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    Stephen's Silver DC5R

    Hi gang

    After much procrastination, I finally have gotten around to making an intro thread for myself and my car. My name's Stephen and I've owned this 2001 build DC5R for about 2.5 years now. It's mostly a weekend car (take the train for work) so in this time I've only put on about 7***kms in my ownership and slowly been building up a decent amount of the usual mods during this time. Although I'm modding it, I don't have any intention of tracking the car. I try to attend as many central CITR meets as I can and so far I've meet many friendly fellow enthusiasts. The meets are great because there is always that core group of guys that you're familiar with

    The nitty gritty:

    Engine
    - GruppeM intake (now sold)
    - TODA header & cat (now sold)
    - Fujitsubo Powergetter catback
    - Hardrace engine mounts
    - Hondata KPRO V3 tuned to 128.7fwkw by Steve at MSC Performance (now sold)

    Suspension
    - BC Racing (BR Type) coilovers
    - EP3R front sway bar (now sold)
    - Whiteline 24mm rear sway bar (now sold)
    - Todds tie rods
    - Buddyclub P1 rear camber kit

    Wheels
    - Advan RG (gold)
    - 17x8.5 +31 (F)
    - 17x7.5 +29 (R)

    Previous wheels
    - Work CR KAI (bronze)
    - 17x8 +32 (F)
    - 17x7 +32 (R)

    - Honda EP3R (silver resprayed to black)
    - 17x7 +45 (all round)

    Bling
    - JDM OEM Red valve cover
    - JDM OEM Silver spark plug cover
    - Beaks gold rear tie bar (now sold)

    Miscellaneous
    - Integra badge delete
    - Intergra Type R side decals delete
    - Rear wiper delete
    - Number plate brackets delete

    Pending mods awaiting install
    - Exedy Stage 1 sports organic clutch
    - Exedy lightweight flywheel (now sold)
    - DBA T3 4000 slotted rotors (F)
    - Ferodo DS2500 brake pads (F)
    - Goodridge stainless steel braided brake lines (now sold)



    History of driving
    Before I bought the DC5R, I could only drive automatic. Really, the only reason I learnt manual was because I felt that manual sports cars were just more fun to drive than automatics. I remember learning to drive manual for the time and how excited I was especially when I started to get the hang of it. The test mule? Why, none other than this...



    I thinks it's DA1? My mate bought this for $600, so it gives you an idea about it's condition LOL. He bought it just as a car to drive to the train station and leave it there, so he could take the train to work. The car was of course bought without reg and roadworthy certificate, and was driven that way throughout our time with it lol. It was pretty beaten up, obviously a reflection of the previous owners neglect. My noob manual skills meant bunny hopping the shit of the car until I got the hang of taking off smoothly

    This teg lasted about 4 months before it died. It was in bad shape already before my mate bought it, so it didn't help that my mate would do things like hitting redline when the car was still cold, flat shifting, and mixing engine oils which were probably too thick for the teg

    Still, I credit this car for helping me to learn manual. I grew rather fond of it during my drives with it... It had character lol.



    Arrival of the DC5R
    Having always talked about cars throughout high school, it came to point where my closest mates were buying cars. First came a Nissan S15, then Ford XR6T, followed a VW Mk5 Gti, and lastly a R34 Skyline GTT. After considering my own options I went for the DC5R and loved it ever since. Here she is:




    Completely stock. Didn't even have widows tinted. These pics were taken on a day where my mates and I all got ours done, a window-tint-day if you will I'm sure many of you remember IVTECI, Richard's DC5R. Such contrast between my stock car and his utterly nuts car lol.

    I remember Richard taking me for a ride in his car that day. Luckily I got to experience what his car was like because he sold it a few weeks later. His car was so awesome... so planted on the ground with no body roll and the revs built very quick and so responsive. Final drive really is awesome



    Stock? We can't have that now can we...
    I wanted to change the wheels first as I thought 16" wheels were too small so I decided to go with 17". I didn't know much about offsets back then, so I just went with what I thought looked good and would fit with no modifications. I wanted DC5S rims initially but couldn't find any at the time, so I went with EP3R rims instead, which also looks good IMO.

