With the ever growing craze of JDM developing throughout the nation, it’s always hard to set yourself apart from the crowd when trying to keep an extremely clean car. John’s Integra caught Hibbs’s eye, because it’s not only clean, but it has managed to set itself apart from the crowd…in more ways than one. From the performance to the brakes to the exterior, John has developed a recipe that not only brings Japan’s best to his car, but his own personal touch making it extremely unique.
Starting from the exterior, it’s hard as hell to not notice the new shade of paint on the shell. The complete car was stripped and painted as just that, a shell – for the most complete job possible. For those wondering what the color is, it’s from the Nissan Xterra and is basically a camouflage green. The paint shade is kept throughout the car, inside and out. Up front is the authentic JDM front end conversion along with the JDM ITR front lip spoiler. While the car was at the paint shop, the roof skin went with a black shade and a VIS Carbon Fiber Hood and Carbon Fiber Hatch was bolted on to free some weight and offset the camo shade. Last but not least on the list of body modifications, John decided to shave the moldings and the emblems, replicating that genuine and clean Type-R look. The taillights were also swapped for the all red, no amber shade in the rear.
Onto the brake, wheel and tire combination, John didn’t shy away from anything but the best goods here as well. He swapped out the stock suspension and brake components for some JDM ITR 5 lug front and rear. The rotors were also swapped out for more aggressive Brembo cross-drilled and slotted sets along with PBR brake pads. The final touches were added with stainless lines, making sure the DC2 stops on a dime without worry. With the bigger brakes and the 5 lug conversion, John went with some special order Rays Engineering Gram Lights 57C in a gold shade. Wrapped with 215/45/16 Falken Azenis rubber, the wheel and tire package is bolted on with Muteki open-ended lugs.
So for the most part, the exterior was complete and the Integra took on a whole new look. It was time to make sure the car performed better than it appeared. In the suspension category, the entire shock and spring combo was swapped out for APEXi World Sport coilovers with upper pillowball mounts in the front. Energy Suspension bushings tighten up all the loose ends, while a JDM ITR front strut bar tightens up the chassis. Steering is neutrally balanced thanks to a JDM ITR front sway bar and a GSR rear sway.
It’s now time to pop the hood and bask in the glory of a genuine B18C JDM ITR powerplant. Additional horsepower has been added to the B series heart, starting with a JDM ITR 4 to 1 header out to a Comptech exhaust. NGK plug wires provide additional spark, and additional fuel has been added thanks to a Federal external fuel pump, AEM fuel rail and fuel pressure regulator. Fuel pressure is monitored through a B&M gauge. Cooling has been enhanced with Samco Sport radiator hoses and Flex a Lite fans. Energy Suspension motor mount bushings make sure the motor flexes as little as possible between shifts. Aesthetic goodies under the hood include a Skunk2 battery tie down, Carbon Fiber spark plug cover and Spoon Sports reservoir covers.
Getting the power to the front wheels has been made extremely simple with a JDM ITR LSD transmission equipped with an ACT Xtreme Pressure Plate and 6 puck disc clutch kit. A JDM ITR flywheel frees up some weight, allowing the RPMs to spin to VTEC range a little quicker. Powertrain is complete now, what else has been done to set this car apart from the crowd? The interior.
Take a seat inside. Guess what, you just went in the wrong side. Yup, this DC2 is RHD, completing the package on a JDM ITR conversion. The Sparco Torinos in a black/gray shade accent the interior quite nicely, while the Sparco 4 point harnesses buckle in both the driver and passenger. A 4 point roll bar was added for those track day events. With the new RHD mode, JDM Access RHD floor mats were added, along with a JDM ITR steering wheel, door panels, switches, dash, gauge cluster, shifter console, boot and armrest eliminator. How many more goodies did John get from a JDM ITR? How about carbon climate control and vents, clock block plate and power folding mirrors. A little engine monitoring is seen from the inside from an Autometer air/fuel gauge. Last but not least, since John does drive this car every day he keeps his tunes handy. Up in the dash is an Alpine CDA-9815 head unit, powering Boston Acoustic speakers in the front and rear.
JDM, RHD and ITR powered. It’s a complete package on a car that is literally seen on the streets. The shade of camo green is as unique as it gets, and the fact that John has to throw money across the car at the McDonald’s drive thrus… priceless.
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