Honda Integra Type R (DC2)
Discussion
I’ve owned this Honda Integra Type R for nearly three years, but this is the first time I’ve really talked about it online. I don’t use it enough so I thought by getting a thread going it might encourage me to spend more time with it.
It’s in good condition especially the interior. However the front is covered in stone chips so I’m hoping to get it resprayed soon. I need to get some better pictures of it really, but there’s nowhere good locally to get some nice scenic shots.
It’s a UK car with a couple of mods, TeamDynamics alloys to allow K-Sport 6-pot front brakes and some exhaust mods (though the back box is standard to meet noise limits on track days). I have a Spoon N1 back box but an inept garage hacked it to pieces trying to get it to fit and it needs some more attention to get it on the car. Eventually I want to be able to swap them over for road and track use.
I’ve driven a lot of cars and the ITR is in the running for the best ever. You’ll see a lot of talk about it being the best FWD car ever but that’s damning with faint praise really as it’s better to drive than the vast majority of RWD and AWD cars as well.
When you think about all the things that make a great car it’s up there. The engine, gearbox, driving position, ride quality, steering feel and throttle response are all spot-on.
I bought it after driving the current Civic Type R when it was launched. That’s an awesome car as well but the turbo engine is a bit of a downer, even though it’s still a good engine in a modern context.
I’ve done a few track days, most recently at Brands Hatch this week. The car is so good on track but I tend to put off doing them because I’m not all that close to any tracks and the one thing I really don’t like about the car is being on the motorway. With no air-con and sitting at 4,000rpm the whole way it’s really tiresome. The throttle response is so sharp that any tiny movement of your foot speeds you up or slows you down, so I get a sore ankle as well.
I’m thinking of adding air-con and maybe even cruise control (from a US-market Acura Integra), but that could be too much of a pain – not sure yet.
Unlike a lot of owners I still have the interior installed! It’s actually a really practical car. I recently got a disassembled king-size bed in the back with the seats down, and I can fit my massive mountain bike in with the front wheel off. I don’t really feel the need to strip it out and make it even more hardcore – it’s already pretty raw and a lot of fun.
Well, I bought some exhaust repair sections off ebay. The listing said the internal diameter of the tube was 57mm, which is the same as the Spoon system.
But it’s the external diameter that’s 57mm so I’m going to have to send them back. So frustrating as I was so careful to choose a listing that specifically listed the internal diameter.
But it’s the external diameter that’s 57mm so I’m going to have to send them back. So frustrating as I was so careful to choose a listing that specifically listed the internal diameter.
I can highly recommend retro-fitting Aircon. I bought mine purposely ‘without’ AC #becauseracecar and did one euro trip in the summer and had an experience similar to james may in that aston race car he took to the alps… it was horrible.
I managed to find another guy with a DC2 who wanted to bin his AC so we swapped all the parts.
couple of useful tips / interesting facts:
– you need to swap the air ducts for the evaporator, as the AC cars have a different duct to the non-ac cars
– remember to get the switch for AC and give the other guy the blank – these are hard to get now as spares
– the non-ac bracket is aluminium, the ac one is iron
– you need 2(?) relays to add to the box under the bonnet as the non-ac cars don’t have them installed
it’s a really simple install – need to remove the battery to get access to the firewall grommets for the pipes, take out the glovebox to install the evaporator, 4 hard-lines and 2 flexible hoses, the drier, condenser, the longer accessory belt and extra fan and your done. remember to replace all the O-rings when you do the install.
Had my DC2 for 15 years – I doubt I’ll ever sell it!
I managed to find another guy with a DC2 who wanted to bin his AC so we swapped all the parts.
couple of useful tips / interesting facts:
– you need to swap the air ducts for the evaporator, as the AC cars have a different duct to the non-ac cars
– remember to get the switch for AC and give the other guy the blank – these are hard to get now as spares
– the non-ac bracket is aluminium, the ac one is iron
– you need 2(?) relays to add to the box under the bonnet as the non-ac cars don’t have them installed
it’s a really simple install – need to remove the battery to get access to the firewall grommets for the pipes, take out the glovebox to install the evaporator, 4 hard-lines and 2 flexible hoses, the drier, condenser, the longer accessory belt and extra fan and your done. remember to replace all the O-rings when you do the install.
Had my DC2 for 15 years – I doubt I’ll ever sell it!
paulmnz said:
I can highly recommend retro-fitting Aircon….
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. It’s one of those things – you spend most of the year thinking it’s totally fine without it, but then on those hot days it’s just unbelievably uncomfortable. Even at 70mph having the windows down doesn’t seem to do anything!
greeneggsnsam said:
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. It’s one of those things – you spend most of the year thinking it’s totally fine without it, but then on those hot days it’s just unbelievably uncomfortable. Even at 70mph having the windows down doesn’t seem to do anything!
Exactly – I drove on the french toll roads for hours with both windows down (ambient was over 30c most of the way). it’s was deafening and didn’t seem to do anything… even worse on the alpine roads around Nice as the temperature was in the late 20s/early 30s and your in a car working very hard, virtually no airflow and because it’s a type-r has limited insulation on the firewall so you can feel the heat coming in at your feet…
I found it very trying, sweating through your clothes and drinking lots of water.
the car however is mega!
Here’s a picture of mine in Corsica
MOT failed on emissions, which wasn’t a surprise – I’ve had several cars that keep having this issue, it’s so frustrating. There’s no obvious fix – my garage enters the annoying process of seeing what works and what doesn’t.
Last year a new ECU got it through no problem but this year it’s back to being over on CO2 and Lambda.
Last year a new ECU got it through no problem but this year it’s back to being over on CO2 and Lambda.
did you try heating up the cat before the MOT – normally does the trick if its border line
I had a UKDM DC2 around 12 years ago and it was a peach! I had a Fujitsubo Power Getter exhaust (very rare) and Dastek ECU to change the Vtec Crossover point a little bit lower (only when over 50% throttle) and it sounded incredible. Not many cars could get away from you on a twisty b road!
Hope you have as much pleasure in yours as i did in mine
Very friendly punch on ITR-DC2.com if you aren’t already a member
I had a UKDM DC2 around 12 years ago and it was a peach! I had a Fujitsubo Power Getter exhaust (very rare) and Dastek ECU to change the Vtec Crossover point a little bit lower (only when over 50% throttle) and it sounded incredible. Not many cars could get away from you on a twisty b road!
Hope you have as much pleasure in yours as i did in mine
Very friendly punch on ITR-DC2.com if you aren’t already a member
SarlechS said:
did you try heating up the cat before the MOT – normally does the trick if its border line
I had a UKDM DC2 around 12 years ago and it was a peach! I had a Fujitsubo Power Getter exhaust (very rare) and Dastek ECU to change the Vtec Crossover point a little bit lower (only when over 50% throttle) and it sounded incredible. Not many cars could get away from you on a twisty b road!
Hope you have as much pleasure in yours as i did in mine
Very friendly punch on ITR-DC2.com if you aren’t already a member
Will be tried but last year it didn’t work to get it warmed up. I’m on the ITR forum but it’s not very active these days!
I had a UKDM DC2 around 12 years ago and it was a peach! I had a Fujitsubo Power Getter exhaust (very rare) and Dastek ECU to change the Vtec Crossover point a little bit lower (only when over 50% throttle) and it sounded incredible. Not many cars could get away from you on a twisty b road!
Hope you have as much pleasure in yours as i did in mine
Very friendly punch on ITR-DC2.com if you aren’t already a member
Gassing Station | Readers’ Cars | Top of Page | What’s New | My Stuff