by Malcolm » Thu Mar 18, 2004 6:48 pm
Ok, I think it's time I chimed in.
With just a VR4 front mount (~$750 for IC and piping), turbo back 2.5" exhaust (probably set you back ~$800), intake ($200 for filter + piping), and a rebuilt ct26 w/ t04e 50 trim compressor (approx. $900 depending on where you go), and about 14psi a ST185 can do easy mid 13's. If you ask me, less than $3K of mods on a $5K car to do mid 13's is pretty bloody good. To save any debate, that is all the engine mods my car had on the 16th of February when I ran a 13.4, so don't argue. 2 months later with the interior stripped and 16psi, I did a very easy 13.1, and with no further mods in a couple of weeks (whenever the next drags are that I can attend) I intend to show that an ST185 with the above mods and a stripped interior can do 12s. I'm sorry, but there are very few integras with simple bolt on mods that can do mid 13's, so any slightly modified GT4 that gets beaten by them, especially off the line, either has an absolutely terrible driver, or has been badly modified without and hasn't had any thought towards the issues that need to be addressed on a standard gt4 (ie, heat soaking intercooler, inefficient turbo, nasty squashed up exhaust etc)
As far as weight goes, yeah they are heavier than early evos, and sti's, but some people greatly overestimate the weight (like the dumb sh!ts who try to tell me my car weighs 1600kg+), and even without completely stripping the interior you can save a reasonable amount of weight by removing some luxuries such as air con and electronically adjustable seats.
Anyway, thats my point of view and it is taken from real world + strip proven experience, rather than hearsay and ridiculous street comparisons.