'94 Integra VTi-R ??

[chich]

OK peoples.. the time has come to update our current shopping trolley and this time around i'd like to buy something a little more exciting than an auto Corolla. I've found a nice '94 model Integra VTi-R up for grabs here in Melb which has got the cogs in my head turning.

Anyone ever owned one of these before? I know that Honda's are fairly reliable but is there anything in particular to look out for on this model? Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

[5tumpy]

my brother has a 97 Integra, non-vtec.


Goes like a rocket, can only imagine what the vtec model would go like.


He hasn't had any problems, although when he was looking for it, there were a few that were flogged. But you get that...

[HLC]

my mate has a 94 accord (i think it is) non-vtec. and he could keep up with my AU, til we hit the speed limit. above speed limits, the AU would easily pull away. but that is totally redundant on our roads.

[vandrsxr6]

My family has owned three Hondas in the past 5 years.

One thing i can say for them is that they a very reliable, never had a problem.

Most cars are optioned to the max. Great brand of car.

If the made a turbo 6 i'd have one in the driveway.

[Gobes32]

I presume you want to know about the reliability? A girl i knew had a 91/2/3? integra and not once did the car fail her nor did she ever spend a cent on it ( besides minor service, oil and filters ) She then purchased a 2002 accord second hand and same thing applies. They seem to fit the perfect japanese car model.

[blueoval]

Yep, the Honda's are a very good car to have if you want reliability and strong revving power in a 4 cylinder. Excellent value for money also. They come standard with some things we count as extras. You wont be sorry buying one of them.

[GXL078]

Compared to a Subaru they have lots of extras you can't get at any price. Imprezza is a car that's 10 years out of date. You have to get the latest "facelift" to even get side airbags.

[Rev28K]

They are good little cars but they aren’t indestructible. If previous owners have treated it badly or thrashed it’s nuts off it will eventually fail (same as a Toyota). Check the gearshift; they can be a bit fragile (when new the gearshift was great but over time they deteriate a bit – try using Redline oil to bring it back a bit). Maybe even allow for a cambelt change (if you don’t trust the service history, I didn’t with a CRX that I bought second hand) you don’t want one to snap at full revs. Check its maintenance history (some people in Honda circles reckon that even the dealer mechanics aren’t that great). Parts are a bit pricey and anything that revs that high should use a good oil.

They are basically an old design so expect a few creaks and groans. This model was on the market for a long time but at least it kept Honda’s double wishbone suspension and a decent gearshift. Whiteline make some bits and pieces that will improve the handling, and the addition of a Type R or KAZZ limited slip diff would help a bit. They are reasonably practical (over the shoulder and rearward visibility isn’t great) and you can fit a fair bit in them. They were Hondas top line Integra before the Type R appeared on the scene. If you want easy loping overtaking ability maybe a big 6 or 8 is what you need but if you are prepared to aim for the redline they can go quite well.

Remember that they are good for what they are (a zippy little 1.8 litre FWD coupe) not a giant slayer that will beat anything with 4 wheels.

Reliability – I have sprinted my daily driver Hondas (Integra Type R and before that a CRX that used the same basic chassis design) off and on for over 10 years and with adequate maintenance it has never proved a problem. That has to tell you something (other than I should be a lot quicker) about their reliability. My Integra has done over 30 track days, with just tyres and brake pads changed it has kept a lot of stock V8’s and turbos honest, been my daily driver for almost 6 years (still on it’s original clutch) with reasonable fuel economy for all that time. It’s not the quickest thing in a straight line but is good in the corners and under brakes. It could be redundant seeing as I may soon have a tow car and a race car, but I like it so much that I am prepared to pay the extra insurance and rego to keep it as a daily driver. It doesn’t owe me any money and it still makes me smile and I really cant ask for much more than that in a cheap car.

If you want to stay in the Ford family maybe look at a Cougar (I’d go for the Eibach model) – they would cost less, reliability and parts might be a problem (they seem to be a bit of an orphan). They might be slower around a track but you would still have a blue oval on the nose.

