It took Guy Serapion three years to get his '94 Integra GS-R into the kind of condition we look for in a feature car. But when you consider that the buildup of any car is a gradual process and begins with bolting on one part and ends (if it can ever be said to end) with another part, three years seems pretty reasonable. And while the payoff from all that work is the car itself, the history of a car is in all of the steps it takes along the way from that first day of wrenching to the day it poses for the photo shoot, in this case, at the NOPI Nationals back in September of 1999.
Just looking at the car doesn't tell you its history. Like the fact that during the build-up process, the motor blew up twice, once while it was in Alabama, a 300-mile tow back to Guy's hometown of Peachtree City, Georgia. Or that most of the buildup took place in California and that Guy's cousin Kevin Serapion was instrumental in getting this daily-driver Integra into the shape it's in today. Guy says, "If it wasn't for [Kevin] and all his hard work, I'd still be driving a fairly stock car, but because of him, it's now a Super Street car." Kevin (who was working at Speed Trends in Glendora, California, at the time) was the mastermind and facilitator of the kick-ass buildup, while the car spent an extended six-month vacation in California. See, that's information you can't glean from gazing at the car as it flies past you on the highway. You just know it's fast and looks cool. Read on for more insight into Guy's process.
You probably already noticed the Japanese OE Type R front end. Or maybe you didn't, but you're gonna look at it as soon as you stop reading this sentence. Go ahead. Like it? Yup, so do we. Here's a little story. After Cousin Kevin had all the work done when it was in California, Guy drove the car back home to Georgia. He encountered an ice storm while driving through the great state of Texas, and as is the tradition with ice storms, local officials had scattered salt and gravel on the roads to remedy the icy conditions. Another tradition in this scenario is the nasty undoing of pretty paint jobs on cars because of the salt and gravel. Unfortunately, the Integra was not immune to the carnage. Back in Georgia on Christmas Eve when Guy rolled into Peachtree City with the newly fixed-up (but now dinged and chipped) car, Guy's dad, Ben Serapion, and Guy's good friend Mike Vandrew both rolled up their sleeves and restored the beauty of the battered and bruised Type R front end. Try getting that story out of Guy while you're inquiring about his ride at a stoplight. Not gonna happen.
The body mods don't stop at the front end, though. We also like the addition of the Top Fuel body kit to give it that dip-scraping look up front. And the Pit Crew Motorsports carbon-fiber hood isn't easy to miss, either. Honda White paint accented by very subtle red Generation X graphics ties the whole thing together neatly.
Guy attacked the interior with the help of some of his friends. Their weapons of choice were Type R seats covered in suede upholstery, various Mugen components (steering wheel and shifter knob), Razo pedals, and an Auto Meter 10,000-rpm tachometer. Mike Vandrew stepped back into the picture to help out in the electronics department. He pulled out the factory Acura stereo and swapped in a Honda head unit, put an Alpine CD changer in place of the passenger-side airbag (too bad for the passenger), and hooked it all up to the Rockford Fosgate Punch 40 amp and 10-inch DVC speakers with Street Wires. Guy says getting that CD changer in the air bag compartment was pretty much the hardest part of the installation.
Brandishing even more ingenuity and expertise, Guy moved on to install the GS-R's new suspension. Skunk2 springs paired with Tokico shocks lower the car's ride height. Rigidity around corners is assisted by an Integra Type R strut brace up front and an Advanced Concepts rear strut brace in (where else?) the back of the car.
And now to the engine. Lurking beneath the Mugen valve cover are a JDM Type R camshaft, JDM GS-R pistons, a whole slew of products from JG Engine Dynamics (valves, valve springs, retainers, and cam gears), and a set of NGK spark plugs. Elsewhere in the engine bay, you'll find a GS-R air intake from Advanced Concepts, a JG Engine Dynamics throttle body, Magnecor spark plug wires, a GReddy SP exhaust, and a DC Sports four-into-one header. Props for the buildup go to Albert Gamboa and Freddie Hernandez, both good friends of Kevin's. Albert used to work at JG Engine Dynamics, and Freddie, who currently works at Pitcrew Motorsports, gained experience while working at JG, IPS, and Speed Trends. Goodies from Advanced Concepts and Mugen dress the engine up a bit for parties and show purposes.
A Stage 3 ceramic clutch from Clutch Masters allows Guy smooth engagement when he changes the GS-R's gears. Another story about the buildup: The project got started twice. In July, Albert and Freddie tore the engine down and put the parts in the interior of the car for storage. The parts were then stolen. Once all the parts were rounded up again, a lot of time had passed, but with Kevin's commitment to the project, it got done just the same.They finished just in time for Guy to drive back to Georgia for Christmas.
Finishing off the look and performance of the Integra are the 18-inch Racing Hart Type C wheels that make good use of the 215/35ZR18 Nitto NT 450 tires. The aforementioned tire-and-wheel combo is in place for all non-race situations Guy and the GS-R find themselves in. For race applications, the front wheels and tires are replaced by 14-inch Civic wheels shod with NT 555 Drag tires. To put a stop on things, the stock brakes were exchanged for Brembos in the front and Stillen in the rear, with both sets benefiting from Axxis Metal Masters brake pads. There aren't any stories that go along with the brakes, wheels, or tires, except that on the street tires, the Integra runs the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 98 mph. On slicks, Guy figures he could break the 13-second mark. The process continues.