jstlawrence's Full Review: H2O Audio Waterproof case 2G Shuffle (DHS81A3) Sle...
The Beginning
She's been gone for more than a month now, but I can still picture Her the way She looked the day we met. She was a 1995 Acura Integra GSR. She had it all: flaming, Ferrari-red paint, glossy black leather interior, five-speed manual, 15" five-spoke aluminum alloys, and hardly a mark on her, despite the fact that at two years of age, she was practically an old lady. She had a great reputation: various model years won Motor Trend Import Car of the Year, were among Car and Driver's Ten Best, and were recommended by Consumer Reports as a new or used car purchase. I didn't know then about her dark, mysterious past or her drinking problem, but it didn't matter once I'd seen her. I knew we'd be together a long time. And we were, almost.
It was 1997, and I was on the lot at the local Acura dealership because my second Ford Taurus was threatening to puke up its transmission, just like the last one. I'd been out of school and gainfully employed for almost two years, and it was time, at last, to make an automotive purchase in which my parents would have absolutely no say. Not that I wasn't grateful for their help in obtaining the '81 Mustang with the lethally slow carbureted four-cylinder motor and one working brake (left rear) and the two suppository-shaped Tauri with the suspect trannys and fuzzy crushed velour upholstery, but I knew I could do better. Time to go Japanese.
A disturbingly dedicated Car and Driver reader from age 13, and a Matchbox and Hotwheels connoisseur since long before then, I was the type of kid who from birth, could tell you what car I would buy if I could drive legally and had X dollars to burn. Pretty cars. Fast cars. Sexy cars. Mmmmmm. The Diamond Star turbos, the Syclone and Typhoon, the Impala SS, and the Supra came and went in the pantheon of my dream vehicles. But nothing I had a prayer of affording ever turned my head like the Integra GSR. At last the time came: will and desire coincided with positive cash flow and I was ready. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I searched for months, scanning the used car ads. In October, I found her. She was in near-perfect condition, a lease return for sale by an Acura dealer with just a tick under 15,000 miles on the odometer. The test drive and negotiations were only a formality; everyone knew she was going home with me. They wanted $19,000 for her, but I was armed with a local circular ad that said $17,997, and that is what I paid. Well, that plus another thousand for an "extended warranty." More on that mistake later. Here's what I got:
Layout
Built from 1994 until its replacement by the 2002 RSX, the "third generation" Acura Integra was based on the Honda Civic platform. Like the Civic, the Integra was, (and is) a "compact." It weighs about 2,600 pounds, and comes as either a small four-door sedan or two-door hatchback like my GSR. The hatchback layout is particularly flexible, and another reason I chose the car. Unlike a true "sports car" with only two seats, or even the so-called "2 plus 2" seating of American pony cars and other sport compacts (read: "package shelf" ) the GSR has two real seats in the rear, and although they're not ideal for large adults or long trips, they can actually be used. One buddy's 5' 9" fiancee actually claimed to be comfortable back there, although she was unnaturally flexible in my opinion. With the 50/50 folding seats laid down, I could fit shockingly large objects in the hatch, including a set of full-size tower speakers in the boxes, and a framed, wall-sized map of Florida. That one was tough, and required tying the open hatch down with twine, but before we started, the map actually appeared to be larger than the car, so I was impressed, as were the helpful framing shop employees and a homeless gentleman who helped load it and accepted a well-earned tip for his effort.
Interior / Amenities
The only factory option in my car was the black leather seating, which became standard equipment in later model GSRs. Her official model designation was therefore technically "GS-R-L." Whatever. She had some "dealer installed options" as well; mostly useless junk: mudguards, paint "sealant" and a pinstripe. Not paying for garbage like that is a good reason to buy used. Standard features were plentiful though: power windows and locks, a power moonroof with sliding shade, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, cruise control, a/c. She did not come with the optional CD player, but with an unexceptional Pioneer-built cassette deck, which was eventually replaced.
