| One word sums up this Integra. Sweet. When we first saw the yellow machine we knew that we had to track the driver down and get some pics. The owner of this smooth ride is Robbie Hughes. | ||
| First, let me say that Robbie is one of the nicest Tuners around, and he graciously agreed to a photo shoot. No stranger to eager journalists wanting a story, Robbie has been featured in Super Street magazine with a '95 Civic DX. | ||
| That car featured the first "Jackson Racing Super Charger" mounted to a Civic. However, the entire story doesn't begin with the Civic- Robbie's foray into the performance and show scene started with American muscle. The Chevrolet Chevelle with 396 cui's of V/8 iron was his first design. | ||
| While this held his attention for a while, the show scene was becoming more popular, especially with mini-trucks. So he decided to go out and build up an '89 Nissan. While enjoying success at the shows with his Mini-T, he noticed a few imports at the events he frequented. This is where ideas get started that combine the show and performance aspects of the imports craze that we have today. | ||
| Robbie knew back then that imports were his calling. The reasoning behind this idea was his business, Huges Paint & Body Works. Ever since this revelation, Robbie has gained a great reputation for his skills; he's now been in business for 12 years, and Tuners all across the Southland go to Robbie with their projects. His skills show in a big way with his current design: this Integra. The paint and body work is flawless; we examined the yellow ride closely and failed to find a single smudge or run anywhere. As this story is written, Robbie has two more projects in progress; a 6th generation Prelude, and a CRX with a tube frame front-end that will be a drag car. We look forward to bringing you coverage on these two future Tuner cars. | ||
| However, the Integra is his focus for now; this is no "for show only" trailer car. This yellow beauty did a stint in SCCA Auto-Crossing, and it sees daily grocery action, as well as trips out of town on the treacherous Interstate. Still, the paint takes the beating and looks flawless. This is a true testament to the quality of this three year old paint job. As for the show circuit, last year (1999), was the breakthrough year for this Integra. It received "Sport Compact of the Year" honors at the Power Jam in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Also, Robbie and his Integra nabbed 2nd place at Nopi Nationals '99 in the mild division. |
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| This yellow Integra rolls on 18" Konig Elans painted the same color as the body, and obtains
the race inspired stance Eibach Sport Line lowering springs. As mentioned before, the paint is just the right shade- not too bright, not too dull, with Plymouth Prowler Yellow being the color of choice. As for the body styling, Robbie has customized the sheet metal to his own liking, and has massaged a Super Touring Wing to add the necessary symnetry. | ||
| The interior has been brightened with the same color vinyl as the exterior, and with the addition of the sound system pounding through the J/L Audio 15" sub, this car gets noticed in a big way. |
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| Performance is where this Acura shines. The 1.8 liter (B18B1) has seen a balance and blueprint job after the crank and rodswere polished. The head was also ported, polished, and received a competition valve job. As if that wasn't enough, the addition of a 75 shot dry nitrous set-up with a purge will draw the attention of the occasional red light hot-head. The LS beast hasn't been clocked in 1320 yet, but on other occaions the Integra has yet to be seen in any rear-view mirrors. |
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| This entire package is definitely a standout in a sea of mediocrity, while not at all destroying street-ability. The Yellow Beatuty from Oxford, Alabama deserves the Street Tuner award of the month, and when Robbie finished his next projects, we will be there to cover the unveiling. | ||
