My DA9 build, soon to be DA9T

**menacer** · 02-08-2012 07:12 PM

Been meaning to start this thread for a while. Had taken heaps of pics of mods so far but my computer died last month and most of them are gone now. so I figured I better get this started so it won't matter if something like this happens again... So, here we go...

(WILL ADD MORE PICS SOON)

In The Beginning
When I bought my 1991 Da9 Integra it was pretty much stock, all that had changed since the factory was the headunit (which had been swapped out for a fully sic SSL item and was held in place by electrical tape) and the wheels. (had some mediocre 16's on it)

The same day I got it home the factory intake came out. After a bit of measuring and planning it was decided that I didn't have enough materials laying around to replace it, but there was no way I was going to put it all back in and have it all choked up like that... Cue Mr Hole saw!

And all the bits that didn't go back in

I was actually quite surprised at the difference this made. I was expecting some improvement but the results were quite impressive, and don't even get me started on the sound... Toughest intake note EVER! I was so impressed with the improvement that I decided to leave it like this for while and spend my dollars on other things. In this case Audio. I decided that to do everything that I wanted to do would take some serious fibreglassing, but figured I could get it all in now and worry about making it pretty later. The first step was to make some headunit mounting brackets (As i wasn't going to trust tape to secure my replacement unit) this took quite a while as I had no idea how the factory one mounted.(will get around to making a fill panel one day)

Once that was sorted it was onto subs. I wanted something with decent output but minimal depth and box requirements. Ended up getting a pair of Clarion's pushing 350wrms each for $150. Also got a good deal on an Option Audio Amp big enough to run one then later bought an Option 5ch to run the other one and the speakers. (to be honest these are the only items I regret buying, although their running output are rated at sufficient amounts, their THD levels are crap. Therefore you can only run like quarter gain before distortion. Options new series do not suffer this problem however I think when I do replace mine it will be with Alpine or Vibe units)
Custom made some boxes to fit behind wheel arches and reinforced the rear trim panel with fibreglass to mount the amps on. (boxes will eventually be fibreglassed over making wheel arch to back panel look like one piece.)

That was it for Audio for a while, eventually some type R splits made their way into the front doors.

And Eventually after much cutting and die grinding and making of brackets some crazy big Vibe Black Air 6x9's made their home in the back where the factory 4in's were. (note that despite all the cutting and the way bigger speakers, it still looks factory!)

During this time the clutch, which was in rather average condition when I bought it. Deteriorated into an less than average state so it was swapped out for an Exedy HD assembly. Also took this opportunity to 'take the flywheel to Jenny Craig' and throw in a short shifter, this required getting, creative, with the exhaust heat shield.

Not long after, I finally sold my previous car, this meant two things one; my steering wheel from the Pulsar was ready for its new home in the Teg, and two; MONEY!

However, before I could get too spending it all, my wife was in need of a new car. (as her previous one had a run in with 5 fence posts and a tree... it lost)

Being that the spending money was running low as we also were saving for our house. The only mods the Teg got for a while here were a decent intake, some ebay extractors and a custom twin exhaust setup.

The twin exhaust set up I am quite proud of as it only cost $110 including mufflers. I managed to reuse most of the factory pipe by simply cutting the factory muffler off and turning the tail pipe section around to run in its place.

1 Year Later
So by this stage the car was running well, sounding good inside and out and had a bit more 'go' than ever before. Also prior to now, for Christmas I got a Skunk2 Racing intake manifold and slapped that on.

At this point we had also bought our house so I was starting to get some play money together. Because I don't live near a track of any kind and rely on mostly mountain runs to put the car through its paces it was decided that some suspension work was in order... And what was Honda thinking with this ride height??!

As previously mentioned the car was to live its life on the (rather crappy condition) roads not a racetrack so coil overs we never even a consideration.
After a few months of saving it was shopping time! It didn't take long before our lounge room floor became home to a full set of Koni yellow adjustable shocks and low King Springs, Skunk2 front and rear camber kits, a set of freshly revitalized 17's and eventually a customized DC2 strut brace. (Strut brace was a great piece made by Ozhonda member stevo716 and promptly bought by myself as soon as his partout began)

Picked the wheels up from the wreckers for $500 with decent tread and had previously used them on the wife's car. They had a few nicks n chips but spun up straight so after a bit of sanding and grinding, I had them powder coated Treasured Silver.

It took awhile before all this made its way onto the car, because our new house was a bit short on shed space. (it will eventually have plenty, in the next few months the little half bay broom closet of a shed will be getting torn down and replaced with a 4 bay monster)
After about 2 months of using the bits as house decorations I finally had the chance to put the car on one of the hoists at a local suspension shop where I used to work.

This was the setting for my birthday dinner, courtesy of my wife.

While I was wheel aligning the car (once everything was installed) I realized that the castor figures were quite low. A quick test drive (in what now steered like a shopping trolley) confirmed that some adjustment was needed. After a bit of research I decided to get a Full Race traction bar, as this would not only give me the adjustment I needed but also improve traction off the line and leave more room for turbo piping if I decided to take the boosted option. (pretty sure I had already subconsciously decided I would)

After another month or so I finally got it back onto the hoist and wheel aligner. The traction bar allowed for plenty of adjustment, and just like that, the shopping trolley era was over.

