TIMELESS WORK OF ART

The Shift in Car Culture

With our scene slowly migrating toward more high-end cars, such as the Infiniti, Lexus, Audi, and Volvo offerings, people are slowly starting to forget about cars such as the Nissan 240, Acura Integra, and Honda Civic. It is sad to say, but oh-so-true. Luckily for us, there are still diehard Acura and Honda guys out there that will never give up on what they believe in. These guys are still in touch with their roots, and for them, it is all about staying true to the culture and cars they grew up with.

AM7 Crew: Keeping Hondas Alive

Previously, we showcased a collection of guys that helped to put Hondas permanently on the map. The AM7 crew has meant more to the Honda community than just about any other collection of individuals that have ever built Hondas in the past. These cats are all about their Hondas; they live, breathe, eat, and sleep Hondas. On the other hand, there are also guys that would die for their Acuras and believe that the Acura Integra is the baddest car on the block.

Introducing the Status Racing Integra

It brings us great pleasure to showcase the Sean Edwards Status Racing Integra. If you are hoping to see a crazy, over-the-top, show-dominating Integra filled with fiberglass and tons of audio-video, then we are sorry as that will not be happening in this article. On the other hand, if you are ready to lay your eyes on one of the cleanest, meanest, and most detailed Integras ever built, then look no further than the Status Integra.

Minimalism Meets Perfection

The Status Integra does not have an ounce of fiberglass inside the cockpit. It doesn’t have numerous TVs or tons of audio equipment, and it is not rolling around on 20-inch chrome wheels. And it certainly doesn’t have Lambo doors and headlight or taillight conversions. What the Status Integra does have are a ton of ultra-rare parts, a detailed engine compartment, subtle and clean bodywork, a super-clean and decked-out interior, and a sweet beige paint job that draws you into its beauty.

A Closer Look at the Build

At first glance, the Status Integra might look a bit plain to the untrained eye, but when you take a closer look, you will see why this is one of the top Integras currently on the scene.

Owner and designer Sean Edwards has been secretly working on this project with a guy from J.M.I. Motoring in Smokey Point, Washington, for more than a year. Edwards not only designs badass cars, but he is also the marketing director for Status Racing, one of the premier seat companies in the industry.

Signature Status Racing Touches

So, to no one’s surprise, Edwards knows a few things about what enthusiasts like to see, and it didn’t surprise us at all when we saw a set of wicked Status Racing black and carbon Kevlar Ring bucket seats in his Integra.

Flawless Championship Beige Paint

As we got closer to the Status Integra, the first thing that caught our attention was the immaculately laid fresh Glasurit BASF Championship Beige paint job. Edwards told us that Jeff Miller from J.M.I. Motoring spent countless hours making sure that the paint job was perfect and that there were no imperfections in the bodywork.

JDM Type-R Front-End Conversion

Before the new BASF beige paint was applied, Edwards had the crew swap out the stock USDM front end in favor of a much cleaner JDM Type-R front end. The new front-end conversion included a set of one-piece headlights, hood, front bumper, J’s Racing intake duct, radiator support, and fenders. The bodylines and underbody of the Integra were also cleaned up and prepped for paint.

The front and rear emblems, side moldings, antenna, and hood squirters were all shaved and sanded down, and the entire underbody of the Integra was restored with brand-new fender lining and rear belt moldings. The rear of the Integra was decked out with a ’98 rear bumper and a set of Moroso battery terminals. Finishing off the exterior of the Status Integra is a set of H.O.P window visors and JDM IT-R power fold-in mirrors.

The Essential Five-Lug Conversion

As any true Honda or Acura guy knows, a key ingredient to making your car stand out from the rest of the competition is a true five-lug Type-R conversion. Edwards didn’t just opt for the five-lug conversion to score him cool points, but the extra lug was required so that he could bolt on his fully polished, five-lug, 16-inch Sprint Hart CP-R wheels and Toyo Tires. Sitting nicely behind the polished CP-R wheels are a bright set of blue Spoon calipers and Rotora rotors.

Upgraded Suspension for a Smooth Ride

Since Edwards drives his Integra quite often, he wanted to make sure that he upgraded his suspension and that it was up to par with the rest of the car. The Status Integra’s center of gravity is brought down via a set of Tein Type-RA fully adjustable coilovers. A Carbing white steel front and rear strut bar, Skunk2 camber kit, Mugen front sway bar, and Comptech rear lower tie bar were also installed on Edwards’ Integra.

Performance-Driven Engine Modifications

True diehard Acura and Honda guys are all about form and function, and many of them love building their cars with naturally aspirated motors. Sitting nicely in the Status Integra’s engine bay is a fully built JDM B18C Type-R motor.

The cylinder heads have been ported and polished, and the B18C motor is equipped with Portflow retainers, Ferrera oversized valves, Toda cam gears, valve springs, and Spec B camshafts. Arby Asatoorians was brought in to completely redo the Status Integra wiring harness. Everyday performance-adders, such as a JDM IT-R 4-1 header and Buddy Club Spec-2 exhaust system, were also added for some extra horsepower gains.

Finishing off the modifications under the hood are a set of TWM 50mm individual throttle bodies, RC 440cc injectors, and a Koyo radiator. The Integra’s drivetrain has also been beefed up with a Toda clutch and flywheel.

A Pristine Interior to Match

Finishing off the Status Integra is a super-clean and detailed interior. The centerpiece of the interior has to be the two black and carbon fiber Status Racing Ring seats, which are matched up to forged Status Racing side mounts and titanium hardware.

Complementing the Status seats are black Team Tech harnesses, a Personal steering wheel, R Crew quick-release adapter, Type-R pedals, Speedware harness bar, and CDM airbag tray.

A Build That Stands the Test of Time

This Status Integra might not jump out at you and scream for attention at first, but the closer you look, the more you fall in love. Edwards and his team did an excellent job of building an Integra that will withstand the test of time.

Building a well-executed, fully functional piece of machinery is no easy task, and Edwards made sure to do the Acura community proud with this build. So what’s your Status?