Ralphy has also built a grip of turbo Hondas, and he's found there's a different approach in how he builds a turbo motor vs. a naturally aspirated engine.
"First, the pistons of the n/a motor should be the highest compression the motor can handle [from 10.5:1 to 11.5:1 on street driven motors and 12.5:1 and up on race motors or motors that run high octane gas]. Everything on the motor should be lightened and balanced."
Ralphy explains, "The most important part on a n/a motor is the head. A properly ported head can make a lot of power because it can breathe better, but you really need to match that head with the right set of cams. We have found that Toda Racing B- and C-Spec cams produce the most power on Honda motors. It is not easy to make power on the n/a motor, but we have seen as much as 220 to the wheels on a true B18C motor with basic bolt-ons. For the intake, the individual throttle bodies are definitely the way to go, but they're a little costly. But the right cold air intake with a Type R manifold can make power. We have found the AEM system to be the best."
On a turbo motor, all you have to do is feed it more boost and fuel and the power's there. The n/a motor can only breathe as much air as nature can provide. The pistons for the turbo motor are the total opposite of the n/a engine; low compression should be used (as low as 8.5:1 to 9.8:1).
As far as rods go, the factory units must be tossed in favor of forged rods. Like a natural motor, the turbo motor has considerable power potential trapped in the head. But in a turbo motor, all you need is light port work because the air is being forced into the head. In the cam department, the turbo engine does not like too much duration but it loves lift.
The intake manifold for the turbo motor should have a big plenum to hold the large amount of air that the motor's receiving.
The most obvious difference between the two engine is the exhaust manifold. Exhaust manifolds are easy to make for a turbo motor because you would not lose or gain too much power from a bad one. In fact, flow can be secondary to placing the turbo in an optimum spot. On the n/a motor, flow is everything. The key areas to address are the collector, length of the primaries and secondaries and the diameter of the primaries and secondaries.
Footwork and driveline mods play a big role in making Taylor's Integra streetable and amazingly quick. The car runs a Type R gearbox outfitted with a Clutch Masters Stage 5 clutch with a heavy-duty pressure plate.
A Kaaz limited-slip differential puts the power to both tires while Skunk2 coil-overs keep the chassis planted. Stopping power is provided by a Fastbrakes drag system featuring 9.5-inch rotors, Wilwood calipers and EBC Green Stuff pads.
After boosting the car's power, Taylor wanted to address aesthetics before hitting the strip again. The Integra was taken to Autobody By Duie in Bordentown, N.J. where '98-spec front and rear fascias and a Fiber Images carbon-fiber hood were added. The stock frost white was converted to a custom Aztec yellow that was a yet-to-be-released PT Cruiser color at the time.
The project was wrapped up mid-way through the 2001 season, but Taylor hit the track running. The Integra won three NIRA events in two different states and was a semi-finalist in two IDRC races. The car's best effort to date is a 12.54 at 109 mph in street trim. The Integra runs a Type R interior with Sparco bucket seats, a Sparco Racer2 steering wheel, Auto Meter gauges and a Sabelt harness system.
Racing has gotten a lot more serious and the Integra is now more of a street car than a racer. But with a set of drag radials, this is a street car that can run high 12s at the next stoplight with nary an intercooler nor blue bottle to give away its performance potential.