OK, so throwing every Mugen part in the catalog at your car is a surefire way to get some shine. Rarely, though, is it done this tastefully.
Esteban Gonzales is a seasoned veteran of the Honda scene. By the late '90s, he'd already owned numerous Civics and Integras, most of which were modded in some way or another. After having been out of the country for a couple of years, Gonzales returned to the States to find that his dream car, an Integra Type R, was available to the U.S. market. He bought it immediately.
"It was the best Honda you could get, so I wanted it," Gonzales recalls. Securing a job as a longshoreman meant he could actually afford to start buying all of the parts he'd been dreaming about, namely those from Mugen.
Struck by the company's successful racing history, and its close and singular ties to Honda, Gonzales set out to build the most complete Mugen ITR that ever burned rubber on American tarmac.
The DC2 is now a dedicated race car, leaving daily driver duties to an S2000 (Damn! Time to switch jobs - DF). The full Mugen package works well together to create a well-balanced, race tuned ride without compromising style or JDM bling factor.
The stock B18C5 has been blueprinted and balanced, but the whole rotating assembly remains OEM. The cylinder head has been ported, polished and outfitted with Portflow springs and retainers over Ferrea valves. The headwork, combined with Mugen header, intake and exhaust, puts down 214 wheel hp-not bad at all for a nearly stock motor.
While most people are content with a Mugen lip or wing, Gonzales' DC2 is adorned in the full exterior line. Sixteen-inch MF10's sit under the JDM ITR fenders and complement the front and rear bumpers, side skirts and rear wing. Miguel Ortiz, of Orange County's MOBworks, did all of the paint and bodywork.
With the car completed, Gonzales' immediate goal is to increase his skill behind the wheel. If you're ever at a track day in Southern California, don't mistake this car for a trailer queen JDM show car. It won't be in your rearview for very long.
Honda Tuning: You could have bought an NSX for the amount of money you put into your DC2. What made you stick to the ITR?Esteban Gonzales: To tell you the truth, even though I'm pretty new to driving on the track, I pass NSXs every time I go out. I'm a front-wheel-drive Honda enthusiast. I even have a track [-prepped] TSX now, too. I've driven NSXs and I feel more comfortable in my Integra.
HT: I noticed your C5 is stock except for the valvetrain and some head work. Why didn't you go aftermarket on the bottom end or do cams?
EG: I've tried forged pistons and I don't like them. They just don't feel right. It's also because of class rules for racing that I stay stock internally. I did have the engine blueprinted and balanced. We also ceramic-coated the pistons, valves, and combustion chambers. We even replaced the piston skirt coating. As for the valves, I bent the stock ones and it costs less to buy aftermarket than OEM.
HT: Stock ITR's don't usually make 214 wheel hp. To what do you attribute all the power?
EG: It's a well-balanced motor. The lightweight wheels and flywheel also play a part. The mild race port job that Tom [Fujita] did helps too.
HT: I noticed you're running a Mugen ECU with an A`pexi VAFC. Why did you go that route over a standalone such as a Hondata, AEM EMS, or an A`pexi Power FC?
EG: Hondata was still new back then and the VAFC was blowing up. Everyone was getting good results from the VAFC so I went with it.
HT: What is it about Mugen that rocks your boat?
EG: It's the story behind them. Hirotoshi Honda is the son of Soichiro Honda. They only do Hondas. All of their parts are well built. They've always been successful in racing, whether it was F1, JGTC or whatever. Mugen is also the only company with enough parts to build a complete car. And the King Motorsports website is a candy store - how could you resist?
Propulsion
Internally, Esteban's B18C5 is just short of stock. The head has been ported and polished by Tom Fujita of Portflow Designs and is outfitted with Ferrea valves held onto Portflow springs using their titanium retainers. The bottom end uses all stock parts, but has been rebuilt, blueprinted and balanced by Natoe at Dynamic Autosports.
old air is drawn through a Mugen intake and airbox into a Spoon Sports throttle body. Spent gasses exit into a Mugen header connected to a Spoon cat-delete and out a Mugen exhaust. A Mugen ECU, teamed with an A`pexi, VAFC controls RC injectors, which are fed by an AEM fuel rail and matching FPR. A Toda flywheel and a JDM 4.7-final drive enhance the stock Type R transmission.
Evidence
The C5 gets 214 wheel hp to the ground.
Stance
Mugen-spec Showa shocks sit under Mugen coils at each fender. A King Motorsports camber kit offers adjustability for alignment specs while Prothane bushings maintain the geometry under load. Mugen strut tower bars and sway bars finish off the suspension setup.
Resistance
The stock ITR master cylinder transfers Motul fluid through Mugen micro-mesh brake lines in order to persuade the Mugen race-spec pads to clamp down on Mugen rotors and stop the car.
Rims and Rubber
Mugen MF10's, sized 16x7 with a +43 offset, fill the wheel wells dressed in 215/45/16 Advan AO48R's.
Fashion
Outside: A Mugen hood, wing, front and rear bumper, and side skirts were painted and installed by Miguel Ortiz from MOB Works in Orange, Calif.
Inside: Mugen S1 buckets adorned in Mugen-spec Takata MPH340 harnesses draw one's attention away from more subtle Mugen amenities such as FG360 steering wheel, speedometer, shift knob and pedal set. Defi oil pressure and water temp gauges help Gonzales keep an eye on the Type R's vitals.
SICK!
ReplyDelete