GTcarz - Automotive forums for cars & trucks. - 1998 Acura Integra RS

So what, it's an Integra, looks like a total carpet queen. Japanese front end, Recaros, topped off with some d out wheels made in Russia with love.

Exactly, but... There's something about this Integra that sets it apart, not that it has rare or super expensive JDM parts on it, far from it actually, maybe it was because it took my incompetent ass over 2 months, 3 photo shoots, and almost 1000 miles to get this work of art on JTuned? No, no, that can't be it... Nope, i'll tell you what it is... It's the rich BMW titanium silver metallic that cover the Integra's smooth body lines, the beautiful white 16x7 Desmond Regamaster EVO's gives the car a clean look that ugly flat black wheels just can't do, and the Recaro SRD's that have a commanding presence inside the cabin. Just looking at them, they beg for someone to hop in, don the bright green Takata harnesses, and take off to your favorite roads and harass a poor sport bike rider or two. Well maybe not, but this car sure as hell makes for one enjoyable drive.

This lowly RS got it's start when the car was acquired by Vo through an old coworker that decided to go onto bigger and better things but still wanted to see the RS get finished. Vo started by visiting his local Honda dealer's parts department and picking up a brand-spanking-new 2001 B18C5 U.S. spec type R block, next an Integra R cylinder head was sourced, stripped down, and sent out to get port, polished, and milled. The U.S. Version B18C5 or Japanese B18C Spec R has received worldwide praise since it's introduction in 1996 (for the Japanese market and 1997 for the U.S. market) With 200 ps (Japan) and 195 hp (U.S.) the high-revving potent dual cam motor has been know to be called a "Formula 1 for an FF " so it was no surprise Vo picked this particular motor.

With the motor back and assembled the already awesome ITR valvetrain was ditched like sixth period French and replaced with Skunk2's stage 2 cams, valve springs, and titanium retainers along with Ferrera valves that take the place of the stock units. Big 310 cc Greddy injectors spray fuel into the thirsty motor. And with the added fuel, and performance a more tunable ecu had to be installed. Since the car was OBD II and OBD II is limited on tunability, an OBD II to OBD I wire harness jumper was installed and along with it a Hondata S100 system burned onto the board. The S100 allows the user to adjust fuel and ignition tables, remove or adjust the rev limiter, and can set when VTEC engages so a nice range of tunability is possible to extract more power from the 1.8L. The odd looking but ever-so popular J's Racing carbon fiber intake sucks in air to help fuel the fire, a trick SMSP header delivers spent gases to a Buddy Club Spec II exhaust system which creates beautiful music when your lead-foot disorder decides to flare up again.

Now, what Honda would be complete without a nice stiff ride that would piss off most dates but make car nuts crack a stupid smile over their face? Well, Vo's ride is no exception. Footwork consists of Apex'i N1 coilovers, beefy Carbing strut tower bars, and a TAS C-pillar brace to make the chassis more rigid than Honda engineers thought would be necessary, also a set of larger sway bars of the ITR variety help combat the enemy of good handling.

Outside, the relatively mild mannered Integra creates an air of sportiness about it that make people do double takes when rolling down the street. The shaved moldings and Japanese ITR front end help create that feel as well as producing clean flowing lines that makes the RS aspire to be like it's race inspired cousin which it has done successfully. And a lot of people seemed to have felt the same way about this Integra, it won 1st place in the Acura class at the recent Chinatown Showoff held in Los Angeles.

As many of you probably already know, cars don't have to be flashy or colorful to grab one's attention (although some people still insist on it and overdo it) It's the little things, the sporty yet subtleness you see when looking at a car and knowing that it has the balls to back up it's claim.
Pretty much what Quang Vo's 1998 Integra RS sums up is that you can have your cake and eat it too.
Oh and by the way, Nor Cal hella sucks haha.