The 2001 Acura Integra LS is still kicking around. With just over 6,900 miles on the odometer we continue to use it as an all around fun car. From running errands around town to some recent track days at the Sebring Short Course and Daytona Intl Raceway it continues to be a joy to own.
Since our last update we have made some changes to the car. After the high end coilover testing with the Koni 3011 Series shocks and Eibach stiffer spring rates that car ended up not being as much fun to drive around on the street as before due to the harshness. Lowering the spring rates would of done the trick but our recently acquired 2001 Acura Integra Type R that is destined to be our newest Road Racing car came equipped with Eibach Pro R2 Coilovers. This is a perfect option for the Integra LS street car based setup as it offers superior road handling characteristics (ie, softer ride quality) but with the double adjustable dampening would be more than capable when needed at the track. Plus the Koni 3011 Coilovers are the perfect option for the Integra Type R Race car so made sense to swap the parts.
All I can say is once the Eibach Pro R2 coilovers were installed the car felt perfect. It now offers the perfect balance of feeling sporty but usable. The MFactory LSD continues to offer confidence to mat the throttle whenever necessary and know that power will be put to the ground and the basic Eibach 17mm rear sway bar being matched to the OEM Front sway bar has proved to be the sweet spot for all around balance.
In addition to the Eibach coilover installation the '01 Integra Type R also had a Comptech header on it that we didn't plan on using for the race car build and the OEM ITR Muffler was pulled off, reconditioned and installed on the Integra LS as well to offer a more aggressive exhaust sound.
Recently I had the chance to take the car out to 2 different Track Days. Some take-off Hoosier SM7 205/50/15 race tires were mounted up on a set of our race teams Kosei K1 15x7 wheels and I went to tackle the Sebring Short Course configuration during a SCCA Track Event and then onto Daytona International Speedway during the SCCA Track Night in America event on August 1st, 2019.
This car is in its element at the Sebring Short course especially with the sticky Hoosier SM7 race tires mounted up. With only 2 long straights and mostly using the tighter technical parts of the Sebring Intl Raceway the Integra was a joy to drive and quite a handful for some of the higher power cars to get away from. The Eibach Pro R2 Coilovers are 2 way dampening adjustable and I have found about 1-2 clicks off of soft for both compression and rebound to be a nice street setting. I didn't bother changing the dampening adjustments during the first session at Sebring and liked how the car was handling so much I didn't bother to get more aggressive at all throughout the day. Another just add gas and enjoy driving day with the Integra at Sebring.
Next up was the SCCA Track Night in America event at Daytona International Speedway. IPGparts.com headquarters is only 40 miles from the speedway and any chance I get to go out and run the track I try and take advantage of. The SCCA Track Night program is a great way to dip your toe into high performance driving offering 3 different run groups and generally being held on a Tuesday or Thursday they are all about access and ease of trying the track hobby out. I fell into the advanced group and the fire power on hand was nothing short of incredible. There was a Viper ACR Aero, Corvettes for days, Camaro's, R8, Porsche, BMW, etc. All the heavy hitters were present and with those cars being capable of 165+ mph speeds on the high banks it can be intimidating. But running my lowly 140 horsepower Integra proved to be seamless. With a max speed through the Tri-oval of 121mph I wasn't going to set any land speed records but the infield of the track in the Rolex 24 hour configuration that we ran is where the Integra held its own. Again the Hoosier SM7 tires and Eibach Pro R2 coilovers worked wonderfully with each other and it was another solid just add gas and drive type of day.
I am not sure what is next for the Integra other than to continue to enjoy it anytime I can. More power is always something that is in the back of my mind but I hate to take a chance on ruining what I consider to be a solid all around car at this point in time. There are also other parts that I am interested in perhaps testing for some lap time comparisons such as a 4.7 final drive for instance. Time will tell, for now I will just keep enjoying the closest thing to a brand new Integra that I will ever get to experience.
Thanks to:
Flag to Flag PhotographyEibachMFactorySCCA Track Night in America
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