TypeR 00-0642 has retired.

So, I've been putting this entry off because it is very sad for me.


My poor car has been totalled. After they caught the theives, the insurance company took a look at the car and they said she was dead. We talked about getting second opinions, etc, but in the end, we would have to go through a lot of work for something that wasn't guaranteed. So it is totalled. They paid us a good fair amount to close out the policy, and I am now sans vehicle.

I will have to live with my memories of her. I did a LOT with that car.

• I took her drag racing up at NE Dragway in New Hampshire.
• I did autocross with her with the BMW Car Club.
• I reached 150mph at 2am on I-95 south.
• I enjoyed many a great street race against all sorts of cars.
• I tried to kill my buddy RoadTrip and myself by flying over hills in Campton NH. When crested a hill, the car got a little air. Then the road turned...while we weren't touching it. But the car saved us. When we landed, I cranked the wheel and the car held. It was amazing and beautiful and memorable and incredibly stupid.
• My fiancee and I enjoyed multiple drives up to Montreal through the beautiful mountains of Vermont and NH. The last time, coming back, we didn't even turn on the radio for the entire ride back. Just listened to the car.
• My buddy Fellswoop and I had a great drive down to NYC. This was right when SUVs were reaching their full gratuitousness and we both saw our first Excursion. The highway was empty, and the Excursion was in the middle lane, I was in the passing lane, of course. So I pass him, change lanes in front of him, then to the slow lane, drop behind him, back into his lane, passing lane, pass him again, and do the same thing again...He wasn't too happy . So he tried to chase me. An 9,000lbs SUV trying to keep up with a 2700lbs sports car. I toyed with him. Then we came across another truck in the middle lane, I matched speeds with the middle lane truck, trapping the Excursion in the passing lane behind me and next to the truck. He didn't like that, so he dropped back behind the truck and passed him on the right hand side...At which point I dropped into third gear, and redlined through up to about 130mph and never saw him again.
• And so many more...(Fiancee and I driving through NYC traffic, Fellswoop and I driving up to Montreal, Roadtrip in his GS-R on I-95 North, and on, and on , and on...)

But in our later years together, we calmed down. We still enjoyed an occassional street race, but not with the same veracity as before, just kind of out of nostalgia. I still enjoyed listening to her throaty screams at 8,400rpm.

I even recorded her. As far as execution on random ideas, this has to be one of my all time greatest:Boo's Throaty Screams
I attached a microphone to the inside of my engine bay, and hooked it to a mini-disk recorder sitting on the passenger seat. I love it.

For those that don't know what my car was, she was an Acura Integra. But not just any teg. She was 2000 Acura Integra Type R #00-0642. There were only about 1200 of them, they were serial numbered, and they were production race cars. The engine got an extra 30 horsepower over the GS-R. She sat .75 inches lower than the GS-R. There were extra welds in the frame for a stiffer body. She had extra body stiffening additions like a crossbar over the engine bay, and at the trunk. She has a 3" air intake instead of the 2.5". She had a high spoiler, and a sexy front lip. She was made with no sound proofing to reduce weight, and that made the sound INCREDIBLE. And all of this was stock. I replaced the air intake with a cold air intake for even more performance. She had great shocks, great brakes, great acceleration, great sound, and great looks. Everything I will ever want in a car.

And that is why I can't get another car. Yet. I need to make sure that I'm not getting a rebound car. I need to make sure that I find a car and that I'm not trying to REPLACE my Type R. I can't replace my Type R. And she will always be the first car that I really loved.

I'll miss you, Boo.