    Here we are at Healesville. We later went on to the Black Spur


    The stock 4WD look of a DC5R is definitely not attractive. So first mods I did were to change the suspension and wheels. My budget wasn't too big but I wanted something decent enough, so I opted for BC BR coilovers after some research and firsthand testimonials from other DC5R owners using them, which were positive At the same time, I repaired the gutter rash on the EP3R rims and repainted them myself to matte black...

    The card trick lol. Made spraying a breeze!

    Etch primer on.

    Finished result


    Took me just over a week, working on it for a few hours every day. Well worth, they came out quite good if I do say so myself lol



    Inhale deeply... Exhale deeply
    Some time later, I bought an Injen CAI. After seeing some DIYs, I decided I didn't like the gaping hole it would leave in the engine bay. So I sold the Injen and put that money towards the GruppeM which looks drop dead sexy with an even sexier crossover sound Deciding on the exhaust was straightforward, going for the Fujitsubo Powergetter. The deep bass tone just sounded so nice, plus it's quiet at low revs and opens up when you give WOT.

    More to come
    Last edited by iVTEC_R; 05-12-13, 07:02 PM.

    #2
    Nice start to your build Stephen, can't wait for the extra stuff your going to add mate...
    Hope to see this build grow
    Good job on switching to the GruppeM mate and also thank you for suggesting that defouler to me on my thread
    Last edited by MYDC5R; 04-08-12, 09:21 PM.

    Comment


      #3
      nice read mate! Looking forward to reading more!

      I think your group likes silver/grey.

      Should call yours selves '50 Shades of Silver'
      S2000
      WSID : TBA
      Wakefield : 1:10.1

      Flippit Photography
      Smooth As Detailing
      Incar Racing

      Comment


        #4
        Continuing on from where I left off...

        A few pics of the car with the mods described so far:






        Some new shoes
        As time passed, I researched more into rims and learnt about offsets and what's required for flush fitment, as I was getting sick of looking at the unfilled gaps in the wheel arches. After some searching I came across a staggered set of bronze CR KAI, which I really liked the look of. Sure enough I bought them and the rims's bronze contrasted nicely with the car's silver.


        Those who live in the northern suburbs of Melbourne will recognise the location of this photo... the famous 5-Star Fitness gym or simply "Thomo Gym" lol


        At Jam Factory multistory carpark





        Suspension suspense
        Some time passed and I decided I want to reduce the rear camber which were naturally induced from lowering. I had purchased some Buddyclub P1 rear camber arms some time ago and was waiting for the time to install. Now I've heard some horror stories of these arm failing, whether warping or snapping altogether. Thus far I haven't had any problem with them as yet, but I'll be keeping a close eye on them and in the event of failure, I'll get Hardrace arms which I hear are very strong and well made.

        Photo taken way back when the coilovers were first installed. Interesting size comparison between BR & OEM.


        Getting a wheel alignment revealed that in terms of the front, I couldn't get any camber out of the coilover, despite it having camber tops good for -1 degree of camber. Turns out the tie rods were the culprit. I had read good things regarding Todd tie rods from clubrsx.com, with them being adjustable they could be adjusted to suit any coilover. Whilst waiting for the rods to be delivered, I decided to change rims again



        New shoes, again
        Eventually the tie rods came but before I got them installed, I managed to secure a staggered set of Advan RG's in gold colour from Bennet as he was parting out his well known MOONSR DC5R. Really good offset and the rim themselves look fantastic. Not long after this, it was the time to get the tie rods, rear camber arms and rims installed

        I had the chance to compare the weight of the CR KAI to the RG using the very accurate and scientific method of holding one of each rim in each hand So I don't know the exact weights, but it was clear that the CR KAI are actually quite heavy, all the more evident when you hold them back-to-back with the RG.

