New owner with a couple of queries and an introduction

Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
Hello all,

Picked up my first Integra DC5 Type R (and first Honda) on Saturday after always wanting one for a while. Unforunately I have bought at peak prices but we are always told they will only continue to go up... It was imported Nov 2019 by DCY Europe and the previous owner wanted it kept as authentic as possible so both the speedo and odometer read in KM and the factory limter is still in place. I suppose I could get used to converting to KM/H on the fly but it is obviously much better to have it read in MPH when speed cameras are about.
  1. Has anybody kept the speedo reading in KM/H but removed the limiter? What would happen once it goes past 180 KM/H or is it not possible to do the limiter without also converting to MPH?
  2. There is an option to have a heads up display of MPH but then this costs nearly triple what the MPH converter would. https://www.torque-gt.co.uk/can-heads-up-display-speedometer-unit.html Has anybody used this?
  3. Has anybody ever had an issue having it converted to mph? I figure most people out there have this done so there cannot be many issues.
  4. On the motorway in 6th it is just under 4k rpm but would you shift as low at 1.5k rpm like you would in a "normal" car at city speeds (30/40mph) or would this labour the engine as they rev so high? I have changed my MX5 mk3 for this and that doesn't like to be lower than 1800rpm but my daily is a 3.3L Kia Stinger and that is happy to cruise along as low as 1100rpm at city speeds.
Quite a few different points there but any help would be much appreciated.

Still getting used to all the different sounds and working out what should be normal or if something is wrong. As with any new car it takes a while to know if this is how they sound, not that anything sounds off at all!

Loving it so far and it is in great condition. It has just done 59k miles, only 800 in the UK, rust free and incredibly clean inside. 100% stock including the exhaust and intake from what I can tell so far. Champ white with the white wheels and red interior. Flare, Japanese sat nav (with reversing camera) and toll reader all still connected up but I will most likely change the head unit for a Pioneer with Car Play/Android Auto.

First things to do are get the tracking looked to start with and get a Cat 1 alarm/immobilser system fitted. The steering wheel needs to be turned to the left slightly to stay straight so will start with tracking first to see if that fixes it. I can worry about suspension issues if that does not fix it.

Previous owner (no idea if they are on this forum) did not use the car much but changed all of the fluids etc themselves according to DCY (no paperwork to back this up) but unsure of when valve clearences were last checked. How critical is this? The oil looks brand new so I'm inclined to believe them that all was changed and cosmetically the car looks brand new (other than sightly clouded headlights) and he throughly cleaned every single cm of it including the engine bay. It really is immaculate including the bolsters, mats, badges and stickers. Wheels have all been refurbed so are fresh too.

Car appears to function completely fine, not that I have much to compare it to, but is it overkill if I book in with Honda to do their major service that covers all your fluids, valve clearences, chain check etc. It will be a big old chunk of change but for peace of mind would you do the same? I have the budget but don't want to spend up to £1k changing and checking everything on it if there is no need. DCY recommended I just enjoy the car as it has all been done and the engine is relatively young. I plan to keep the car for a good few years and down the line I am sure the next owner would like to see a fresh baseline of knowing what has been done and start to build some history.

She will only be used as a weekend and warm/dry weather car and kept in a garage so hoping to keep in the same condition. I have attached a few pictures. Down the line I want to get a parcel shelf and the wind deflectors to complete it. I understand they are like gold dust but I will keep an eye out for them on here and ebay. The push button start would also be nice and I see this can be retrofitted but I am in no rush to do this.

Also if anybody wants the MX5 in the picture it will be up for sale in a couple of weeks as I can't have 3 cars but didn't have chance to sell before this came up. I now have the joy of an awesome front wheel drive naturally aspirated car for B road blasts in the Teg and a twin turbo rear wheel drive straight line sprinter and motorway cruiser in the Kia Stinger. Best of both driving worlds!

Apologies for the long post, I have lots of questions as a newbie :) No offence will be taken if you spot anything wrong in the pictures and want to trash my dream haha.

Thanks,

Alex
 

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Elliot438

Active Member
Messages
56
My speedo converter began to play up so I removed it. They are usually just cheap little boxes spliced into the wiring before the VSS on the gearbox. My Teg is mapped so the speed restriction is removed. The dial carries on going round the clock after 180 as you could imagine.

