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Browsing around, it looks like I'm not the first one to get back into the honda game many years after selling my first car / first build in 2005. For the few that may have still been around back in the day, I sold my 5 bolt DA with a build B20VTEC which had seen many engines in its time, from a mildly built B18A putting down around 160whp to the big forged internal 200whp B20 (no VTEC) and then ultimately the B20VTEC she was sold with. Here's a few photos:
I loved her dearly but as I was growing up I realized I could not really justify having a summer only car, and had to move on.
Fast forward around 10+ years later, I started wondering if my car was still out there. I put out feelers on local forums and classifieds but never came across anyone who knew where it was, or if it was still around at all. I had set some eBay alerts, as I always knew I wanted another DA, but never really knew when one would come around.
Fast forward to the worst possible time. Wife is pregnant, and I've got my house torn apart doing some significant renovations.
A friend sends me over a link to an ad. A one owner, 80,000km, all original 1990 Integra RS. I called, I went to check it out, and had to have it. It couldn't have come at a worst time, but I knew if I passed on that car I'd kick myself forever. So I once again became a proud owner of my 2nd DA:
My plans were to simply enjoy it as is, but something had to be done about the mismatched tires and the worn front brakes. Why would I get new tires for the 14" steel rims, and why would I put on new 10.2" front brakes when I could gently splurge on some new 15" wheels & sticky tires, and a slick 11" front brake upgrade?
First order of operation however was to do a quick engine wash and to deal with the 29 year old original timing belt
Well you guys know how the story goes. Get the new rubber (15x7" Enkei Compes) and realize why we all lowered our cars immediately back in the day. I contemplated cutting the stock springs to keep a more reasonable ride quality as I don't drive like I'm 18 anymore, nor do I want to fall into pothole and lose a tooth due to having spring rates designed for smooth California roads. After shopping around I found that Progress Coilovers seemed to have the lowest spring rates around, and seemed like the right choice.
The realities of driving around an almost 30 year old car became quickly apparent once again after going for a quick drive out of town when I thought I heard someone with a loud exhaust pull up behind me, only to be disappointed when I clutched in and realized my exhaust had suddenly failed!
As I did not yet know the fate of the project, I wasn't ready to put any sort of aftermarket exhaust on the car. I phoned around for the cheapest possible replacement and found a local muffler shop with a rear muffler replacement still in stock and at a very reasonable price of $100. Took her home, painted it black and transferred the tips over and we were back in action.
I had decided to use the DA for a few days and get some work done on my daily driver, and after a rainy day I was presented with a nice surprise on my passenger carpet:
Shockingly I was still able to get the parts needed to resolve this common issue from the dealer, and got the shroud all sealed up to be weather tight!
Thanks guys! Its been a while since I've done the forum thing but I know how much I like a nice project thread so why not try to keep myself on point and document the build!
So far, I'm a few months in, and have gotten the above mentioned Progress Coilovers, Enkei Compe 15x7" rims & Dunlops, 11" front brake upgrade (ITR/Accord front calipers, Mini Cooper Discs, TSX pads), and a new muffler. Some other small items were replacing the buzzy, deteriorated stock speakers with some Infinity 6.5"'s I found on some local classifieds.
Now I'm just enjoying the car for some occasional drives and my father in law offers me the use of his Harbor Freight polisher, and I realize this faded single stage paint might be able to have a second life after all! Before I tackled the compounding, a friend who works in aviation brought over a paint thickness gauge and we went through each body panel to ensure no surprises. I binged on some AMMO NYC videos and then spent a couple of evenings in the garage and couldn't believe the turnaround.
Our daughter is born and life changes forever (yes in an incredibly good way!!!) Car gets parked and used for some errands here and there and she gets parked for the winter, and for wherever it might take her...
So with the winter in full effect I started planning out what I really wanted to do with the car. Some visit to the local JDM shops and started getting ideas about engine swaps, but I didn't feel right with any of the options. I knew I wanted to do some sort of b20 variant of some sort as I had done in the past, given the low cost and the extra torque which is really what I'm looking for as I am realistic in regards to what will make the most enjoyable experience driving around on the street.
