My own "learn me" thread: Integra Type R

In reply to ae86andkp61:

I'll second that! I had a GS-R sedan for almost 15 years. And while I had some mods (cold air intake, header, Integra type R springs upgraded struts, lightweight flywheel, stiffened rear sway bar, etc). There is something about The Type R that is is much more than the sum if it's parts... I believe back in the day Sport Compact Car had a project car where they modified a GS-R to basicall the same or more hp, modified the suspension where its should have been "better". But The ITR still would beat it around the track (how much of that was the LSD? )

As fas as actually owning them, I LOVED the car. It was almost a perfect all around car that I could drive every day, take to the autocross (and even the drags once or twice). When driven in anger (on the street), it would get in the teens, but when trying, I could get 32+mpg on the highway. I had mine slightly before the Fast and Furious crowd came around. Once they did...my factory "fat 5's" were stolen off my car in my driveway. Luckily my car wasn't stolen though. And then the onlt thing that I didn't realy care about owning it...Our town/area had/has a decent import scene, so almost every night driving home, I'd get some kid with a Civic or Eclipse with a fart can on it want to race...either in town or out on the highway. The car just seemed to draw the kids out of the woodwork...

Dan

Not really a counterpoint but a hilarious anecdote to this Integra attracting races thing:

One time i was helping some of my friends move and had literally about 800 lbs of extra cargo and people in my 1993 Dodge Dynasty. The rear bumper was almost dragging the ground.

So of course a bright yellow ITR comes up next to me and wants to race... wait what?! Seriously? The only thing obviously 'enthusiasty' about my dynasty at that point was a low-contrast rams-head sticker in the rear window. I have no idea what that guy was thinking.

Of course, i would have raced him anyway if i had no people in the car. I did beat lightly modded RS/GS in that stock Dynasty.

The Type R is one of the cars on my "Like to own" list if I had the space to garage it.

I'd be afraid to leave it out in a parking lot for fear of theft tho and Denver isn't exactly the hotbed of the import tuner craze...

Has anyone else mentioned "Insanely overpriced?" There are faster, more fun cars to drive at the price point that would get you a "decent" type-r IMHO. Still fantastic cars. Wish I would've bought one new. Not a value to me used though.

Cost of ownership is a matter of purchase price in relationship to sale price when you sell it. I wonder if the type-r will appreciate and be a car you can own for free or even make money on? I love a car like that!

Has anybody here actually priced clean titled, unmolested, low mileage Type R's recently. Every single one of that I have seen for sale has been HUGE money.

wearymicrobe wrote: Has anybody here actually priced clean titled, unmolested, low mileage Type R's recently. Every single one of that I have seen for sale has been HUGE money.

To be honest, no. I'm only considering this one because the price seems in line with KBB and I know the owner. And I really need a car right now to get the TDi off the road. What is "huge money"? It is unmolested, though... fewer modifications than my E30 has. Koni DA's and a K&N - that's it. The last time I saw it his fiance was driving it as a "support car" for the S2000 they run.

Otherwise, it's a car I know of but never really paid attention to. I'll see one on the road and go, "cool... rare car..." but never lusted after one. Granted, much of that is because for the last 11 years I've been with a woman with an unnatural hatred of Japanese cars (although when we started dating I was driving a '91 Integra GS). We're not together now, so my options are now open to cars without having to deal with B.S.

I'm going to call my insurance agent tomorrow and get a quote. If they are still the theft-bait everyone says they are, the rate quote should reflect that.

Ok... called my insurance agent and asked for rough quotes on a mix of cars (and Sprinter) I'm considering. An ITR wasn't the most expensive, but wasn't the cheapest either - smack in the middle, actually...

A brand new FR-S was the highest (no surprise there), followed by a E46 M3, then the ITR, a 2003 WRX and 2006 Sprinter (tie), with a '99 M3 being the cheapest.

Full coverage, $1000 deductible.

It's kinda funny... in a way, the ITR is to a regular Integra as a E30 M3 is to a E30 325is. Buying one now to use as a back-up DD would be like buying an E30 M3 back in 2000 for the same reason. Kinda odd, but they weren't as sought-after back then.

Well... more info for me to ponder...