Her ergonomics were first-rate. Everything fit; everything worked. This sounds simple, but other cars, even "sportier," much more expensive cars too often seem to miss the mark. The seat, pedals, and shifter were all in easy reach and comfortable to use. The view from the cockpit was excellent, due to a huge front windshield and the low "beltline" of the side windows. Likewise, the instruments were clear and perfectly positioned for viewing through the steering wheel. The rear c-pillars, however, were large enough to create a substantial blind spot on the right rear, and I developed a flexible neck learning to pull safely out from the center median in front of my complex. I had only a few other minor gripes about the interior: The tiny, flimsy pop-out cupholder below the radio and in front of the shifter was an utterly useless afterthought. The air conditioner never malfunctioned or needed charging, but the slider-type controls could have been better, and the fan made a huge amount of noise in exchange for mediocre cooling.
Styling
Some would say her cockpit was overall a little dull in its styling, especially for a "sporty" car, but it was durable and beautifully functional, like the rest of her. I also appreciated that the not-so-expensive black leather seats and the other bits of black plastic and vinyl kept their looks very well, and required only a little of squirt of cleaner to look like new. The front seats were small works of art, as beautiful to look at as they were to sit in.
Her exterior styling was a bit subdued as well -- no fake hood scoops or shopping cart wings to amuse the kids, but I regarded that as a plus. Hmmmm, form following function? Acura may be on to something here. The dual projector headlights were a little odd looking at first, and did not illuminate the road quite as well as some other cars I've had, as far as that goes, but they grew on me over time.
Engine
Her heart was a jewel: Honda Motors' B18C-1, a 170 h.p. 16-valve, 1.8 liter, transverse mounted, aluminum block and head, dual overhead cam four-cylinder with "Vtec," a quasi-acronym for Variable valve Timing and lift Electronic Control. For the uninitiated, Vtec is a system Honda developed that aims to let the engine perform as though it has a more aggressive set of camshafts when driven accordingly, i.e. open throttle and high rpm, while still providing a smooth idle and reasonable torque at low rpm. It works well, providing 30 more horsepower than base model Integras equipped with the near-identical, non-Vtec engine. Ford, Toyota/Lexus, Porsche, and Ferrari seem to agree, as they all came out with similar systems after Honda introduced it. This engine is literally famous. It was among the first naturally aspirated (not turbo- or supercharged) production car engines to produce nearly 100 horsepower per liter. This is the kind of efficiency engineers have dreamed of for decades. Imagine a 5.0 liter Ford Explorer engine with the same specific output: it would make 500 horsepower.
Thus, driving a "GSR" provides instant status among the Honda/Acura enthusiast crowd, where a favorite trick is to hide a B18C in a lightweight, innocent-looking little Civic hatchback and take it to the local dragstrip to embarrass the unsuspecting masses. The 1995 GSR motor is particularly prized, as it has the reputation of being the fastest of all production years. This is due in part to the fact that in 1996, Acura had to comply with stricter "OBD II" emissions standards, whereas the 1995 motor is "OBD I" and reputedly responds better to hot-rodders' modifications. The tiny "DOHC Vtec" tag on the back of the car is such a status symbol to import drivers that mine was once stolen, and is probably now decorating a slammed Civic with phat neon lighting and delusions of grandeur.
Driving my little Vtec-powered baby provided the kind of automotive fun the Beach Boys used to write songs about. With a gentle foot on the gas and early upshifts, she put on her innocent "I'm a harmless little four-banger" act, keeping quiet, going slow, and getting great gas mileage. Quiet, unobtrusive and practical; why waste gas driving to the grocery store? On the other hand, she would quickly get bored with this sort of thing. She begged me to leave the clutch out and the throttle down until say, 6,000 rpm, when the "second stage" of Vtec would open up the other set of engine intake runners to let her scream. She'd wake up fast in a naughty mood, howling and sucking intake air like an enraged nuclear Dustbuster and chirping her tires into third gear. While not as devastatingly fast as a V-8 muscle car or a dedicated sports machine, she could get up and move with authority, all the while pulling down 23-24 miles per gallon around town and closer to 30 on the highway.