        Driving after everything was installed, the difference compared to before is immense. The tie rods gave me the camber I wanted and eliminated a lot of the bump steer I was experiencing prior. In regards to rims, it's easy to see why top brand rim manufacturers put so much R&D into their rims, you can actually feel the difference of the weight savings. Compared to the (relatively heavy) CR KAI, I felt a very noticeable benefit using the much lighter RG's. Acceleration seemed to be livelier and braking was more assured.

        Once the tie rods, rear camber arms and wheels were aligned, I was now running -1 degree of camber all round, with 0 toe and sitting pretty. Had my rear guards rolled too, great job because the paint didn't crack. Highly, highly recommend Todds tie rods. They're very well made and the only tie rods you'll ever need.

        Todds tie rod link:
        http://www.dvrace.com/tierods.html

        I don't have any decent pics with the RG's as yet, so these will have to do



        Beaks bling
        Last edited by iVTEC_R; 18-09-12, 07:32 PM.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by MYDC5R View Post
          Nice start to your build Stephen, can't wait for the extra stuff your going to add mate...
          Hope to see this build grow
          Good job on switching to the GruppeM mate and also thank you for suggesting that defouler to me on my thread
          Thanks Carl
          I'm still a ways off to match your car though hehe.
          No problem with the defouler

          Originally posted by Flippit View Post
          nice read mate! Looking forward to reading more!

          I think your group likes silver/grey.

          Should call yours selves '50 Shades of Silver'
          Thanks Flip

          LOL actually it was pure coincidence I don't know how it happened but we just happened to get the same colour. I actually wanted Championship White but there wasn't any at the time I looked at buying.

          Comment


            #6
            A little bump and griiiiind
            Eventually during my ownership the car began making the dreaded (and unfortunately, common) starter motor grind particularly during the cold morning/nights. Knowing that Honda Australia would charge an arm and a leg for another starter motor (around $1400 was the cheapest dealer price), I looked to the U.S for a more cost friendly approach. Thanks to oemacuraparts.com, I picked up a brand new starter for $553 delivered, with the dollar at parity.

            Link here:
            http://www.oemacuraparts.com/find-pa...20%28TYPE-S%29

            Soooo much cheaper! Here it is, all nice and shiny. Ever since there is no grind whatsoever in any weather condition


            After hearing great things about engine mounts, I decided this would be the next to pursue. Browsing through threads I found that most people used either Hardrace, Hasport or Innovative. In the end I decided to go with the Hardrace mounts, as they came in a complete set of 4 and from what I've read, inbetween OEM stiffness and 62a stiffness.

            I must say, VERY worthwhile mod. The vibrations are not intrusive at all; it actually feels very nice and gives the car a good solid feel. Highly recommended.



            PoweRRRRR
            Thought about buying TODA header on and off during ownership, but the thought of spending $2.2k (with cat) or so for a single mod scared me off pretty quick lol. Thus I decided to bide my time and wait until a second hand one popped up and hope I am fast enough to jump on it before anyone else does

            I contemplated getting the JDM DC5R headers and while it would have been good bang for bang, I figured might as well get something aftermarket that flows even better. Buying the PLM header was also an option, but I felt funny about a header that had to be pieced together, and then having to get a cat welded into the test pipe flanges.

            I got lucky, because eventually a second hand TODA header and cat popped up and I was able to grab it



            I got rid of the heat wrap and had the header installed a few days ago. The car is only slightly louder but I haven't had the chance to give it WOT yet, but I'm sure it'll sound awesome Prior to installation, I bought a defouler also, in the chance that the stupid CEL would come up. Luckily with the help of the defouler, the CEL never showed it's ugly face lol.

            Defouler link:
            http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ws/eBayIS...m=290749221847



            Well that's all for now, hope you enjoyed the read so far. Updates to come when they happen.
            Last edited by iVTEC_R; 09-06-13, 08:29 PM.

            Comment


              #7
              Nice build so farstephen!

