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2000 (W) Milano Red DC2 Integra Type-R
This thread will be continually updated with what I do to my car.
Bought in August 2006, as a 2 previous owner, 47,000 mile, factory standard car. Generally in excellent condition, both on the exterior and interior.
August 21st 2006 - Honda OE Rear Upper Strut Brace
Fitted the strut brace a couple days after I received it. Being a genuine Honda accessory, it came with excellent instructions/templates to make fitting very neat.
With my new rear strut brace fitted, it made the OE tie bar in the boot look very shabby, as its silver paint was chipped and worn. I decided to give it a sand down and respray in red.
Monday 4th September - Spoon Goodies
Received my Spoon drop in filter, Spoon oil cap and Spoon radiator cap. Ordered from TGM Sport Racing, super-fast delivery at a great price.
Next day I fitted the Spoon bits.
The Spoon whoring begins again!!
Friday 8th Spetember - Fluids received
Today I received my fluids,
- Silkolene Pro S 5w-40 engine oil
- Amsoil gearbox oil
- Motul RBF600 brake fluid.
Big thanks to Opie Oils ( http://www.opieoils.co.uk/ ) for the usual speedy service. Just need to wait for my s/s brake hoses coming from TGM before I do the fluids change.
Monday 16th October Update
I have received a few goodies over the last couple of weeks.....
Spoon B pipe.
Spoon N1 muffler.
I got the Spoon system from TGM for a very good price, I can highly recommend speaking to Tom at TGM for your Spoon parts.
Also to go with the system, I have chosen to go with a hi-flow CAT. This will need the flanges and collector to be welded once the correct length has been made.
I managed to pick up a full set of JDM mats cheap from a forum member, in virtually new condition (rear mats upside down in pic!).
And fitted.
Finally, some more Spoon whoring in the form of reservoir covers.
Just gotta wait for my Honda 98 Spec JDM manifold, gasket and bracket to arrive now before I can fit the exhaust system.
Monday 23 October Update
Last Friday I received my 98 Spec Honda JDM manifold, bracket and donut gasket. Its booked into have the system fitted next Saturday.
I quickly laid out the whole system as it will be (N1 upside down).
20th December Update
Been a long time since an update, so here is what I have done over the last 2 months....
I had all the fluids above changed over in the car. Have to say the gearbox is very smooth now with the Amsiol gear box oil.
The stainless steel front and rear brake hoses arrived;
These were fitted, along with the Motul RBF brake fluid. The pedal has a slightly firmer feel to it, will see how it feels if I ever get my ass on track.
Here is a good clean pic of the car from a while back,
I have also fitted the above exhaust system and manifold. I have to say, this has to be my favourite change I have made to the car. The noise is great, maybe a bit antisocial with a passenger, but the important thing is it has really made a noticeable difference with the car when going full chat.
Heres the engine bay cleaned with the manifold fitted;
And the N1 (I couldnt get a good shot of the Hi-Flow CAT and B pipe to show how well they fit, very impressed with how tight it is to the car);
And recently I ordered a set of Advan Neova LTS tyres from my local Lotus dealer, and then had them fitted.
I have only had them on for a few miles, so can really comment on them till they are scrubbed in and I can push them harder - Which may be a while at this time of year!
7th January Update - First update of the new year
Bit dull, but my battery died on me, and after recharging and testing, it was way past it, so a new battery was needed.
I picked up this Bosch battery cheap through my GF's workplace, and fitted swiftly.
I had to remove the plastic corner piece, and plastic undertray, as the new battery was slightly taller, and had a wider base than the original.
Next up, some new tyres (again!!) After 400 or so miles with the Advan Neova fitted, I wasnt happy with how they felt, and the levels of confidence I had. Very strange, as I know many people rate this as one of the best tyres they have ever used!
Maybe I am just a bit weird, but I really didnt get on with them, even when finally scrubbed in. I cant deny the grip was there, and in the wet they coped well, but for me, it lacked the driving experience that I had with the Bridgestone RE010's.
So I had a set of Bridgestone RE010's fitted, and kept the Advans to sell on. RE010's were £267 fitted and balanced, which I was happy with.
Even with the RE010's fresh as a daisy, my car felt so much better, and I knew I had made the right choice. Now there are a few miles on them, I find I can push them a lot harder than the Advans, and more importantly, with a lot more confidence. I must stress this is just my opinion, as I know the Advan Neovas are used by many people who rate them highly.