And she loved to do it. Her insistent demands for driver enthusiasm got me in trouble a couple times, including my second of only two speeding tickets in 16 years of driving. But she helped me avoid it a time or two as well. One late night early in our relationship, we pulled out into what looked like an empty stretch of road, only to have a fast-moving driver rush up from nowhere flashing his/her high beams in a fury at being "cut off." There was a quarter mile between us, but those angry headlights were growing fast behind us. Concerned, I naturally laid into the throttle to get out of the way. I heard a wheezing roar and clunk of the automatic transmission on the other car downshifting sloppily as he/she switched lanes and floored it, so as to fly by us in a huff and better emphasize his/her road rage. But by the end of second gear, the Integra was happily screaming her 8,000 rpm song and blurring the landscape. The car behind would get no closer to my hyperactive little car's taillights, and it quickly dwindled in the rearview mirror, not only avoiding a close encounter, but also deflating the Road Rager's theory of being "cut off." Bye-bye!
Transmission
Like all GSRs, mine came with a 5-speed, rod-actuated manual transmission. The action was short, smooth, and positive, making it a pleasure to keep the little motor in the "sweet spot" of horsepower and torque. The first stage of Vtec kicked in around 4,800 rpm, and the second around 6,000. The redline was a screeching, wailing 8,100 rpm, with a fuel cutoff at 8,200 to protect the little motor from excess enthusiam.
The first gear synchros were oddly loud, sounding like a far off siren, and for weeks I looked around for emergency vehicles as I downshifted for a stop until I figured this out. Clutch take-up was smooth and required little effort, although I found the travel a little long between adjustments.
Accurate gear changes were a breeze, and it was difficult, although not impossible, to miss a gear, even in quick shifting. She would occasionally balk at going into reverse, but as with many Hondas, a quick shift into second and back usually solved the problem. Like everything else mechanical on the car, the tranny conveyed a sense of being both precise and durable.
Suspension and Handling
Equipped with Honda's race-type "dual wishbone" suspension, she handled like a skateboard, trading some roughness over bumps for quick reflexes. With sharp steering and minimal body roll, the car answered the question, "What would it be like to drive a 170-h.p. go-kart to work every day" (answer: "Wheeee!") Yes, front-drivers do understeer some, but that just means that when pushed, the car would tend to, um, "push," meaning she would turn too little rather than too much. Entering a corner too fast, one could get out of trouble by just easing off the gas. Not that I ever got in trouble. Ahem. In a powerful rear-drive car, you may ultimately be able to turn quicker, but overcooking a corner risks spinning like a dreidel as the rear wheels get lighter and come up front for a visit. Less "whee!" and more "crunch / splat."
Object of Desire / Target of Thieves
At least one attempt was made to steal the car. I woke to the shriek of my car alarm at 4:00 a.m. and stumbled to the window, only to see a shabby Civic hatchback with a cheap buzzy exhaust scuttling out of my apartment complex with its lights off. The next morning I found that the the would-be GSR owners had tried to pry the entire driver's side door handle out with a screwdriver-like implement. Clearly my fault, as I had inadvertently disconnected the indicator light for the aftermarket Viper alarm when I installed a new radio/CD/MP3 player (the face was removed, so the stereo was not the target of the attempted break-in). I had Acura install a replacement door handle already painted the right color for about $150. I later learned that Integras are a prime target for car thieves. As the car did not come with an alarm, this might be a wise purchase for new owners.
Weaknesses
The brakes worked smoothly and reasonably well, but seemed a little under-powered given the car's healthy speed. The exhaust system seemed a bit fragile and eventually began vibrating (see below). The slippery factory Michelin tires were awful, and are deservedly infamous among GSR owners. I eventually replaced all of these with aftermarket parts of more robust manufacture. The tiny horn buttons on the steering wheel were a little too hard to find in an emergency and a little too easy to press while backing up. Finally, although the engine itself was quiet at low rpm, the car exhibited a fairly high amount of wind, tire, and engine noise at all times, which could be tiring on a long trip.
