Back to School
The first item of business was to develop the GS-R's suspension, as the lack of negative camber and weak transitioning ability needed to be corrected before engine performance would provide any gains.
Jay Morris at Ground Control was quick to help out. A trick set of his Advanced Design struts would have been nice, but unfortunately there was not enough time for him to build a set for us. An alternative was a set of Ground Control slip-on threaded coil-over bodies that could be mounted over a set of our shocks.
To save time and money, we borrowed a set of Koni shocks from Jeremy's roommate's car, while I donated a set of custom-valved hydraulic Sport Konis that were last used five years ago on the rear of my '89 Honda Civic Si. Jay fitted our slip-ons with Eibach race springs, selecting 375 lbs./in. spring rates for the fronts and 450 lbs./in. for the rears.
We also selected a stock Type R rear anti-roll bar (24mm as opposed to the 14mm stock GS-R bar). Jay supplied us with custom plates for mounting the Type R bar, since it has a slightly different mounting position than the original GS-R piece.
Changing the suspension was relatively easy, but because we were using an out-of-production rear shock from a Civic on our Integra, we had to trim off a few inches from the bottom of the coil-over sleeve to make everything fit.
We were also a little concerned that the Civic shock rod was a little smaller in diameter and may have allowed some play at the top. We decided to go with it anyway, since this would only be a one-event setup, and check the torque on the nut regularly.
We test drove the car several times to get the front ride height set so the shock would have about 1 ½ inches of full travel above the cut bump stop. Some competitors might choose to leave the full bump-stops and ride on them, but our past experience with the current ProSolo event sites reminded us to leave some travel for the bumpy surfaces.
Once the shocks were done, we installed the rear Type R bar and the custom mounting brackets. The brackets took a small amount of "how do you mount this, and where can we mount that?" experimentation for the ABS brake lines and some of the other brackets, but after a few twist ties and spacers we were ready to set an alignment.
We chose a mid-range rear ride height and left that to be adjusted based on how the car felt after a few runs. A somewhat small adjustment of 'h inch total rear toe-out and '!, inch total toe-out in the front was made. We were then ready to move on to some mechanical enhancements.
Since we only had two weeks (which actually turned into two days), we were limited to what we could find in close proximity. Once again we turned to Jeremy's roommate, who donated a DC Sports exhaust system and a Kamikaze header for the project. The exhaust work was tedious when it came to replacing broken and stripped nuts ·and studs. We installed the header, but removed it the next day because the torque seemed to fade much more quickly. The torque came back as soon as the factory manifold was reinstalled.
A Cornptech Sport header may have helped, but there was no time to have one shipped in. Since there was also no time· to order a proper open-air intake, the performance department of The Horne Depot was consulted, and a piece of dryer tubing was added to the end of the factory airbox. A cone-type K&N filter was attached to the other end of the tubing.
Next, we needed to look at our tire and wheel selection. Our choices would be limited by an overall diameter of less than 24.5 inches, as any taller tire would require removal of the fenders.
Since we were not impressed with the Bridgestones on the Neon, and the BFG g-Force KD tires did not come in smaller sizes, we opted for a set of the Michelin Pilot MXX3's in a 2 I 5/45-16 size. These tires have a tread-wear Df 140, the class minimum, while Michelin considers them their top-of-the-line performance tire. We fitted the tires to a set of Rota Type R 16x7-inch wheels donated by Allen Tire.
This combination fit well and kept the stock diameter. The tire diameter is more important on the Integra than the Neon, since the VTEC will not come on until the correct rpm is reached. More on this later.
A fresh set of NGK plugs and removal of the rear speaker box completed our conversion to the Pro ST classes. In just two days and with a little luck, we had built a nationally-competitive ST Integra for the ProSolo event in Harrisburg, Penn.
Entrance Exams
Harrisburg was the last regular East Coast ProSolo event before the Topeka, Kansas, finale. Series points are accumulated in the best three of the first four events, and events are held on both coasts. Since we had missed the first event, we would not have an event whose score we could throw away. We don't generally recommend using a ProSolo event halfway across the country for debuting a new car, but we had no choice.
The first round in the Harrisburg ProSolo was the most important. We needed to make sure that we were able to create a baseline for the course so that we would have something to compare changes to later.