11th February Update
Small update with whats happened since I last posted. Had Friday off, so decided to partially strip the rear of the car out.
Removed the rear seats, spare wheel, jack and tools, plus the wooden false floor that comes with the UK DC2. I left the plastics in for the mean time, as I dont know how permanent the change will be.
Also I remembered my sister had a spare set of Sparco harnesses lying about (from her old 106 Rallye), so thought I would see if they fitted, and test them out to decide whether or not I will buy myself a set (providing I keep the car partially stripped).
The harnesses went straight in, just had to enlarge one of the bracket holes to allow the OE Honda mounting bolt to fit through. If I decide to stick with the harnesses, I will finish off the rear, taking out the plastics and redundant OE seatbelts.
I have to say, I am very happy with the above, the harnesses hold you tight, and the increased noise from the rear gives you delusions of race car granjour!:lol: Also, with the bit of weight removed, I swear the car feels that little bit more nimble.
Also I have received a couple of bits from forum members, bought second hand.
First up is a DRE Shiftlight;
Will have to get it fitted soon, my first bit of electronic bling! Light colours are white, white, blue, blue, RED
Also I have a 98 Spec JDM ARB. Brand new and unused with the ARB bushes.
Only 1mm bigger than the UK spec ARB, but I guess every little helps!.
Saturday 10th March Update
Visited TGM on February 23rd, and had the Eibach Pro Kit springs fitted, along with a 6000 mile intermediate service, and a check up on the cars suspension/chassis condition.
Very pleased with the Eibachs - Car drives well, flatter in the corners under load, yet still maintain some 'comfort' on rough roads. Has made the car feel a bit fresher. Very happy with the ride height to, subtle drop, not too much, but just enough to bring the front and rear down a touch, tho with the stripped rear, the drop at the back is not so noticeable.
Some pics fitted and settled in;
Happy with how the car was with a partially rear, I set about removing all the rear plastics, and redundant bits and bobs. I also decided to stick with the harness option, so bought myself some second hand drivers and passengers Willans in red.
These are some out of date FIA approved ones. Had to modify the seat rail a bit to fit the eye bolts, but all the rest simply screwed into the OE seatbeltmounting points.
The Willans are a huge improvement over the cheap Sparco's I had installed before. Much more support, with no slip, and the feeling of security is greatly improved. I have also managed to retain the OE seatbelts for short journeys, round town etc...
Sunday 15th April Update
A while back I fitted the JDM ARB, once the new droplink and bush assembly had arrived.
Then I decided to try and tart up my calipers a bit. I cleaned them up, and painted them with 2 coats of Hamerite Smooth 'Copper'. I think the colour suits the Milano Teg well, and also the darker alloys. Might be a bit 'chav', but is an improvement over the grey and and tarnished finish they had before.
On the 'cosmetic mods' front, I also bought (very cheap) C Pillar brace new and unfitted from a forum member (came from US Ebay). Unfortunately it was too short to fit, so I had to use some longer bolts with brass spacers I got from a plumbing center! Cant say it really does anything, but I like it.
This week I also received my Spoon ETD from the CTRO group buy (£90 delivered new). So I fitted it this morning,
Not had a chance to drive the car with it fitted yet, so will have to test it out later on.
SUNDAY 22nd APRIL UPDATE
Yesterday, spend half the day up at Powerstation, taking part in a Honda rolling road day event. Have to say Powerstations set up is superb, with some very tasty machinery sitting about. Saw their 2006 Time Attack winning car, and also Evo magazines Nurburgring sub 8 minute lap 'budget' M3 was there
Any how, onto my cars results;
As we all know, power run figures are more for pub talk, and should be taken with a pinch of salt. As I am no expert on them, if anyone has any comments about the graph or operator settings, please let me know. I personally feel they are VERY optomistic, but hey ho!
Today I decided to take a bit more of my interior out. First up I removed the plastic rear side window surrounds, and then went onto remove the headlining and some minor plastic covers. Thats about all I am gonna remove now, as I want to keep the door cards, and I am not gonna take the dash apart!
A couple of weeks back I also removed the front carpet;
For driving, I usually have the JDM front mats in place to stop my feet slipping. The car is pretty damn loud on the inside now with everything removed!
FUTURE PLANS: Nothing definite as of yet - Drive her lots!
