1990 Acura Integra GS, 2-Dr, 5-Speed, Original Owner, Excellent, Always Garaged
Description
This Acura cost me $18,500 out the door in 1990 or the equivalent of $35,000 in today’s Dollars. Very overpriced at the time but it turned out to be worth every penny. This is the best, most reliable car I have ever owned – and this from someone who’s owned Porsche, BMW and Mercedes.
This Integra carries a high-performance Honda B18A1: 4-cylinder, 16-valve, dual overhead CAM engine that delivers 140 horses with a displacement of 1.8 liters. It has a 5-Speed Manual Transmission. This is the US Version – not the California Version – of this vehicle. The California version delivered less power and lower fuel economy. I actually purchased this vehicle in Suffern, NY to avoid the California version. I was working on the East Coast at the time and had accepted a transfer to California. So I bought the car in New York and had it shipped to California together with my household goods. Coming from NY, this Integra is fully undercoated, which ensured zero-rust even after 26+ years.
Of course, a 1.8 four cylinder is not a muscle car, but it delivers good acceleration, excellent handling and performance for spirited driving – which was the reason why I bought it. It has been my daily commuter for more than a quarter century. Every time I turn the key in the morning, it always starts right-up! It surpasses the published 1990 Integra fuel economy ratings which were apparently based on the California Version with an Automatic Transmission. I get 25-27 mpg in city and 32 mpg on the Freeway, which is outstanding for a car with its performance characteristics.
We’ve always had multiple cars so I put an average of 6,000 miles per year on this Integra. It currently has approximately 159,000 miles on the odometer. The first time I had to take this car in for an unscheduled maintenance was at 98,000 miles (after 17 years). The engine light came on and the motor died at a traffic light. I was able to restart the engine, had it diagnosed and replaced the distributor. Shortly after that, I had the timing belt and water pump replaced; new valves and a new alternator put-in. At about 106,000 miles I replaced the radiator and all hoses and belts. With proper maintenance, these Acuras basically run forever. I recently saw an Integra on a parking lot, similar to mine but looking worse for the wear, with 285,000 miles on the odometer!
I took another job transfer to Oregon in the year 2000 and had the Integra shipped from Los Angeles to Portland and it has been an Oregon car ever since. The body and interior are in excellent condition (no body damage) and this car has been always garaged since the day I bought it! When I lived in California, I actually used a custom-made car cover to shield the vehicle from the sun while it sat weekdays on the parking lot at work!I’m over 50 now, my girls are grown and none of them want to drive a manual transmission. I now have five cars and the insurance alone on all these vehicles is killing me. I need to downsize, and by a process of elimination, the Integra is the one to go. The car is in excellent running condition with no known problems or hidden flaws. Everything works! Despite 26 years, it’s still a very attractive car and there are now very few of them on the road, so it is very unique. The Integra GS was the top-of-the-line model with all the power features, cruise control, rack-and-pinion steering, disk brakes on all four wheels with ABS, plus a sun-roof. It has a hatchback feature and the rear seats fold-down giving this vehicle great cargo capacity. It has four 80,000-mile Michelin tires, which are fully-insured for repairs or free replacement in case of a blow-out. They have about 70% life still left on them. The car comes with a custom car cover as well as a set of custom tire-chains. The chains have never been used but I always carry them in Winter – just in case.
I’d like to sell this car to someone who knows Acura Integras and may be interested in keeping and restoring the vehicle – as opposed to someone who is just looking for a cheap ride and may not fully appreciate what an outstanding car this is – but winner takes it! I have all service records and can give you an exact idea of what maintenance will be needed in the next 10K, 20K and 30K miles. I know this car inside and out! It runs like a champ!
Best way to reach me is via email, which I check all the time. If you are a serious buyer, I’ll be happy to set up some time where we can talk live on the phone and I can answer all your questions. If you live outside the Portland, Oregon area, you will need to arrange for shipment.
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