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Integra LS Touge/Time Attack (Minnesota)

8K views 35 replies 6 participants last post by  Absolute_Yeti 
#1 ·
This weekend I picked up my new project, an Integra LS ('95) auto to build a Touge/Time Attack car for racing at Brainerd International Raceway here in Minnesota. I've also had a thing for the integras since I was in Elementary school and Middle school and kind of reinforced my want for one when the original Fast and the Furious came out and Ja Rule's and Mia's integras (among a few background ones) were racing about. I'm coming from a VW/Jeep/HyundaiKia background working on cars with varying levels of mods on the misc vehicles I've had over the years. The most recent two being my 2012 Veloster NA and my 71 VW Fastback (type 3) restoration project.

Back to the Integra:

It's a 1995 100% stock (radio, wheels, engine, everything down to the Acura Customer car care Cassette tape with Whitney Houston music) Automatic Coupe that is a bit Crusty from spending it's whole life in Illinois and recently brought to minnesota by the PO last year.





2019 plan:
Fix years of neglected maintenance (oil, trans ATF, plugs/wires/cap/rotor, brakes, belts, DEEP CLEAN of upholstery)
Weight in at BIR to see what i'm missing for passing tech inspection and get a starting weight of the car and lap time.

Beyond plan:
If the chassis isn't beyond saving, rust repair, sealing paint and vinyl wrap.
work towards competitively improving my best lap times and build as balanced of a street legal track car as i can muster.
 
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#3 ·
Started sorting through neglected maintenance this morning (cap, rotor, wires, plugs) but ran into a few issues. one was the set screw on the rotor was off just a bit so i couldn't get it out without stripping the screw. Having worked on Mini, Kia, Hyundai, VW, Audi and Jeeps it's the first time I've ever seen a set screw on a dizzy rotor before. Left it for now until i have a chance to look up the trick for aligning that with the sweep for the screw driver. I also ran into an issue with the spark plug on cylinder 4 being pretty well seized. I soaked it with PB blaster over a few days and ran the car to warm up the cylinder head with no luck. I was hoping not to snap it off in the head, however during the warm up run I noticed it was smoking a little from around the head gasket...

Ordered a gasket kit, belts, pcv valve and a few other items. I'm thinking about possibly just having the head refurbished at a shop at this point since this thing is really only going to see tracks and Cars and Coffee events.

I'll be doing all brakes after lunch.
 
#4 ·
Making a quick note here of a few things i'll be looking into doing after getting a finalized copy of the SCCA 2019 rules.
- Qaife Quick Ratio manual rack
- year 1 suspension setup (stock, stock with lowering, stock with ground control, coilovers, etc.)
- rust repair needed for structure reasons
- manual swap parts list.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Still working on finalizing what SCCA Solo Class I'll be building to but I think i have it narrowed down to the F Street Prepared (FSP) class to allow for a large variety of "standard" tuner mods that I typically do to all cars I've owned. I've also been doing some reading on what i want to do about engine blueprinting for down the line. For now I have been considering picking up an OBDII valve cover to swap over (for looks and easy of cleaning) as well as sourcing some replacement quarter panels from JDM Ohio Direct when they are back in stock (typically DC2 Type-R).

I think later this week i should have my SCCA class finalized and I can go to town on removing the failed A/C pump and start cleaning the sludgy engine bay off before teardown for full gasket replacement.
 
#8 ·
Integra 2019 build plans:
- Racing in FSP class to allow for lax modification rules
- Replacing all gaskets and degreasing the entire engine bay for paint
- gutting A/C system, oe mudflaps(no logo) and Cruise control (for sale)
- rust repair.

Manual swap will likely be next winter just due to a shortage of space in my garage from my other projects and endless snow...

Integra butts up to the red Rabbit shell lol
 
#9 ·
Glad to see a fellow club racer on here!
Couple things I would recommend would be trying out manual steering before going with a quicker ratio as the quicker ratio will require a lot more force to turn and the Teg rack is actually quicker than a manual EG civic rack. I had a problem where my steering wheel strained my shoulder after getting a little goosey in a slalom last year so just be aware of this as the steering wheel can overrule your hands at any time.
From what I've seen, a good set of tires, a bigger rear sway bar, a stiff set of Koni/GC coils with rear bias, and a good alignment can really make these cars competitive.
Good luck with the race season and future mods!
 
#10 ·
I've actually had quaife quick ratio manual racks in a few (daily driver) cars now and enjoy them for everything except parallel parking. However I learned to drive in a 1946 Willy's CJ-2a so everything has easier in comparison :p Quaife will wait until after the manual swap, suspension and rust repair though. Hoping to log a season or two before going crazy with modifications.
 
#11 ·
Reached out to JDMOhioDirect thanks to Dante and sourced some patch panels A pillar pieces to address the rusting windshield frame. Based on the pictures they sent I think I have a game plan for welding in the pieces without compromising the strength of the A-Pillar before getting a cage installed. Will likely be sourcing quarter panels from them next.
 
