april 08

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HONDATUNINGMAGAZINE.COM
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WALDO DUARTE’S DC2 INTEGRA
WHERE’S
WALDO?
What do you do when you share
a name with one of pop culture’s most elusive characters? You make everyone forget about the red and white
stripes and goofy glasses by
shoving a 500hp Integra down
their throats.
Text: JOEY LEE
S
/
Photos: HENRY DEKUYPER
ince the import scene’s early days, one
deciding factor has earned our peers’
respect. No matter how much money is
spent or the number of primered parts left unpainted, the underlying factor that warrants admiration is
power. No, not the totalitarian type, but horsepower.
For those who would build engines making lots of
it, others would be more inclined to overlook a mismatched set of wheels or incorrectly angled exhaust.
If that engine made power, that car had balls. Someone got something negative to say? Line it up, run it
and your lips can be read in the rearview mirror.
Waldo Duarte is familiar with this concept. He
didn’t know too much about anything JDM or how
to fit the mold of a JDM-themed vehicle, so for his
next project Waldo set out to build a car with power.
Aesthetics would have to take a back seat. With that
in mind, the Gardena, Calif., native located and purchased what he deemed his “dream car” in the form
of a ’95 Acura Integra LS. Most might reach higher
and shoot for the Type R, but Waldo had a plan. The
Integra he envisioned, however, probably had an
engine. This one didn’t. If anything, this Integra represented the blank canvas for the artist to make his
vision a reality. “I bought the car without an engine,”
Waldo says. “Luckily, I was building a ’91 Integra at
the time and had an extra engine lying around.”
The extra engine that would eventually find
its way into the DC was also probably not what most
would envision, but Waldo believed the B18A1 to have
potential. To get the most out of the non-VTEC and to
realize variable valve timing, Waldo took on the role
of Dr. Frankenstein, laying plans to build a hybrid
LS-VTEC powerplant. The principles involve mating the larger displacement B18A1 block with the
high-flowing VTEC cylinder head. B18/B16 hybrid
theory implies the best of both worlds but, unlike R.
Kelly and Jay-Z, both get along and will make your
money worthwhile. What would make this combination of low-end torque and high-revving endurance
even more potent? Boost, of course, and a turbo always makes for the ultimate wildcard for any engine
setup.
Reliable horsepower is key, so Waldo made
plans to help safeguard the boosted Frankenstein.
RS Machine in Norwalk, Calif., was called upon for a
full port and polish of the B16A cylinder head as well
as sleeving the block to protect it from boost’s high
stresses. Once machining was complete, the engine
saw further upgrades in the form of Arias pistons,
Eagle connecting rods and Supertech valves, springs
and retainers. “I decided on Civic Type R camshafts to
complete the internals of the engine,” Waldo says.
With the engine ready for boost, Waldo spared no expense, dropping a sizable chunk of his savings on a
complete Turbonetics turbo kit. This kit includes a giant snail in the form of a T3/T4 turbo, cast-iron manifold, Evolution series wastegate and Raptor series
blow-off valve. Rev Hard intercooler piping circulates
fresh air from the Spearco intercooler to the JG Edelbrock intake manifold and exhaust gases are expelled
through an A’PEXi exhaust system. RC Engineering
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1,600cc injectors and an SX fuel pressure regulator aid in getting the proper amount of C16
race fuel to the combustion chambers. Enjo
Precision engine mounts assist in keeping the
soul of this Frankenstein strapped to its host.
A Hondata S300 engine management unit controls boost and manages engine functionality.
Final engine assembly and tuning duties were
completed by Jency Carranza at Do-It Dyno in
Signal Hill, Calif. “At 26 psi of boost we were
able to make 501.7 hp,” Waldo says.
To assure that all 500 of those horses
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WALDO DUARTE’S DC2 INTEGRA
make contact with the pavement, Waldo installed the Driveshaft Shop’s Level 5 axles
and upgraded the Integra GS-R transmission
with a Stage 4 clutch and flywheel from F&S
Clutch.
The build’s next stage involved upgrades
to the stock suspension of the once engineless
DC chassis. Edelbrock (yes, musclecar aficionado) provides ride height management duties with its IAS adjustable coilover system and
Energy Suspension bushings take the place of
the dry, worn-out stock pieces. An Integra Type
R five-lug conversion gives Waldo the advantages of the slightly larger discs necessary for
slowing down this 500hp brute. Splitting time
with drag slicks are Dunlop tires mounted
on 16x7 Rays Gram Light 57C wheels in gold
trim.
