What do you do when you share a name with one of pop culture's most elusive characters? You make everyone forget about the red and white stripes and goofy glasses by shoving a 500hp Integra down their throats.
Since the import scene's early days, one deciding factor has earned our peers' respect. No matter how much money is spent or the number of primered parts left unpainted, the underlying factor that warrants admiration is power. No, not the totalitarian type, but horsepower. For those who would build engines making lots of it, others would be more inclined to overlook a mismatched set of wheels or incorrectly angled exhaust. If that engine made power, that car had balls. Someone got something negative to say? Line it up, run it and your lips can be read in the rearview mirror.
Waldo Duarte is familiar with this concept. He didn't know too much about anything JDM or how to fit the mold of a JDM-themed vehicle, so for his next project Waldo set out to build a car with power. Aesthetics would have to take a back seat. With that in mind, the Gardena, Calif., native located and purchased what he deemed his "dream car" in the form of a '95 Acura Integra LS. Most might reach higher and shoot for the Type R, but Waldo had a plan. The Integra he envisioned, however, probably had an engine. This one didn't. If anything, this Integra represented the blank canvas for the artist to make his vision a reality. "I bought the car without an engine," Waldo says. "Luckily, I was building a '91 Integra at the time and had an extra engine lying around."
The extra engine that would eventually find its way into the DC was also probably not what most would envision, but Waldo believed the B18A1 to have potential. To get the most out of the non-VTEC and to realize variable valve timing, Waldo took on the role of Dr. Frankenstein, laying plans to build a hybrid LS-VTEC powerplant. The principles involve mating the larger displacement B18A1 block with the high-flowing VTEC cylinder head. B18/B16 hybrid theory implies the best of both worlds but, unlike R. Kelly and Jay-Z, both get along and will make your money worthwhile. What would make this combination of low-end torque and high-revving endurance even more potent? Boost, of course, and a turbo always makes for the ultimate wildcard for any engine setup.
Reliable horsepower is key, so Waldo made plans to help safeguard the boosted Frankenstein. RS Machine in Norwalk, Calif., was called upon for a full port and polish of the B16A cylinder head as well as sleeving the block to protect it from boost's high stresses. Once machining was complete, the engine saw further upgrades in the form of Arias pistons, Eagle connecting rods and Supertech valves, springs and retainers. "I decided on Civic Type R camshafts to complete the internals of the engine," Waldo says. With the engine ready for boost, Waldo spared no expense, dropping a sizable chunk of his savings on a complete Turbonetics turbo kit. This kit includes a giant snail in the form of a T3/T4 turbo, cast-iron manifold, Evolution series wastegate and Raptor series blow-off valve. Rev Hard intercooler piping circulates fresh air from the Spearco intercooler to the JG Edelbrock intake manifold and exhaust gases are expelled through an A'PEXi exhaust system. RC Engineering 1,600cc injectors and an SX fuel pressure regulator aid in getting the proper amount of C16 race fuel to the combustion chambers. Enjo Precision engine mounts assist in keeping the soul of this Frankenstein strapped to its host. A Hondata S300 engine management unit controls boost and manages engine functionality. Final engine assembly and tuning duties were completed by Jency Carranza at Do-It Dyno in Signal Hill, Calif. "At 26 psi of boost we were able to make 501.7 hp," Waldo says.
To assure that all 500 of those horses make contact with the pavement, Waldo installed the Driveshaft Shop's Level 5 axles and upgraded the Integra GS-R transmission with a Stage 4 clutch and flywheel from F&S Clutch.