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BASIC DETAILS

Dashboard

Mark Sold

Take Deposit

Model History

Equipment

Equipment on the DC5 is comprehensive, without being over the top. 
Opening either door you're greeted by the fresh-looking & figure-hugging original Recaro SR-4 seats. A Momo leather trimmed red-stitched SRS steering wheel is perfectly shaped for 3 & 9 o'clock hand positions on the straight ahead. The front seat passenger is similarly well seated, with an Airbag built into the dashboards. Doors are trimmed in the same material as the mesh sections on the seats. Air conditioning is powerful, with rotational vents that can be aimed as desired. Power Steering has variable assistance, meaning feel is never lost as speeds increase. The titanium shift knob has a pleasing feel and falls easily to hand. 
The 4 speaker sound system includes Carrozzeria (Pioneer) TS-F1600 uprated 120W speakers and a Pioneer FH580 head unit. Lighting colour has neatly been set to the same red colour as the instrument display at night. Original Honda option fitted mats are included. Mirrors are electrically retractable and central locking works via the security key.  
Rear seats are black Alcantara. As part of the C-Package, there's factory tinted rear windows and rear wash wipe. Many of the DC5 Facelift models were specified without a rear spoiler, or with a low rear lip spoiler design. Fortunately, this example was equipped with the full sized spoiler design.

Exterior

Interior

Engine & Transmission

Honda's fresh K20 1,998cc engine - some 200cc bigger than the DC2's B18C engine. Being a thoroughbred Type R Honda threw all sorts of clever tech at the engine, including an isometric intake manifold, 4-2-1 exhaust manifold, High Flow Catalyst plus high-strength crankshaft and con rods. The K20 now carried a more intelligent version of variable valve timing called "i-VTEC”. This basically added VTC (Variable Timing Control) that could advance or retard the valve timing, in contrast to previous VTEC incarnations that merely adjusted the lift and duration. In addition, the engine now turned around to have the intake manifold at the front of the car. The new engine revved eagerly all the way up to an 8,400rpm redline. In spite of now making 220 bhp, the new powerplant was actually 10kg lighter than the legendary DC2’s.

The new Type R was equipped with a new six-speed close-ratio manual gearbox. The DC5 Type R was the world's first 4 cylinder car to use multiple synchromesh cones for all gears (triple-cone first and second, double-cone third to sixth), combined with a forged chromoly flywheel reducing inertia, for sharper response and acceleration.

Wheels, Brakes & Suspension

Condition Report

Being Honda Type R enthusiasts, with at least 5 of our own at any given time and having prepared and raced one, winning a 2010 endurance championship in Japan – Fast Hondas are something we have a particular affinity for. So when selecting this example for stock, our brief was: It had to be a facelift model carrying all the improvements of its predecessor, needed to be straight and in completely rust free condition, with excellent provenance.

After the exhaustive rejection of many examples that came before it, this is the example we chose, which as you’ll see – is in near-factory original condition and still very fresh despite rolling off the production line in 2004.

The interior is still close to new. No damaged foam on the bolsters, nor worn through Alcantara, or stains on carpets, or seat material. It still looks close to new. Just look at it!

The body panels are all completely straight, with no rust whatsoever. Exterior plastic trims are in near new condition with no cracks or hardening, and headlights have no fading - indicative that this car has been well cared for and garaged, out of the harmful UV rays, when not in use. A lack of stone chips and discolouration to brake callipers also confirms this car’s not lived a hard life, either.

We did find just 3 pin dents on the doors, which have already been professionally removed. 
Granted, this is one of the more expensive examples on offer; but when you start counting the costs of repairing and replacing worn parts on other seemingly “cheaper” examples that may be available elsewhere, you’ll realise – this is the wisest choice.

Test Drive

The K20 engine is a gem of a powerplant. Many of the UK's now rotted away Type R Civics have donated their drivetrains to power plant swaps for race cars and resto-mod earlier model Civics for several good reasons: Performance, reliability, lightweight - all spring to mind. The six-speed gearbox is fantastically precise and had a light, short throw between speeds. No dramas, just super quick changes to keep iV-Tec on the boil. So what about handling on the Type R Integra DC5? Yes, there is a small amount of body roll, but in terms of precision and dialling out understeer, it's confidence inspiring, no doubt helped by the standard limited-slip differential. The '5' can be made to oversteer if you're really hooning it, and if the road is wide enough a dab of the jolly old opposite-lock will bring it neatly back into line. The rack-and-pinion steering, equipped with speed variable assistance remains one of the great achievements of the DC5: ultra-precise, ultra-quick (2.6 turns lock to lock), resulting in a turn-in is as crisp as a packet of Walker's finest. And when there's a hazard ahead, the Brembo brakes work with aplomb. No drama, just excellent well-balanced brakes that are more than a match for the car's ability to go fast. Not least, U.K. built Civics weren't endowed with Brembo discs and callipers, so these brakes are something a bit extra special, to make a very capable and entertaining package.