The interior of this monstrous Integra
reflects a more subtle feel. Waldo admits not
knowing much about JDM parts but reminds
us that though it may not be 100 percent JDM,
he gave it his own “personal touch.” Stock
LS-trim seats were removed and swapped for
JDM Integra Type R Recaros along with a plethora of other JDM Type R parts including the R
instrument cluster, MOMO steering wheel, shift
knob and boot. Auto Meter Cobalt series gauges
monitor any changes in boost pressure and operating temperatures whether Waldo is running
on the track or cruising the streets of Southern
California.
The JDM Integra Type R theme is carried
over to the exterior as a complete JDM Type R
front end sits in place of the once round-eyed
U.S.-spec facia. As a sort of signature to his own
style, Waldo uses Seibon carbon-fiber fenders,
hood, front lip and side skirts; a look he used on
his previous project, a second-generation Integra. Other than the carbon-fiber pieces, the rest
is resprayed in a brilliant PPG Milano Red—a
popular color among Integra owners. A freak
accident at a drag event involving an engine bay
fire would prove to be a blessing in disguise. The
flames gave an engine bay respray that now
match the equally glossy exterior. And before
you ask, we’re not going to ask Waldo if having
a red and black exterior has anything to do with
his mysterious red and white counterpart. That,
of course, would just be too easy.
What’s next for Waldo Duarte? He hopes
to add subtle touches here and there as he
learns more about the many JDM parts available for his Integra. Seat time at the track is
also another possibility. “I was very impressed
when I ran an 11.7 at LACR (Los Angeles
County Raceway) in Palmdale when we first
had the motor tuned,” Waldo says.
“The car started out as a bare shell and I felt
like I accomplished my dream.”
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HONDATUNINGMAGAZINE.COM
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WALDO DUARTE’S DC2 INTEGRA
BOLTS & WASHERS
WALDO DUARTE’S
DC2 INTEGRA
PROPULSION:
“
If that engine made
power, that car had
balls. Someone got
something negative to
say? Line it up, run it
and your lips can be
read in the rearview
mirror.
”
B18A1 LS-VTEC
B18C1 cylinder head
Enjo Precision engine mounts
RS Machine sleeves
Arias pistons
Eagle connecting rods
GSR crankshaft
CTR camshafts
Ported cylinder head
Supertech valves
Supertech valvesprings
Supertech retainers
JG Edelbrock intake manifold
JG Engine Dynamics cam gears
Skunk2 70mm throttle body
AEM fuel rail
AEM fuel filter
Walbro 255lph fuel pump
RC Engineering 1,600cc fuel injectors
SX fuel pressure regulator
Turbonetics T3/T4 turbo
Turbonetics cast-iron turbo manifold
Turbonetics Raptor blow-off valve
Turbonetics Evolution series wastegate
Spearco intercooler
2.5-inch Rev Hard intercooler piping
Fluidyne radiator
A’PEXi 3-inch N1 exhaust
MSD spark plug wires
MSD distributor cap and rotor
MSD 6AL ignition box
Skunk2 short-shifter
F&S Stage 4 clutch
F&S flywheel
Driveshaft Shop Level 5 axles
Odyssey PC680 battery
Hondata S300 engine management
STANCE:
Edelbrock IAS Performer coilovers
Password:JDM front and rear strut bars
ITR five-lug conversion
RESISTANCE:
Rotora rotors
RIMS AND RUBBER:
16x7 Rays Gram Lights 57C (+42 offset)
205/45-16 Dunlop SP Sport FM901
OUTSIDE:
PPG Honda Milano Red paint
JDM ITR front-end conversion
ITR rear spoiler
JDM power folding side mirrors
JDM Honda Access window visors
Seibon carbon-fiber hood
Seibon carbon-fiber front lip
Seibon carbon-fiber fenders
Seibon carbon-fiber side skirts
INSIDE:
JDM ITR Recaro seats
JDM ITR MOMO steering wheel
ITR shift knob
JDM ITR instrument cluster
A’PEXi turbo timer
Auto Meter Cobalt-series gauges
I.C.E.:
Pioneer PC360 head unit
PROPS:
F&S Clutch
Jency Carranza at Do-It Dyno
Password:JDM
TSHmotorsport
Cypher Signworks
Street Invasion car club
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WALDO DUARTE’S DC2 INTEGRA
OWNER SPECS
Hometown: Gardena, Calif.
Most played in the iPod: “A Bay Bay”
by Hurricane Chris
Favorite kicks: Timberlands
Recent DVDs: The Bourne Ultimatum
Bogus traffic tickets: $565 referee
certification fine
Mac or PC: PC
Favorite non-Honda: BMW M3
Porn star pick: Pamela Anderson
Hottest model: Jenny Chu
CONNECT
AEM
www.aempower.com
Auto Meter
www.autometer.com
Edelbrock
www.edelbrock.com
Hondata
www.hondata.com
Seibon
www.seiboncarbon.com
Turbonetics
www.turboneticsinc.com
WHERE’S
WALDO?