[garcon]

Ok, this is a bit lengthy but I thought others may also find it useful hence posting here rather than PM.

Here's my Integra buddy's answers to your questions:

What are the main differences between the UK spec Teg type R's and the imported DC2 Type R's?

OK, there are 3 ‘models’.

’96-spec JDM, ’98-spec JDM and UKDM. I’ll try and lay down the main differences that will affect your car-decision-making purchase. The stuff I leave out doesn’t really matter.

All of them have the exact same engine, cams, pistons, rods, crank, intake manifold, intake, etc. The only reason the JDM car makes more power, is the exhaust system is more free-flowing as standard. Change a UKDM exhaust manifold/exhaust for a JDM or an aftermarket, it frees up some power and makes it noticeably more peppy.

The ’96 spec has different gear ratios, the ’98 spec and UKDM have a higher final drive and slightly wider 4-5 ratios. The net result is better acceleration in 1-2-3, with 4-5 *slightly* better for cruising. There are die-hard ’96 spec JDM fans who argue the earlier gearbox is better, but everyone else (including Honda) consider the later one an improvement.

The ’96 spec has inferior brakes.

262mm front discs, UK and ’98 JDM models got 282mm front discs. The calipers are also bigger, naturally. It makes a BIG improvement. Many ’96 owners swap for the later spec brakes.

The ’96 models are more often than not missing a lot of creature comforts. Airbags and ABS being 2 big ones. It’s VERY rare to find a ’96 JDM with those 2 options, and when you do find a ’96 model with ABS, it had the earlier pump which was the size of Cornwall and generally crap. ’98 JDM models and UK cars have the same ABS system and it’s far superior.

On the flip side, ’96 spec models are a bit lighter. When a ’96 model has NO options at all (clock, radio, ABS, A/C, airbags), it weighs in at about 1,060kg. When I had my fully-loaded UKDM model corner-weighted, it was 1,110kg. So 50kg in it really.

If you see these monkeys advertising “lightweight” spec models on pistonheads or autotrader, it basically means it’s one of the old JDM cars that’s got ****-all in it.

If you strip a UKDM car down in the same way, they weigh the same amount, there isn’t some fabled lightweight version, they already weighed ****-all anyway.

Is it worth buying a car with high mileage i.e 90,000 miles or more?

To a certain extent. As long as they’ve been maintained well, then there isn’t any real reason not to. The only catch is, if the suspension bushes haven’t been replaced, they’ll be tired and sloppy.
It will still handle well, but until you drive it back to back with one that has new bushes, you won’t realise how sloppy it really is.

Essentially don’t pay the same for a high miler as a low miler unless it’s had a full re-work. Of the suspension. Dampers included, they get tired too and sloppy.

The engine will still be solid if it’s been serviced correctly. I’ve seen them do ~200,000 before a rebuild/refresh is necessary.

If it burns some oil, don’t worry. Get a compression test done, and if it’s solid then don’t panic. When revved hard they do burn a bit, it’s not a problem.

What things should i look out for if i go to look at a car?

The rear arches. If not taken care of, they rust like buggery. But don’t just look on the outside, insist to look under the boot carpet around the arch area, there is also a problem area in front of the arch which you can’t see unless you pull the interior apart, but unfortunately that’s a bit of a gamble, unless you insist on stripping part of it out to look. I’ll fish out some pictures of the places to look a bit later and send them to garcon and he can forward them on.

A lot of cars seem to have uprated air intakes, exhausts, should i avoid these cars or not on reliability grounds?

Not at all, my personal car has a fully uprated head with cams, valves, valvesprings, retainers, injectors, the lot. I’ve done 24k miles on it so far. Things like air intakes and exhausts don’t affect the reliability of functionality of the car at all. Some of them are **** parts that should be binned, but it’s not a difficult job and things like that can be easily reversed.

What are running costs and servicing costs like, are there any inherent problems/faults with Teg Type R's?

Running and servicing is dirt cheap. Cambelt, £200, clutch, £300, tyres £70, full service, £150. These are all costs from independent specialists that are trustworthy. I wouldn’t take it to a dealer anymore as most of the staff have never worked on them before or actually know them well.

Inherant faults, erm….as the cars are getting older they can suffer from sticking rear brake calipers. A rebuilt kit from Honda is like £40. When the car’s been sitting for a while, when you release the handbrake and drive off you can hear the rear brakes scuffing where they haven’t totally released. It’s no biggy and they slacken off after a few miles and get back to normal, but it is a fault. The front do it to a certain extent, but nowhere near as bad and it’s more of an anomaly than a consistent fault as the rears are.
Do a compression check on the engine, make sure all 4 are consistent between. If one or some are low, walk away.

When going for a drive, let the engine warm up so that the coolant temperature needle is just left of halfway, and rev it above 6,000rpm. You should feel a nice healthy kick as VTEC cuts in, and it should pull cleanly all the way to the limiter.

It should be crisp throttle response and clean revving all the time, if it isn’t then something is wrong.

If someone has a VAFC, ‘VTEC controller’, UniChip or anything like that, then leave it, as someone has butchered the wiring harness to get it to fit.

Aside from the bushes, oil burning and sticky rear callipers, I can’t think of anything else really.

The radio aerial sometimes breaks and make horrible noises, but it’s easily replaced.

Seat bolsters naturally, take a look at.

Can’t think of anything else right now. If there is a car near to where I live in Cambridge, or surrounding, I’d gladly go take a look at one in exchange for some petrol money.

I’ll send pictures later of the arches.


If you have any more questions, fire away.