Problems / Wear and Tear
When she left me, the car had 45,000 miles on the odometer and was seven years old. Overall, she held up remarkably well, and the most frequent comment I got from observers (besides, "dude, that ride is tyte!" from the Honda kids) was "what year is that?" "Is it new?" But not all was bliss. Two very small cracks eventually appeared in the dash way up by the windshield. The ring around the top of the shift boot was made of flimsy plastic and broke twice. The armrest in the leather door panel on the driver's side had a "sweat wrinkle" when I bought the car. The moonroof developed a slight stutter when opening or closing. For a time, the driver's side window tended to stick and hesitate going up and down. Miraculously, the window fixed itself and was working fine up until the end. Each taillight eventually developed a leak and had to be replaced -- one under warranty, and one by me. I chose to spend $150 on a barely used set of 1999 Integra taillights, which had an updated look. At about 20,000 miles, a little metal sheath around the exhaust system loosened and began to vibrate at certain engine speeds. The Acura techs noticed it when driving the car during a service check and advised this is a problem common to Integras. At about 30,000 miles, the brake pads were showing wear, and the rear rotors had developed a slight "lip." I chose that time to replace all the pads and rotors with high-performance parts.
Her Dark Past
The car also had a slight drinking problem. Her poison was 30-weight Mobil 1 synthetic, and she started slurping up a couple of quarts every two to three months around 30,000 miles. I have since heard from unofficial sources that Honda's dual overhead cam Vtec engines may be prone to this sort of thing, but I have no proof of this, and the dealer techs claimed they'd never heard of it. It was clear she wasn't burning any significant oil -- there was never any telltale blue smoke or odor of burning oil. And if there was a leak, it was never visible -- no oil ever appeared on the ground beneath the car or anywhere in the engine bay. But I also eventually came to suspect that car had been damaged before I bought it in a minor front collision that the dealer either concealed or did not know about, which may have contributed to or caused the problem.
My suspicions first arose when I dropped off a friend and his car for some work at a paint and body shop and the owner casually remarked that the hood and fenders of my car had clearly been repainted. As the rest of the paint faded slightly over time, it become more apparent that this was true. I also eventually found a couple of bolts missing from the oil pan, and opined to the Acura dealer that this could be the source of the oil problem, but they disagreed.
Acura Warranty and Service
In keeping with the "upscale" image of Honda's Acura division, my little car and I were treated to slightly better than average service from the dealer that sold her to me. While she was still under the original warranty, they replaced a leaky taillight, and fixed the exhaust problem mentioned above for free. In addition, without my even asking, they replaced both door panels ($400 each if you have to buy them) because they noticed the little "sweat wrinkle" on the driver's side armrest. When I scheduled appointments in advance, the dealer provided a free courtesy car -- typically another Integra -- so I didn't have to wait around. Acura also provided a card with an 800 number for free roadside assistance that included minor services like jumpstarting and short-distance towing if needed. I only used it a couple of times when an aftermarket battery I purchased went bad and I needed a jump.
The dealer failed utterly, however, when it came to the oil consumption problem. Their solution was to tape the oil plug and filter closed to "make sure" someone (me?) wasn't clandestinely removing oil. Huh? I was supposed to call them for an emergency appointment when the car ran low on oil again, so they could check it, but when it did, I was so low on oil by the time I discovered it (typically at night) that I couldn't safely drive it without adding oil myself and ruining the dealer's bizarre "experiment." I eventually gave up and just checked the oil more regularly, adding some from time to time. Furthermore, after she left me, I discovered that either the factory or the Acura dealer had set the car's engine timing several degrees below factory spec, which probably robbed her of several horsepower at lower rpms. I now have another Acura, purchased from another dealership, and will use that dealership for service instead.
