It was a growing desire Dupuis could not ignore, given the way it all worked out magically in Japan-working with Honda, meeting hardcore DA racers and having easy access to rare parts. At one point, he even ended up buying a Japanese Integra XSi and co-founded Pancake Racing, which was born in Japan from the DA's lack of aftermarket support.
While in Japan, Dupuis acquired a 1998-spec B18C engine, intending to swap out his original B18A1. However, since the DC2's chassis was designed specifically to handle the power of a B18C, Dupuis was concerned with how an older DA chassis would respond. Since he knew Honda originally engineered the DA to use a 120hp ZC engine, Dupuis reasoned he couldn't make a DA circuit machine go really fast with just an engine swap. To rival a DC2, chassis tuning would have to become the foundation of this project.
Cutting no corners, Dupuis consulted with a few friends in Japan, friends who happened to be some of the country's premier tuners. Kuma-san, a professional race driver and owner of Saitama-based tuning shop Techno PRO Spirit, often took Dupuis to track events and advised on many aspects of the project. Further technical input came from mechanics at FEEL'S and from race engineers at Mugen.
Not only did Dupuis have access to a wealth of information through his friends, a huge resource also existed at work. In his building at Honda headquarters, people who ate, slept, and dreamed Honda surrounded Dupuis. He sat alongside co-workers who had wrenched on the 1972 Civic, full of stories about how they had to swap over motorcycle parts to make the CVCC engine work. Dupuis also met engineers involved in the 1994 collaboration between Mugen and Lotus, and had older colleagues who spoke of a time when the 'old man' (founder Soichiro Honda) was still around.
As November 2003 rolled around, Dupuis returned to Canada and the DA was hauled out of storage and completely gutted. All rustproofing material was stripped off, soundproofing removed and all unnecessary metal cut away. The chassis was reinforced in crucial areas by riveting major seams with stainless steel rivets, a trick learned from Japanese racers. Additional strength comes from a custom-built, eight-point chromoly roll cage welded to the chassis, along with a front chromoly crossbeam welded in behind the bumper support.
Engine, suspension, chassis, brakes, interior, exterior and wiring-so much has been replaced, removed, reinforced, machined, adapted, designed, lightened, welded and fabricated that there isn't enough space to detail it all here. Dupuis' own website (tnd2gen.com) documents much of the custom work carried out. After six months of barbaric, balls-out garage work, the car finally re-emerged. It was shipped from Canada to southern California, where Dupuis embarked on a new career and continued to build the strengths of his DA through constant track testing.
So, does it rival a DC2? If one were to ride with Dupuis at Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, or California Speedway, they might not even care. They would probably be too busy holding on as the car battles S2000s and supercharged NSXs. Or recovering from the g-forces created while running through the infamous Corkscrew at Laguna Seca during a 1:50:00 lap time shakedown. Regardless, the engine is strong, the chassis stiff, the car balanced and the driver fast.
Seeing Dupuis in his one-of-a-kind Integra only reinforces what his friends already know about him: he doesn't do anything with less than 200 percent effort. This DA Acura Integra, built with guts and bloody knuckles, is proof positive of Dupuis' passion. It's a machine hand-built and self-realized from a dream born in Canada and long cultivated in Japan. A dream finally realized on the circuits of sunny California. The 'old man' would be proud. n
By Jay Revelle
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