DC5 Type R vs Type iSA

[slick]

Hi guys,

I went around hunting for DC5 Type R the past couple of days, and I noticed something in one of the cars I saw.

Looking at the chassis number plate under the bonnet, for Type: , all the cars stated "Type: Type R" except one, which stated "Type: iSA".

The one with "Type: iSA", had everything Type R, the K20A engine, seats, dashboard, everything, including the brembo brakes and rims. It was black in colour. The salesman selling it also says it's Type R. This is an unregistered re-cond unit from Japan.

Anyone has any idea about the Type: iSA?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bb1-man]

Type iSA is a Type-S apparently....

I have also viewed this car.

 

[amdfaisal]

if u look at the specsheet below, type S shouldn't have recaro seats, brembo brakes etc...

http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/integra/2007/type/index.html

type-S perf
http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/integra/2007/mechanism/types-performance.html

detailed spec sheet
http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/integra/2007/grade-data/index.html

perhaps the owner in japan bought recaro seats, brembo brakes etc and then fitted them to his type S... not really difficult since parts are plenty over there

this typeS u guys went to see has 6MT or 5MT?

 

[slick]

amdfaisal,
That's what I suspect too.

bb1-man,
It has 6-speed.

 

[bb1-man]

Possibly a heavily converted type-S.

Or also, possibly a type-R that has gone through a change of plaque and VIN number, in order to be declared as lower value for lower taxes. But who would do that? seems so much trouble to save a few bucks.....

 

[amdfaisal]

imho... the first assumption should be more plausible la... a type S that underwent a type R conversion... how to verify... they got geran oso in japan rite? can be verified using that?

 

[slick]

Just spoke to the salesman again, he said he called his friend in Honda, who in turn called Honda in Japan.

He said the DC5 Type R is produced in 3 batches every year.
And the last unit of each batch is given Type iSA, to indicate that it is the last unit of the batch.

Believable/plausible?

 

[bb1-man]

Theory is plausible. Although why the letter 'R' is not used at all escapes me. if its type 'iR-A' it would make more sense.

However, i do not believe the salesmen would call honda, who in turn made an international call to honda japan. and just coincidentally found someone who spoke english, and willing enough to explain what type iSA is.

Too co-operative to be true. or maybe im just cynical. but you should be.

 

[slick]

I just found out that a friend's friend of mine, just bought a DC5 2 months ago, his was Type iSA too. It's a 2004 model.

If what the salesman says is true, there should only be 3 units in the whole of 2004 with Type iSA.
Quite hard to be coincidental that 2 out of 3 of the DC5s are the one i'm looking at and another that guy's....hmmmm....

 

[amdfaisal]

personally i don't think a type R would be called a type iSA... blasphemous la... :) and salesman can even tell u that the world is flat just to sell a car so the story about him calling his fren who in turn called honda japan is too darn good to be true... and i'm not being too sceptical here.

well anyway the iS-A bought by ur fren has the same specs as a type-R? if yes... then maybe there are some truth in the salesman's story.

honda did produce some specially-spec'ed cars...

for the JDM 6th gen accord they produced in limited numbers euro-RX which is basically identical to the euro-R except for the seat and door panel colours

they also produced SiR-euro which was basically a normal SiR equipped with euro-R body parts. engine, etc was SiR though...

 

[fobs]

sound very political lerrr, this ISA honda,...

 

[fobs]

personally i don't think a type R would be called a type iSA... blasphemous la... :) and salesman can even tell u that the world is flat just to sell a car so the story about him calling his fren who in turn called honda japan is too darn good to be true... and i'm not being too sceptical here.

well anyway the iS-A bought by ur fren has the same specs as a type-R? if yes... then maybe there are some truth in the salesman's story.

honda did produce some specially-spec'ed cars...

for the JDM 6th gen accord they produced in limited numbers euro-RX which is basically identical to the euro-R except for the seat and door panel colours

they also produced SiR-euro which was basically a normal SiR equipped with euro-R body parts. engine, etc was SiR though...

yeah,...

the red SiR-euro-package

havent seen any x on the road,...

hmmm,.... japanese can make super-spec model,... m'sians more pandai,... more kahwin and kacuk ooooooooooooo

anyway, i dun believe japs upgrade appearance and performance specs,... most of the time they will add-on, they seldom change,... except swapping tranny,... auto-manual.

 

[slick]

yeah, the other guy's car has full type-R spec, exactly like the one i saw.
Hmm...this is confusing...worse of all, totally no info on the internet about iSA

 

[udengfahlawi]

so, how much the selling price difference is this iSA?....or is it the same as the Type R?...

 

[slick]

Same price, advertised and sold as a Type R

 

[Vagabond]

Please refer to my response at "DC5 Advice" thread.

Verified that original type-r's DO NOT have a type-s marquee plate on the chassis.

Uncertain? Check with honda malaysia (the experts working there) or JC racing, they'll verify it.

 

[slick]

Vagabond, thanks a million!
This thing has been bugging me and was a deciding factor of the buy.
Would have been conned if I had bought it.
Pity the others that bought it thinking it was a Type-R.

Thanks again!

 

[Vagabond]

I see quite a number of shops in PJ area and Old Klang Road selling these type-is as type-r's............

I prevented my rather ungrateful friend from penang from almost buying one of those pondan cars.......

 

[amdfaisal]

if price is the same... just get the type-R