[Ringo]

Pick of the crop from the 90's I reckon..

I used to work at a Honda Dealer for a short and unmemorbale time (employers employee relations policy was treat everyone like crap...er no thanks) but I had the great fortune to drive heaps of Hondas in the time and I remember driving a Integra VTi well.

Great performance, practicality, price....and its a Honda. Easiest to drive and live with by far over

S2000's (try getting in and out if your 5'11" and 95 kgs) but the best gearshift in town

NSX servicing costs are beyond belief, clutchs are very un hondalike heavy, visibilty shocking and surprising noisy.

Notes for Integra:

Suspension bushes on the rear can wear out over time (same as civics) which can cost some money but get it done and it doesn't need to be for another 150K or so.

Ditto comment about clean fluids so oils and coolant need to be A1 as does knowing something about timing belts - when they go they go in specatular fashion.

Beware of big wheels and tyres causing the car to steer itself under heavy braking/cornering as the grip level of the tyre exceeds the capabilities of the bush to keep the geometrey correct.

Beware of mods...coffee can mufflers, modded chips, VTEC controllers etc actually take precious precious torque away from these finely tuned engines....for extra oomph fill it with premium instead, they love the stuff - Japanese regular ULP is 100 octane so Aussie cars are detuned a little for our fuel.

Make sure the AC works and produces cold air it idle within 30 seconds or so....they are never cheap to fix

squeaks, creaks and stuff from the interior can usually be traced and lubed without to much effort, knocking noises are usually shocks...nothing unique about that eh!

Interiors and paint are not hard wearing a la Ford/Holden/Toyots etc. Non metallic paints,seat fabric, vynil and plastics can show sun exposure quicker than other brand of cars.

The clutch should feel light...they are all like that (except NSX)

Finally make sure the car is tracking straight. Honda have 4 wheel toe adjustment (not just front) and wheel aligners without a clue can stuff em up fairly easily. The usually cause it when the shop only have a two wheel aligner and does front toe adjustment then rear toe adjustment instead of all four together....saw that a few times. Chews out edges inside 20k and the customer goes ballistic

Ripper car if you can find one worth your money. I was obviously dealing with newer Hondas and the percentage of cars that just came in for a straight service with no complaints use to amaze me - we had to upsell hard to make money out of the customer.

[ThoR_]

Hondas are amazing especially VTEC it kicks ***. You will be able to leave many 5litres in the dust with that

[chich]

Thanks for the replies and information guys - much appreciated.

Rev28K - Whats the Type R like to live with on a daily basis? Everyone i've spoken to says that they're a PITA to use as a daily because they're raw, loud and very very stiff. Unfortunately i havn't had the opportunity of driving one as yet so at this stage i'm just going off what people are telling me. Truth be told I like the idea of the odd burst to 9,000rpm in traffic on the way to work. In regards to buying a 6 or 8 i've been using my modified EF Fairmont as a daily for the past 6 years and to be honest its starting to drain me a little. The torque is fantastic but the reality is i don't need a 1600kg boat to commute 90km to and from work everyday. I was always going to pull it off the road at some stage and make it a weekender so i think its time for it to be relieved of its daily duties.

Ringo - Thanks for the info on the suspension. Thankfully i've got a good suspension guy who really knows his stuff. In regards to buying a modded Honda i'd only buy one with light engine mods such as an exhaust or light suspension mods. Being a daily all i want is a relatively stock car thats reliable and fun to drive. I want to be able to dump it in the city and in shopping centres and not be too paranoid that some scum are eyeing off my wheels and what-not. Our current daily (CSX Corolla) is perfect in this regard... just park it and forget about it.

[ThoR_]

There fine for every day drivers. Loud? Well just get a different exhaust put on it. Loudness is all form the exhaust. But you want it loud when the VTEC hits its a sweet sweet sound you will be addicted to.

