Fueling duties are assigned to a Weldon high-volume pump that feeds an Inline Pro rail and Inline Pro 1,000cc injectors inventoried from its drag race program. "The MAP sensor was upgraded to a GM 3-bar unit and Brian Fisher at Inline Pro did a masterful job tuning the car with a Hondata S300," Rios explains. Masterful?! How about 679 whp and 449 lb-ft of torque. That's Jedi Master territory.
"When my attention shifted to the body and beyond I realized with a monster engine my car's interior and exterior had to be stepped up to match," says Rios. "I decided to do something different and not commonly seen in the New England area: right-hand drive. So with the help of Noyan U.S.A. in Manassas, Virginia I was able to get a RHD clip. I began the conversion in my garage. With my dad and uncle, who in his profession as a body man, had replaced firewalls before, we started drilling out all the spot welds. After quite a few hours of non-stop thrashing the firewall was out of the clip and being grafted into my Integra."
The car was taken to Champion Body Works in Lipton, Va., where it received its golden hue. With the glass reinstalled and the car back in the garage the interior was the next big-ticket item on the to-do list. Japan Star in Albany, N.Y., found Rios a right-hand drive carpet and mat setup and JDM Type R buckets, door panels, and factory clock plate. The steering wheel was replaced with a tasty Mugen FG360 outfitted with an FET detachable hub for added security. Other JDM-inspired upgrades include a Type R gauge cluster, Mugen sports meter, JDM e-brake cover, Takata harnesses, and a Cusco roll cage.
Enraptured deep in a JDM trance, Rios then went all out. "The goal was to make the car look as authentic as possible. I started off, of course, by changing the front end by upgrading it to JDM Integra specs with factory HID lights. I replaced the rear hatch with a VIS carbon-fiber trunk and JDM rear glass with no wiper. Wrapping the lower portion of the car are Azect side skirts and rear valance along with a Chargespeed front bumper treatment."
For footwork Rios kept it real with a sophisticated JDM slant. "I upgraded to Zeal Function B6 coil-overs, then added a JDM Type R front sway bar, a JDM Type R 23mm rear bar, and Mugen front and rear strut tower braces. Rolling stock was addressed with some sweet Mugen MF10 wheels and Dunlop Direzza rubber, which really kept with my theme."
When it comes to this 1994 Integra, Rios should consider his mission accomplished. The car delivers devastating impact on every front; 679 whp, right-hand drive, creature comforts that draw directly from Tokyo for inspiration, and an overall clean yet aggressive look that Rios calls "True School JDM." School is out and this ride truly defines the gold standard of JDM.