MHMMotorSports.com – Providing Auto Service and Information

The Type R has become long revered by Honda enthusiasts worldwide. Up until this very day, Honda guys young and old remain on the lookout for a clean Integra Type R chassis or pieces and bits from the legendary chassis. When we first determined that Honda produced the ITR in 1996, many of us drooled over them. Whenever we found out there was clearly an ITR destined for U.S. showrooms, we all imagined owning one. There is no denying that the original Japanese Integra Type R opened our eyes for all things JDM and what Honda was required to offer within its native land, even though the debate will go on forever among enthusiasts over which front-end is better, JDM or Usa bug-eyes. Lurking not too far in the background was the Integra Type R’s brethren, the EK9 Civic Type R. Like the DC2R, both were pinnacles to their respective platforms and previously unavailable in the United states Unlike the ITR, however, the EK9 never made the trek to our country. American Honda instead offered the EM1 Civic Si coupe. The only way to have an EK9 was to try to import one or build your own version out of whatever legit (and sometimes not so legit) EK9 parts you could find. Sixteen years following the EK9 was basically introduced, enthusiasts around the world are stillThose that took the chance of importing them into the country knew that they had a real gem in their possession-and weren’t exactly willing to just sell them or permit them to go. Legit CTRs are rare, and even when you do happen to see one, you’re probably skeptical as to whether it’s the real deal. People have become so good at replicating them that it’s oftentimes tough to identify their authenticity. If you have a white ’96-’00 Civic chassis, you at one time or another attempted to produce a faux CTR, chances are that.

The white Civic you see on these pages is undoubtedly a realistic ’98 R. It not any longer bears its high-strung 1.6L B16B engine. We don’t truly know much about its history prior to its arrival in North America over six yrs ago, but this EK9 has produced quite a brief history for itself. Because it hasn’t, not in a way where it could indicate that the car has become through multiple transformations. This Civic has looked nearly the same aesthetically since it migrated to America. The history we are referring to has more to do with a family or personal history. It would tell you all about how it’s been built collectively by three different owners if this CTR could talk. Instead we’ll let Jeff Dodson, by far the most current owner, and Lee Molina, the prior owner, tell youin 2007. I just could not afford it during those times, although it had been a car i had always aspired to own. I didn’t get to be the owner until much down the road when I purchased it from my friend Lee.

Lee Molina: I originally bought the CTR from a friend of mine back in 2010. He had the automobile for a couple of years but didn’t really do much to it aside from the ’00-spec CTR front end conversion. The chassis got to the Usa as a shell [no engine], so he had also dropped a JDM B18C ITR motor in it. I have done a majority of one other major modifications after I acquired it.

Most of the aftermarket products the truth is featured in the CTR currently are the product of Molina’s vision. He installed the Function7 LCAs and braces, Ground Control suspension, along with the Alex Racing brackets that help elevate the OEM CTR wing. The EK9 was actually a dream car of Molina’s, and he had plans to eventually do a K20 swap. A tragic event turned my whole world upside-down, Molina says, although There was a lot more i had lay out to do. My mother passed away in late 2010, and I had to sell the automobile because I needed the funds. Apart from a simple shift knob swap, the interior is factory fresh “R.”

Molina and Dodson were both friends in the same car club, Team NSU, so Dodson couldn’t think of the CTR going to a random stranger. This was a significant chassis to both of them, so Jeff chose to step in and take the EK9 off of Molina’s hands. It absolutely was a win-win situation; not simply would Jeff finally be capable of own the car he had set his sights on since 2007, he’d additionally be helping out a buddy who was inside a tough spot financially. Furthermore, the CTR would stay in the Team NSU family. I had been always round the car, and Lee was really a friend of mine, therefore i knew the Civic was very well dealt with. He had the K20A2 motor waiting to go in, so I bought the motor off of him, too, Jeff states.

With the aid of teammate Molina, Jeff pulled the ITR motor and completed the K swap at the shop where he worked at as a mechanic. The money he had produced from selling the B18C that had been once inside the EK9 went to ordering a collection of 57mm Kinsler ITBs and a host of K-Tuned engine components. To give the automobile a more personal touch, Dodson ditched the Spoon wheels Molina had in favor of wider 16×8 Enkei RPF1s.

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Saving money is really a daily task and one that a lot of fail at because a good single slip up can undo tons of days of being good. The secret to success is to create sustainable ways to save money so you aren’t struggling every day. That’s the hardest thing. It’s not going to work and you are likely to constantly be fighting and being miserable if you make it so the only way to reduce costs is by making daily sacrifices. It’s like working out and eating healthfully. Because even one 2AM bacon cheeseburger will undo months of broccoli consumption, you have to embark on good habits. Here are some activities to save money that can actually be maintained.

Online Piracy

The biggest fallacy is that you should subscribe to HBOgo or Netflix to keep up on your shows. Everyone even calls it ‘watching netflix”” like it’s an actual verb or something. And possibly it is. But you can watch anything, every movie for the most part, and positively ever current show, online for free. You are conserving money on the monthly subscriptions which kind of savings adds up to a lot of money a year, and you also are will no longer a slave to those companies, although sometimes the quality suffers and sometimes you will find subtitles you can’t turn off.

