The Multiple Lives of a 60,000-mile Acura Integra
This K24-powered GS-R leaves drag racing in the rearview as it goes in search of lap times.Most track cars in the Honda community begin life as standard A-to-B commuters that eventually work their way toward becoming competitive machines after a bevy of modifications. Cars like this 1998acura integra GS-R will get the expected list of minor modifications before things eventually pick up, and before you know it, the project turns into a full-blown weekend track car.
A History of Racing
The difference with this DC2, owned and built by Seth Gale, is that it was already serving race duty when he purchased it last year. The car only has about 60,000 miles on it, which is almost unheard of for Acura's third-generation golden child. It seemed like the perfect platform to build on. Gale added, "What I thought was a well-sorted contender had a lot of racing history that left it under-prepared, tired, and at risk for some difficult troubleshooting trackside."
The car's previous life was dedicated to drag racing and though the chassis mileage was low, it had been powered by at least three different engine setups and two different roll cages over its life span. It would serve as an ideal jumping-off point, having spherical bushings throughout, along with some other track-friendly upgrades. However, once he got the car home, Gale's outlook shifted rather quickly when he found that curiously, the car wouldn't shut down, even after the ignition was off and the key was removed. "It wouldn't shut off until the headlights were switched off. Immediately realizing this car needed more than I originally projected, I started making a plan and taking advice from friends and resources," Gale recalled.
Team Player
One of those resources was Hawk Performance, which jumped in to assist with the build and brought Gale onto the Hawk Performance Race Team—signified by the 1990s-style Hawk race livery designed by Rob Wilkinson. Gale credits the entire team for helping to keep his Integra on the track and explains that they go to great lengths to help one another at every race event.
While the car was getting its new look, Gale was busy tearing into the car in search of performance, reliability, and safety. The K24 swap received a much need K20 oil pump conversion and remains entirely OEM on the inside. A 50-degree VTC gear was added along with RBB intake manifold and DC5 throttle body. From the aftermarket, you'll spot the carbon fiber Acuity Instruments intake, which is actually intended for a ninth-generation Civic, along with the brand's shifter cables and cable bushings. The Acuity upgrades came about after Gale went about hunting down its adjustable short shifter, which he also installed, as he was dead-set on adding it. Gale noted, "I reached out to Acuity Instruments to source the four-way adjustable shifter, as I knew that was a form and function piece that I HAD to have on this car—not just from a reliability perspective but from a performance standpoint as well. I needed reliable, precise shifts, and that's what they specialize in."
The previously mentioned spherical bearings that came with the car were pulled and replaced with PCI versions to freshen up the chassis. While the car was up on jack stands, Honed Developments front and rear roll center correction kits were added, as were the brand's rear trailing arm reinforcement plates and tie bar end links. An ASR 24-mm adjustable rear sway bar and subframe brace were bolted on and Reinhard R2 coilovers were introduced. To maximize grip, 15 x 10-inch Konig Dekagram wheels were placed up front with 15 x 9-inchers fit at the rear, all wrapped in Hoosier R7 rubber. Just behind those wheels are Wilwood Dynapro race calipers that clamp down on Hawk DTC rotor rings with the help of Hawk DTC 70 brake pads. The rears rely on blank EP3 rotors and Hawk DTC 30 pads. The factory brake booster has been replaced by a Honed Developments delete kit and 7/8-inch master cylinder piston so that Gale can maintain complete control of his braking setup.
