Have you ever seen that show Antiques Road Show? It's the best thing on TV since the Great Space Coaster. Anyway, people from all over the country bring what they think is valuable to this traveling appraisal/collectors' show: toys, lamps, all sorts of stuff. An appraiser looks it over, critiques it, and gives his opinion on what he feels the value is. Some walk away very content, and others apply for a job at the Tootsie Pop factory. It's some pretty intense stuff.
Now let's do a little role-playing and take a look at Thanh Duong's ride. Yeah, so what? Just another Integra with some fancy body kit and wheels to go with it, right? Wrong, take another look. It's an Integra Type R, something everyone and their cousin's second cousin wants. It's part of the "in" crowd at school. Sure, not everyone in the world can have one, but when it's around, everyone wants it. It's in a class by itself. There's just something about it that makes it truly genuine.
Like we said, it's a Type R, and Thanh's time and money weren't going to be spent on just "good enough." Adding a JDM Integra R front end isn't so uncommon these days, but finding a good body kit to match it is. "Most of the aftermarket stuff out there doesn't fit really well," says Thanh. "That's one of the main reasons why I went with JDM parts. Not only are they clean and simple, but they also fit the best. It's like factory."
Accordingly, a Mugen body kit was blended onto the body lines. That includes front and rear bumpers and side valences.The rear spoiler was removed and then shaved clean along with the door handles and emblems. The paint is absolutely stunning, a combination of metallics overpowered by bronze accents and was sprayed by Reflections Auto Body of Torrance, California. Even the graphics are real Mugen, no cut vinyl here.
What makes the Type R such a valuable commodity is the engine. Well, that and the fact that a car of this caliber can attract a flock of 16 year olds faster than an A-Teens CD in a matter of seconds. The B18C5 is the most powerful Honda production motor available in any of its passenger cars and needs little to create a lot of power. The internals were left alone, but the engine bay now serves as a home for a Drag Generation 3 turbo system. Exhaust gases flow to a T4/T3 turbine out to a Mugen twin-loop muffler, and compressor surge is released through an HKS Super Sequential blow-off valve. To make sure that enough fuel is provided for the additional intake charge, both a Vortech fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator were added. The exhaust manifold is nickel-plated to match the body color and is mated with a Turbonetics Delta wastegate. Diehard Mugen fanatics wouldn't forget to add the Mugen valve cover, oil, and radiator cap. To get an exact reading of how much horsepower his car is actually making, Thanh took his car to Dynamic Autosports where they were able to extract 328.5 hp at 8,400 rpm with 208.8 lb-ft.
It's a good thing that the Type R also has a great suspension. Most people don't think it's worth it to change it out. But remember, Thanh doesn't want to be like everyone else. He chose to improve it by putting in Apex N1 coilover dampers. To minimize body roll, both front and rear strut braces were placed on top of the shock towers. The factory Type R wheels found their way to the back corner of the garage to make room for the Mugen MF10s, color-matched perfectly with the color of the car.
One of the key features of this R is what's behind doors one and two. Imported from Japan by Thanh himself are a pair of suede-covered Bride Zeta seats. Ask him how easy it was to get, and he laughs, "Don't ask." The Mugen theme comes back into play with an FG-360 steering wheel, shift knob, and sport pedals. Installing home entertainment systems is Thanh's daily profession, so it wasn't hard for him to install his own gear with the help of Eric "Suave" Gutierrez. Retinal scans and fingerprint ID-ing is done with the Sony WX-C70MD double-DIN head unit with monitor, and MP3 burns can be played on the Sony MDX-65 CD player. A Sony DVD player allows Thanh and his passengers to peep the Brat Pack classics. And to keep an eye on the car's position at all times, an Alpine GPS navigation unit was thrown into the mix. Finally, powering the sound system is a Sony XIYI-2100 amplifier, putting out a total of 360 watts through Ultralink and Monster Cable wires out to a set of JL Audio 12-inch 12W6 speakers.
You've seen the features, so now it's time to appraise it. Genuine JDM. Genuine Mugen. Genuine Bride. And definitely genuine Type R. I'd say it's priceless.