Slightly Second Hand Car

Another way to spend less is to get a slightly used car when you’re selecting that new set of wheels. If you buy new, you’re probably thinking that you may save money on the automobile longterm because you won’t need to handle repairs for a time. And that’s true, you are thinking correctly. But should you get a car that’s a few years older, still from the dealer, you may have all the same benefits of minimal repair, but also save a bunch on the initial sticker price. So go to Nissan Los Angeles and check out the slightly used cars they have there. You’ll save money by going to www.downtownnissan.com and obtaining a car there than a completely new car.

Generic Products

One of the most amazing reasons for modern society is how a business like Advil can sell you the same thing as being a CVS or Dollar Store and charge you more and for some reason people purchase it. It’s absolutely insane to buy Advil. It’s adrug and ibuprofen, and the generic versions are literally the exact same thing. There is no benefit to getting the name brand. In some instances there are actually, like Coke vs Generic Cola. Although not in headache medicine that’s for sure. To help you waste dimes and dollars here and there as much as you need under the false pretense that you’re purchasing something that you wouldn’t otherwise be receiving, but know you’re wasting money and in addition to that, but giving the impression of a total idiot all the while. Don’t be described as a money wasting idiot, have the generic version of drugs and other things that are the exact same!

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While modern cars equipped with substantial aftermarket parts and custom body bits are often deemed feature-worthy, few share company with this particular one-off creation. In fact, forget what you thought you knew about custom cars, because this Pantera redefines the segment. Every panel, bolt, nut and clip is replaced or fabricated, which makes this beauty more rolling artwork than car.

“”I’ve been fascinated with cars since I was in diapers and was raised in a household with classic cars, since my Dad was actually a partial owner of a restoration shop,”” owner, Marc Campolieto said. “”During the early 80s the shop started doing restoration work with that’s and Panteras where I seriously fell deeply in love withOf course we don’t have to let you know how wicked the De Tomaso Pantera is, because as you know, it was actually designed by American designer Tom Tjaarda and built in Italy at the De Tomaso factory. The steel monocoque design was ahead of its time back in 1971, as was the well-appointed interior with such luxuries as power windows and a cigarette lighter.

Was the pushrod American V8 that sat behind the driver, though what wasn’t quite so cutting edge. Oh yes, for those unaware, the Pantera is really a mid-engine it’s and supercar got plenty of grunt thanks to a 5.8L Ford V8 under the bonnet good for 400hp. The 3100 lb rockets were harnessed by a ZF transaxle, and other magazines recorded -60 times of just 5.5sec with a top speed of 160mph. Don’t forget, this is 40 years ago!

After poor reliability and small sales numbers, Ford discontinued its sales partnership in 1975, though early Panteras were sold at Ford dealers. After Ford dropped the Pantera from showrooms, only a handful of shops imported grey market examples, which meant US production numbers were minimal at best. The last Pantera rolled off the De Tomaso assembly line in 1991, ending the era of a unique supercar using the chassis of any European sports vehicle and the heart of an American hot rod.

I didn’t want just any example, I was looking for a project having a colorful history,”” Campolieto said, even though “”I’ve owned many nice European cars and currently own an Aston Martin Vantage and a modified Shelby Mustang GT500, however the desire for any Pantera never died.a tip from a fellow Pantera enthusiast at PI Motorsports (a renowned Pantera shop in Orange, CA) that Pantera International (another shop dedicated to these rare cars) had recently acquired a former racecar. The vehicle had been baking in the Las Vegas desert for years and was begging being rescued.

“”The guys at Pantera International bought it coming from a gentleman who acquired the vehicle when his father passed away,”” he explained. “”It had been a racecar in the late 70s and also at one point it had a built 351 Cleveland motor, Weber carburetors and Group 4 wide fenders – it was eventually put out to pasture in Vegas where it sat for many years.””

Just days before Pantera International was to start using the weathered ex-racer as a parts car, Campolieto rescued it with a deposit. A few weeks later he arrived with an empty trailer and started what can become one of the more intense restorations we’ve ever seen.

1972 de tomaso pantera detail

1972 de tomaso pantera battery

1972 de tomaso pantera grill

“”It absolutely was in rough condition from sitting in the desert for so many years and it lacked an transmission and engine, but as they say in the hot-rod industry, it was straight and it was all there – including the remains of your dead bird,”” he laughed.

Even though road ahead was long, Campolieto set out down the lonely path to renovation with countless nights in the garage and hundreds of hours in labor. The car was painstakingly stripped down to a bare core and then methodically sandblasted to get rid of blemishes and bits of rust.

Since Panteras are known to have rust problems, the former racer received a lot of attention such as POR15 sealant. This amazing stuff actually seals in rust and prevents it from spreading. We’re not just speaking about sealing the fender wells either, we’re talking the undercarriage, firewall, interior and anythingTalking about paint and powdercoat, the firewall and engine bay were sealed, smoothed and painted in PPG Gloss Black to get a show-car touch. As for the powdercoat, every suspension piece was coated with all the shiny stuff before receiving plenty of top-shelf parts like Polygraphite bushings-but more on that later.

