I’ve had this car for about five years now, maybe longer. I bought out of nostalgia – I had a red ’94 Integra GS-R in college. I loved that car and I missed it. Like many other Integras, it was stolen from me, right from my home. It was an open void in my automotive life even if I did replace it with faster, fancier cars.

I spotted this black ’95 GS-R parked on a Boston street. It hit me right in the feels. As its owner was coming around, I chatted with him. I ended up giving him my business card for if/when he ever decided to sell it. A year later, on a late Friday afternoon, I got a call.

I bought it without really having anywhere to park it or drive it to. One reason why I bought it, is because the original owner didn’t know what he had. When he bought it he just wanted an Integra “with stick” and this is the only one that was on the dealer lot. He just drove it, mostly on weekends as he traveled a lot for work, accumulating just about 120,000 miles over the twenty years he had it. It was a one owner car and it was completely stock.

Like many projects, especially ones that do not live in your own garage, mostly because I live in the city and do not have a garage of my own, I never really finished it. It’s not neglected; it’s titled, insured, and registered. It passed the state inspection… four years ago. Other than a dying battery and worn Hoosiers, there is nothing wrong with it. In my time with it, I not only replaced what needed to be replaced, but replaced and upgraded a lot of things that didn’t need to replaced, just because I am OCD like that:

• It needed shocks, so I got a whole Tein coil-over setup, ITR front sway bar and Comp-Tech rear sway bar, new rear control arms, all new polyurethane bushings, and all new hardware.
• All new brake lines.
• All new fuel tank, fuel lines, high-pressure fuel pump, and filler.
• New engine and transmission mounts, new shifter bushings.
• Fresh spark-plugs and a proper valve adjustment.
• It needed a muffler, so I got an OEM Type R cat-back system, a high flow cat, and an OEM JDM ITR header with a larger, better flowing collector.
• It needed an air filter, so I got a period correct Comp-Tech Ice Box intake.
• Valve cover was faded and leaking, so I properly sanded and repainted it.
• There were small rust spots in the fenders, so I had them fixed properly.
• I had the rest of the car wet-sanded and detailed, including pitted headlights.
• I got an awesome set of used 16-inch SSR Competition wheels from a man who later became a racing teammate and a good friend.

But with all that done, it still isn’t up to my standards. I don’t expect perfection but I do want a certain unspecified level of my own satisfaction and until it gets there, I won’t be happy. It does not need much. I made a list of stuff it needs:

• Tires – obtained! A new set of BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S tires in 205/50-16.
• New battery, again.
• Oil change, again.
• Wash the engine bay.
• ABS pump – common Integra failure. I kind of let it be as is, thinking I won’t really need ABS, but the frequent buzzing noise is killing me.
• New speakers, something cheap as the OEMs are way blown.
• The damn domelight isn’t working – I think the body shop managed to mess that up.
• Driver’s seat has a small rip in it.
• Lower the rear suspension.
• Camber kit for rear suspension.
• Detail it, again.
• There is a small trim missing that’s visible when the driver’s window is rolled down.
• Get a state inspection, again.
• Remove and relocate the front license plate.
• Check the brakes – I haven’t done anything with them.
• Take fancy pictures.
• Burn off the old gasoline. 🙂

So now, all I have to do, with the help of my friends at Ace Performance, is get this done and… and then what?