We would eventually figure out we forgot the Woodruff key for the crank, which is why we couldn't get the timing right. In the meantime, though, the car sat for a few months before we figured this out. I was about to sell the car with all my parts for 3 grand, because I was just done. Then a friend started working on the car late into the evening one night and got everything ironed out. That's just one story -I've got a bunch.
HT: What prevented you from giving up altogether? GM: Seriously, my friends and family. Anyone who knows me can tell you that, when it comes to cars, I've said so often that I'm out of the game, I'm giving up. I've met a lot of friends in the game, and without their help, even for little things, I would've never been able to complete the car.
Like the night before I showed the car at the '06 Nissei Showoff [in LA], I had just picked it up from the painter. I still had a lot to install before the event, like the JDM folding mirrors, headlights, etc., but I had to go get my hair done, also. My sister, her boyfriend, and our neighbor started working on the car while I was gone, unknown to me, so when I got home they had the seats out, all the interior panels, and they're installing my seats and harnesses and my friend's Spoon steering wheel. We worked all night long to get the Integra ready.
HT: What's next for the car? GM: I don't know if you heard, but the car was involved in an accident, so it's currently out of commission. It's fixable, but I don't know if I'm going to repair the car. I'm looking to sell the shell. I started selling off little parts that I don't need, or I have spares of. I picked up another DA, but I'm not sure I'm going to build that. I'm looking to either pick up an AE86 or another DA and build that as my racecar. But I'll be back.
[The Integra] was cool; I got a lot of years out of it. I street raced it, road raced it, did basically everything I wanted to do. I had a lot more in store for the car, but for what I did, I'm happy. I never really wanted to get it in a mag, but I always thought it would be dope if I had that memory of the car, especially if it ever got stolen or crashed. I could always show it to people down the road and say, "This is something I accomplished."
Bolts & WashersGregory Morgan's 1991 Integra LS PropulsionGo: An Integra XSi conversion wouldn't be one without a B16A under the hood. Morgan's B is largely untouched, save for a head that has been milled by RS Machine for a marginal bump in the compression ratio.
On the cold side of the motor, air first enters through a DA6 box before making its way to a Civic Type R throttle body and manifold. The spent charge exits via a 2.5-inch CTR header, Omni-Power test pipe, and Buddy Club Spec I exhaust plumbing. Further bolt-ons include a Koyo radiator, Baker lightweight battery, AEM fuel rail, NGK wires and Platinum plugs, and a Prospeed Performance-chipped P28 ECU. Finishing engine bay touches include the Spoon Sports oil and radiator caps and reservoir socks, Vision carbon-fiber plug cover, and Skunk2 Racing battery tie down.
The crank spins a 7-pound Fidanza flywheel that sends power through an Exedy 3-puck clutch to the 5-speed J1 gearbox with Kaaz LSD. Gears are selected by means of a C's short shifter and DA6 linkage.
StancePrepped to hit the road course at a moment's notice, Morgan's DA9 3-door rocks a complement of Function & Form Autolife coilovers, 5-point Cusco cage, Spoon front and rear tower bars, and a Z-Speed rear lower tie bar. The 'Teg is also set up with Function & Form lower control arms and rear camber kits.
ResistanceDeceleration is aided by Axxis Ultimate brake pads, front and rear, rubbing against Brembo blank rotors.
Rims & RubberDesmond RegaMaster EVO rollers, weighing only 12 lbs. apiece, come dressed in 205/45R16 Yokohama rubber.
FashionOutside:Morgan sent us an exhaustive catalog of DA6-spec JDM XSi minutiae that one can find on his ride, a list that includes: hood, fenders, head/taillights, window visors, thin moldings, side markers, folding mirrors, front and rear "H" emblems, VIN plate, and XSi, DOHC VTEC decals. The fore and aft bumpers have also been swapped for '93 versions, and Steve at T&L Autobody helped out with the custom gold mix the car has been sprayed in.
InsideThe cabin of this Integra exudes business, having been stripped of just about everything, right down to its insulating tar. Replacing the factory forward seats are a pair of Memory Fab S68 carbon buckets, secured with Sparco hardware and draped with Sparco camlock-equipped 3-inch restraints. A Camp 1320 quick release mounted to a Momo hub helps the Spoon wheel come off lickity split, while Morgan grabs at a Spoon shift knob and stabs at Rzo pedals with his feet.
That's not to say fashion was completely abandoned. The XSi motif continues in the carpet, door panels, mats mirror switch, and gauge cluster. A J-spec road flare and ITR yellow stitch shift boot round out the JDM nuances.
Love: Morgan thanks everyone who helped make his dream a reality, including: Mom "Mumsies," Moosie (Amber), Myisha, Landon "LandiPoo," Dad, Derek Hewitt, Emo Mob: Max, Sean, Vince (Aristowercz), Garrett & James, Carlos "Los," Tony "EM1," Hugo "Hugo2go," Hieu "Clicks," Mark "Gezzy," Ian, Mike G, Aries, Ryan O, Adam, Noah, Jonah, Danny, AM7, Nick, Randy (Questoys) Gagan R.I.P., Jon Tanji (JDM Jon) R.I.P., Mike (Donut), Kevin (Mini-van), Steven, Andy Soe, Armando "Coke in can," Phillip, Jeff Song, Santos, Dennis, Ray "Chong Chen," Tan (Specs), JP "long beach," Adam (Sign Street), Yoko, Kevin (Cracker), Tony (Hawk) Jackson, Brandon (RealEK4), Gabe, Trang, John, Kyle "Knowledge," Ray "BMW," Jackie (CXshoe), Patrick (Black DA), Jason "OG DA", Jennifer, Lindsay, Ryanna, Eddie (Duffman), Christina Truong, G Dubs Krew, Arvie "DA6," Henry "EJ1," Eric Dickerson, Richard at Promotion, ATS Garage, SD heads Rolando, Brandon, Tyrone, "CRX" Sean, Josh, Reza, Matt (Rodrez), Steve at T&L Autobody for all the help with the paint, Rob and Preston at Function and Form, Son at hasback.com, Daniel at digitalhorizon-online.com, Matt and Bryan at jdmland.com, Dave and Jeremy at memoryfab.com, Steve and Leo at passwordjdm.com, Ray at raydesigns.pyxul.com, Tom at camp1320.com, Asa at revautousa.com, Peter at inickelphotography.com, nwp4life.com, and honda-tech.com.