I don't want to bring up that whole East Coast, West Coast thing, but you've got to admit that something is going on. The styles are different; the talk, the walk, everything. Everybody knows the Left Coast created the import scene, and I mean that with love to all my East Coast import gearheads. But what happens when one of our boys is sent eastward across the purple mountains majesty? A simple Acura, turned into one of the cleanest turbocharged DC2 Integra's on the right side of the Mississippi. Tri Vo moved from California to Florida back in 1997 and found the Floridian import spirit to be a little low. He soldiered on and purchased a 1987 Supra Turbo, fixing it up with an aftermarket muffler and springs. When it came time to give up the Supra, Vo found himself shopping in a fast growing, hungry import scene. Vo chose a 1998 Integra GS-R and set about to turn it into the car that Acura dared not produce.
First, the car went in for a complete interior and exterior makeover. Elite Custom Body of Jacksonville, Fla., handled the work for the new look. Vo chose a JDM Integra look for his car and a JDM conversion kit was purchased to fulfill that wish. Subtly accenting the Integra's new face is a Buddy Club2 full body kit, X-1 fenders and Buddy Club2 front splitters. The car was then fully shaved of all moldings and emblems and shot down with a coat of Championship White paint. The ultra-clean JDM look that Vo put together is accented with a Sparco gas cap, APR Formula3 side mirrors and an APR carbon-fiber rear wing.
To be a show champion, you have to dominate inside and out. A full fiberglass interior was installed and painted in (what else?) Tein green. Don't you just love the inspiration? Bride Ergo racing seats plus Takata harnesses were installed for serious comfort and grip. In addition to the seats, a Sparco Flash3 steering wheel, Sparco pedals and a Sparco shift knob were all thrown in to make the driver-car connection perfect. Turning to the in-car entertainment, Vo had an Eclipse TV and CD changer installed with MB Quart component speakers. Always the custom fanatic, Vo stores all his dashboard electronics in a full carbon-fiber dash. Hell, it don't rock unless it ain't stock.
Cars don't have green interiors unless there's something serious to back it up. To walk softly but carry a big stick, Vo went with a GReddy turbocharger kit. Additional power was picked up with STR cam gears and pulleys, a port and polish job and a Hayame cat-back exhaust system. Aided by a GReddy Type 24 intercooler kit, the turbocharged Integra produces 280 wheel horsepower at just 8 psi. These numbers were reached without nitrous oxide, which of course is available on tap in the form of a Nitrous Express direct port kit. Acura factory reliability will only get you so far, so Vo upgraded his B18 with a GReddy turbo timer, Type S blow-off valve, A'PEXi VTEC controller, STR fuel rail, and a Fluidyne radiator.
This turbo Integra is not only a successful show car, it's also a daily driver. Vo went with a fully adjustable coil-over suspension system to give the Integra a double life. A Tein Flex full coil-over suspension, along with an Ingalls camber kit, lets Vo drop the car for shows and raise it up for the drive home. An APR front strut tower bar was added to eliminate chassis flex and stiffen the car up to handle the newfound torque. The GReddy turbo kit allows the Integra to hit speeds that can compromise the ability of the stock brakes. To balance the Integra's new acceleration and handling abilities, Vo installed an AEM big brake kit to cut braking distances. Not a single upgrade means a thing if the contact patch with the asphalt is compromised. To aid the Integra's already notorious road handling, Vo grabbed a set of 18-in Volk GTP wheels wrapped in 215/35/18 Nitto 555 tires.
So how is it that California let this import devotee slip through it's cracks? Consider it a loss on our part, and a stroke of luck for sunny Florida. But the next time you see a turbocharged nitrous-fed Integra on the East Coast, consider it a little slice of the West.