Wish List Car Buy: Integra Type R

We recently featured Ren Molnar, from Arizona, owns a Japanese-spec 1998 Toyota Soarer. I figured it was time to enjoy my right-hand drive experience, so I treated myself to a white Christmas with a new toy. More specifically, it is championship White. This is Santa’s sleigh.

Honda Integra Background

Honda has long been known for its expertise in building high-revving, nimble, compact cars. The third-generation Acura Integra is a clear representation of this, with the range-topping “Type R” model entering the U.S. market in 1997, equipped with a powerful and economical B18C inline four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Japan got the car even earlier – a year earlier, in 1996. Of course, it was sold as Honda, as the Acura brand only existed in North America at the time.

Designed with performance in mind, the Type R has 195 horsepower and a 0 to 60 mph time of approximately 6 seconds. It comes from the factory with increased chassis rigidity, grippy Recaro bucket seats, a helical limited-slip differential, a rear spoiler and lightweight 15-inch wheels.

The car revs at about 8,500 rpm and the tachometer reads 10,000 rpm. It loves revs, and thanks to Honda’s “VTEC” variable valve timing engineering, there’s a noticeable “switch” toward the higher end of the rev range as the engine’s computer hydraulically selects between two different camshaft profiles. As enthusiasts say, the VTEC joint delivers a tangible (and audible) punch of power. Speaking from experience, engaging over and over again can be addictive.

Ever since I drove a friend’s right-hand-drive Honda Beat kei a few years ago, I’ve been fascinated by the novelty of owning a Japanese-market import. So why not kill two birds with one stone: buy an Integra Type R, and Is it right-hand drive? All going well, my friend Greg has one for sale – already equipped with a US title so I don’t have to worry about import paperwork or shipping.

My 1996 Integra

I’ve become a big fan of Google Translate because most of the notes that come with the car (even the badges on the car itself) are in Japanese. But as far as I know, this car was originally sold to its first owner on May 19, 1996 from the Honda Verno Saitama Higashi-Omiya store. Delivery comes with dealer-installed air conditioning and a few other options.

Import documents show the car left the port of Nagoya, Japan, on June 30, 2021, a little more than 25 years later. Export logistics is handled by a company called “JDM Expo”. About two and a half weeks later, on July 18, 2021, the Integra arrived in Long Beach, California, and was delivered to its next owner, who later sold it to my friend Greg, who ended up paying $127,823 The price in kilometers sold it to me (79,425 miles) on the odometer.

Speaking of Google Translate, the app also comes in handy for interpreting audio clips. There is a small black Panasonic electrical box in the driver’s footwell. Not long after starting the car, a small speaker said: Insert されていません. My phone says this means “not plugged in”. I talked to friends who have driven imported Honda cars before and found out that this device is used on Japanese toll roads.

Miraculously, aside from a few minor reversible upgrades (including a Mugen cold air intake, Mugen exhaust system, adjustable coilover suspension, Toda head pipe, and Kenwood sound system), my Integra remains relatively untouched. Revise. Other than some general cleaning, I plan to leave it as is. Luckily this car is not a project like some of my previous vehicles.

Nuances of the Japanese market

What are some of the weird things about Japanese-market cars that you had to get used to?

One of the things that confuses everyone is that the windshield wiper lever is on the left and the turn signal lever is on the left. I made the mistake of activating the wipers on my first drive.

You have to be keen on converting miles per hour to kilometers per hour, as there are no hourly increments (even small letters) to be found anywhere on the speedometer. Luckily I just remembered that 100 km/h is about 62 mph and measured everything around me the best I could!

There are many differences between the Japanese spec models and the US models. A lot of it has to do with safety equipment, or the lack of it.

• No third brake light
• no airbag
• No anti-lock brakes

Other nuances I observed with this particular car:

• no clock
• No cruise control
• No skylight
• Emergency flares located in the passenger footwell
• Windshield wipers are located opposite the left-hand drive car
• Side marker turn signal

I’m still discovering things! Overall, the learning curve was not bad. Most people who drive a manual transmission car can get the hang of it. Once they do, they become addicted.

future plans

I’m excited to enjoy road tripping on the Integra, my first long-distance adventure taking it to southern Utah over Christmas. It’s fun to see people’s reactions in traffic when they notice me sitting on the right side of the car, and even more fun to throw the ignition keys to a friend and have them try to turn the transmission.

Have you ever tried driving a right-hand drive manual? Do you want to import a car sold overseas into the United States? Let’s hear it all.