The journey towards stance and speed: The Shitegra

[RedHeadMetalHead]

Well, I guess I'd better make a build thread about my Integra. It's a 98, NA, non-VTEC, automatic, FWD Honda. It's not even slow enough to be called slow. It's in its own class of sub-slow. But I love it. And that's why this build thread is.
[All pictures taken with an iPhone 4. I'm no photographer, and I'm blind as shit, so the pictures look fine to me.]

So first, I bought the car a while ago. Got it for a grand as a new DD since my Aurora took a dump. Ran and drove fine, mechanically was very sound. Previous owner did a lot of dumb shit to it [discussed later] and slid it into a guard rail. So I bought it with the driver's side front end caved in. Very very minimal frame damage, which straightened out decently.






The interior was clean as fuck too. All OEM, which I liked.



So the first thing to do was remove the fugly Konig 15's that came on the car with tires balder than Vin Diesel. Replaced those with some OEM 14" 'sunflower' wheels from a 98 LS Integra. Promptly painted those black. Did my tiny-ass calipers in a color you'll see again soon.



Then I did a pure white LED gauge conversion to get rid of the ugly incandescent yellow on the dash. Very nice.



After that, I decided to use a few metal band vinyl stickers I had and do my own take on the "JDM YO" "HONDAZ RULE" "2FAST4U" etc stickers commonly seen on the rear windshields of import cars. I like it.



Next was replacing the caved in bumper and fender. Got them from 2 different cars and the multicolor was killing me. Was testing a potential color for a bit, flat OD green, before I decided I ***** it.



Painted those parts the OD green:



So I painted it gloss white with a black overlay.







That's me!

Looks good in the pictures, but I very hastily painted it with cheap paint, and now I'm regretting it. New BC/CC is on the way, along with a nice gun, so she'll get a good job soon. She stayed like this for a bit before I decided that I really love this car and took a huge step forward.

[RedHeadMetalHead]

So after doing an assessment on how much I really like this car, I decided that this will probably stay with me for a long time. I found comfort in that. I love this car more than any human being I know. Having come to this realization, I set forth to find a mod I had been thinking about doing years ago if I were to ever get a DC Integra: The JDM front end conversion. Does it make the car faster? No. Does it provide more performance? No. Does it look DAMN sexy and make me happy? Yes. So screw you and your opinions.

Normally, these front end conversions with fenders, headlights, hood, bumper, and radiator support run upwards of 1k+, usually in the 1.2-1.4k range. Since this was before I landed my current job, I was working side jobs saving money for my car, and I didn't want to drop over a grand on just a front end.

As luck would have it, I stumbled across a JDM front end, sans hood for a WICKED deal. I immediately snapped it up, shoved as much of it as I could in my hatch, and took it home. I started tearing it down and testing fitment of the fenders and bumper on the USDM support. To do this conversion, one must drill out all the OEM spot welds [all 70+] and weld the entire JDM rad support on. After doing hours of research, I came across what's known as the "T-bar" method and the bolt on method. Basically, the only differences with the USDM rad support and JDM rad support is the bar for the headlight attachment, and the bumper support. Well the JDM bumper support bolts directly to the USDM rad support. That was easy. All I had to do was drill out the T-bar spot welds on the JDM radiator support and remove that assembly.



Boom.

After that, install was easy. Align to the USDM frame and rad support, mark, measure, realign, bolt down, tack welds for reassurance, and boom, done. It pays to do your research.


Painted gold, just like my calipers and the rest of my bay in the future.

Another plus for the T-bar method is the OEM spot welds are still in place for the rest of the radiator support, which means it's a lot stronger than new welds. I know of and have read about people who do this conversion and replace the entire radiator support, only to have the front of the car crumple up when jacked up from the front. Mine's just as sturdy, if not sturdier, than it was pre-conversion, tried and tested.



Everything lined up real well with only a few minor issues, as to be expected.

While I was doing the front end, I was frantically searching for a hood. Found one locally for $200 AND it was carbon fiber. Had it delivered to my garage.


Good deal, if you ask me.

An afternoon of sweating, cussing, and ratcheting, and:


Aw yiss.

In Japan, there are multiple trim levels of Integra [SiR, Sir-G, ITR, and some others I can't remember] just like in the US [RS, LS, GS, GS-R, ITR]. My conversion came off an SiR. That's basically the equivalent of the LS here. The distinctive feature is the all chrome housing projector headlights. Higher trim levels in Japan had black housing headlights, and even build in HID's! I decided I liked the look of the black housings, and did it myself.


All chrome everything


Whoops I broke them


Erection.

Then I slapped them on the front end, bolted everything up, and she was lookin sexy!



Before with chrome housings, then after with black housings:




Right before I started the JDM conversion, my buddy Chris and I took a trip to a local salvage yard during a 50% off everything sale, and we spotted a Miata with a bunch of Miata goodies for Chris, but I had my eye on the wheels. They were hella mad JDM tyte legit track wheels in 4x100, which is my bolt pattern. Picked them with with good tires on all 4 for $90 out the door. STEAL.


