Building up a car can take a long time when you don’t have deep pockets. You have to plan your modifications and ensure that your hard-earned cash doesn’t go to waste… otherwise you’ll be several grand in the hole and be forced to dig your way out. It can be agonising, but if you stay the course and continue to work away, you will get to your end goal. Turning your vision into reality is of great validation, and it’s one big reason why people modify cars. You will get that feeling no matter how much money you spend, or how old you are. Aidan’s Integra started off like many others, but through several years of hard work, has built a car worthy of a spot at Black Label.
It’s no secret that the DC2 Integra is one of the best front wheel drive cars ever made. As much as like the Renault Megane, this car is hard for me to go by and I would honestly be happy to own one. The spartan interior results in a low curb weight, which is exactly the sort of thing you need when you’re chasing elite level handling. There isn’t a bunch of uneccessary technology to get in the way because the car didn’t have to be a jack-off-all-trades hot hatch. That’s what the FL5 Civic Type R is built for. The sharp focus on driving dynamics is what makes the DC2 a favourite amongst the track day crowd.
The staying power of the Integra really is something to behold within the car community. There’s plenty of support and a huge range of parts available to purchase right now from a host of manufacturers. I guess some recipes are impossible to resist, and the fact that people keep cooking it in their own way highlights the versatility of the platform. You don’t need to go mad to create a fun car, so you will get a wide range of delactable samples. Whether you’ve gone for a mad time attack setup with plenty of aero appendages or a clean street build like Aidan’s, you are a counted member of the Integra club. You won’t ever be hung out to dry.
When I saw this car last, it wasn’t modified in the same way – in fact most of the parts you see now weren’t even on the car and Aidan was too afraid to how off the engine bay. Not anymore. It now sits on copper TE37s instead of silver Enkeis which are a lot cleaner in my opinion. The sideskirts are different, the exhaust has been polished and rear view mirrors are also a different style which is less bulky. The engine has a proper red valve cover like all Honda engines should, with a new air filter and plenty of new piping. Aidan clearly has his priorities straight.
It’s incredible to see hwat this car has gone through since I saw it for the first time 3 years ago. Aidan was one of my first supporters right at the beginning of this blog – if not before when I started experimenting with car posts on Instagram. I think I made the first move as I wanted to get connected with a fellow car photographer and put my name out there. This lay the ground work for what was to come, and it does please me to see that Aidan is still very much involved with car culture. If any of the Black Label organisers are reading this, here’s a candidate for the 2027 edition.