Building For Boost!
So, not long after getting the traction bar I was happy with how the car was handling. At this time I found a B series turbo kit including basically everything (except intercooler) for sale here on the forum. I wasn't overly keen on running all second hand gear,(especially turbo) but the price was too good to pass up.

The kit came with 2 manifold options that had been used on the civic the kit came from, however I soon realized neither of them met my requirements design wise, and neither would position the turbo where I wanted it.

While looking into other manifold options, I decided to make a start on a gauge pod idea I had. I removed the factory in dash clock (as the headunit has one anyway) and got started with some fibreglassing and a little grinding around the clocks mounting hole to accommodate the back of the gauges.

A couple of afternoons later and I had this staring at me from where the clock used to be.

Before finishing it and fitting gauges I decided I would mount it for a few days and make sure I was happy with it. (that 'few days' ended up being a lot of days as my work roster no longer allowed much car time.)

By this stage I had been looking for a parts car for months (probably a year or so) and had no luck finding any cheap enough that were running OBD1 wiring within 500km. (my DA being 91 was running OBD0 which would not cut it for boost, and with aftermarket harnesses being not worth their asking price, a 92/93 model was necessary) Finally I found one and $900 later, I had 2 Integras. (The main benefit of having a second complete car for me is options, 2 blocks to chose from 2 gearboxes etc etc.)

So, that pretty much brings us to now. I've probably missed some stuff but I'll add it as it comes to mind.

Current Build

Engine:
B18a1 (OBD0)
Factory 5 speed manual
Exedy HD clutch
Short shifter
Skunk2 Racing intake manifold
Custom air intake
K&N Pod
Ebay Extractors
Custom twin exhaust rear piping

Suspension:
Koni adjustable shocks all round
Low King Springs all round
Skunk2 adjustable front upper control arm and ball joints
Skunk2 adjustable rear toe arms
Full Race traction bar
Customized DC2 front strut brace
!7inch powder coated wheels

Brakes:
Factory for now
Bendix Pads

Stereo:
Pioneer 2Din touch screen (5 volt preouts)
OA 2ch and OA 5ch amps
Clarion 350wrms Subs in custom boxes
Alpine Type R splits
Vibe Black Air 6x9's

Interior:
Calibre steering wheel
Spoon Racing gear knob
Ebay racing pedals
Front and rear blue footwell neons and step lights on doors
Custom twin gauge pod (half finished)

Current list of parts for turbo install
(more than one of some things. Like I said, I like options)
Garrett T25 turbo
Garrett Gt2835-56t
Tial Wastegate
Bigger Tial wastegate
BOV
Homemade Manifold
Blox Racing Manifold
450cc Injectors
Drift catch can
Dump pipe and misc intake piping
High flow cat
Hotdog muffler

Current Shopping List
Drift Saphire series boost gauge - ordered
Drift Saphire series oil pressure gauge - ordered
Drift Saturn series water temp gauge - ordered
Skunk2 Racing 70mm Throttle Body
Walbro fuel pressure regulator
map sensor (thinking omni power.. anyone used one?)
boost controller
600x250x70 Intercooler
Walbro fuel pump - ordered

Surge tank (maybe)
HD drive shafts
LSD
B18a rebuild kit
Stainless valves

Also Custom made ram horn manifold

Anyway I guess thats about it for now. Any feedback is always appreciated, product recommendations aswell. Also feel free to ask if you have any question about anything I've done so far or am planning to do.
Thanks for reading!

**dougie_504** · 02-08-2012 08:52 PM

Sounds nice mate. I love the DA so much. Such a sexy look, my favourite of the Integras TBH.

Got some pictures please? Would be great to see it turbo'd!

**EKVTIR-T** · 02-08-2012 09:27 PM

Good plans man,cant wait to see it

**menacer** · 02-08-2012 09:38 PM

ok so it wont let me put all the pics in the first post so ill put the rest here.

**mooshie** · 02-08-2012 10:33 PM

Great story! Now get some pics up, can't wait to see this DA

**menacer** · 03-08-2012 08:05 AM

Thanks Mooshie. Ive got some ready will upload them tonite then the rest over the weekend.

**93Integra** · 04-08-2012 01:27 AM

Looks the goods mate, and awesome birthday spread :P

Any chance for more pictures/info of the intake? Keen to do something similar to my DA but no idea on where to start.

**menacer** · 04-08-2012 09:03 AM

am planning on getting more pics up tonight.

as for the intake i assume u mean the cai not the hole saw job?

**93Integra** · 04-08-2012 10:55 AM

Sadly I meant the hole-saw job haha.. Plan on removing the resonator and doing something similar, so was just curious as to what you did exactly.

**menacer** · 04-08-2012 03:50 PM

haha nice! no shame in that.. did the same things to the wifes eg a couple months ago.. reckon we gained a good 8hp.. their a lot more choked up than the da to start with tho.

will take a few more shots of that for u as well then.