No you wouldnt have to worry about leaving it in a car park. Its a Honda people would look twice. (no offence)

[merlin]

It depends what you like in an engine really. If you dont like shifting gears and revving an engine and want a nice spread of torque the Honda is not for you. If you like revving out an engine to 8000rpm to get moving then you will love it. It comes down to personal opinion. FYI - the latest MOTOR mag has a "past blast" of the Prelude VTI-R (yes not an Integra but similar in some ways). Personally I would not bother with the VTI-R and go the full Type-R. "Raw, loud and stiff"- so what?, your a car enthusiast not an accountant...

[Rev28K]

I find that my ITR is okay as a daily driver. I live in Melbourne and most of the roads are pretty good where I live. I do notice rough country roads and potholes, etc when I encounter them – if I was driving over them every day it probably would be a PITA. I’ve never had problems with it day to day – other than over the shoulder visability, it being a coupe having long doors in car parks and it sometimes being a bit low (look up at 4wds and the front spoiler just clear the local shopping centre’s carpark kerbs). My car also has the rear strut brace fitted so that means that the back is a bit compromised on load-lugging ability and if you are doing a lot of country miles 120kmh at 4000rpm can get a bit tiring, most of the time it is fine – I’ve done 4 hours highway driving and a track day plenty of times. If you are “big-boned” you may find the seats a bit tight, most average sized people seem to fit okay. The seats are a bit tight for road use but a bit too loose for track use. If you find the stock seats too tight than the later DC5 Type R (and I’ve been told the Evo 9) have Recaros with a wider base.

My car has done over 100k so it’s starting to get a few squeaks and rattles. The reclining Recaros are meant to be a bit notorious for this (one of mine has just started) and there are meant to be some replacement washers or something that take out the movement (which allows it to squeak) and I am chasing this weird creaking sound from the back (maybe sway bar or bushing related).

Mine has also never been in an accident, it’s been well-maintained and the tyre pressures are around 35-40 kpa.

Wheel alignment – stock the car only has front and rear toe adjustment (I had to swap front upper control arms from side to side to get more caster). I’ve recently had some Whiteline suspension bits fitted so that I can adjust the camber and caster and they (along with springs, shocks and sway bars) have improved the handling. I haven’t been able to get any truly representative lap times with the new set up (I was only a fraction quicker on a stinking hot day with really crappy old tyres), but it should be a second or two quicker (hopefully quicker than an auto Typhoon on some tracks).

One other idea for a competitor would be a Mitsubishi FTO R Type – there was one competing with me at Winton and we were neck and neck for about a year and a half. We started off both thinking that 1:45’s (around a stock WRX’s times) were impossible, after a year and a bit the quickest my car did was a 1:43 (stock other than RE540s tyres, Pagid pads and with someone else driving) and he was doing 1:42’s (with a few mods). The R Type FTO’s are a very underestimated car and being an import they would probably be cheaper than a local DC2 ITR. A hail-damaged road car FTO R type was turned in to a race car and even won it’s class for the year in the GTP championship way back when it was just getting started. In Japan the Toyota Celica Type III was one of it’s competitors (high revving N/A 2.0 litre – big wing on the back like the Group A turbo-4wd version). The original Jap only DC2 Type R’s were a bit different (4 bolt hubs versus the later 5 bolt hubs (you can’t swap wheels between a local ITR and a VTi-R), no ABS, gearing, power, final drive, etc) from the local versions and they had a 4-door version – I don’t know if the 4 door was available in Type R spec.

