Just Shut Up and Drive

Long live the DC2 TypeR

If you are a car person and loves racing, you definitely heard the name Type R. Honda develops the current models such as the Civic, Integra, NSX into racing inspired limited sports models with the name tag, Type R. Although the cars are still far from true racing cars we see on the track, these are great enough to give the drivers the impression of racing feel. Those Type R vehicles have not been exported overseas (the EP3 Civic Type R was imported to the Europe), yet the original Type R model available only in North America is the DC2 Integra Type R.

Since the DC2 was replaced with the newer version DC5 Integra in 2002, commonly known as the RSX, there were no more Type R models after. Although the new RSX came out with the Type S, the enthusiasts argued that this was not good enough to succeed the reputation the previous Type R had built in this market.

I found it…

I was lucky enough to find a very rare, clean and great condition DC2R at the local Acura dealer in 2006. The car was 100% stock with only 55,000 km on it. Although the car was bit more expensive than average used Type Rs, it caught my mind looking through its condition and its scarcity. In Canada, the Integra Type R came in Championship White, and the Phoenix Yellow was available additionally during year 2000 only. Hence, if you see a legit yellow Type R in Canada, that must be 100% manufactured in 2000 and imported from Japan.

I wouldn’t spend much time talking about the car and vehicle characteristics. The car has been on the market for a long period of time and there are tons of articles related to this Honda. Simply speaking, it is nimble, quick, light, well-balanced and most importantly, driving this is such a great fun. I know there are many other substitutes in these days, but none of them are this much focused on a specific role. This car completely focuses on driving fast only.

Not even the RSX Type S comes with the LSD. You would understand with what purpose in mind the car was built if you take a close look. Anyways, I didn’t much complain about anything about the car at all, yet I decided to improve overall driving feel with bolt-on parts.

I didn’t intend to make the car much more powerful or faster. If that was what I wanted, I would have bought something else. My personal preference was not the power but I wanted the car to be more agile and sharper.

Modifications

ACT Clutch + Flywheel

Since it was a used car and the clutch was never replaced so far, I felt the clutch started losing its grip especially at over 7500 rpm. ACT Street Clutch Kit was quite affordable and good enough for my use. In addition, I also replaced the flywheel with new, lighter one. My engine responded definitely faster and more accurately.

AEM Cold Air Intake

It was very cost effective and so far the best parts I did on this car. It not only gave the better engine response but also it lets the engine go beyond 8600 rpm without having any bottleneck. Hitting the redline very hard, I was able to push the car much harder. I didn’t know how much net HP the car gained by the intake, but as I was already satisfied with its benefits.

DC Sports 4-1 Header

This ceramic header didn’t really pay off the price. I didn’t know if I really liked it. As a matter of fact, it was super lighter than the stock, looked much nicer under the hood, gained little bit more torque I could feel from the mid to high rev and more growling sound when the engine was at idle.

Because headers made by such as J’s racing or Spoon Sports were ridiculously expensive, I concluded that the DC Sports header would compromise somewhere between the performance and cost. Maybe I was expecting too much from it? The benefits I mentioned above were not great enough to justify my expense.

Spoon Sports N1 Exhaust

I liked it. Once the VTEC kicked in, it simply killed everything around me; hence there’s a higher chance to meet the friendly police officers in the street. I was bit worried if it sounded like an Ebay rice rocket, but it was pretty good. Although I know any exhaust notes would be annoying noise to those who are not interested in cars, I would keep my eyes on it next time I have an opportunity to modify Honda.

Type One Racing Coilover

The reason I used it? Simple. I wanted lower my car, but I hated using the lowering springs only. I already explained what would happen through my first car, the Camry article. It actually exceeded my expectation. The car handled better and overall cornering ability improved very well. Since I didn’t have a chance to drive hard on the track, I cannot comment how it would feel there. It was bit too stiff on some bumpy roads, but overall I liked it.

Mugen Rear Wing

Believe it or not, I did give me downforce. The car became much more stable at high speed, especially when turning wide corners. Considering this car was front wheel drive and therefore, the front is bit heavier than the rear. The wing held the rear end much tighter and pushed the car down to the surface. Hence, I was able to step on the gas deeper and longer. Angle adjustability allowed me to have different settings depending on my needs.

JDM 16″ + Falken RT615

For the 1.8 n/a small engine, I know 15″ light weight was the perfect match. By the time I had to change my tires, I decided to rub some fancy stuff. Nothing special with the rim, yet it looked much better. Although it was intended to be light weight, it was, in fact, quite heaver than after market 16″ racing wheels. If I have a chance with Type R again, I would definitely try out after market wheels. I liked the RT615 Azenis tires very much. The price was quite reasonable and the performance was great enough to compensate my expenses.  Of course it was not great as R Compound tires, but remember this car was supposed to be driven everyday in the street.

300mm Steering Wheel

Some of my friends told me my car felt like an arcade game machine. The stock steering wheel was too big. I still don’t understand why Honda put such a huge steering wheel. For a stock sports car, I would say the S2000 steering is an ideal size. I usually lowered the steering wheel for my driving position but the big size wheel continuously bothered my knees, making me uncomfortable. After I replaced my steering with a very small one, the problem was solved. Although the steering feel got much heavier, this gave me better ability to accurately angle the front wheels when turning corners.

B&M Short Shifter + Skunk2 Shift Nob

Shorter shifter and much heavier shift nob. Any objection? Some prefer longer shifter because it takes less time for your right hand to reach it. However, I wanted a shorter version for my position and yes, I really liked it.

J’s racing C Pillar Bar

Do not waste your money and I still have no idea why I purchased this. I used it as a hanger.

Come to think of it…

I didn’t truly enjoyed this ride. I did drive this everyday and I had great fun by modifying this on many weekends. However, I regret that if only I was able to go to the track more often and if only I was able to further transform this into a true race machine. Come to think of it now, I guess I only tasted a bit of it and maybe this is why I am still obsessed with this car. Although I had to sell it for my personal matter in life, this car would have been in a completely different shape if I still had it. It’s been already a year since I got rid of it, but it still hurts my feeling when I see the Integra Type Rs on the road. It was truly a great car Honda has ever built and wish they would export another North American Version Type Rs in near future.