2001 Acura Integra Transformed From Daily Driver to Track Ripper
A second chance with Acura’s legendary third-gen chassis leads to competitive track aspirations.Everyone deserves a second chance; just ask Evan McLaren, owner of this clean, track-focused 2001 Integra LS. Having picked up a silver GS-R way back in 2011, a car that he spent years shaping into his ideal build, an on-road mishap forced a "do over," and in turn, completely changed his automotive goals.
Throwing Out Old Rice
That first GS-R was a major score for Evan, being that it was a one-owner affair, had reasonable miles, and was in outstanding condition—at least if you could look beyond the gaudy additions. He adds, "I rescued it from an embarrassing state of being riced out with high-offset chrome 17s on stock ride height, chrome window tint, massive fart can exhaust, Altezza taillights—you get the idea." Able to justify the embarrassing ride home due to a clean, rust-free chassis with a mint interior, it became his new daily driver.
The engine was the only real question mark and based on its oil consumption after a week of driving, Evan started making a mental checklist for an ITR swap. A year passed and the oil gulping GS-R held on, but eventually called it quits. Rather than make the move on that ITR swap, Evan was lured into the K20a.org forums and decided to explore K-power.
A TSX long block and K20Z3 transmission were sourced, as was a sixth-gen coupe to daily drive, and for the next three years Evan researched, collected parts, and stockpiled them in anticipation of his swap. During that time his daily driver was totaled by a stray horse (yes, you read that right), and a replacement Civic was promptly stolen just weeks after purchase. Trudging forward, he successfully rebuilt his GS-R engine, got the Integra back up and running, then later swapped that engine into his since recovered Civic before finally completing his K24 swap.
Torque Matters
"I was ecstatic to finally see the K24 in the bay of the Integra," Evan recalls. "That first drive, even untuned on a base map, I was blown away by the night and day difference in torque; the car felt like it wanted to rip through the gears so much quicker than the GS-R and single cams I was used to."
About six months after getting the car back on the road, on a morning like any other, Evan was pushing the car on some twisty backroads and having a blast until he unknowingly transitioned to a road with freshly laid gravel. The rear stepped out and he attempted to correct, causing the car to pitch the opposite direction, eventually stopping backward in a field. The rear trailing arm took a hit and launched itself up and into the rear quarter panel, causing a nasty twist in the car's rear half. The chassis was a total loss. "I was devastated and furious at myself. After a couple weeks of self-loathing, I started to look for another shell that I could transfer the swap into. I was striking out and everything I could find was either clapped out or snatched up before I could get to it."
Taking a mental break from the search proved to be a good move when he randomly scrolled by an Integra up for sale. The car was purchased and used as a daily for about a month before being torn down. Evan adds, "Over that winter I spent time going over the car, painting the bay, and using my experience from the first time around to make this version nicer and tidier."