Since neither of us had driven a third-generation Integra before this event, we had to be sure our driving techniques were correct. We made sure to walk the course at least 15 times, and then we consulted each other as to how the car would react to the angles, deceleration and maneuvers based on our interpretation of our setup.
The first few runs on each side resulted in some fast raw times, but a few penalties to boot. The stiff suspension combined with the less grippy Michelin Pilots let the rear end swing around and clip a few pylons. By the next pair of runs, I was able to knock out a pair of high 29s to plant me in the lead.
This was not a very big lead, however, as Jeff Jacobs (driving the green Neon featured in the last issue of GRM) also had a pair of high 29s. Vince Bly, our primary competition, had a high 29 and a low 30 raw, although he carried a few penalties. Wendi then took her shot in the Integra. She ran a high 30 and a low 30 in the first round, enough for a close second behind Karen Rafferty's Corvette in the Piro Ladies class.
After some consultation, we determined the rear of the car to be a bit more unstable than the front. Some of this could be due to the shorter rod length of the Civic Si shocks we were using on the rear of the car. We were also noticing that after the front tires heated up, they had a bit more grip–but as the pressures escalated, the grip went away.
Deciding to make only one change at a time, we opted to lower the front pressures from our initial 46 psi cold to 40 psi cold for the first set of runs in the second round. This change helped me gain the fastest left course time, but there was no improvement on the right course because I did not account for the softer front tires and red-lighted.
Wendi opted to make another change before her runs: We lowered the rear ride height by about one inch. This would transfer more weight to the rear of the car and add some negative camber for cornering stability.
(Thanks to their double-wishbone suspension, late-model Hondas tend to pick up negative camber as their ride height is lowered.) She felt the increased grip in the front, and she immediately went out and ran a mid-29- and a low-30-second run, moving her into the lead Ground Control in the Pro Ladies class.
Sunday's temperature was about the same, and we felt the grip was to be as good as it was the day prior. We decided to continue our changes to the rear of the car, based on Wendi's improvements. We set the rear toe to zero. I also made a small adjustment in the front rebound, adjusting the front Konis softer (one full tum from soft). This would help increase grip at corner entry to offset the rear's gripping a little better.
The changes worked, as I turned four consistent low 29s, each one just a little faster as the tires heated up. The final 29.2 on the right included a bit of excess tire spin at the lights as well. Every improvement was needed, however, as Vince Bly's Prelude also found a pair of low 29s. After the dust settled, Wendi and I had each taken class wins.
Our event was not over yet. With Wendi as the top seed in the Pro Ladies Challenge, she had an opportunity to add points to her Challenge win in Virginia and her second-place finish in Peru. According to the rules, no changes may made to the car for the Challenge except for tire pressures. Fortunately, the setup was dialed in by our final runs, and the lntegra was as good as it was going to get. Wendi was victorious and owned both the Ladies Pro Solo Challenge win and the overall points lead.
Staying After Class
Once the cheers faded, we had already begun discussing our next project. Since the Integra we drove at Harrisburg was a one-event deal, we would have to find another ' car for the Pro finale. We began discussing the conversion of another lntegra GS-R.
After a few weeks of hunting, we procured a beautiful white I 997'Integra GS-R. Our first choice would have been a 1995 model that did not have the OBD-11 emissions software, but time was short.
We called Jay at Ground Control once again to talk setup. This time we opted for the Advanced Design shock assemblies, but stuck with the 375 lbs.fin. f ont ang 450 lbs.fin. rear spring rates we used on the previous Integra. The Advanced Design shocks are made of aircraft aluminum and weigh considerably less than the Konis. They also transfer less heat.
The factory Type R rear anti-roll bar had worked well with the conversion plates from Ground Control, so we ordered another set. We anticipated a front bar change to the smaller base model bar, but decided to wait until after our first event so we could effectively compare the new shock combination to the Konis with the coil-overs.
Our first event was the Buccaneer Region's annual night autocross at Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium. Alltel is not only the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, it's also the site of the 1998 Jacksonville ProSolo and National Tour events. This great site proved to be an excellent testing ground. The course, designed by Mike King and Scott Schleh, was quick and loaded with tight cuts and sweepers. The event attracted so many people that our runs didn't start until 11:30 p.m.
