Hello fellow Speedhunters, I’m Anthony and this is my journey of finding, building, and achieving a childhood/teenage dream of owning a JDM Honda Integra Type R.
It’s a tale as old as time, but growing up in Southern California in the 1990s/2000s and witnessing what many consider the golden era import car scene definitely sparked my enthusiasm and nostalgia for this iconic car.
Over many years, I searched multiple Japanese used cars websites, watching the market until I found the right car for the right price at the right time. I bought this one sight unseen in August 2018 and stored it in Japan until it was legal for US import in December 2020.
This car was first registered in Japan in December 1995 and was very complete and still 99% stock with 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) on the odometer. I captured these photos right before washing my car for the first time – something I waited nearly two and a half years to do.
…Becomes Reality
Not too long after that first wash, I began disassembling what was a fully functional and intact car to clean literally everything with extreme excessiveness. After everything was clean and organized, it was easy to see which parts needed refinishing or refreshing. During reassembly, I also took the opportunity to replace some parts with new or better condition parts I had collected over the years.
One major replacement was a brand new front bumper that was repainted along with the rest of my front end and wheels. Although I missed driving the Integra during this additional two and a half year project, l learned so much about my dream car and all of the parts that make it what it is. As a result, I came to appreciate everything about it even more.
Finally, after nearly five years from purchase to completing my personal factory reset, this is the car of my dreams – a bone stock JDM Integra Type R that looks like it came to life from Honda dealer brochures and drove off a Japanese dealership floor in 1995.
Look a little closer and you may notice some additional details like customized replica vanity plates and a UKDM-only document wallet. There are also various Honda Access parts, like window visors, a sunglasses holder, floor mats, rear strut tower bar, and a Gathers Integra Type R double-DIN radio with matching faux carbon fiber trim and amber lighting.
Victory Lap
Now that the dream had become a reality, it was time to enjoy and share it. RADwood PNW 2023 was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
In preparation for the rad era-inspired show, I made a trifold presentation poster board that was surprisingly popular with many fellow enthusiasts who came to see my car next to the Honda Motocompo that I wish was mine.
During the show, cars that were selected for awards got a sticker on their windshield, but my Integra didn’t have one. As the award ceremony got underway, I was still hanging and talking with some people around my Honda when the announcer began describing the car that won the first award. My friend was like, “dude, that’s you!” To my absolute surprise, my car was awarded the Coker Tire award.
Since I would already be out and about with my car, I planned some extra time for photoshoots before and after the show. I started my day with a photoshoot in Portland at 4:00am, then drove two and a half hours to Tacoma to stage for the show at 7:30am.
After the show, I drove almost an hour to Seattle to hang out with some Type R friends and take part in more photoshoots until 10:00pm, then made the three-hour drive back home. It was a super-long day, but the photos and memories were totally worth it.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks so much for reading my story. If you want to see more, follow along at www.instagram.com/jdm.dc2r.
Last and certainly not least, there are so many people to thank. First and foremost my wife and daughter, my importer Bo, my painter Tommy, all of my Portland/Seattle/international Type R friends, Art from RADwood, and everyone else who’s been with me on this journey and those I’ve met along the way. Thank you all!
Anthony Nguyen
Instagram: jdm.dc2r
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