This is gonna be a bit long winded, pics to follow I promise.
Hey whats up TI? Been a member since June of 2002, browsed the site for 3-4 months prior to actually registering though. Needless to say, been a member for a LOOOoNG time. Team Integra is the forum by which I judge all other forums. Many many thanks go out to MorningZ for creating and running the site, as well as the crew of mods that keep this place on track. I cant even begin to tell you how many problems/projects/debates/drunken bets team integra has helped me with. So again, thank you. Now.. Enough ass kissing, on to the car huh?
98 Integra GS DC4, got it used as the second owner with 60k miles. The car now has 216,000 miles on it. Loved every single one of them. The original owner had leased the car (based on car fax reports) in Arizona. Somehow it ended up on a used car lot in Florida after the lease expired. The car had a perfect title, and for what was considered "high mileage" (60k in 4 years? Doesn't seem high to me, but whatever) was in very very good shape. Since the car has never been in a cold weather climate, never been exposed to salt on the road. The body is rust free.
Some time between june-august of 2008, the clutch finally went out, and limped me home one last time. At the time I had a second car, so the integra sat, in my driveway, pratically untouched, and unmoved until November of 2009, when I sold my second car. I work from home, and rarely need a car myself since we usually take my fiance's (wife in about 2 weeks from now) car anytime we go anywhere. So I sold the truck, and ordered a new clutch for the integra. Did the clutch swap 100% by my self, with the help of two floor jacks, a rented engine hoist (and of course TI) to line up the input shaft and finish the change. While I was doing the clutch my steering had been loose for about 50k miles, prior to the clutch going out, and I saw I had a bad passenger inner tie rod so I replaced it thinking it would fix the problem. Needless to say it did not.
So with flat spots on the tires, blown speakers, 2-3 year old baked in dirt/grime/hair in the interior, air conditioner that smelled like dead animals were in it, and some squeaky ass brakes due to rear seized caliper, my integra was back! Even with all that crap, I had a grin from ear to ear for the whole 450 of the 500 mile break in period of the clutch.... Then pulling out of my neighborhood one night in early december, the tie rod I replaced? Yea, it seperated from the rack. My car came to a very abrupt stop, I knew it wasnt the clutch because I could feel it grab and the car trying to go, kinda like wheel chocks. I get out, and my front wheels look like this /-\ instead of /-/ or |-| or \-\.. Call AAA get a tow truck to tow me the 1 mile back home. Put the car in the garage. Then the madness began...
What started as a simple tear the front end down and remove the steering rack for replacement, turned into dropping the sub frame, to ordering all new bushings for the front end, all new motor mount inserts,to a "heavy" interior cleaning while the car was down anyway, to full on 100% strip the car to its bare frame and build the teg I always wanted to have, and do so using most of my car that I have sentimental attachment to at this point.
At this point, I am not sure what my plans are. I know that when I am done I want the car in a "like new" mostly OEM condition. Going to be doing some stuff under the hood for sure
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Whether it be a full LS/Vtec build, LS Build with turbo or supercharger, or full out type-r swap. I could give a **** less about 1/4 mile times, there will always be someone faster (probably in a supra). I want a quick, nice, reliable fun to drive car. That is exactly what I intend to build, and I intend to do it 100% on my own. only thing I can foresee being unable to do, is windshield removal/installation. Since this has turned into a complete project car, I am not going to cheap out anywhere. It will be done right, the first time. However due to that, it will not be a fast project.
Things I do know for sure I am going to be doing:
-Full wire and brake line tuck, also going to be rebuilding my harnesses
-Shave side moldings, antenna, "Acura" badge holes on rear left.
-Remove sound deadening tar (already done)
-Replace all bushings
-Full paint job (inside and outside) possibly changing the color
-Some type of engine work, either a swap or a build.