This thread will be continually updated with what I do to my car.
Bought in August 2006, as a 2 previous owner, 47,000 mile, factory standard car. Generally in excellent condition, both on the exterior and interior.
August 21st 2006 - Honda OE Rear Upper Strut Brace
Fitted the strut brace a couple days after I received it. Being a genuine Honda accessory, it came with excellent instructions/templates to make fitting very neat.
With my new rear strut brace fitted, it made the OE tie bar in the boot look very shabby, as its silver paint was chipped and worn. I decided to give it a sand down and respray in red.
Monday 4th September - Spoon Goodies
Received my Spoon drop in filter, Spoon oil cap and Spoon radiator cap. Ordered from TGM Sport Racing, super-fast delivery at a great price.
Next day I fitted the Spoon bits.
The Spoon whoring begins again!!
Friday 8th Spetember - Fluids received
Today I received my fluids,
- Silkolene Pro S 5w-40 engine oil
- Amsoil gearbox oil
- Motul RBF600 brake fluid.
Big thanks to Opie Oils ( http://www.opieoils.co.uk/ ) for the usual speedy service. Just need to wait for my s/s brake hoses coming from TGM before I do the fluids change.
Monday 16th October Update
I have received a few goodies over the last couple of weeks.....
Spoon B pipe.
Spoon N1 muffler.
I got the Spoon system from TGM for a very good price, I can highly recommend speaking to Tom at TGM for your Spoon parts.
Also to go with the system, I have chosen to go with a hi-flow CAT. This will need the flanges and collector to be welded once the correct length has been made.
I managed to pick up a full set of JDM mats cheap from a forum member, in virtually new condition (rear mats upside down in pic!).
And fitted.
Finally, some more Spoon whoring in the form of reservoir covers.
Just gotta wait for my Honda 98 Spec JDM manifold, gasket and bracket to arrive now before I can fit the exhaust system.
Monday 23 October Update
Last Friday I received my 98 Spec Honda JDM manifold, bracket and donut gasket. Its booked into have the system fitted next Saturday.
I quickly laid out the whole system as it will be (N1 upside down).
20th December Update
Been a long time since an update, so here is what I have done over the last 2 months....
I had all the fluids above changed over in the car. Have to say the gearbox is very smooth now with the Amsiol gear box oil.
The stainless steel front and rear brake hoses arrived;
These were fitted, along with the Motul RBF brake fluid. The pedal has a slightly firmer feel to it, will see how it feels if I ever get my ass on track.
Here is a good clean pic of the car from a while back,
I have also fitted the above exhaust system and manifold. I have to say, this has to be my favourite change I have made to the car. The noise is great, maybe a bit antisocial with a passenger, but the important thing is it has really made a noticeable difference with the car when going full chat.
Heres the engine bay cleaned with the manifold fitted;
And the N1 (I couldnt get a good shot of the Hi-Flow CAT and B pipe to show how well they fit, very impressed with how tight it is to the car);
And recently I ordered a set of Advan Neova LTS tyres from my local Lotus dealer, and then had them fitted.
I have only had them on for a few miles, so can really comment on them till they are scrubbed in and I can push them harder - Which may be a while at this time of year!
7th January Update - First update of the new year
Bit dull, but my battery died on me, and after recharging and testing, it was way past it, so a new battery was needed.
I picked up this Bosch battery cheap through my GF's workplace, and fitted swiftly.
I had to remove the plastic corner piece, and plastic undertray, as the new battery was slightly taller, and had a wider base than the original.
Next up, some new tyres (again!!) After 400 or so miles with the Advan Neova fitted, I wasnt happy with how they felt, and the levels of confidence I had. Very strange, as I know many people rate this as one of the best tyres they have ever used!
Maybe I am just a bit weird, but I really didnt get on with them, even when finally scrubbed in. I cant deny the grip was there, and in the wet they coped well, but for me, it lacked the driving experience that I had with the Bridgestone RE010's.
So I had a set of Bridgestone RE010's fitted, and kept the Advans to sell on. RE010's were £267 fitted and balanced, which I was happy with.
Even with the RE010's fresh as a daisy, my car felt so much better, and I knew I had made the right choice. Now there are a few miles on them, I find I can push them a lot harder than the Advans, and more importantly, with a lot more confidence. I must stress this is just my opinion, as I know the Advan Neovas are used by many people who rate them highly.
