After selling the Skyline I was hanging out for something fun and exciting to drive. I decided something simple, like an Integra Type R would do it. So I went on the trademes and had a look around.
What I found, is what I should’ve ran far, far away from. A DC2 Integra Type R, with a turbo. Now, this isn’t my first rodeo, i have had a turbo ITR before and it was a great car. Drove like a normal ITR but it was stupid fast and made choo choo noises.
This one on trademe, well, it had moderate KM, a stack of receipts, and a lovely Milano Pink paint job. I decided to contact the owner as it was within my spending range, and sure enough the owner convinced me the car was in good shape, drove well, didn’t use or leak anything and only smoked “a little at high RPM”.
I should’ve ran, but instead I was silly. I paid the man, booked the truck, and organised for delivery, all without seeing it myself.
A few days later it arrived at work on the truck, filthy and certainly pink, but it made the right noises.
I wrangled a co-worker to help me take the car home and bring me back to work (as I also had the daily at work so couldn’t drive both home). This drive is where I noticed it wasn’t quite all as it was described. There was a definite misfire under boost, and it smoked like a freight train under most conditions (especially deceleration as I quickly found out).
Got it home, went back to work and just left it. After work I had a go poke over of it to see what I had. The receipts for various work, including the tune at NZEFI and some of the turbo bits.
It was great fun to drive, handled like a gokart and was fairly quick with 320 odd hp on tap. The solid engine mounts are something I never want to experience again though, the whole car was like being in a washing machine on spin cycle. Great for racekar, but crap for anything else.
The clear coat was buggered on the roof and bonnet and the paint was pink everywhere else, so I decided to do my first hardcore paint correction.
Grabbed my DA and the Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound and went to work. Two days of non-stop machine work and the outcome was actually really good. The car was deep red again, with only some patches of pink on the really bad bits of the bonnet. I was pleased. Not sure how long it’ll last though, even with a couple of coats of wax.
After that I decided the car wasn’t for me, it was just too rough and unpleasant to drive (not to mention the whole misrepresentation of sale soured the car for me), so listed it for sale. During this time that it was listed, this happened….
Bastard thing decided it had enough of being a car, and stopped right there, in the forecourt (only after almost dying on the motorway). I was driving along, heading into town to update the warrant. First I noticed was a slight misfire when cruising, which then developed into regular misfires and then an almost complete lack of response when I opened the throttle. I quickly pulled off the motorway and limped into the gas station forecourt.
I had about 1/4 tank gas left, but I wasn’t actually sure how accurate the gauge was. I decided I needed to chuck something in the tank as it might have been low, and I couldn’t make it to BP to get 98, 95 was the best I could get. Chucked $20 in the tank, gauge level went up so can’t be that low. Tried to start, just cranked and cranked until the battery died.
The forecourt attendant came over to see what was happening, I hand him my jump pack and tell him hold it whilst I try to jump the battery. Connect it up, turn the key and *BANG* it lets an almighty backfire out. Attendant shits himself and immediately demands I remove the car from the forecourt. I don’t think he found it as funny as I did.
Pushed the car off to the side and called the towie. An hour later he showed up, and all was well.
Turns out the distributor was corroded from a missing weather seal on the cap, and everything was very worn too. Cleaned it all up, replaced the very worn spark plugs and fuel filter and away it went, driving better than ever. No more misfire, and it started easier too.
I eventually sold the car, went to some kid in Auckland and last I saw it was listed on trademe using my exact listing, both photos and words. He also took it to the drags, and somehow managed to stuff the front bumper too, certainly not as tidy as it was when I sold it.
Glad its gone.
Update 1/10/20: Came across an old listing for the car from last year where a dealer was selling it on behalf, apparently it “smokes a bit on boost”, yeah, I bet!
It does look good though
