1995 Integra - thoughts?

Friend from college is selling his fiance's former daily - 1995 Integra LS 5 speed, 130k, $1500. Body has seen better days.

Any former owners have any thoughts on how one would be for a daily/track day beater? Or should I just let it slide?

Not a former owner but from friends who've owned them they're pretty good and reliable, a typical simple '90s Japanese sport compact with un-typically good suspension.

3rd Gen Integra...pretty much the best handling FWD Honda ever made and one of the best FWD handling cars made. RS model would be preferable (due to no ABS and no moonroof [better headroom without the moon roof as well] and being the lightest Integra made). Lot's of options with them....they make excellent track cars!

Lighten them up and shift the weight bias forward and they hug the turns really well as the rear end steps out nicely. An ACT prolite flywheel (~8lbs) with custom intake and exhaust (just do a downturn at the joint in front of the rear wheel) really wakes up the engine and lets it scream! $1500 is an okay price if the motor and transmission are in good shape. $1300 would be a better price.

Make sure the suspension is in good condition and you will be spoiled with the handling of a G3 Integra.... why Honda went backwards and ruined their cars since with struts...is beyond baffling. But yeah, the double A-arm independent front suspension Honda's are what you want!

I wish the FA20 motor in my FR-S had the responsiveness of the B18A I had in my '90 Integra RS....it would be perfect then. The B series Honda motor is simply a phenomenal motor when you let it breath properly, and the sound is just shy of Ferrari gloriousness when done right...

Here's a stock one, less stock intake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ms01vV9QPY

And here's close to the sound I'm talking about (~30 seconds in):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lViwznyTWq0

They are not an exciting car in stock form. When my mom had her 01 5spd, the SOHC neon i had at the time was quicker and seemed to handle better. Obviously they have huge performance potential when modded.

I like them first and foremost because they're the right size with a decent interior and exterior. In some sense, because of that, the DC3 integra is a benchmark i compare a lot of cars to.

Overall im a big fan of the cars and i think if you have reasonable expectations going in you will become a fan too.

Good cars for all around everything, street wise... Only issue I can think of is that these cars used to be high on the being stolen list. I don't know if this is still true....

Definitelty on my favorites list. One of the best cars out there. For 1500 your not going to find many cars that handle as well. B18 parts and engines are everywhere and stupid cheap.

BUY IT. Seriously... they're indestructible with minimal maintenance.

Some inspiration. My son's circle track racer, that he has also auto crossed

I had a '96 GS-R, and drove several of the RS and LS models. They're a bit on the slow side, compared to more modern hatches, but it's not terribly slow. Handling is phenomenal. They're a joy to drive. Bullet proof too. Buy it, drive it, flog it, smile.

noddaz wrote: Good cars for all around everything, street wise... Only issue I can think of is that these cars used to be high on the being stolen list. I don't know if this is still true....

that was the penalty for having a B18 ... that's not the "go to engine" for the tuners so much not ... still theft bait , just not as much as at the turn of the century

I really dont understand how, as a k-car enthusiast, my standards for handling are apparently higher than Honda enthusiasts. My stock CRX and RS/LS/GS integra experiences have NOT been impressive in the handling department. I think a stock low-trim dc3 integra is a pretty unexceptional handler. They also get pretty uninspiring MPG.

I still love the things but i think i love them for real reasons based on actual experience and not hype. Like i said, if you have realistic expectations you will end up liking the car. If you go into it thinking it will be fast and handle extremely well, you will be disappointed. It needs mods to do either of those things.

A stock non-ITR DC3 just needs coilovers to handle well, and then you'll have a great camber curve to start with instead of having to put in a ton of work to correct or reduce the influence of a crappy one.

I don't think anyone is saying it's going to set a new lap record at Nurburgring. But I still say, from experience, that for a FWD hatch they have great handling. Great car for carving up the twisties. Assuming the suspension isn't totally worn out, it'd still be fun for HPDE play. And remember, we're talking about a nearly 20 year old car. Compared to it's peers, it handled great.

Vigo: IMHO the stock hondas are "great handlers" in the sense that when you're driving in day-to-day functions you don't need to correct the steering to hold a line compared to a mcstrut car. In more spirited 7/10ths+ the stock hondas suspension are soft and there's tons of body roll. I miss my integra knowing it'd always put a smile on my face, not only when driven hard.

Right now I drive a 00-05 iteration celica gt-s which is a great handler when pushed but day-to-day functions still felt better in the integra.

It doesn't get much cheaper and more reliable than an Integra for a track beater. Get it!