The only issue converting to MPH is the chance of the converter playing up. Also you create a mixture of miles and km on the digital clock so working out mileage can become a pain. Personally I would keep it in km and learn the conversion in your head, didn't take me long to adapt.

As for RPM. The engine is quite happy at low revs just don't expect it to have much power. I'll happily sit mine in 6th at 30-40mph if it's not an incline if just maintaining speed. You probably want to shift between 2-3k for normal driving tbh die to the nature of the engine and how fast it picks up revs, you will get a feel for it when you drive.

If the timing chain is completely untouched then it will be fine at that mileage. No need to check it. You will get a fault code well in advance before it becomes a problem which is unlikely as they are stated to last 'life of vehicle'.

I would get the valve clearances checked at this mileage if you are not sure when they were done, if ever. It's very easy to do at home if you are competent and have some basic tool, if in doubt specialist shops don't charge too much for this.
 

IntegraDan

Advanced Member
Messages
332
Looks like a good example!
Barrie @ DCY is good bloke, I bought an EVO 6 from him years ago, as he is local to me.
If I’m ever nearby, and have time I always pop in for a chat. Always has time to talk.
As said above, if I had the choice I’d have one running in KPH. You get used to it very quickly, and you’ll always be certain the ODO reads true.
 

Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
My speedo converter began to play up so I removed it. They are usually just cheap little boxes spliced into the wiring before the VSS on the gearbox. My Teg is mapped so the speed restriction is removed. The dial carries on going round the clock after 180 as you could imagine.

The only issue converting to MPH is the chance of the converter playing up. Also you create a mixture of miles and km on the digital clock so working out mileage can become a pain. Personally I would keep it in km and learn the conversion in your head, didn't take me long to adapt.

As for RPM. The engine is quite happy at low revs just don't expect it to have much power. I'll happily sit mine in 6th at 30-40mph if it's not an incline if just maintaining speed. You probably want to shift between 2-3k for normal driving tbh die to the nature of the engine and how fast it picks up revs, you will get a feel for it when you drive.

If the timing chain is completely untouched then it will be fine at that mileage. No need to check it. You will get a fault code well in advance before it becomes a problem which is unlikely as they are stated to last 'life of vehicle'.

I would get the valve clearances checked at this mileage if you are not sure when they were done, if ever. It's very easy to do at home if you are competent and have some basic tool, if in doubt specialist shops don't charge too much for this.
DCY did mention that they have had some DC5's not want to play ball with the converter and even switched the same converter between cars to check in the past and some will work and some have issues with no apparent reason for it. Just luck I guess!

Yes I can imagine that it will be a pain unless you have a good relationship with your MOT tester to explain how to put down the correct mileage so your MOT history doesn't look dubious down the line with a mix of km and miles.

I have no mechanical knowledge or tools to check the valves so would go to a professional for this.

How are Honda main dealerships for servicing or would you use an independent? I had a look on their website and they have fixed prices for a lot of items that seem pretty reasonable. Although an import, I imagine the service and check process is similar to other Hondas they will work on due to same principles and shared parts in some cases.

I am in Nottingham, East Midlands and most independent Honda specialists seem to be North or South from my very brief search with not much inbetween.
 

Elliot438

Active Member
Messages
56
DCY did mention that they have had some DC5's not want to play ball with the converter and even switched the same converter between cars to check in the past and some will work and some have issues with no apparent reason for it. Just luck I guess!

Yes I can imagine that it will be a pain unless you have a good relationship with your MOT tester to explain how to put down the correct mileage so your MOT history doesn't look dubious down the line with a mix of km and miles.

I have no mechanical knowledge or tools to check the valves so would go to a professional for this.

How are Honda main dealerships for servicing or would you use an independent? I had a look on their website and they have fixed prices for a lot of items that seem pretty reasonable. Although an import, I imagine the service and check process is similar to other Hondas they will work on due to same principles and shared parts in some cases.

I am in Nottingham, East Midlands and most independent Honda specialists seem to be North or South from my very brief search with not much inbetween.

I do all my work myself so I'm not too clued up in garages and their prices. Off my head Area Motorsport and Honda HQ wouldn't be far from you.

I would stay away from main dealers. Specialists will likely do a better job at a far better price. End of the day don't overthink it, these cars are very very simple especially when it comes to servicing just make sure correct parts/fluids are used. Honda PSF for power steering, Honda Type 2 for coolant, decent brand fully synthetic 5w40 for engine oil, Honda MTF for gearbox etc.
 

Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
I do all my work myself so I'm not too clued up in garages and their prices. Off my head Area Motorsport and Honda HQ wouldn't be far from you.

I would stay away from main dealers. Specialists will likely do a better job at a far better price. End of the day don't overthink it, these cars are very very simple especially when it comes to servicing just make sure correct parts/fluids are used. Honda PSF for power steering, Honda Type 2 for coolant, decent brand fully synthetic 5w40 for engine oil, Honda MTF for gearbox etc.
Area Motorsport are only 32 miles away and almost 70mph the entire way there so this looks like a high contender! Thank you.
 

Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
Ok a quick update - there was no Jap service history with this car and the UK history all checked out.

I should have done this first but rushed with my head and not my heart - did a Car VX Japanese report this morning just to build up a pack for it and it has come back with the auction sheets and this has been through 3 auctions, 2 to Japanese owners and then the final one being exported here. Each time it is registered as a Cat R for repaired!! Now my heart as sunk at this news. Classic buyer error of rushing and not doing all of the checks. :oops:

The first two auction sheets it has smoked tail lights and a black bumper and I have read that sometimes they are marked R just by being modified, although the last auction is how it is now and back to 100% stock. Is there a chance that this was marked as R due to previous mods and it falls under the category Collision by default and may not have even be in a crash? The airbag checks out as OK each time on the report. I suppose panels could have possibly been replaced just from car park bumps

Is this as big a deal as I think it is? The car is in genuinely brilliant condition, possibly because it has had new panels haha, but this has now soured it a little.

Can I also ask if the rear bumper on other DC5's looks like the circled bits on mine? The top part to the left of the light sticks out a bit and the bottom also has a little gap. This is identicle on both sides and due to the fact it looked correct because both matched I didn't think anything of it.

I'm sure somebody is getting a laugh out of my turmoil right now! :D
 

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JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Ok a quick update - there was no Jap service history with this car and the UK history all checked out.

I should have done this first but rushed with my head and not my heart - did a Car VX Japanese report this morning just to build up a pack for it and it has come back with the auction sheets and this has been through 3 auctions, 2 to Japanese owners and then the final one being exported here. Each time it is registered as a Cat R for repaired!! Now my heart as sunk at this news. Classic buyer error of rushing and not doing all of the checks. :oops:

The first two auction sheets it has smoked tail lights and a black bumper and I have read that sometimes they are marked R just by being modified, although the last auction is how it is now and back to 100% stock. Is there a chance that this was marked as R due to previous mods and it falls under the category Collision by default and may not have even be in a crash? The airbag checks out as OK each time on the report. I suppose panels could have possibly been replaced just from car park bumps

Is this as big a deal as I think it is? The car is in genuinely brilliant condition, possibly because it has had new panels haha, but this has now soured it a little.

Can I also ask if the rear bumper on other DC5's looks like the circled bits on mine? The top part to the left of the light sticks out a bit and the bottom also has a little gap. This is identicle on both sides and due to the fact it looked correct because both matched I didn't think anything of it.

I'm sure somebody is getting a laugh out of my turmoil right now! :D
The rear bumper is like that so nothing to worry about. The only way you'll know if the car is had an accident is by inspecting behind the front and rear bumper. There is crash bars there but if you're not noticing anything in the boot or engine bay then you'll know its never been in anything too serious.

How much did you pay for the CarVx check? I've always thought about doing it. Fortunately my car came with service history etc so never thought it was worth doing.

These cars are simple to maintain. The only thing that will be worth checking is the valve clearances as they may never have been done at your mileage. Always go independent rather than main dealer.

If you're wanting to keep this car for years to come then make sure it's well protected underneath. I presume it's been undersealed but I would recommend putting cavity wax into the sills, and box section behind the rear arch. That box section is what kills these cars. They rust inside out from there. This is something you can easily do yourself.

Apart from that enjoy it!

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Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
The rear bumper is like that so nothing to worry about. The only way you'll know if the car is had an accident is by inspecting behind the front and rear bumper. There is crash bars there but if you're not noticing anything in the boot or engine bay then you'll know its never been in anything too serious.

How much did you pay for the CarVx check? I've always thought about doing it. Fortunately my car came with service history etc so never thought it was worth doing.