#12 ·
We're finally able to see over the snowbanks here in Minnesota so later today i'll be heading to UpullRParts and start piecing together a manual swap and finding a few odds and ends for the car
-transmission
-shifter assembly
-pedal cluster
-ecu
-gauge cluster
-headlights
-driver door handle
-front bumper
-driver door panel
-transmission mount(s)
-fenders
- spoiler (maybe)
- anything else neat i find.

also deciding if i'll try picking up a EJ33 or EJ22 for my 71 vw fastback. Depends how much of the integra stuff i find today and if i have space in the back of my veloster LOL.
 
#13 ·
so i just learned this was a thing today. The headlights i bought from UPullRParts a week or so ago turned out to be late model headlights with the larger lens. Based on the thread posts I've seen i can just swap out the bumper cover and turn signals and carry on. I'm happy i hadn't bought a replacement bumper cover yet now :)

 
#14 ·
Annnddd we're back. Found a used bumper cover locally with at least one of the turn signal housings. I also received my rockauto order to replace as many of the engine gaskets and suspension bushings as i can throughout the car this Saturday. By the end of the weekend i should be ready to take it for a test drive and get the A/C system discharged.
 

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#16 ·
I'll be running stock suspension this season. i had more neglected maintainence then originally expected. I'm also figuring out how everything handles stock before upgrading so i get a better feel for how the car wants to act.
 
#17 ·
T-11 days until first track day.

I have a 3 day weekend this week to hash out the remaining urgent repairs for tech inspection. I scheduled a replacement windshield for Monday and ordered some apparently hard to find Brake Caliper Carrier bolts from ebay. Apparently the 12x21 bolts they used on practically every 90's honda products are not carried by O'Reillys, advanced auto parts or autozone or so their computers claimed... Ended up buying 8 Genuine Honda bolts (90107-SM4-000) from ebay for ~$20 shipped.

tasks on the agenda for this weekend are:
finish replacing pads and rotors
front end suspension bits and alignment
replace the passenger door panel
oil pan gasket
oil, ATF, Coolant and DOT 4 flush
test rip on the highway to make sure nothing is going to fall off on my way there.

Also just received my M2015 helmet today I ordered from Amazon which should have me set for the 2019 season i think.
 
#18 ·
Got a little jump start on things tonight getting the garage cleaned up. Drained all the oil out of the engine (changed 3-4K miles ago based on the windshield sticker) and it was murky. Definitively the smallest amount of coolant in the oil suggesting that the headgasket is weeping (among every other seal on the engine..) I have a guy coming over on Monday to replace the cracked windshield so the car needs to be spun around anyway prior to him arriving. I think this is the weekend plan as it sits.
Saturday:
-passenger door panel
-add oil (this is more a reminder to myself)
-reassemble the old brakes and get car "road worthy" to get it to the self service car wash up the road for pressure washing the engine bay off of the sludge.
-drain oil and remove pan to replace pan gasket and completely degrease the pan
-find a shop locally to discharge the a/c system legally
-seafoam (this might be a mistake honestly)
Sunday:
-front end suspension and bushings
-rust treatment
-coolant flush
-Oil change
-ATF flush
Monday:
-If the honda brake carrier bolts i ordered arrive in time, Do complete brakes (pads, rotors, fluid)
- triple check all bolts, fender liners, etc.
- De-bro smell the interior (smells like cotton candy vape, Roaches and swishers)
- remove any loose items from the car and do a test run to validate nothing sounds like it's falling apart.



I'll probably spend some time working on this thing as well this weekend. It's a 71 Volkswagen Fastback (type 3) that has seen some better days. Received it on a trade for an electric guitar about a year ago and decided to restore it.



sludge shots.

 
#20 · (Edited)
I'm starting at the Minnesota Autosports club's novice School on April 13th and 14th (one classroom day, one track training day). It was $50 and that included 1:1 with instructors, pre-tech inspection the day before trackday, lunch for one day. it was a very good deal. I'm most interested in the tech inspection since i've been hammering out repairs/maintenance on the integra for the last few days.

Over the weekend I got the windshield rust scraped down and treated, new windshield installed, found and installed a new crashbar, found good door hinges to take care of the driver saggy door (pin was gouged)

TBD before track day:
- brake rebuild (rear passenger carrier has a welded shut (rust) pin that pb blaster and a torch couldn't fix (sourcing replacement carrier now)
- install driver door hinge to fix sag
- finish installing front bumper and trim fender liner (95 liner and 98 bumper)
- torque and check fluids
- have a body shop discharge the A/C system so if i still have time i can pull the a/c pieces
- wash off the engine bay and hope the car still runs :p




 
#22 ·
Should definitively see me at any of the Land O' Lake events and probably some of the Wisconsin region events (watching). I'm still hunting down brake caliper carriers that are rebuildable for this Sunday but may or may not get things done in time for the event.