I think the Integra is a great starting point. What also makes it a good choice is the huge aftermarket, support and forums.

In reply to Vracer111:

ITB Sound that is all...

Having owned P-bodies, K-cars, and Integras, yeah. You could do a lot worse in the way of power and handling for $1500. P-bodies and K-cars come to mind.

On the rare occasion that I go WFO in the (DA) integra, I'm always pleasantly surprised; "It's not THAT slow." Certainly not noticeably slower than my stock turbo shadow was. Though I'm guessing the 4-doors are a little slower. I dunno. I can tell you that hatch is freaking HEAVY, so maybe it balances out.

I get 30-33 mpg with the cruise set at 75mph/mixed driving. I have to really work to get less than 30.

"It's not THAT slow."

They're definitely not that slow. Having said that, the last time i raced a DA was in my current barely modded SOHC neon, and i won. When there was a DC3 in the family i had a more modded SOHC (i put a dohc trans in it on accident and made it faster) neon which was faster than it. Like i say, you just have to go into it with the right expectations and i think MOST people will end up liking DC3s. If you think anything that cant outrun a stock 95 neon is a piece of E36 M3, well, then, buy-not-build your way into something 'better'.

But if i had to pick between a neon and a dc3 integra for $1500, id take the integra every time. The main thing keeping me away from them is that good ones still seem to go for 4500-7k. I sold my mom's 01 GS/5spd with ~88k for 6200, that was 3 years ago i think.

Agreed on all counts. Thumbsup. Never driven a neon. I've also never tried to race anyone in a straight line with my 380,000 mile stock integra. Pretty sure the Mazda5 could take it.

I HAVE embarrased a LOOOOOT of fools in the twisties, though I can't let the car take all the credit for that. ;)

Hey now, a bone stock DOHC neon isn't that Damn slow. I had two guys in a mustang GT flat call me a liar when they weren't able to pull on me stoplight to stoplight. They asked what I had done with it, I told em it was stock. Heck mom borrowed it one night to take my sister and her friends out, next day I'm getting stories of mom getting into stoplight drags with guys in it, with my sister and her friend in the car.

That said, my stock 95 4 door is deceivingly quick. It's so Damn quiet, and it doesn't feel like its working all that hard in a straight line. But wind out first and second and you're in danger of a ticket on anything less than a state road around here. Speed limit of 60, guess I should elaborate on that one.

Vigo wrote: They are not an exciting car in stock form. When my mom had her 01 5spd, the SOHC neon i had at the time was quicker and seemed to handle better. Obviously they have huge performance potential when modded. I like them first and foremost because they're the right size with a decent interior and exterior. In some sense, because of that, the DC3 integra is a benchmark i compare a lot of cars to. Overall im a big fan of the cars and i think if you have reasonable expectations going in you will become a fan too.

Stock they are too heavy...but the handling is still very good. There is a difference in feel between the base RS and the heavier LS/GS models...which is why everyone wants the RS for doing track cars if you can find one. But yes, a few basic mods and it really wakes up the handling potential - which is what you'd be doing with an integra 130k miles on it - stock suspension is beyond toast! If you really want to wake it up, strip out an RS to 2200lbs or so wet, depower the power steering, relocate the battery with a smaller one more forward and a foot lower on the front cross member, solid up the engine and transmission mounts, and get a lightweight flywheel in it with open intake/exhaust. Launching in first gear SHOVES you back into the seat, more so than in my stripped out '98 V6 Camaro track car did with much more torque. And with 225/45-15 NT-01's on 15x8 or 15x9 lightweight 949 racing 6UL wheels...you will understand what the meaning of high cornering G's and lightning quick lateral response is. Basically a moderately worked over Integra for track will almost get you where a stock FR-S is overall, but the Integra has better steering feel, a more wild personality, and that revving B18 motor sound... Hanging with C5/C6 Corvette Z06's and Lotus Elises in tight/medium corners and technical sections on track is fun too...

My old G2...wouldn't mind getting a G3 RS someday for a track car:

Proper location for remounting a smaller battery in a G2 integra (you will feel an immediate difference in the handling, it will be more eager to rotate around and launch better):

Interesting info on the battery relocate, thanks for posting that.

CLynn85 wrote: Friend from college is selling his fiance's former daily - 1995 Integra LS 5 speed, 130k, $1500. Body has seen better days. Any former owners have any thoughts on how one would be for a daily/track day beater? Or should I just let it slide?

Let it slide. Hold out for a clean one. I've had two RS's(a '94 and a '98), and loved them both. I never had more than $1500 into them, and that's all I got out of them.