For the wire tuck, I intend to write a complete guide on doing it. Lots of information on doing it on these here interwebs, as well as lots of people that say they are going to show you how, but they all seem to skip stuff, or never complete the write up, etc.
Since I wasnt planning on this being this type or project, I dont have any detailed "before" pictures. All the pictures are once the process was started. But imagine a Silver teg, on ls mesh wheels, with purplish, peeling, bubbled tint, with bad bad bad clearcoat failure.
tl;dr: Picture time!
Interior removal for that "heavy" cleaning I mentioned earlier.
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I used to smoke heavily (minimum of 2 packs per day, 1 pack per day in the car alone just on my commute). This was the backside of the panel under the steering wheel. What you're seeing on the panel are ashes.
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Oh look, its one of my crossovers I mounted in the doors about 5-6 years ago!
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ever wish you could go back in time, and kick your own ass for being so stupid?
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Hey look, my custom fiberglass box. You know how they say Measure twice, cut once? Yea... same goes for fiberglass. After countless hours putting layer upon layer of fiberglass on this box, got it all finished up and holes cut for the 2 12" L7's ...wouldnt fit in the car with the rear plastic panel in place. I had removed the panel so I didnt get any resin on it... Again, ever wish you could go back in time and relaly kick your own ass? Oh well, lets see whats under that box!
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Let this be a reminder, fix your sunroof drain tubes. The picture just doesnt show how bad that smelled. Luckily I left the ducktape in the hatch from glassing the box, so it cleaned up fairly easily.
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More ashes, steering column support. If you smoke, youre stupid. Stop it now.
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Fustercluck of wires in the foreground is from the system I had installed.
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CMC Leak, not friends with your carpet.
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Florida sun, it will destroy your steering wheel.
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So I think you get the idea. The car was a biohazard. The first few days is was in the garage, I had the windows of the car open, and due to the humidity being really high, the smoke smell stunk up the entire garage and a good portion of the house, it was horrible.
This however is the reality of a car that does 100+ miles a day taking 1.5 hours each way, being neglected. I considered this car my "beater" that was fun to drive.
Next up? Sound deadening removal!
Post 001: You are here.
Post 002: Sound Deadening Removal
Post 003: Side molding removal
Post 004: Cheap JDM Goodness and a new toy!
Post 005: Shaved sides progress.
Hey whats up TI? Been a member since June of 2002, browsed the site for 3-4 months prior to actually registering though. Needless to say, been a member for a LOOOoNG time. Team Integra is the forum by which I judge all other forums. Many many thanks go out to MorningZ for creating and running the site, as well as the crew of mods that keep this place on track. I cant even begin to tell you how many problems/projects/debates/drunken bets team integra has helped me with. So again, thank you. Now.. Enough ass kissing, on to the car huh?
98 Integra GS DC4, got it used as the second owner with 60k miles. The car now has 216,000 miles on it. Loved every single one of them. The original owner had leased the car (based on car fax reports) in Arizona. Somehow it ended up on a used car lot in Florida after the lease expired. The car had a perfect title, and for what was considered "high mileage" (60k in 4 years? Doesn't seem high to me, but whatever) was in very very good shape. Since the car has never been in a cold weather climate, never been exposed to salt on the road. The body is rust free.
Some time between june-august of 2008, the clutch finally went out, and limped me home one last time. At the time I had a second car, so the integra sat, in my driveway, pratically untouched, and unmoved until November of 2009, when I sold my second car. I work from home, and rarely need a car myself since we usually take my fiance's (wife in about 2 weeks from now) car anytime we go anywhere. So I sold the truck, and ordered a new clutch for the integra. Did the clutch swap 100% by my self, with the help of two floor jacks, a rented engine hoist (and of course TI) to line up the input shaft and finish the change. While I was doing the clutch my steering had been loose for about 50k miles, prior to the clutch going out, and I saw I had a bad passenger inner tie rod so I replaced it thinking it would fix the problem. Needless to say it did not.