              Quality mods!
              Integra Type R
              Integra Type S
              S2000

              Comment


                #8
                Amazing progress here Stephen, i can't believe how much there is!
                Alot of be proud of mate!
                Question mate, did a new starter motor sort out the issue of the 'cold starts'?
                Keep it up, by the way, i didn't know your in the northern part of the state? I thought you were south east lol
                Last edited by MYDC5R; 05-08-12, 10:29 AM.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Yep great read and progress Stephen. Keep it up!
                  ClubITR | Like

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by plAythiNG View Post
                    Nice build so farstephen!

                    Quality mods!
                    Thanks Alex!
                    And thanks again for organising the DBA/Ferodo/Goodridge group buy last time. They'll come in handy when it's time to change my brakes

                    Originally posted by MYDC5R View Post
                    Amazing progress here Stephen, i can't believe how much there is!
                    Alot of be proud of mate!
                    Question mate, did a new starter motor sort out the issue of the 'cold starts'?
                    Keep it up, by the way, i didn't know your in the northern part of the state? I thought you were south east lol
                    Onward and upward hehe
                    Yeah the new starter fixed everything, the car starts up normally as it should no matter how cold it is outside. No more embarrassment when starting the car in front of people anymore that's for sure

                    Originally posted by felixR View Post
                    Yep great read and progress Stephen. Keep it up!
                    Thanks Felix!
                    I'll be repping the CITR stickers as soon as I get around to washing the car properly lol

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Nice to see your build thread Stephen! Only 7,000km in ownership is pretty cool, I'm starting to be like that. In the last week I've only driven about 30km.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        nice read stephen!! too many mods man.. can't keep up..

                        ps very naicee colour :P

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Nice car, looks good in the pictures. helps when it isn't a daily driven car, the amount of shit that happens to it when driven daily is amazing. (I drove mine daily)

                          Did you consider any other options with fixing your starter motor? are you concerned that the new OEM starter motor will start to grind again? (mine is grinding atm too)

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by M@lew View Post
                            Nice to see your build thread Stephen! Only 7,000km in ownership is pretty cool, I'm starting to be like that. In the last week I've only driven about 30km.
                            Thanks Matt.
                            Been taking the train to work have you? hehe

                            Originally posted by danielj View Post
                            nice read stephen!! too many mods man.. can't keep up..

                            ps very naicee colour :P
                            Thanks DJ
                            Might have the mods but ironically, although I want it, I can't afford to do facelift like you and Matt lol.

                            Originally posted by sweetjeeesus View Post
                            Nice car, looks good in the pictures. helps when it isn't a daily driven car, the amount of shit that happens to it when driven daily is amazing. (I drove mine daily)

                            Did you consider any other options with fixing your starter motor? are you concerned that the new OEM starter motor will start to grind again? (mine is grinding atm too)
                            Just saw your for sale thread. That sucks, really unfortunate. A guy I knew also had his red DC5R rear ended and written off last year by some idiot hitting him. I feel for you man. What are your plans now? Will you be getting another car?

                            I did consider rebuilding the starter, but I figured the time it would take to source the bits and pieces and then the time to put it all back together, might as well just buy a brand new and be done with it. Less headache and turnaround time

                            Not concerned with the grind coming back. I'm 100% confident that even if it did, it wont be for a very looooooong time. My car is the first of it's build, 2001, and the grind only happened last year. Since I don't drive anywhere near as much as the previous owner did, I'd assume it'll last me another 10 years or more. My logic... LOL
                            Last edited by iVTEC_R; 06-08-12, 02:37 PM.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Reppin!
                              Just a small update this time. Finally stuck the ClubITR decal onto the car. Thought about sticking it in the usual spot of rear quarter window, but went with the driver side, bottom corner of the windscreen. A good spot if I do say so myself hehe. DOMOOOOOOO!





                              No tune for you!
                              I had planned to get my car tuned when BYP did their Melbourne tuning trip a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, because a few people pulled out, the tuning trip was reduced from a 2 day tuning trip (Friday and Saturday) to just Friday so I didn't end up getting the tune because of work .
                              Oh well, perhaps next time


                              Random interior shot
                              Last edited by iVTEC_R; 02-09-12, 09:36 PM.

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