 2013
oem - exterior and interior

alas i did not order the optional shift **** and trunk mat that were advertised

i did order the hat, t-shirt, keychain and mug. wore the shirt. lost the mug. still have the keychain and hat

i plan on driving and enjoying her

thanks and i know the feeling of the salty roads. grew up in ohio and its bad there

here is a picture of the hat on wiley coyote

 

 

I'm glad your patience and persistance paid off for you sir. I can only imagine how you feel.

 

lol...when clifford sold me 00 #510 he passed along like 4 or 5 models with it...and a couple girls i was friends with (yeah, thats probably the best way to put that..haha..) gave me a couple more..

 

Sound like? We are the old fogies of the scene haha. We came from the era you had to trial/error everything. Nothing had been done yet. For awhile down here I was the only one who had a Turbo Integra. How much were you associated with Apex Tucson?

 

Gorgeous. Congrats

 

Nice "R" she look great..sometime we have to wait the time instead of running for it!!..you plan to go full oem or mod her??

 

nice!

 

Good looking R!

 

DUDE!!! I can't believe you finally got one! Will you have it @ IFO???!

Congrats man, and I can't wait to see it in person

 

Congrats! that sounds like quite the journey.

 

thanks

i feel joy and relief at the same time lol

awesome. i need some more R models

i remember those days. i had training down in tucson for a few mounts around 2000 and would go visit kwan and shoot the ****. i knew him back when he was selling parts out of his house in gilbert. i lived about 10 mins away

thanks

thanks man. going for the full exterior oem look

thanks

appreciate it

i know. i keep having to pinch myself. i am going to try and have it at ifo

thanks and yes it was ha ha

 

Awesome story man, she looks great! Besides the seats what does she need to get all finished up? Looks like it's been quite the journey for you, enjoy her man!

 

if i ever find another jdm py itr one, im gonna end up buying it..


thats the only one that needs to be replaced. the one i have has gotten damaged over the years..

 

Congrats and good luck.

 

Congrats for your new toy... i always want a CW R !