After the bare shell was prepped and sealed, it received a good amount of chassis stiffening braces on all corners.

“”The Pantera might have a monocoque construction, but when you run them hard with a powerful motor they are able to flex a lot, so modern chassis stiffening pieces do wonders to brace them up,”” Campolieto explained.

By now it was time to slowly increase the amount of pieces into the bare shell and here is where the plot further thickened.

“”I wanted the very best suspension available so I added custom billet coilover adapters with Koni shocks, custom spring rates and I even had the rear axle bearings converted to oversized Timken units since it’s a known weakness around theit was the beginning of a lot more custom work that also included new bearings and races for all suspension pieces together with a PI Motorsports steering rack upgrade, rebuilt factory brake calipers, CNC machined rotors and stainless brake lines.

Since the motor that was being built for the project was slated to become rather rowdy, a hefty cooling system was needed. Similar to most mid-engined sports cars, the Pantera carries its radiator in the nose. While this setup places the radiator in the way of airflow, in addition, it necessitates painfully long coolant hoses to circulate the coolant between the front mounted radiator and the mid-mounted motor. A sizable Fluidyne lay-down aluminum radiator with twin Spal electric puller fans from Pantera International as well as polished stainless lines and silicone hoses, a thermostatically controlled electric water pump and exterior body mods to assist with airflow were included with keep the beast underneath cool.

1972 de tomaso pantera rear engine

1972 de tomaso pantera rear left blur

1972 de tomaso pantera rear left far

Factory Pantera wiring is yet another weak point on the vintage supercars so Campolieto set out with the same attention-to-detail when rewiring the entire car – yes, the entire car.

“”I re-did the entire wiring system starting with a master fuse to stop damage to the harness and circuit board plus a Pantera Electronics blade fuse block kit with LED fuse loss indicator and a lot of relays for theRe-engineering the wiring system, even with an older car is no small feat, however it allowed him to run such modern amenities like the Pantera Electronics HID headlights along with the aforementioned electronic cooling system modifications.

Now past the aim of no return, he had to make the big push to view the car to fruition. It was definitely worth it since I finally built the vehicle of my dreams,”” Campolieto said, though “”It was a huge undertaking that took a few years and nearly $130,000.

Like the impeccable underpinnings, the source of motivation is surely an utter part of artwork, albeit a powerful one.

“”I had the Windsor Ford shortblock bored and stroked to 408 cubic inches (that’s almost 6.7L), full of forged internals like Keith Black pistons, a TrickFlow cam, RHS heads ported by MadCap Racing Engines and topped with a ported Victor Jr intake manifold and a Holley 750 carburetor,”” he explained.

When fired by the MSD ignition and hooked for the custom PI Motorsports headers and exhaust system the large beast is good for 500 and 587hp lb-ft on the crank. If that’s insufficient, he’s also plumbed a 125hp shot of nitrous that’s fed by two giant bottles mounted within the engine compartment.dealt with with a Milodon 7-quart baffled oil pan while the fueling system is made up of a refurbished tank, plenty of Aeromotive components and stainless braided lines.

With the built bullet ready for blastoff, the last two loose ends were the inside and exterior bodywork. Outside, the car received a show-car treatment that started well beyond the flawless paint.

“”The whole body was assembled with stainless steel bolts and washers, the panels were gapped to perfection and every body piece was smoothed for a mirror-like finish – the work underneath is just as significant as the paint,”” Campolieto explained.

The concours quality Tangelo Pearl paint with a gloss black stripe was laid over steel Group 4 fenders that swallow the ultra rare and ultra wide 17×10″” front and 17×13″” rear Boyd Coddington wheels. On the deck lid you’ll find a custom LED third brake light and the patented “”sugar scoop”” synonymous with the De Tomaso Pantera. Another touch of class came in the form of ram-air ducts that took the place of the rear quarter glass, oh yeah, they’re functional too.

Life on the inside of this rocket is additionally out of this world thanks to a lot of A-grade craftsmanship, especially the leather wrapped and contrast stitched dash and console reworked by Auto Weave. Of course only a keen eye would catch such details as Corvette C4 seats, the factory gauges painstakingly rebuilt by Redline and filled up with VDO internals along with the Ford Taurus window motor conversion and the array of new-old-stock accessories, switches and buttonsthe inside to be as classic as it was modern and tidy, so I mixed modern touches just like the dash and console treatment with the reworked original gauges and the other period-correct pieces,”” Campolieto said.

After a multi-year restoration with countless hours invested and a serious pile of money spent, we are able to safely state that no bolt, nut, clip or the like went untouched during the flawless rebuild. The proof is within the pudding because not only was it perfectly executed, however it was also tastefully done, there’s no way around it. Do you have taken your car or truck down to a shell only to modify each piece that lands back on it? Campolieto has.