15x7. No Fast & Furious 18" wheels here. I have plans for fancier wheels in the future, and more aggressive offsets, but these will tide me over more than enough until then.

[RedHeadMetalHead]

After the front end conversion, I bought some nice adjustable coilovers for maximum lowz yo. But then, my horrible luck kicked in harder than VTEC.

My car came from the north. And the north = rust. And hot damn, did I have some rusty-ass bolts. Broke the heads off both rear lower control arm bolts trying to remove the stock struts.
My friends/henchmen/slaves Chris and Eldin came over to take part in the nonsense and we ended up trying to grind the bolts out with my Dremel. But that can only do so much.


This blows.

Then I said "fuck it" as I always do, and bought an angle grinder.





After all that bullshit, I hacked off the rusty blown OEM struts and got a good drop with my coilovers [which I got for a steal too!]



Plenty of room to go a lot lower [and I plan to, trust me]

Loving the new look, loving the stance, loving being so incredibly JDM. Did some last minute BS and rolled out to a meet that Saturday with my buddy Eldin.


First time being driven in over 3 weeks.

Took a few shots of the car with the new front end:





My photography skills are improving

[RedHeadMetalHead]

Then came time to fix all the extraneous bullshit that I'd been putting off.
Got new bulbs for my tails and turn signals. Installed an alarm and keyless. Did a LOAD of security mods [and I'm nowhere near done]

Then I replaced the plugs and wires. While I was doing that, I got a new valve cover gasket and studs to stop the oil from leaking all over my engine and burning off later.


Got a set of RSX seats and a carbon fiber OEM Type R spoiler which I've always liked. [no pics of those, sorry]

Then the issues with the exhaust popped up more. I bought the car with a funky manifold and a bit of a leak, but I dealt with it and put it off for later. I got used to the sound and really didn't notice it until my newly lowness cracked said header and turned my car into a monster big block V8. Or at least it sounded that way. I began dumping fuel, running pig rich, and throwing check engine codes left and right. I was running open header and none of my emissions sensors knew what the fuck was going on. So I caved and took her to a local custom tuner exhaust shop [S&S Custom Exhaust] and had them weld everything up correctly to a new header I had.


Here you can see that ITR spoiler. It really completes the look of the car, in my opinion.


My baby's all better!

She ran and drove fantastic afterwards. +1 to S&S. Will be taking her back there soon!

My occupation right now is depollution and yard hand at a salvage yard. I love this job. The pay is great, I get to work with cars and get dirty, and I get an in on the automotive world. One of the perks of my job is getting to see running cars come in and have their drivetrains pulled and resold.

Spotted a motor on our stands and thought about a possible swap. Then my B18 started knocking. After much discussion and research, I jumped on it.



J32A2 V6 out of an 02 Acura TL. Got the motor for $300. Good shape too. It's a bitch of a swap, but I really want to do it for the performance and to be different [Mustard on the beat, ho]. I'm going to pull the tranny, axles, harness, and ECU at work this week. I'll have to drive another daily until I get this swap in and running 100%. But once I do, watch out, this thing will be NASTY.

So that's all for right now. I've done a lot of other mods and maintenance, but I don't feel like listing everything. So yeah, that's it. Comments welcome. You can criticize, but I don't give a fuck and a half about what anyone else has to say, so it's not worth the effort. My car, my choices, my money, my mods.

More to come in the future as this swap progresses. I have visions of a snail in the very distant, but not too distant future.

[Phenom3030]

I'm sub'd for more.

[M.Doban]

This could be pretty great!

Rotate your pictures though. It'll be easier on the eyes.

[aLaFleur]

Are you shooting pictures with a crocked potato?

Good progress though.

[RedHeadMetalHead]

Are you shooting pictures with a crocked potato?

Good progress though.

Nah, using my microwave. I forgot to set it on high when I was snapping the shots, my bad.

I'm getting a halfway decent camera soon, so the pictures will be better from now on, I promise. Besides, it's just now getting good.

Just dropped $800 for a set of wheels. I know for a lot of you on here, that ain't shit, but for me, it's my first set of legit not-so-legit wheels. And they're brand new, which is something I've never had before.

Also collected everything I need for the swap, minus the transmission, but I'll grab that at work before the end of the week. Planning to have the swap completed by the end of March, with new wheels, new suspension, and new paint too.

[RedHeadMetalHead]

UPDATE:

Selling the J32 motor and just going to drop a B20 in. It's cheaper, a lot easier, and frees up a lot more money for this car and my other project, an 88 Supra.

Wheels should be here soon. Just got my set of 195/50/15. Going on an 8.5" wheel. Gonna be a nice stretch.
Air management is ordered too. Oh yeah, I'm bagging it.

Got a decent camera now, so the pictures will be better, I promise.

[kittenpuncher]

[RedHeadMetalHead]

^ This.

I acquired some air struts in a trade, but they fit a 7th gen Civic [01-05]. I'm contemplating modifying them to fit my Teg and taking off the air cylinders that are currently on my car.

Also, just ordered my air management [finally]. I'm very excited to finally be able to afford name brand stuff.