11th February Update
Small update with whats happened since I last posted. Had Friday off, so decided to partially strip the rear of the car out.
Removed the rear seats, spare wheel, jack and tools, plus the wooden false floor that comes with the UK DC2. I left the plastics in for the mean time, as I dont know how permanent the change will be.
Also I remembered my sister had a spare set of Sparco harnesses lying about (from her old 106 Rallye), so thought I would see if they fitted, and test them out to decide whether or not I will buy myself a set (providing I keep the car partially stripped).
The harnesses went straight in, just had to enlarge one of the bracket holes to allow the OE Honda mounting bolt to fit through. If I decide to stick with the harnesses, I will finish off the rear, taking out the plastics and redundant OE seatbelts.
I have to say, I am very happy with the above, the harnesses hold you tight, and the increased noise from the rear gives you delusions of race car granjour!:lol: Also, with the bit of weight removed, I swear the car feels that little bit more nimble.
Also I have received a couple of bits from forum members, bought second hand.
First up is a DRE Shiftlight;
Will have to get it fitted soon, my first bit of electronic bling! Light colours are white, white, blue, blue, RED
Also I have a 98 Spec JDM ARB. Brand new and unused with the ARB bushes.
Only 1mm bigger than the UK spec ARB, but I guess every little helps!.
Saturday 10th March Update
Visited TGM on February 23rd, and had the Eibach Pro Kit springs fitted, along with a 6000 mile intermediate service, and a check up on the cars suspension/chassis condition.
Very pleased with the Eibachs - Car drives well, flatter in the corners under load, yet still maintain some 'comfort' on rough roads. Has made the car feel a bit fresher. Very happy with the ride height to, subtle drop, not too much, but just enough to bring the front and rear down a touch, tho with the stripped rear, the drop at the back is not so noticeable.
Some pics fitted and settled in;
Happy with how the car was with a partially rear, I set about removing all the rear plastics, and redundant bits and bobs. I also decided to stick with the harness option, so bought myself some second hand drivers and passengers Willans in red.
These are some out of date FIA approved ones. Had to modify the seat rail a bit to fit the eye bolts, but all the rest simply screwed into the OE seatbeltmounting points.
The Willans are a huge improvement over the cheap Sparco's I had installed before. Much more support, with no slip, and the feeling of security is greatly improved. I have also managed to retain the OE seatbelts for short journeys, round town etc...
Sunday 15th April Update
A while back I fitted the JDM ARB, once the new droplink and bush assembly had arrived.
Then I decided to try and tart up my calipers a bit. I cleaned them up, and painted them with 2 coats of Hamerite Smooth 'Copper'. I think the colour suits the Milano Teg well, and also the darker alloys. Might be a bit 'chav', but is an improvement over the grey and and tarnished finish they had before.
On the 'cosmetic mods' front, I also bought (very cheap) C Pillar brace new and unfitted from a forum member (came from US Ebay). Unfortunately it was too short to fit, so I had to use some longer bolts with brass spacers I got from a plumbing center! Cant say it really does anything, but I like it.
This week I also received my Spoon ETD from the CTRO group buy (£90 delivered new). So I fitted it this morning,
Not had a chance to drive the car with it fitted yet, so will have to test it out later on.
SUNDAY 22nd APRIL UPDATE
Yesterday, spend half the day up at Powerstation, taking part in a Honda rolling road day event. Have to say Powerstations set up is superb, with some very tasty machinery sitting about. Saw their 2006 Time Attack winning car, and also Evo magazines Nurburgring sub 8 minute lap 'budget' M3 was there
Any how, onto my cars results;
As we all know, power run figures are more for pub talk, and should be taken with a pinch of salt. As I am no expert on them, if anyone has any comments about the graph or operator settings, please let me know. I personally feel they are VERY optomistic, but hey ho!
Today I decided to take a bit more of my interior out. First up I removed the plastic rear side window surrounds, and then went onto remove the headlining and some minor plastic covers. Thats about all I am gonna remove now, as I want to keep the door cards, and I am not gonna take the dash apart!
A couple of weeks back I also removed the front carpet;
For driving, I usually have the JDM front mats in place to stop my feet slipping. The car is pretty damn loud on the inside now with everything removed!
FUTURE PLANS: Nothing definite as of yet - Drive her lots!
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