10k: Stock, Original Owner: 1995 Acura Integra GS-R
The 3rd generation Acura Integra is so fully integrated into the sport compact scene that it almost seems strange to see one that is factory stock and not covered with illest stickers. The ride height seems comically high and the wheels look tiny…but…if you are going to experience VTEC-yo in an Integra, this is the best way to do it. Find this 1995 Acura Integra GS-R offered for $8,600 in SF Valley Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
The Integra you really want is the DC2 Type R, but they are impossible to find and demand a considerable premium when stock/nice. This GS-R is the next best thing and although it has 150k miles on the clock it is being sold by the original owner, so you can rest assured it hasn’t been Fast’d and then Furious’d back to stock with a handful of missing bolts (I swear, that happens with every job I do, I’ve always got a few extra parts).
The GS-R (Grand Sport – Racing) version of the Integra was offered with
a 1.8 liter B18 inline-4 dual over-head cam 4-banger that put out 170
horsepower and 128 ft-lbs of torque. It was state-of-the-art in 1993, but today the power won’t seem impressive. At least the Integra only hits the scales at 2,600 lbs, so it should still run with the basic sport compact econ-cars on the dealer’s lot today.
Everything looks stock on the inside, except for the grandma special lace-on steering wheel cover — at least the wheel should be nice under that thing. You are going to want to remove it so you can experience the joys of turning one of the better tuned front-drive steering racks in the business — Honda does a few things right, chief among them is shifter feel (snick-snick!) and steering effort for their sporty models — not too light, not too hard.
See another clean unmodified example of a Japanese late model? tips@dailyturismo.com
I would absolutely love a 1993 GS-R (2nd Gen Integra), but this third gen always left me a little cold—-I think it's the random usage of round headlights in an application where they look totally out of place.
Agreed. Ive always hated those headlights.
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x5
I think I'll wait for a clean 4-door GS-R to show up.
Those are like hens teeth. Finding one that hasn't been thrashed is even harder than finding this feature car unmolested. Believe me, I've been looking off and on for the better part of 2 years. I don't think there were too many GS-R sedans made compared to the coupes. Practically speaking, the sedan would suit me better as I have 3 young kids.
Here you go anony…….I suppose whether it would be a good choice would depend on your definition of "thrashed".
nashville.craigslist.org/cto/5001701656.html
I had an exact replica of this car for several years. Wonderful to drive. Interior trim was very flimsy and cheap. Impossible to line up that front bumper/headlight combo. I forget why I had it off, polishing headlights or something.
The chassis was like driving a week old lettuce. Flopped and creaked and clunked all over. They sell those hundreds of chassis braces for a reason on these.
I had a lot of fun with it and I could see where 3-4k in performance parts could really bring it to life. It was very easy to work on and diagnose problems.
The visceral sound and feel of the intake and the engine down back roads was exquisite, and , despite my blown everything in the suspension, it handled quite nicely.
If you could ever find them not-destroyed by craptastic modifications under 200k miles i'd consider one again.
One thing I never understood was why this engine had 170hp, but a 1995 Honda Prelude VTEC with the same engine had 190 hp. Seems like the "premium brand" would have had the hp bump?
FTB, iirc the '95 'ludes had H22a's in them, which is a 2.2l engine. Whereas the Integra got the B18 series.
Ahhhh, makes more sense. Gracias. So then I guess my corrected question (from a marketing standpoint) would be "why didn't Acura give the GSR the H22a engine"?
Weight, dimensions and tilt I think. I want to say (and man, my Honda knowledge is about 15 years old at this point so someone please correct me) that the H series is 100-ish lbs heavier than the B series fully dressed. I also remember vaguely that the Integra comes from the civic platform, and the civic never (naturally) received an H series, whereas the Prelude may have had some relation to the Accord, which did receive the H series?
I could be way, way off. I know guys that have put H series engines in their civics before, and turbo'd them… but I know far more people with B18's in their civics in place of the B16 or Dseries.
I had a 99 GS-R for about 18 months around 2002/2003, which is a face-lifted version of this with better bumpers but inferior wheels. The fat fives on this are one of my favorite OEM wheels of all time.
Terrible insurance prices. My insurance agent was so shocked how expensive the car was to insure he wanted to come outside to see it in person. Someone broke in and stole the interior within the first year of ownership, and at 18 months someone stole the whole car and stripped the interior again, as well as wheels, fenders, and bumpers. Insurance company totaled the car at this point.
A really fun car to drive, but don't park it outside!
Amen to the no parking outdoors! I had a 95 GSR, after it was stolen the 2nd time they salvage titled it… primarily because it was in a high speed chase and PIT'ed. Coming from a Jeep Cherokee, the thing felt like a go-kart/supercar. 34mpg on the fwy helped soften the blow of ridiculous, car-payment-esque insurance prices (in central Indiana, no less!). I don't quite miss it enough to pay $10k for one… but maybe in 10 years.