A Victim of Theft and Neglect, This Acura Integra Type R Gets an Overdue Makeover
A string of bad luck and abandonment led this DC2 to a new owner, a complete revamp, and plenty of weekend track adventures.
The Honda Civic and Acura Integra have always shared a cross-platform connection that, much like your favorite LEGO set as a kid, allowed savvy DIY'ers the freedom to snap together all sorts of suspension, engine, and interior concoctions based on parts from both parts bins. Unfortunately, that user-friendly tie-in brought out an army of thieves that for years has had a field day picking off higher-end models to strip down and harvest parts for both personal builds, and for profit.
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America Most Wanted
The Integra Type R, with its premium, sporty seating, desirable 5-lug hubs and capable brakes, and highly-touted engine and transmission duo might as well have included a big red target on its doors when introduced to the U.S. market in late 1996. As a result of it playing so well with lower-tier Integra and the Civic family, Type R theft has always been a constant threat to owners. This featured car is one such victim, having been snatched up way back in 2004.
Originally Nighthawk Black Pearl, it ended up making its way to an auction missing its entire engine and drivetrain, front end, seats, and more. It was purchased by a member of Honda-Tech who'd also purchased another ITR from the auction in an attempt to combine the two and build a single usable car. He succeeded in the effort, but after a few years personal issues led to the car sitting still. It was then sold and the new owner tore it down, had it painted grey, and had plans to take on a complete build-up but that was pushed aside after he picked up a BMW M3.
Since its theft, the ITR was used more for collecting dust rather than actual driving duties, but that would all change once Jorge Sandoval stepped in. "I purchased the car in April of 2017," he says. "The paint looked great in videos and photos but when it arrived, it looked like a poor job. I decided I was going to completely strip the car and have it refinished."
Starting Over
Taking the car apart once again, its first stop was a local paint shop that Jorge had gone to for previous paintwork, but in this instance, massive unforeseen delays tripled the shop's original six month estimate. That year and a half wasn't a complete waste as it gave Jorge plenty of time to track down parts, many of which were becoming increasingly difficult to find. He adds, "A lot of the parts were becoming discontinued from Acura at the time I was installing them. Just about every molding and seal was bought brand new and replaced."
Those fresh OEM seals were installed on the newly sprayed Vogue Silver Metallic body - a color taken from the Japanese market's DC2 color wheel, which flows well with the JDM front end conversion. Ganador mirrors and a First Molding vented hood were colormatched during the body shop stay, while a carbon fiber Spoon lip and Voltex Type 1 GT wing were left naked. Additional OEM optional exterior touches included UKDM taillights and optional window visors.
The Integra and Volk's TE37 seem to go hand in hand, especially for a build destined for track days but in this instance, it's the far less common first-generation model, known as the TE16 that Jorge added to his project. The 16x8 classics were refinished in brilliant mag blue and joined by Toyo's Proxes R888R, with stopping power provided by custom finished Endless 4-pot calipers.
