A clean title, clean body, original DA GS-R Integra is a rarity that some spend years tracking down. Angell Reyna has had two. In 1992, Reyna's father purchased an Acura Integra GS-R brand new from a dealer. The GS-R found its way into the hands of Angell's sister and was eventually cast away into the family garage, awaiting the day Angell got his driver's license. At the time, Reyna's interest in cars was minimal at best, until the day his best friend shed light on the gem that was sitting in his garage. "He told me that I had a 'rare' Integra. At the time I was not into cars; upon further research the addiction started," recalls Reyna, "I liked the look of the DA chassis and I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to build it for a functional purpose."
The build went on to become a subtle, functional street car ready to hit the track or hit the highway at a moment's notice. At the heart of the second gen is a B18C Type R transplant. A CTR camshaft is the sole addition to the internals of the B18C. Mugen, Spoon, Toda, Wilwood, and Volk Racing are just a few of the aftermarket adornments that have been added to the DA. With a spec sheet like that and a story to match, this car was destined for the pages of Honda Tuning.
Honda Tuning: How did you come up on a GS-R DA? I'm jealous!Angell Reyna: My dad bought it in '92. Eventually, it got handed down to my sister and then it sat in the garage until I got my license and inherited the car.
HT: So your dad dropped a clean B17 on you and you got rid of it? That's blasphemy to some people.AR: You have to realize, the car has 260k on the chassis. I was getting on the freeway, dropped third gear and spun a bearing on the number 4 rod. I'm slowly building it back up now, but I love my Type R.
HT: You said it was salvageable. Why not just rebuild the B17?AR: When I first blew up the B17, the plan was to rebuild the motor, but I didn't have the time or funds to put it together fast enough. I just needed to get a motor in there. The obvious choice was a Type R. I want to put the B17 back in there someday. It's just sitting in my garage. I can't imagine getting rid of it.
HT: Why the Type R specifically?AR: The overall performance you get from the factory and the fact that it's plug and play in my chassis. Honda did a really good job building it in the first place; it was my number one choice. It's mostly stock. It has enough power for the intentions of the car.
HT: You added a CTR intake cam, right?AR: I want to keep the car as reliable as possible. I was looking for something a little more aggressive without the problems of a big aftermarket cam. With an OEM cam, you don't have to mess with anything. It seemed functional for my purposes.
HT: Tell us about your accident.AR: I was going to Cal Poly. I guess I'm still going to Cal Poly, but this was two years ago. I was in a POS '99 Corolla or something like that with an "acquaintance" of mine going down Temple Avenue. He was going way too fast and spun out. We jumped over the railroad tracks and hit the trees in the center divider. One of the trees tore the car in half. When I came to I was missing my lower leg.
HT: Holy ****! What happened to the driver?AR: He walked away, ***hole.
HT: What a douchebag. Did the accident affect the build of your DA?AR: My first goal was to drive my car again. I knew it was plausible because it was just my clutch leg and current technology in prosthetics is simply amazing. After rehab and endless support from my family, friends, and doctors, I accomplished that goal.
HT: You don't daily drive a five-speed, though, do you?AR: No, I bought a G35 coupe after the accident. It gave me an opportunity to go full on with the build of the DB2. That was when I took the car to MOB Works. After Miguel did the exterior, I got a whole lot more serious about the build.
HT: So the DA and the G35 are your only cars?AR: I had another DB2 GS-R. I saw it parked at Cal Poly in a teacher's spot. I had to call about it and ended up buying it. I eventually sold it to my buddy Dave.
HT: No f'n way, you had two second gen. GS-Rs?AR: (laughs) Yup.
HT: Yeah, just rub it in. What were the plans for this car after you dove in head first?AR: My intentions were to try to keep it as OEM as possible without messing up the rare factor of an original GS-R. I got some inspiration from my buddy Jason Haradon. I wanted a weekend warrior really.
HT: Where did you find the Mugen skirts?AR: I had fake ones when Miguel first did the car. I had Jason track the real ones down, that's actually how I met him. He eventually did the ITR diff and final drive in my transmission. He's a tranny guru.
HT: Do you have any plans for the car in the future?AR: Not really. I'm going to replace the trailing arm bushings, but I'm pretty happy with it how it sits.