After our first runs, we made a few strut adjustments. We initially went with the same alignment we ran at the Harrisburg ProSolo along with dead middle shock settings in both rebound and compression. We left the compression at the middle settings, but eventually softened the front rebound to one turn from full soft. We also stiffened the rears to onehalf turn from full stiff.
These adjustments gave us better grip in the corners and a slight. amount of corner entry transition from the rear. To our surprise, we had very little tire spin in corner exit. That was our largest problem in Harrisburg, and the reason we were considering the smaller front bar. Our Michelin Pilots still looked good and had very little wear after a lot of runs.
Extra Homework
After the event, we decided to look for more ways to increase the power of our Integra. After a little research, consultation with Acura gurus, and a visit to www.integra.vtec.com, we decided to order a few performance parts.
A quick call to E.T. at AEM produced a cold-air intake, a set of AEM under-drive accessory pulleys and a set of dustless performance brake pads. Our next item was a header and exhaust.
We traded Pete (Jeremy's roommate) for his HKS cat-back system in exchange for a little bodywork to his GS-R. Then we opted for the Comptech header that is considered to be the best for the Integra GS-R. Our intent was to increase the horsepower without decreasing much of the torque.
After some diligent efforts, we found there is no aftermarket chip or computer designed for the system. Since we are playing with an OBD-II system, we figured we might run into some computer problems. We'll have to take our chances that the new mods may set off a check engine code and remap the advance and fuel curves.
Installation was a little more hectic. Since our shop was very busy and time was short, we used our garage at home. The first trick was to install the AEM intake. The instructions included with the AEM products are very detailed–the best we have seen for any performance parts.
The installation of the intake was much easier than the removal of the factory stuff. The lntegra has dampers inside the right fender to keep the intake noise to a luxury car minimum. Removal of the wheel, inner fender liner and the hot water line to the intake were cumbersome. Fortunately, we have a compressor and air tools, so once the fender liner was off and the car was on jack stands, we were able to crawl underneath and zip out the intake baffles.
The conversion of the hot water line was a knuckle-scraper, as Acura did not design some of the attachment points for human hands to reach. However, the intake fit perfectly, and we were ready for the next project. Start time was 9:30 p.m. finish time, including stopping to take pictures, was 11:45 p.m.
The next day we installed the complete AEM underdrive accessory pulley kit. Although the kit might make noticeable power increases in long straights, this modification may not make as dramatic an improvement as the intake. The most important benefit we expected was that the power steering reaction would actually slow down.
At the Harrisburg ProSolo, we had a problem with the Acura steering too fast and the wheel rebounding back and forth during slaloms. We figured that slowing down the power steering's assist wouldn't hurt us, so we ordered up the set of anodized red underdrive pulleys.
The set comes complete with belts and a shim that we needed to keep the alternator pulley from rubbing on the housing. The installation of the power steering pulley required us to remove the brackets and bolts on the closest side of the head where the exhaust manifold bolts up.
Since our intention was to drive the car around after each mod, we did not want to take the manifold off yet to install the header. We stripped the nut on the end, so we ended up removing the pump so we could get a pair of Vise Grips on it. It took us only a little extra time, but now both hands had skinned knuckles.
The brake pads were a much easier swap–the front pads installed in a mere 12 minutes. We later found that even great pads need good fluid, and fresh fluid is even more desirable. A quick flush and a couple of bottles of AP 550 brake fluid resulted in incredibly improved stopping power. At our first and only testing before the Finale, brake fade had been terrible on back-to-back runs. This combination corrected the problem.
The easiest major swap was the header. "An easy header swap?" you ask. The exhaust manifold was removed and header was installed in a scant 45 minutes. Yes, we have swapped Integra headers before, but we also found that the installation of the Comptech header was a snap because it fit better than the factory manifold. What else would you expect from the factory race team? And the header looked quite awesome under the hood.
Two 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. sessions in the garage netted a really cool stripe job. After spending a small fortune at the local Signs Now, we had a large box of mostly precut vinyl. Our car looked the part under the hood, and we couldn't let ourselves enter the Street Touring class if the rest of the car didn't look the part as well.
