I’ve had a few cars over the years, from a 1992 Toyota Cressida (complete with a built-in car phone!) to a 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt to my current 2023 Hyundai Sonata. But the car I had the longest was a pre-owned 1998 Acura Integra LS Sports Sedan, which my parents bought me for my birthday. Over the course of several years and roughly 80,000 miles, it took me to and from Texas State University, dates, movies, and friends’ houses. These are some of the things I learned from my time with it.
MY PARENTS TIMED IT RIGHT
My four-door Integra (series DB7) came from the the model’s third generation (1994-2001), which marked the introduction of a new design with softer lines and quad round headlights, as well as an updated interior and a new chassis. In 1998, Acura refreshed the Integra with revised bumpers, redesigned front and rear light clusters, interior upgrades, and new wheels for the LS and GS-R models. Not only do the the 1998-01 Integras look better than their predecessors, but they also were technically the last Integras in the U.S. market (the follow-up model was called the RSX) until the fifth-generation model returned for 2023.
FOLLOW THE NIKE PHILOSOPHY: JUST DO IT
I’ve been watching this great series of videos from a YouTube channel called Jason’s Supra, in which Jason installs a series of cosmetic and performance upgrades on his third-gen Integra. After watching him clean and restore his car’s headlights, I remembered just how much work I did on my sedan. I got it with nearly 117,000 miles on it including badly yellowed headlights, so I removed the front clip and put in a fresh set. To keep the oil in the B18B1 1.8-liter DOHC I4 where it belonged, I installed a new valve cover gasket; I also swapped in fresh spark plugs, wires, and tube seals while I was at it. Eventually, the oxygen sensors and the catalytic converter needed to be replaced, so I slid underneath the car and got those jobs done. The first and only time I’ve ever swapped in a new windshield washer fluid reservoir was on that Integra. Doing all that work myself saved me money (a great thing when you’re a broke college student) and, most importantly, gave me a greater sense of comfort and confidence under the hood—and body—of a car. Looking back on those days, I also realize that overthinking or preemptive stress didn’t prevent me from doing something new. I knew what needed to be done and I just did it.
THE COMFORT OF RITUAL
I spent many Sunday evenings making my Cayenne Red Pearl Integra look its best. When I first developed my routine, I decided it would be kind of old-school to have a beer while I did it, which led me to filling a large tumbler with ice, then jamming a long-neck bottle down into it. Then I’d spend the next hour or two washing, drying, and waxing the body; cleaning the glass; scrubbing the wheels and tires; and applying tire shine. I went to bed tired but proud of what I had accomplished.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COULD AND SHOULD
Years earlier, my brother got his hands on a set of blade-style three-spoke chrome wheels with low-profile tires. They were so ’90s and absolutely massive—probably 18 inches in diameter. For some reason (I blame the tastelessness of youth), I decided I would remove my Integra’s stock 14-inch wheels and bolt on these monstrosities. Now I look back on that short period of time and laugh (and shudder a little).
LIVE IN THE MOMENT
I was a junior in high school when the trailers for “The Fast and the Furious” hit the Internet. Just a few years later, I had my very own Asian import car. I didn’t have the money for a turbo kit or a manual swap for the four-speed auto, but I did have enough to add some aftermarket Acura Integra-branded seat belt pads and a pair of pedal covers with red lighting to the Graphite Moquette cloth interior. If I were to get another third-gen Integra, I wouldn’t make those mods, but I also don’t beat myself up over making them back then. Underbody and in-cabin lighting was a big thing in those days, especially on Japanese cars. It was nice to live in those times in my own little, inexpensive way.