I was considering a B20 swap, Intake Manifold, Header, Crower 62403's and calling it a day. This way I got to keep Power Steering & Air Conditioning as these were some of my priorities. That said, I started getting some ideas at the JDM shops... Looking into the options of an H22a swap (Euro Type R 220hp 2.2L), and even turbocharging the stock block. I considered the JDM Spec R B18C swap but couldn't believe how the price hadn't gone down in 15 years.
In the meantime I knew the factory clutch was finished and took the opportunity to do some more engine bay cleanup...
So being completely torn on the fate of the project, I'm browsing around online and realized that with my priorities of keeping PS, AC and things relatively simple, why have I not considered superchargers? Reading about the Jackson Racing Supercharger for the b-series, I quickly learnt why they had a poor reputation. Low peak power output, no real way to cool the charged air, and specifically on the LS motors, their variants were equipped with the M45 blower vs the M62 blower which was outfitted on the GSR/B16 variants. All that considered, I felt that a JRSC may be the best route for me as I was not trying to make tonnes of power, but I wanted to keep things simple, and torquey for street driving.
Looking around I could not find any M45/LS setups, but found plenty of VTEC setups. Doing some digging, using the intake manifold gaskets as guides, I found that the intake ports were an exact match, and really the only differences between the B16 and LS heads were the water fitting location and a few studs.
Turns out with some further research, the JRSC manifolds for the LS/PR3 heads were a shared casting and simply drilled differently, so I could likely buy a M62/PR3 JRSC and fit it onto the LS which would make for a nice setup that would also work with a B20 block down the road.
Was eyeing an auction and pulled the trigger and decided the direction of the project!
So as I had the engine part figured out, I had an itch visiting those JDM shops to consider doing another 5 bolt conversion. I had already upgraded the front brakes but loved the look of my first car with the 16" JDM ITR wheels. Looking around on some local forums I found a clean set of gunmetal JDM ITR's and whoops... I had to buy them!
With the wheels purchased, I figured doing a 5 bolt wouldn't be that bad of an idea. I'd be able to upgrade the rear trailing arms, get some new(er) rear brakes where mine were getting pretty tired, along with some newer trailing arm bushings and cleaner knuckles etc... Time to drop the old setup out...
Back to the engine, I had to figure out some sort of option for a good header. Checking out the old forums, seemed like Endyn and many people swore by the Kamikaze 4-1 header, but it was nearly impossible to find. Having had gone through about 5 headers on my first DA, I knew that I had some priorities for this header regardless of power: excellent ground clearance and no notching required of the original crossmember. After contacting the helpful folks at 1320 and PLM, I considered all of their models and pulled the trigger on a PLM Toda replica header and to my delight, it fit like a charm!
With holidays out of the way I got back into manifold modifications and got her fitting up quite swimmingly and was getting really excited!
With the manifold fitting like a glove and a few plugs away from being ready for the LS, it was time to get everything assembled up for a full test fit.
Stock Injectors were just for test fitting, as I had picked up a set of RC 550's!
So next up was to fit the supercharger assembly and then worry about fuel lines, drive belt alignment (I heard they can be a nightmare on the JRSC). Before doing some final cleanup, I decided to do a mockup only to realize the blower pulley is coming in contact with the master cylinder. I go back, wonder what I'm doing wrong. Then decide to do a bit more googling. Turns out there's a reason why the original literature never included the 90-93 integra, and not because of most other manufacturers where they just forget about it, but because IT DOES NOT FIT!
After considering my options, I realized that I could make it happen if I deleted the brake booster, went with a single circuit brake system, or created some sort of custom spacer plate to offset the blower from the manifold. Turns out none of those things were worth it for the theme of the project and it was time to pack up the supercharger to find a new home!
In the meantime I distracted myself from severe disappointment and sorrow by receiving a package from new zealand...