The extended "Acura Care" warranty I purchased was another matter entirely. Because the contract was with a third party, once the original warranty expired, the dealer always had to call and check to see if a problem would be covered, and it never was. Luckily, the problems -- the sunroof stutter, slow driver's window, and one leaky taillight and one slightly leaky headlight -- constituted only minor annoyances. Despite the fact that the sales department had pushed the warranty as an "extension" of the original factory coverage, the dealer eventually admitted that these things would have been fixed under the original warranty. I will never purchase a third party extended warranty again.
Sidebar: Modifications
The Honda Civic and Acura Integra are the most frequently modified cars on the market, and there are more parts available for them than for any other cars. And, despite what you see on the road, many of these parts are not purple headlight bulbs, 3-foot plastic spoilers, or outrageously loud exhaust tips. There are in fact some fantastic custom pieces available, and like any guy in love, I soon found myself lavishing the best of these on my girl. The list was embarrassingly extensive, but highlights included oversized, slotted and cross-drilled brake rotors with stainless steel lines and semi-metallic pads all the way around, a full stainless steel exhaust system, camshafts from Honda's high-performance, Japan-only, Civic "Type R," larger, lighter wheels with wider, stickier tires, and a height and stiffness-adjustable racing-style suspension system made by Koni.
I installed all the parts but the cams and brakes myself and with a friend, causing me to bond further with my car as I alternately cursed her and bled for her (perhaps a preview of what marriage is like?). The entire experience was very rewarding, although when all was said and done, I believe only the suspension, tires, and brakes improved performance significantly. A downside was that the purple headlight crowd showed its enthusiastic support for the car by attempting to race it from every stoplight. I may modify my present car, but any changes will be subtle enough not to wave a flag at either the "Fast and Furious" fans or the police, who are never far behind them.
The End
On May 7, 2002, I was driving home late from work when a woman leaving a skating rink on the side of the road raced out into traffic in her black Dodge Avenger, trying to cross all four lanes at once. She came from the west, on my right, and could not possibly see traffic in the southbound left-hand lane where I was, because the right lane was full. Neither could I see her, until she materialized less than a car length in front of me after barely clearing the car on the right. I only had time to touch the brakes before T-boning her driver's side door. The Florida Highway Patrol found her wholly at fault and ticketed her for violating the right-of-way. The final accident report contained a diagram resembling the one below, where my car is "A," right lane traffic is "B," her car is "C," and the impact occurred at "X."
| | |
| X {C
| A | B|
| | |
At about 45 mph, my car sustained an estimated $9,000 in damage, but protected me extremely well. Damage was limited to the front of the car -- everything from the windshield back remained intact -- but the engine shifted slightly back and both airbags blew. I walked away with a painful seatbelt bruise that left my ribcage sore for about month. The other driver had to be pried from her ruined Dodge with the "Jaws of Life" and was taken to the hospital, although she never lost consciousness and the paramedics seemed to think she would be fine. She was not insured. I was heartbroken by the loss of the car, which would have been paid off with the very next payment (arggh!) but happier that everyone was okay.
My insurance company came through though, surprising me by paying the high-end of N.A.D.A. value for the car, which, like most Honda / Acura products, had retained a huge amount of its original value. Better still, they sold me back the hulk dirt cheap so I could salvage the aftermarket parts. I sold most of the car to a friend, who installed the engine, transmission and front axles in a Civic coupe. This pleases me because although She is gone, her heart will go on. For anyone interested, I have posted photographs of the car on my profile page, and will leave them there a short while. It should be noted that the picture of the wrecked car reflects the way it looked after my friend ripped the rest of the front end off to get to the motor, which was perfectly intact. I have some pictures of the car as it looked immediately after the accident, and may post them briefly when they are developed.
Bottom Line
No relationship is perfect, and neither is any car. But I would not trade my time with the Integra for all the artichokes in Castroville. Beautiful, fast, reliable, and, ultimately, willing to give her life for me -- what more could any guy ask from his girl?
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