[justaneffer]

a lot of stuff going on with this, I don't think a j series is worth the hassle, rare swap yeah but you can save money on keeping it b series and actually paint the thing.

[rice4life]

This is just going to be another build of half finished crap, isn't it? I can see this thing being sold on craigslist as some unfinished project.

You said that you don't like your car being three different colors, then it became a mashup of SiR-g silver front, white body, carbon fiber spoiler and hood, and a black roof and trunk.


Work on one thing at a time. This is why you see so many riced out hondas. They have a lot of good ideas like you, but they don't want to take the time to do them properly or start of 50 things at once that they will never finish.

Sorry to burst your bubble and be the hipster of stance|works, but I don't like it.

Please prove me wrong, intergras can be so cool when properly modded.

p.s. don't bother with a b20 swap, unless you throw on a vtec head or make sure it has a p8r head. I helped do a jdm crv b20b swap, and the p8r head makes the b20 a really competitive engine.

[RedHeadMetalHead]

This is just going to be another build of half finished crap, isn't it? I can see this thing being sold on craigslist as some unfinished project.

You said that you don't like your car being three different colors, then it became a mashup of SiR-g silver front, white body, carbon fiber spoiler and hood, and a black roof and trunk.


Work on one thing at a time. This is why you see so many riced out hondas. They have a lot of good ideas like you, but they don't want to take the time to do them properly or start of 50 things at once that they will never finish.

Sorry to burst your bubble and be the hipster of stance|works, but I don't like it.

Please prove me wrong, intergras can be so cool when properly modded.

p.s. don't bother with a b20 swap, unless you throw on a vtec head or make sure it has a p8r head. I helped do a jdm crv b20b swap, and the p8r head makes the b20 a really competitive engine.

I see you missed the whole don't-bother-with-the-criticism thing, so I guess I'll lay it out for you.

I work 40 hours a week at one job and have 2 other part time jobs. I work about 60-70 hours a week. Not much time for anything else, and what time I do have is either spent sleeping or working on this car.
I don't have children [and hopefully never will], but I'd sell my child before I sold this car.
And you whole "riced out Honda" nonsense is exactly that: Nonsense. Loud coffee can exhaust? Nope. Huge aluminum spoiler? Nope. Altezza tail lights? Nope. 18" chrome wheels? Nope. Underglow? Nope. Ugly body kit? Nope.
The only thing that needs to be done is to paint the car. And it will be painted. As a matter of fact, I just got my Sata in the mail yesterday and just set up my compressor tonight. So guess who's gonna be doing some body work and painting after the engine swap? This guy.

Like the thread says, there's A LOT of work being done right now and A LOT more coming up. But I guess reading > you. You'll just have to wait and see. Or not, since this build is apparently so horrible and worse than AIDS. I don't see why you'd bother to check up on it.


To the less negative people following this thread, my B18 is on its way out of the car. I'm going to be doing a bay clean and detail and start routing wires and hoses for a modest tuck. The new motor goes in tomorrow, and she should hopefully be running again by Sunday. I'm going to hold off on posting pictures [which will be good quality this time, I promise] until I get my wheels. The only carbon fiber that's going to be on the car will be the hood. The rest is all going to be the new super special secret color.

I need to get my hands on a tank and compressor set up. Is running dual compressors generally the stance industry accepted standard? Or can I get away with 1?

[rice4life]

I see you missed the whole don't-bother-with-the-criticism thing, so I guess I'll lay it out for you.

I work 40 hours a week at one job and have 2 other part time jobs. I work about 60-70 hours a week. Not much time for anything else, and what time I do have is either spent sleeping or working on this car.
I don't have children [and hopefully never will], but I'd sell my child before I sold this car.
And you whole "riced out Honda" nonsense is exactly that: Nonsense. Loud coffee can exhaust? Nope. Huge aluminum spoiler? Nope. Altezza tail lights? Nope. 18" chrome wheels? Nope. Underglow? Nope. Ugly body kit? Nope.
The only thing that needs to be done is to paint the car. And it will be painted. As a matter of fact, I just got my Sata in the mail yesterday and just set up my compressor tonight. So guess who's gonna be doing some body work and painting after the engine swap? This guy.

Like the thread says, there's A LOT of work being done right now and A LOT more coming up. But I guess reading > you. You'll just have to wait and see. Or not, since this build is apparently so horrible and worse than AIDS. I don't see why you'd bother to check up on it.

God damn, just because you post shit means that it will dictate what we do?

This is a fucking forum, and I will criticize if I want to. Not if you think I should.

You honestly think that altezzas, big wings, loud exhausts, big rims, and neons make something ricer? Look at your fucking car, nothing on it is finished, yet you had to time to start throwing on mad tyte JDM shit. Plus, you have the typical ricer mentality of that you know best. Sorry kid, you're just another ricer.



I told you to prove me wrong, and I even gave you advice into your choice in engines. But NOOOOO you and your 10 fucking posts are way above me. It's almost like you are a fucking OG here and you are too good for it.

/rant

Talk is cheap, just do it already. Build your car like you say you will.