Eric Dickerson Owns All Your Mugen
We've all spent portions of our lives collecting things we love. Some collections range from baseball cards to stamps, even to creepy items like belly-button lint. Many enthusiasts have taken up the hobby of collecting rare JDM wheels. Such collectors earn themselves the nickname "wheel whore." Those with expendable incomes often spend it on stuff they just can't get enough of. Theoretically speaking, if the wheel collector is a wheel whore and the adult video aficionado "happy-handed," what might the Honda collector be labeled? Whatever that moniker may be, it applies to Eric Dickerson. The Corona, California, local has at one time or another owned more than 20 Hondas. It may sound outrageous but Eric has an unyielding passion for the brand-the Integra in particular. Of the two handfuls that he's amassed, only one stands out as his favorite. "Mandy," as he calls her, earns her spot above the rest of his harem because it is a genuine Honda Integra Type R-straight from the land of the rising sun.
Close followers of Mandy will note that this Type R has graced the pages of Honda Tuning once before. At the time, it was assuming a more subtle appearance. The Backyard Special front end and Spoon Sports wheels are long gone. In their place is a complete Mugen makeover. "I've always been a fan of the Mugen kit since it first came out but, at the time, spending that type of money just wasn't in my budget," Eric says. "Considering I've owned this car for over four years and have done whatever I wanted to it, I figured this was the way to close the build, to finalize the way Mandy would sit for years to come."
The makeover includes all original Mugen aero pieces: The front bumper, sideskirts, rear wing, and the piece that would ultimately throw Eric into a fit-the authentic Mugen hood. "I was about to get rid of all the Mugen items because of the hood situation," Eric says. "Luckily, my good buddy Chris gave me dibs on his Mugen stuff and I was able to complete my Mugen build." Anyone who thinks that building a Mugen Integra is easy better think again. "It took me over two years and loads of frustration," Eric warns. "I offered insane money for parts I couldn't buy. I don't think I'll ever attempt something like this again." Once the pieces were collected, Eric enlisted the services of M.O.B. Works in Orange, California, to color-match everything with DuPont Chromabase Championship White paint.
To accomplish the total Mugen changeover, Eric knew that obtaining a set of Mugen wheels was paramount. With that in mind, a set of 16x7 Mugen MF10s were sourced and mounted on 225/45-16 Yokohama Advan A048 rubber. Resting behind the bronze MF10 wheels is another rare piece of the Mugen puzzle: Mugen's Active Gate brake system. The system includes lightened rotors, calipers, and pads, as well as steel-braided lines. More active than the brakes is Eric at his job over at Eibach Springs. Being the marketing guru over there means that Eric has access to all things Eibach. This presented him with the opportunity to run Eibach's Pro-Street-S coilover system as well as its antiroll bar and alignment kits.
The complete Mugen look would not be accomplished if the interior were left untouched. Mugen S1 buckets sit in place of the stock Type R Recaros, and the stock wheel is replaced by a super-baller Mugen FG360 piece. Other intricate details include a Mugen pedal set and shift knob.
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