The major graphics were scanned and cut from a design, and we laid on each color one at a time and trimmed them out. The black and gold scheme went well with the factory gold emblems already on the car. Although a true rice boy would have splurged for the Type R red badges, we spent our time chasing the bubbles out from under the decals. We also tried feverishly to get the left side to resemble the right.
After the decals were finished, we ordered an extra set of Rota wheels and a fresh set of Michelin Pilots. The distributor was sold out of the all-silver wheels like the ones that we already had, so for half off we took the cool-looking, red-trimmed set already in stock. We put our new Michelins on the new wheels and figured we could break in the tires on the back of the Integra while it was being towed out to Kansas on the tow dolly. (We learned this trick from Mark Chiles.) The final item was to add the Schroth threepoint harness to hold us in the seat.
Next thing we knew, we were in Topeka, Kansas, the world center of SCCA Solo racing. We arrived to find that the 1500-plus mile ride didn't break in the tires worth a hoot. Guess we should have dialed in some more toe-out. So we chose to scuff in a pair during practice starts and run newbies in the rear. That didn't work, either. We spent so much time swapping tires-and answering questions like, "ls that your Integra?"-that we missed buying tickets for the practice starts. We were lucky enough to find a kind soul who sold us some of their tickets to give us a couple of starts.
What was unbelievable was that our 60- oot times were as fast or faster than almost all of the race-tired Stock cars. Our situation was looking good, and the event had not even started. We had to back down our launch rpm to just over 4000, and with a little tire spin, the car left the line and never fell out of VTEC through second gear.
Homecoming King and Queen
Armed with only our pride and a couple of good starts, we felt confident going into the first round Saturday morning. As we had hoped, the car was quick and handled exactly the way we expected. The rear was adjusted to full rebound and compression, while the front was one turn from soft on rebound and set on 2 of 3 for compression. This was to offset for the grippier concrete we were on as compared to the slicker asphalt of our prior events.
The Integra stuck like glue and had absolutely no tire spin on corner exit. The most impressive characteristic was its maneuverability through the fast, tricky offsets on the way to the finish.
Despite various threats of rain and the relative newness to the car, we did well, with a Honda Ladies Pro Challenge win for Wendi and the Pro Street Touring Class Championship for me. Success. We also won the Dualing ProSolo Series Finale Top Eliminator Challenges that were sponsored by Peavey.
The final test of the GRM Integra project was the SCCA Solo II National Championships, also held that week in Topeka. Wendi and I would both run in the Open class. After two days of competition, I came home as the class winner with Wendi right behind me. A. one-two finish at the Solo II Nationals for our Integra project was icing on the cake.
The Future of Street Touring
Street Touring looks like it is here to stay. Local Regions are reporting a large number of entries in ST classes, and the 1999 season championship events had full classes.
Support by tire and aftermarket product manufacturers should definitely help the class. Currently, the only tire company offering support (contingency dollars) is BFGoodrich. Maybe with a little prodding, some others like Michelin, Nitto, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Toyo, Yokohama and Dunlop would support the class. All of these companies make high-performance street tires that are perfect for the class. With tires you need wheels, and companies like Enkei, Kosei, TSW, Momo, Konig, American Racing, Volk and others would now have a place to compete in the SCCA arena.
Then there are all of the companies that make the parts geared towards Street Touring-type vehicles: AEM, DC Sports, GReddy, HKS, Superchips, Wings West, Eibach, Xenon, Tanabe, JUN, H&R, Mopar Performance, Tokico, Suspension Techniques, Jackson Racing and many others. These companies need to provide the sponsorship that is desperately needed to bring ProSolo and Solo II into the major sports arena. They would join the companies that supported Street Touring in 1999: BFGoodrich, BMW, Carbotech, Ground Control, Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota Racing Design and Unorthodox Racing.
Support from parts warehouses like NOPI, Summit Racing, Neuspeed and Stillen could also help move SCCA's ST classes to the highest level of competition. ST could be the class that puts SCCA's National Championships over the 1000-entry mark.
We were happy to be one of the instigators of Street Touring; watch for more on this class in future issues. We're just getting started.