So with flat spots on the tires, blown speakers, 2-3 year old baked in dirt/grime/hair in the interior, air conditioner that smelled like dead animals were in it, and some squeaky ass brakes due to rear seized caliper, my integra was back! Even with all that crap, I had a grin from ear to ear for the whole 450 of the 500 mile break in period of the clutch.... Then pulling out of my neighborhood one night in early december, the tie rod I replaced? Yea, it seperated from the rack. My car came to a very abrupt stop, I knew it wasnt the clutch because I could feel it grab and the car trying to go, kinda like wheel chocks. I get out, and my front wheels look like this /-\ instead of /-/ or |-| or \-\.. Call AAA get a tow truck to tow me the 1 mile back home. Put the car in the garage. Then the madness began...
What started as a simple tear the front end down and remove the steering rack for replacement, turned into dropping the sub frame, to ordering all new bushings for the front end, all new motor mount inserts,to a "heavy" interior cleaning while the car was down anyway, to full on 100% strip the car to its bare frame and build the teg I always wanted to have, and do so using most of my car that I have sentimental attachment to at this point.
At this point, I am not sure what my plans are. I know that when I am done I want the car in a "like new" mostly OEM condition. Going to be doing some stuff under the hood for sure
Things I do know for sure I am going to be doing:
-Full wire and brake line tuck, also going to be rebuilding my harnesses
-Shave side moldings, antenna, "Acura" badge holes on rear left.
-Remove sound deadening tar (already done)
-Replace all bushings
-Full paint job (inside and outside) possibly changing the color
-Some type of engine work, either a swap or a build.
For the wire tuck, I intend to write a complete guide on doing it. Lots of information on doing it on these here interwebs, as well as lots of people that say they are going to show you how, but they all seem to skip stuff, or never complete the write up, etc.
Since I wasnt planning on this being this type or project, I dont have any detailed "before" pictures. All the pictures are once the process was started. But imagine a Silver teg, on ls mesh wheels, with purplish, peeling, bubbled tint, with bad bad bad clearcoat failure.
tl;dr: Picture time!
Interior removal for that "heavy" cleaning I mentioned earlier.
I used to smoke heavily (minimum of 2 packs per day, 1 pack per day in the car alone just on my commute). This was the backside of the panel under the steering wheel. What you're seeing on the panel are ashes.
Oh look, its one of my crossovers I mounted in the doors about 5-6 years ago!
ever wish you could go back in time, and kick your own ass for being so stupid?
Hey look, my custom fiberglass box. You know how they say Measure twice, cut once? Yea... same goes for fiberglass. After countless hours putting layer upon layer of fiberglass on this box, got it all finished up and holes cut for the 2 12" L7's ...wouldnt fit in the car with the rear plastic panel in place. I had removed the panel so I didnt get any resin on it... Again, ever wish you could go back in time and relaly kick your own ass? Oh well, lets see whats under that box!
Let this be a reminder, fix your sunroof drain tubes. The picture just doesnt show how bad that smelled. Luckily I left the ducktape in the hatch from glassing the box, so it cleaned up fairly easily.
More ashes, steering column support. If you smoke, youre stupid. Stop it now.
Fustercluck of wires in the foreground is from the system I had installed.
CMC Leak, not friends with your carpet.
Florida sun, it will destroy your steering wheel.
So I think you get the idea. The car was a biohazard. The first few days is was in the garage, I had the windows of the car open, and due to the humidity being really high, the smoke smell stunk up the entire garage and a good portion of the house, it was horrible.
This however is the reality of a car that does 100+ miles a day taking 1.5 hours each way, being neglected. I considered this car my "beater" that was fun to drive.
Next up? Sound deadening removal!
Post 001: You are here.
Post 002: Sound Deadening Removal
Post 003: Side molding removal
Post 004: Cheap JDM Goodness and a new toy!
Post 005: Shaved sides progress.
