Hi, I just recently purchased a 1996 honda ITR. I just wanted to get some advice on things to start out with in terms of maintenance and small mods that can improve the car overall. It came with Tien coil overs, FGK exhaust, and a spoon hood. I ordered an antennae delete to clean up the exterior as well.

 

Generally start with fluids and work your way in. With it being a 1996, I'd imagine check the drive belts, timing belt, and water pump at minimum. Address oil leaks, etc. Also bushings will be needing addressing at this age.

 

Did the fluids and belts I will check out the bushings next, thank you!

 

Hi friend! I just picked up a 96 spec earlier this year. Here's what I'd do:

• Air Filter, Oil Filter/Oil Change, Fuel Filter
• Change MTF and Coolant (see below)
• Check condition of drive belts
• Verify mileage/age of timing belt/water pump, replace if necessary and perform valve adjustment
• Verify age/condition of tires, OEM size has almost no options so I run a 205/50ZR-15 CONTINENTAL EXTREMECONTACT SPORT SL
• Verify all lights are operational. Tail light bulbs may be burnt out due to leaking taillight gasket (also may have moisture in trunk). Replace bulbs/gasket if needed
• If your vehicle is equipped with ABS and is the ABS light is illuminated, check the trouble code (see other threads on forum). It will most likely be a high pressure leak which requires removal of the ABS module and replacement of a cheap o-ring (easy fix)
• Common oil leak spots on our cars are distributor o-ring, vtec solenoid gasket, cam seals, oil pan gasket. All are very simple to replace
• As mentioned above, your bushings will most likely be completely dried out and cracked. I have only gotten around to replacing the rear sway bar end links and all associated bushings and they were toast. Check condition of all bushings + motor/trans mounts (your only OEM-ish option now is to buy Mugen mounts)
• Check condition/age of distributor cap, rotor, spark plug wires, and spark plugs. Replace using OEM parts (NGK plug wires best aftermarket option)
• Purchase your parts from AcuraPartsWarehouse, HondaPartsNow, and Amayama. Amayama parts ship from Japan/UAE but can be cheaper than buying from the USA if you purchase in bulk. I am extremely cheap and those are the best places to make bulk parts orders. For fluids, head to your local Acura/Honda dealer for the best prices. For one-off items, check Amazon but beware of fake parts. RestoTuner offers a nice selection of plated/coated hardware. Check them out
• Verify condition of brake pads and rotors. The 96 spec ITR rotors are not shared with any other Hondas. Search the forums for solutions regarding that
• If your shifter feels funny, check condition of / replace shifter bushings. There are many options ranging from OEM to poly bushings to Spoon/Mugen(?) bushings if my memory serves me correctly