Merlin's 1993 BA8 Si - What is this?

[Merlin]

Post Reserved

Ignore - Just a list of bits later
Nankang AR-1 215/40/17 £182.34 Track Tyres MSA List 1B
Uniroyal RainSport 5 215/40/17 £82.60 Camskill MSA List 1A


Cobra Sebring LP (Low Profile) Pro-Fit Fibreglass Seat Demon Tweeks
Sparco Competition H-3+2 6 Point Steel FHR Harness Demon Tweeks
8 x Race Safety Accessories 1 Inch Harness Eye Bolt - 7/16" UNF Demon Tweeks
8 x Race Safety Accessories FIA Compliant Harness Bolt Stress Plate Demon Tweeks
Exedy Clutch for HONDA PRELUDE BB8 H22A - Stage 2 Racing - HK14R817
350 OMP WRC Steering Wheel Demon Tweeks
Longacre SMi Gauge Panel With Stepper Motor Gauges

QSP Seat brackets steel FIA V2 adjustable akr-performance

[Merlin]

I have done a buy!

It's a 1993 BA8 2.2 non-VTEC (F22, and hopefully it's the DOHC 160hp engine) automatic with 67,867 km on it. The car condition sheet notes a few light scratches, but there are some notes I can't make out so will have to see its ultimate condition once it arrives, but no rust!

The car is currently in Nagoya, Japan and will be shipped to Newcastle. IMO the BA8 is a BB4 but without the H22. This car has no sunroof, ABS or cruise control.

My BB4 is rusted to hell, so this is an opportunity to build a new race car from scratch using a clean shell. I have been looking at a new 4th gen for a while but was only interested in pre-95 BB4 and BA8's as those chassis codes are not on the MOT database so can go through non-CAT emission tests.

The plan is to do an H22 and manual gearbox swap, essentially moving all the good parts from my BB4 over to this.

Some pics from the seller and from what I can see the only desirable parts on it are the single piece headlights:

[wurlycorner]

Oooh! Exciting!!!
That does look like an absolute minter tbh.

Can totally appreciate doing a track build on a BA8 really - by far the least desirable for a road-going 'classic', so doesn't even feel like 'sacrilege' on what's becoming quite rare now (a good 4g).

When do you get it?

Weirdly enough, those wheels look very similar to the ones that were on the silver BA8 that I broke! (I only just sold the front seats out of that, 2 weeks ago - still have the rears and door cards/rear quarter panels sat in my living room )

[nitin_s1]

[Merlin]

When do you get it?

Got to wait and see once it is loaded. I expect it will arrive in the next 2-3 months.

There is a dude that has a welding company in the same location as my offices, he's into motorsport and has a few JDM imports of his own, so I was in his place at lunch today and he's up for installing a roll cage for me. As soon as I get notification that the car is on the boat, I'm going to buy a bolt in cage from the US.

[Merlin]

The car condition sheet notes a few light scratches, but there are some notes I can't make out so will have to see its ultimate condition once it arrives

Be Forward contacted me today to say that there is some faded paint on the front/rear bumpers and roof, and that the steering wheel is cracked, and do I want to progress with car. That's what the notes I couldn't make out were. I think it is expected for a 30 year old car that has sat in the Japanese sun for all that time.

TBH this isn't an issue as I am using the bumpers off my current BB4 (lip kits and splitters already fitted), the roof can be repainted and I won't be using that steering wheel anyway.

[vanzep]

it should be the dual cam 160bhp F22 as this was Japan only option.
plenty of work to do once it gets here but a load more experience and parts should make it an easier build than previous one
just think no rust

[Merlin]

The car hasn't been loaded yet, but Beforeward did take some new pics for me. I can't see any fading of the bumpers in the pics Maybe in person you might notice.

[TitzonToast]

What a score, that new one looks absolutely mint. Happy days.

[toadster]

Lo
That looks really nice
Great find
Cheers
Toadster