After some more digging I found a list of potential donors, I'll be heading back to Upull after work today to try my luck at finding at least one (if not two) sets of brakes to rebuild. (92-95 EX/SI, 96-00 DelSol Vtec, 96-00 EX, 99-00 Si, Integra 94-00). I also have a full set of replacement engine and trans bushings coming via amazon that should arrive on Friday, kit was the closest thing i could find (manual transmission kit) on short notice and should have at least 3-4 correct bushings of the 5. bumper clips I ordered won't be here until after the event and were shipping from china so i'll be temporarily throwing some bolts and washers in to hold things together for now.
 
#23 ·
Ended up driving my Veloster during the Novice Autocross event on Sunday but still really enjoyed it. ended up shaving off 12 seconds from my slowest time to my fastest time 59.9 to 47.7.

Still working away on the integra to get it safe to drive around to cars and coffee and eventually some practice events with Minnesota Autosports Club (MAC) later this spring. Replaced the sagging driver's door hinges, reassembled the wiper cowl and wipers, aligned the fenders a bit better, replaced 3 of the 5 engine mounts so far and ordered a Hondash module from https://www.hondash.net/ so I can get some detailed feedback on how the car is operating post-overhaul. Engine surging went away as well on it's own, not quite sure what it ended up being or if the cold was just gumming up the IACV and the warmer weather it's not sticking anymore. idk.
Picture of one of the mounts in all it's glory, only about 145k on this one.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Not too much to report on the integra recently. I have still been unable to find a used Nissin OEM caliper carrier or set of them without the calipers not that I've been looking too hard. I still have a pile of front end suspension parts to install, fluids to flush and a full set of Brakes to rebuild for piece of mind. Next Point event for auto cross is in a few weeks but we'll see if i have time to make it due to work. I've just been working on restoration on the Fastback (VW) for the last few days while i wait on parts to arrive.

Just to remind myself later:
-a/c delete
-cruise control delete
-spare, jack and iron removed
- rear trunk cover and mat removed
- hub caps removed
- half down removing sound deadning from trunk (goopy from quart of oil leaking in trunk)
remove antenna motor
remove back seat
add harness bar OR 4pt roll bar
 
#25 ·
Picked up a few more cheap parts that popped up locally and finally received my Chinese bumper clips and my Hondash bluetooth module. The bumper clips came in a pack of 20 for the price of one Honda Genuine clips but at the expense of waiting for them to arrive from China. On the other hand my Hondash module from Slovakia came in half the time.






Blox sway bar (assuming direct bolt onto factory trailing arms) and hatch will go in this weekend once i figure out what to do about the lack of a 3rd brake light mounting spot on the glass. Center console and shifter bezel I already cleaned up and installed. Door panels were free and matched the center console so i grabbed them as spares. I suspect the spoiler mounting holes in the hatch were probably also the 3rd brake light at some point so I'm looking into if it was the GSR or another spoiler that was originally mounted.
 
#26 ·
Well I finally found a single supplier of integra quarter panels (new) but the damage was pretty bad. I'm thinking later tonight of trying to use the door skin from some old doors i have to hand fabricate a few patches at this point to keep things structural until I find inexpensive replacement panels (new/old). I did hear somewhere, that i'm struggling to find today, that a honda might have similar enough panels to try. Otherwise, Yesterday I gutted the interior up to the dash board to clean and hunt down the disgusting cotton candy smell. Found 3 vent air fresheners leaking between the driver seat and the seat rail. Ended up tossing the carpet and started reassembling things. Tonight's game plan is to install the new hatch, trim the front fender well shields to fit with the facelift bumper and play around with patch panels. Pictures will come a little later.
 

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#27 ·
Didn't get as far as I would have liked this weekend on the integra since the weather was nice enough to get some landscaping projects started. But I finished installing the new Hatch and removing some wiring for the wiper motor and heated rear glass. I also ended up gutting the interior after all to chase down the awful smell which turned out to be literally bong water soaked carpet and 3 leaking air vent fresheners they tried pouring on the stain smh. So not much left of the interior except a few pieces from other cars and a few original pieces I plastidipped black so i don't have to buy them.





I did however remove the rear bumper and lower tail light trim to get an understanding of how much rust repair I would be tackling in the quarter panels and found the rear bumper had been hit fairly hard as well. Thankfully the frame rails measured straight and the bumper bars that hold it to the car were still parallel as well so I'm just going to fabricate a replacement bumper bar and bumper hanger out of some tube steel.





Driver side pockets were solid on the sides but not the bottom (under the leaking wiper motor, who knew) but should patch up easily.

 
#28 ·
So I don't know why I like this but with a spare rear hatch laying around, a project that is scope creeping like crazy and wanting to learn how to lay glass I decided that l might try to make a replica Z Spec rear hatch with a Erebuni RX7 FC style Spoiler.



 
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