Loyalty is nothing new to the world of tuning. Whether this entails choosing your parts, hiring a shop, joining a club or even picking up your girl on the way to a show, loyalty in some shape or form is often the greatest common denominator. But perhaps the greatest sign of allegiance is sticking to the same auto manufacturer, project after project.
Inevitably, technologies and part suppliers will change, car clubs and shops will fold, and your girl will leave you (sorry to break the news). But car manufacturers? They aren't likely to go anywhere anytime soon. And while some people may venture to something different for their next build, others like Darren Law of Calgary, AB, wouldn't dream of it. He's a Honda guy, and that's just the way it is.
Darren's first car was a black spray-painted '77 Honda Civic with chopped springs. He then graduated to a '78 Civic, an '83 Civic, then to an '88 Honda CRX. From there, a Prelude, another two Civics and finally this white DC2-R you see here. He says, "I have always been into Hondas, and I'm planning on getting another Honda after the Type-R is gone." We won't argue with that.
Wheels, Tires & Brakes
Takata...
Wheels, Tires & Brakes
Takata Green Volk Racing CE28N, Falken RT615 tires,T1R titanium lug nuts, Spoon Monoblock S2000 brake upgrade w/rotors, Seido-ya brake pads, Goodridge stainless lines
When a friend was selling his '98 DC2-R, Darren wasted no time and snatched it up. While the car came with a decent list of mods already, primarily in the styling department such as a Spoon Sports carbon front lip and Ganador mirrors, the first order of business was to increase power. So with the help of the team at Speedtech Racing Development (STRD) in Calgary, the fully built B18C5 was swapped out in favor of a K20A. "The power [of the stock K20A] is relatively close to the B18C5 while offering stock motor reliability for daily driving, yet it still works well at the track," Darren says.
The original T1R after-cat exhaust was upgraded to a T1R 70mm RS system and T1R headers were also installed, both creating better airflow and increased power. Without compromising performance and the overall JDM flavor, the DC-5 (Acura RSX) Koyo radiator that Darren installed for a more show look was quickly restored back to the Tabata fitting. In addition, the J's Racing two-way LSD and J's Racing Hyper Single clutch kit were chosen for their on- and off-track functionality.
The DC2's JDM styling that Darren was attracted to in the first place was good, but there was no way he would leave it looking JDM stock. "I couldn't have the car look the same, so I added the J's Racing 3D GT wing and carbon canards, a VIS carbon trunk and some graphics for the occasional show I do," he says. A Spoon Sports S2000 rear diffuser was later added. "I was searching for a diffuser I liked, but couldn't find one. Then I saw a Honda EK with an S2000 Spoon diffuser, which looked really cool. So I ordered one and the boys at STRD made it work with my Type-R," Darren says. Other exterior fittings include Aztec side skirts, an OEM rear valence and an OEM JDM DC2 HID setup.
The suspension and footwork were also enhanced, beginning with the stopping assembly. The existing Spoon brakes were replaced with a Spoon Monoblock S2000 brake upgrade, paired with Spoon rotors front and rear, and Seido-ya brake pads. This impacted the offset with the Mugen MF-10 wheels that were on the car, so they were replaced with a set of 17-inch Takata Green Volk Racing CE28N rollers wrapped in Falken RT615 rubber. T1R titanium wheel nuts and Goodridge stainless steel lines also thrown into the mix. In true JDM fashion, the DC2-R was tightened up with a J's Racing tower bar and C-pillar bar, a Spoon rear tower bar, Do-Luck rear cross bar and a Cusco rear sway bar.
 |  Interior STACK ST8130 Race...  Interior STACK ST8130 Race Meter; Bride Gias, Stradia, bases and sliders; Mugen FG360 steering wheel, pedal set; Momo hub; Alex quick release; JDM rear bench, foglight switch, ITR Shift Boot, cup holder, ash tray, carbon-fiber center console; Zoom carbon-fiber rearview mirror; Cusco/Safety 21 rollcage ,carbon-fiber reinforcement bars; Spoon titanium shift knob; Takata harness; Defi VSD II heads-up display; Alpine in-dash TV; Type X components, subwoofer, 4-gauge wire set, 4-channel amp |  |