These cars are simple to maintain. The only thing that will be worth checking is the valve clearances as they may never have been done at your mileage. Always go independent rather than main dealer.

If you're wanting to keep this car for years to come then make sure it's well protected underneath. I presume it's been undersealed but I would recommend putting cavity wax into the sills, and box section behind the rear arch. That box section is what kills these cars. They rust inside out from there. This is something you can easily do yourself.

Apart from that enjoy it!

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
Thanks Jordan. I figured it was a design of the rear bumper due to it being the same and equal on both sides but after seeing this on the report it got me thinking.

The CarVX check cost £23 after the conversion and came back within 3 hours. Well worth it, if I only I had done it before I purchased! D'oh! It is all undersealed and previous owner had it in a garage and mine will be stored in a grage too. Think I will go down a full on cavity fill to future proof it. I want to keep this car for as long as possible and keep it pristine.
 

IntegraDan

Advanced Member
Messages
332
Ok a quick update - there was no Jap service history with this car and the UK history all checked out.

I should have done this first but rushed with my head and not my heart - did a Car VX Japanese report this morning just to build up a pack for it and it has come back with the auction sheets and this has been through 3 auctions, 2 to Japanese owners and then the final one being exported here. Each time it is registered as a Cat R for repaired!! Now my heart as sunk at this news. Classic buyer error of rushing and not doing all of the checks. :oops:

The first two auction sheets it has smoked tail lights and a black bumper and I have read that sometimes they are marked R just by being modified, although the last auction is how it is now and back to 100% stock. Is there a chance that this was marked as R due to previous mods and it falls under the category Collision by default and may not have even be in a crash? The airbag checks out as OK each time on the report. I suppose panels could have possibly been replaced just from car park bumps

Is this as big a deal as I think it is? The car is in genuinely brilliant condition, possibly because it has had new panels haha, but this has now soured it a little.

Can I also ask if the rear bumper on other DC5's looks like the circled bits on mine? The top part to the left of the light sticks out a bit and the bottom also has a little gap. This is identicle on both sides and due to the fact it looked correct because both matched I didn't think anything of it.

I'm sure somebody is getting a laugh out of my turmoil right now! :D
I’ve never dared to VX check any of the imports I’ve owned. I bet a lot of the so called ‘mint’ fresh imports are living up to the old name of ‘grey’ imports!

My Dad bought a fresh import Tommi Mak EVO from SVA imports back in 2015 - they advertised it as mint with low mileage. Anyway my Dad did a VX check and the auction report revealed it was far from mint! But the worst part about it was the mileage! SVA had sold it advertising 70k miles. The auction sheet on the VX showed 182000km!

A3A68E0E-E270-49F0-94FE-928020F9B1B4.jpeg5D4219D8-B683-4385-81BA-F3245D0C3775.jpeg4FC92B3A-CAEB-4AAA-98BE-2ECB17482952.jpegB283CF76-790B-469A-A056-50E580651064.jpeg613A9507-F71C-4CBE-803C-ED94906129C4.jpeg11326A05-A872-4ACA-A99D-F56DA9D4C21D.jpeg23B7DE52-699B-4BF2-AF65-9A0D3E62F068.jpeg03F75EC9-FBBF-405D-B6AA-FF7E8C60AF60.jpegD1AC1522-74FF-4C97-9A97-6F03EF83970A.jpeg3B1D102F-829C-4E7F-A166-84D2AF334B4C.jpeg
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
I’ve never dared to VX check any of the imports I’ve owned. I bet a lot of the so called ‘mint’ fresh imports are living up to the old name of ‘grey’ imports!

My Dad bought a fresh import Tommi Mak EVO from SVA imports back in 2015 - they advertised it as mint with low mileage. Anyway my Dad did a VX check and the auction report revealed it was far from mint! But the worst part about it was the mileage! SVA had sold it advertising 70k miles. The auction sheet on the VX showed 182000km!

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TME worth a small fortune now though!

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Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
Yes!
He sold in 2017 and made £9k on it! Probably have made triple that if he had hung on to it!
What an absolute beauty of a car. Fortunately for me this is my first Jap import so I know I'm buying at peak and don't have any heartbreak knowing what I could have made by holding onto a car.

At least the mileage on mine matches and is correct. That was a hell of a difference on your dads!
 
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