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18699

This is some good info here – except that this is the yank spec version which is about 100kg heavier than ours (they even deleted the rear wash/wipe to try and cut some weight out of the porky thing)
http://www.itrsport.com/technical.html

[DivHunter]

Originally Posted by ThoR_

Hondas are amazing especially VTEC it kicks ***. You will be able to leave many 5litres in the dust with that

[Rev28K]

Originally Posted by ThoR_

You will be able to leave many 5litres in the dust with that

Well seeing as I’ve had a race mechanic (with over 30 years at the pointy end, mainly Fords. He said that he wished his Falcons handled that well, he also liked the way you could jack up a corner (say front right) and the adjacent corner (rear right) would go up as well), a current V8 Supercar driver (Ford) and an ex-editor of AutoFiction…err AutoAction (he called it a real sleeper after it lapped quicker than his loaner Tickford 5.0) say good things about it…..

P.S. You should see what I post about Fords on the Honda sites that I frequent (I still remember the torque of a race only 5.6 Windsor stroker that I rode in)

[chich]

Originally Posted by merlin

Personally I would not bother with the VTI-R and go the full Type-R. "Raw, loud and stiff"- so what?, your a car enthusiast not an accountant...

Yeah i'm an enthusiast but there are times when i've had a rough day at work and cbf bouncing around in a cabin. I just want to turn my music up and drive..

[chich]

Originally Posted by ThoR_

There fine for every day drivers. Loud? Well just get a different exhaust put on it. Loudness is all form the exhaust.

Not as simple as that... the Type R has very minimal sound deadening in the floor. Apparently alot of road & tyre noise comes through into the cabin..

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by Fairmont99

Vtech must be like NAWS :hihi:

[Gammaboy]

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

Vtech must be like NAWS :hihi:

Its Better!

[merlin]

Originally Posted by merlin

It depends what you like in an engine really. If you dont like shifting gears and revving an engine and want a nice spread of torque the Honda is not for you. If you like revving out an engine to 8000rpm to get moving then you will love it. It comes down to personal opinion. FYI - the latest MOTOR mag has a "past blast" of the Prelude VTI-R (yes not an Integra but similar in some ways). Personally I would not bother with the VTI-R and go the full Type-R. "Raw, loud and stiff"- so what?, your a car enthusiast not an accountant...

I feel I need to edit my post to include obligatory VTEC pictures of what you may be missing out on...


.
.
.

.
.
.

.
.

[ThoR_]

LOL! those pictures are awsome. Yeh my mate had his DelSol CRX and the road noise wasnt bad but when you hit the VTEC you couldnt even hear the radio. VTiR`s are basiclly like a little street legal race car.

[colossus]

............................

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by chich

Not as simple as that... the Type R has very minimal sound deadening in the floor. Apparently alot of road & tyre noise comes through into the cabin..

Also I believe when they first came out they didn't have A/C standard to save weight. Type R rocks. Pretty much a track car straight out of the showroom.

The thing with Hondas in general though, is you have to be very careful with mods as they are designed pretty spot on to begin with and you can lose performance.

I nearly bought one myself but when it came to insurance the WRX is quicker and cheaper to insure and that is the only reason I didn't buy one.

[Rev28K]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Also I believe when they first came out they didn't have A/C standard to save weight.

Correct. But it was a dealer option.

Seeing as mine was my DD for 6 years I got it with A/C and a C/D stacker. The A/C can work as a form of traction control in the wet (and knocks a few seconds of your lap time if you leave it on when lapping on stinking hot days - wondered why I couldn't get past that HQ SS).

[merlin]

Originally Posted by ThoR_

Yeh my mate had his DelSol CRX and the road noise wasnt bad but when you hit the VTEC you couldnt even hear the radio. VTiR`s are basiclly like a little street legal race car.

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by merlin

Classic.......

[DirtyHarry]

The Integra is a great little car, but be aware - Honda spare parts prices are outrageous.

You are looking at a 13 year old car. Check it out very carefully, and get prices/quotes on anything that needs fixing before you buy it - you may get a nasty shock.

[blueoval]

sorry if its a repost

http://editorial.carsales.com.au/car-review/ce8179.aspx

[bigAl]

hahah
same thinking as my avatar

:dj: :dj: :dj: :dj: :dj: