Glance at the Pick of the Day, a 1999 Acura Integra being offered for sale on ClassicCars.com by a collector car specialist dealership in Lithia Springs, Georgia, and it looks pretty box stock.
But looks can be deceiving, and apparently that was the plan all along.
Your first hint that something is different about this car likely comes when you notice that it has a racing-style B&M shifter. But look a little further back in the interior and you’ll see something that might shock you. It’s a twin-turbocharged 500cid Cadillac V8 sitting where the back seat used to be. Well, actually sitting where the back seat and cargo floor used to be.
“If you’re the kind of guy who says too much horsepower is never enough, this 1999 Acura Integra might be the car for you,” the dealership notes in its advertisement.
“Subtle as all get-out, silly fast, and beautifully engineered, it packs a mountain of a motor wrapped in rather sedate bodywork that’s bound to catch more than a few guys sleeping.
“Slide behind the wheel and you may not even notice that this Acura has been so radically modified,” the ad says. “Stock seats show some wear, but they’re stock, which is all part of the plan. The original steering wheel, gauges, and dash are all in place as well.
“That big B&M shifter in the center console is a dead giveaway, but the guy in the next car can’t see it and it works rather well. There are also auxiliary gauges mounted down low on the console, keeping an eye on the big V8’s vitals.
“You will note there is no radio, but one glance into the back seat area will tell you why, and that’s where the fun starts. Everything aft of the front seats has been heavily modified for performance and speed, and the results are just jaw-dropping.”
Among those modifications are twin central exhaust pipes down low and vents flanking the tail lamps and widened fenders up above.
The V8 sucks fuel and air through a 950cfm carburetor and is supported by a Cadillac subframe and suspension. An Eldorado TH425 3-speed automatic sends power to the rear (not the front as when the car emerged from a Honda/Acura assembly plant) wheels.
There also are changes up front where the Integra engine used to be. Instead, there’s a 17-gallon fuel cell and V1000 pump, and a pair of intercoolers for the turbos.
“It’s insanely fast but thanks to the big Cadillac’s inherent smoothness and the gentle nature of the turbos, it is anything but tricky on the street,” the dealership assures.
“Lean into the accelerator and the car lunges forward like it was drop-kicked by God, but it doesn’t get out of hand. Some of the credit still has to go to Acura engineers for their rock-solid suspension tuning, and the 4-wheel disc brakes deliver plenty of stopping power, even for this monster. 17-inch Honda S2000 wheels help with the illusion and carry 225/45/17 front and 245/45/17 rear performance radials.”
And, in an obvious understatement, the dealership adds, “This isn’t a car for just anyone but that’s entirely the point.”
The asking price is $27,995.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
wow what a car