His first task was to make the shell look clean, to serve as a visual inspiration for what lie ahead during the rest of the build up, and he executed it with a overhaul of the entire exterior and engine bay. He painted the Integra Estate Green Metallic from the color swatches of a Lincoln Navigator. He straighten up the chassis by fixing up some minor dings and dents before covering the front end with a 3M Invisible Bra. The lighting was also changed with a newer JDM one-piece headlight set with PIAA bulbs and adding an EDM rear foglight in the back. All of the exterior was finished before even considering what engine to get.
Since the B16 was widely popular and easy to get, he dropped one in the engine bay and equipped it with a Walbro fuel pump, Benen fuel rail, and K&N drop-in air filter. He later installed a GReddy SP2 exhaust and DC Sports header into the mix, while doing some engine-bay-keeping with a custom powdercoated valve cover, semi wire tucks, and chromed out pieces. He kept the engines mods to a minimum because Bryan was never into being excessive. He's the Richard Meier to the tuning world's Takashi Murakami.
His next stop in the buildup was the suspension and wheels, where he opted to not only go old school but also rare with a set of 15x7 Sprint Hart CP-R wheels. If these wheels were kicks, they'd be a pair of black/red Air Jordan XIIs with a Now and Later in the middle. Riding them are some Tein Flex coilovers that work with an EM Racing rear strut brace and a one-of-a-kind Red Horse front strut brace. Bryan felt so confident with his suspension setup that he tried them out on several tracks, including Buttonwillow and Willow Springs. Though he didn't plan on ever taking his ride on the bends, he fell in love with road racing as quickly as he did when he first set his eyes on the Integra. Now he has plans to get more suspension components and even equip the Integra with a rollcage.
Three years and some months after purchasing the Integra as a mere shell, Bryan evolved into the tuner he always wanted to be and looked up to in his older brother. "This car is really all due to my big brother," he explains, "He got me into cars and showed me how to build one properly. Because of him, I forced myself to be different and challenge myself when I tune my car. It made the decisions on which parts to buy easier because setting a goal before starting the build is essential. My goal was to build the Integra as something clean and simple, and that's why I did." So when it comes down to it, old school is all relative. What matters after every build is execution. Because it doesn't matter if you have a Starlet, Corolla or Integra if don't know what to do with it.