1988 Acura Integra – Lemons/Endurance Car

Gen 1 Integra D16A1 – 5-speed 6 race finishes

Gen 1 1988 Acura Integra with factory D16A1 1.6L DOHC engine and 5-speed manual, fully caged, gutted, and developed as a simple, reliable Class C endurance car. Extremely light and very neutral; it will run with many Class A cars in the corners even if they walk away on the straights, which makes it a genuinely fun, confidence-inspiring car to drive.

Race History & Performance

Series: 24 Hours of Lemons / similar amateur endurance series.
Finishes: 6 completed races, no engine or gearbox failures.
Recent result: 2nd in Class C at Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main Circuit).
Role on track: Extremely light chassis and stock-ish powertrain = high mid-corner speed, forgiving handling, low consumable cost.

Chassis, Cage & Safety

Completely gutted interior; only stock front windshield remains, all other glass replaced with Lexan.
Full roll cage with adjustable seat back brace.
Harness: 6-point, in date (valid through 2027).
Fire system: On-board fire bottle certified and valid until May 2026.
Seat position works for drivers from ~5'8" to ~6'2" without moving the seat.
Lighting: Three high-output auxiliary front lights for night running.
Functional windshield wipers for rain races.
Auxiliary fuse box to easily wire in accessories

    This is ready-to-race: no interior weight, existing cage, in-date safety gear, and a proven record of finishing races.
  

Engine & Driveline

Original D16A1 engine, rebuilt prior to our ownership and maintained for endurance duty. The focus has been on preventative maintenance and keeping temperatures conservative.

Recent Engine Work

TPS (Throttle Position Sensor): replaced and correctly adjusted.
Distributor: replaced; a common wear item on these engines, so it is proactively refreshed.
Spark plugs: replaced for the most recent race.
Plug wires: replaced during current ownership.
Alternator: replaced two races ago.
Timing belt: replaced; lifter (valve lash) clearance adjusted two races ago.
Fuel pump: replaced proactively (before failure) after bearing noise was detected; current pump has performed flawlessly in endurance use.
Air filter: K&N drop-in panel filter (washable/reusable).

Fluids & Temperatures

Engine oil: Rotella T6 5W-40 full synthetic, changed before every race with a new filter.
Gearbox oil: Red Line MTL 75W-80, just changed for the last race (only the second change); fluid came out clear and red.
Cooling: Thermostat removed; car runs on plain distilled water for racing and has never gone above ~180 °F in race conditions. This conservative coolant temperature is a big part of why the engine has survived endurance duty so well.
Radiator fan: OEM fan is functional and comes on automatically; an interior bypass switch allows manual activation in pit lane or grid if desired.

Note: The car is currently filled with distilled water only and should have glycol added for cold-weather storage.

Suspension, Steering & Hubs

The suspension is intentionally kept close to stock, which Lemons BS judges consistently like. The car relies on low weight, good geometry, and fresh components rather than expensive parts.

Shocks/struts: refreshed with new KYB OEM-equivalent units and mounts.
Front bump stops: “double bump-stop” setup on the fronts to cheaply and effectively increase spring rate at full compression.
Bushings: all major suspension and shifter bushings replaced with polyurethane for tighter, more precise feel.

Wheel Bearings & Axles

Rear wheel bearings: replaced for the last race; typical life is around 4–5 races per set.
Front wheel bearings: current set has 2 races on them and still feels good. A conservative front-bearing maintenance schedule is every 2–3 races.
Front axles: these take a beating in endurance use; they are changed whenever CV boots tear. The sale includes an extra set of CV boots so you can refurbish axles rather than buying new ones.

Brakes & Fluid

Brake Hardware

Front pads: Raybestos ST-43 race compound. We have 6 full races on a single set on this car with consistent performance and minimal wear – this compound works exceptionally well on this lightweight chassis.
Rear pads: lowest-friction, inexpensive OEM-style pads available, which provides the right balance and keeps the rear from doing too much work.
Rotors: Brembo plain blanks, currently in great shape with no immediate need for replacement.
Calipers: stock calipers are very inexpensive (~$30 each), so we simply replace them outright every couple of races rather than managing seizure or sticking issues. For ~$120 you can refresh all four corners.
Flexible brake lines: usable as-is, but we recommend refreshing them in the near future. A new set of brake lines is included with the car as spares.

Brake Fluid

Fluid: ATE Type-200 DOT-4, flushed before each race weekend.
We have never had brake fluid boiling or pedal fade issues using this fluid and pad setup.

    Included in the sale is a brand-new set of Raybestos ST-43 front pads. Realistically,
    that’s a “lifetime supply” of race pads for this car for most amateur teams.
  

Spares Package (Included)

The car comes with a very complete spares package, which is a major cost and time saver for a new team. A detailed, itemized spares list is available on the Spares List page.

Alternator
Distributor
Clutch assembly
Clutch cable
Front wheel bearings
Front brake rotor
Tie rods
Brake pads (including new ST-43 fronts)
Flexible brake lines (new)
Coolant hoses
Timing belt
Alternator belt
Coolant temperature sensor
Caliper speed bleeder valves
Various engine internals (“bucket of may-need-someday parts” – pistons/rods/valvetrain, etc.)

These spares were chosen as items that we could reasonably change at the track, because stuff does break in an endurance race.

Summary

Proven endurance platform: 6 completed races, including a recent 2nd in Class C at Summit Point.
Low operating cost: Remarkable pad life, durable rotors, inexpensive calipers and bearings.
Judge-friendly: Largely stock powertrain and suspension, which keeps you solidly in Class C with little “BS” pressure.
Driver friendly: Neutral, predictable handling and a driving position that works for a wide range of drivers without constant seat adjustments.
Turn-key: In-date cage/safety gear, documented maintenance, and a thoughtful spares package make this a realistic “show up and race” purchase for a new team.