Honda and Acura tuning is nothing new. It’s been around for well over a decade now, and B-series are almost slowly becoming a thing of the past. With all the rage surrounding the K-series swap, we are always pleasantly surprised when a B-series equipped Honda / Acura chassis stops us in our tracks. This 2001 Acura Integra GS-R may be over six years old, but shows absolutely no signs of wear and tear. Representing the rainy North West section of our country, we meticulously went through this Integra with a comb and could hardly find a single flaw in it. We take it back; we couldn’t find a single flaw in it.
First things first, when this GS-R left the lot back in 2001, its 170hp from the factory was fairly good enough on the streets. Now that 350Zs, EVOs and STis are commonplace, this GS-R knew its 170hp just couldn’t cut it anymore. Wanting to stay naturally aspirated and breaking the 220whp barrier, the B18C received a complete overhaul from top to bottom and now boasts a 12.5:1 compression ratio. Redlining at 9000rpms, Shawn Church of CAT fame has tuned it to the musical tone of 223whp and 153 ft-lbs of torque. How did it achieve this monumental landmark? Let’s take a look!
Starting with the bottom end, the entire block was balance and blue printed by none other than Golden Eagle Manufacturing. Resleeved with Golden Eagle HD’s sleeves, the bottom end was refitted with Arias 84.5mm pitsons, Eagle H-Beam Rods and a lightened crank. ARP rod bolts along with ACL bearings, HD head bolts and a Golden Eagle headgasket are the finer details before we get into the head. A new oil pan along with a Mugen thermostat and Fluidampr race pulley was installed while the block was out of the car.
Onto the head, the GS-R head was completely revamped with Toda goods. Toda’s C2 camshafts along with their cam gears and timing belt attribute to the massive high end horsepower gains. The head received headwork from Portflow, along with their titanium retainers, inner and outer valve springs and bronze valve guides. The GS-R also utilizes REV’s stainless steel flat face valves. Once the motor was reassembled, a set of Jenvey / Hayward 48mm Taper Individual Throttle Bodies were installed. Additional fuel was pumped into this motor through 440cc injectors from RC and a Walbro 255lph fuel pump.
Bolt ons to the power plant include a Hytech custom header, SMSP straight pipe, KTeller custom 2.5″ exhaust piping and a Mugen Twin Loop muffler. Light décor include a Spoon Sports Kevlar plug cover and HKS D1 oil cap. Cooling is now handled with a full size C&R radiator along with a SPAL fan.
Getting all the naturally aspirated power to the ground became the next task at hand. The GS-R transmission received a JDM Integra Type-R 4.7 final drive and a Quaife differential. The stock clutch and flywheel were swapped out for components from Competition Clutch. Hasport mounts replace the old OEM ones and Jim Fab’s lower torque mounts ensures any movement is kept at a minimal during gear changes.
On the exterior, this Integra has been kept super clean and tame. The all metal JDM Integra front end transforms the vehicle to an exquisite design. The OEM optional kit was bolted on along with a VIS carbon fiber lip, Seibon carbon fiber hood and Spoon mirrors. The only body modifications that were done to further clean up the exterior of the car was shaving the rear spoiler, emblems, moldings and antenna.
The car is now a handling machine thanks to a fine collection of suspension modifications. At the center of it all is a set of TEIN RE coilovers. Skunk2’s front upper control arms and Ingalls rear upper control arms allows for full camber adjustment, while A-sport fender braces and Function ITR control arms further beefs up the suspension. Comptech’s rear sway / tie bar combination has become the setup to have on any Honda / Acura vehicle. A custom trunk wall bar was added to further stiffen the chassis. On all four corners are a set of Power Slot rotors placed on a JDM Integra 5-lug conversion. Setting this car off is a set of 17×7.5″ BBS RGR wheels in silver, wrapped with Yokohama’s ES100 tires in a 205/40/17 form.
On the inside, the Integra’s clean theme continues. A pair of Recaro seats can be seen along with a stainless steel harness bar with Takata harnesses draping over. A Nardi classic steering wheel replaces the factory piece while a Feel’s shift knob is in grasp for the fortunate driver. Several pieces from the Integra’s JDM counterpart made its way into the interior as well, including the cluster, arm-rest killer, clock block, fog light switch, air bag tray, door panels, rear seat and shift boot. A set of Mugen pedals further reinforces the JDM goodness throughout the cabin. Lying on the passenger side we spotted an AEM EMS 30-1050 that Shawn Church used to tune the car to its 223whp claim.
This Integra is a true fresh of breathe air, and as it prowls the North West we can only smile at how alive Honda / Acura tuning still is. The B-series is still an extremely appealing powerplant and we are just glad that not everyone has converted!
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