So here's the predicament! So my plan went from doing a JRSC on the original LS engine, and now that's out of the question. So I started going back to the local JDM shops and at least checking out the 5 bolt conversions. 15-20 years ago I remember these selling for under $1000, complete with suspension, callipers (that looked like new) and bushings in great shape. I didn't put too much thought into it but realized it's been 15-20 years. Turns out those JDM integers weren't locked in a time vacuum, and they aged significantly. Looking them over, I decided it'd be too much hassle to do the 5 bolt, and started looking for other options.
But it was a priority of me to relive the look of my first DA, complete with the 16" JDM ITR's. In googling around, trying to figure out what my wheels were worth (I thought I'd scored a great deal) I came across some google image searches of some immaculate examples on eBay, but then all of a sudden come across one with 4 bolts. Turns out I was unaware that Rota had made a copy of these wheels. That was all the sign I needed to stop with the 5 bolt, and continue on my way with 4 bolt, my upgraded 11" ITR brakes were already there, and I could refresh my suspension appropriately.
Dropped all 4 corners and disassembled to get them a little cleaner:
No longer did I have a sandblaster at my disposal, I wire brushed them using an angle grinder to the best of my ability and completed the rest by hand. Coated it with some "rust converter" and then laid 3-4 coats of Chassis/Roll Bar paint. Installed some fresh rear trailing arm bushings, Koyo front bearings, ball joints, and left the rest of the bushings in tact.
Note the front LCA's are missing from this photo. With the bolts seizing to the inner bushing sleeve, I was unable to remove the outer rear LCA bolts or inner front LCA bolts without cutting the bolts out or melting them out with significant heat. I simply lacked the gumption to do this given the unknown for the rest of the project.
Last but not least, my new Rota Spec R wheels arrived!
Finished cleaning up the rears with a new set of callipers brakes etc, and painted all 4 calipers with some VHT caliper paint in cast iron grey and clear coated for a durable finish:
Now as you can recall, I have sold the JRSC and my plans for the engine are up in the air. Looking around at the JDM shops, I was considering all options...
Euro Accord H22a swap w/LSD
Pros: Best torque, Great power
Cons: Cable shifter, no PS, no AC, originality points, who knows about header/exhaust fitment
JDM High compression B20 with Crower 62403 & valvetrain, Blox IM
Pros: Cheap, Good torque, better power than B18, ode to my old non-vtec days, can maintain AC & PS
Cons: Poor idle, no LSD, only a modest power increase
JDM ITR Spec R swap w/N3E trans
Pros: Great power, LSD, can maintain AC & PS, timeless engine for the heydays of tuning Hondas, bolts right in
Cons: Expensive, 4.8 final drive will take a hit to highway drives forever, not much torque
So after a lot of deliberation and number crunching, I came across a package from a world class shop out in Montreal that specializes in JDM Subaru components but has the odd Honda swap every now and then. It had solid compression #'s across the board and didn't show any signs of leaks, oil consumption, and very clean under the valve cover. I also figured these engines are likely going to become harder to find and likely more expensive as the generation that grew up with them may begin rebuilding them similar to what I'm doing today. So with all these thoughts, and knowing that I'm going to be keeping this car until I'm old and grey, I may as well build it the way I know I'll appreciate the most in another 10-30 years...
Next thing you know it's on its way...
Out came the old, of course, with a floor jack, some straps, beer and a good friend...
With the engine out of the way, it was time to get this thing as clean as it could be. Using a toothbrush and some soap and water, I detailed every section of the wiring harness, brake booster, firewall, brake line & bracket I could access. Not brand new but turned out pretty good if you ask me!
So next up was to figure out which mounts I was going to use. The cable based B series use a front mount which bolts to the cross member, however the hydros do not. Phoning around it looks like most people do one of 2 things: 1) swap internals from your hydro N3E trans into a 92-93 casing, or 2) run a 3 mount setup with slightly stiffer mounts. Figuring as I was also going to be maintaining the cable actuation for now (until I pull the dash and do a proper hydro conversion), I grabbed a full set of beautiful machined HASport mounts...
Next up back to that engine, I decided while it's real easy to throw on a new genuine ITR timing belt and repaint the valve cover. Unfortunately the valve cover paint is really not the right shade of red, but it will do for now until I can stomach ordering an OEM valve cover!
My 2nd DA's build thread
