FEATURE Eric Dickerson Owns All Your Mugen 058

TEXT JOEY LEE PHOTOS RODREZ COLLECTOR’S ADDICTION

We HAVE all spent portions one stands out as his favor- of our lives collecting things ite. “Mandy,” as he calls her, we love. Some collections earns her spot above the rest range from baseball cards to of his harem because it is a stamps, even to creepy items genuine Integra Type like belly-button lint. Many R—straight from the land of enthusiasts have taken up the rising sun. the hobby of collecting rare Close followers of Mandy JDM wheels. Such collectors will note that this Type R has earn themselves the nickname graced the pages of Honda “wheel whore.” Those with Tuning once before. At the expendable incomes often time, it was assuming a spend it on stuff they just can’t more subtle appearance. The get enough of. Theoretically Backyard Special front end speaking, if the wheel collec- and Spoon Sports wheels are tor is a wheel whore and the long gone. In their place is a adult video aficionado “hap- complete Mugen makeover. py-handed,” what might the “I’ve always been a fan of the Honda collector be labeled? Mugen kit since it first came Whatever that moniker may out but, at the time, spend- be, it applies to Eric Dickerson. ing that type of money just The Corona, California, local wasn’t in my budget,” Eric has at one time or another says. “Considering I’ve owned owned more than 20 . this car for over four years and It may sound outrageous but have done whatever I wanted Eric has an unyielding passion to it, I figured this was the way for the brand—the Integra in to close the build, to finalize Eric Dickerson’s JDM particular. Of the two hand- the way Mandy would sit for Type-R, fuls that he’s amassed, only years to come.” and NSX.

TURBO MAGAZINE FEATURE Eric Dickerson Owns All Your Mugen 060 061

01 03 The makeover includes all original Mugen aero pieces: “I offered insane The front bumper, sideskirts, money for parts rear wing, and the piece that would ultimately throw Eric I couldn’t buy. I into a fit—the authentic Mugen 01 Mugen twin loop don’t think I’ll ever silencer surpasses hood. “I was about to get rid of attempt something normal systems in all the Mugen items because 04 power and torque over of the hood situation,” Eric like this again.” the full power range. says. “Luckily, my good buddy 02 AEM’s patented Chris gave me dibs on his 02 interchangeable ports Mugen stuff and I was able To accomplish the total allow the regulator to to complete my Mugen build.” Mugen changeover, Eric knew match the pressure of your fuel pumps maxi- Anyone who thinks that build- that obtaining a set of Mugen mum capacity. ing a Mugen Integra is easy wheels was paramount. With better think again. “It took that in mind, a set of 16x7 03 Mugen reservoir 05 covers designed to me over two years and loads Mugen MF10s were sourced absorb minor cluth of frustration,” Eric warns. “I and mounted on 225/45-16 and master cylinder offered insane money for parts Yokohama Advan A048 rubber. reservoir leaks I couldn’t buy. I don’t think I’ll Resting behind the bronze 04 Mugen Exhaust ever attempt something like MF10 wheels is another rare Manifold Gymkhana this again.” Once the pieces piece of the Mugen puzzle: Spec has the popular were collected, Eric enlisted Mugen’s Active Gate brake 4-1 design to allow the exhaust system to flow the services of M.O.B. Works system. The system includes 06 in the most linear and The makeover includes in Orange, California, to color- lightened rotors, calipers, and all original Mugen smooth way possible. aero pieces, including match everything with DuPont pads, as well as steel-braided Increases in power the rare the authentic Chromabase Championship lines. More active than the and torque are sure Mugen hood. White paint. brakes is Eric at his job over at to be felt as well as an improved exhaust pitch sound. 05 Hasport Engine Motor Mount Kit are milled from light- weight ultra strong T-6061 aluminium and provides the utmost in strength and fit. 06 The Mugen alumi- num valve covers are manufactured indi- vidually using sand casts in the same way as for Mugen Formula engines.

TURBO MAGAZINE FEATURE Eric Dickerson Owns All Your Mugen 062 063

Eibach Springs. Being the mar- money spent on all the Mugen keting guru over there means goodies. Oftentimes, those that Eric has access to all things that appear spectacular things Eibach. This presented turn out not to be once it comes him with the opportunity to time to look at the engine bay; run Eibach’s Pro-Street-S for the record, this bay isn’t coilover system as well as its lacking. Eric prides himself on antiroll bar and alignment kits. having a thorough build, so the The complete Mugen look heart of this Type R was totally would not be accomplished redone. A newer, healthier if the interior were left B18C currently sits in place of untouched. Mugen S1 buckets the aged unit that came with sit in place of the stock Type R it along with headwork in the Recaros, and the stock wheel form of Skunk2 camshafts, is replaced by a super-baller valve springs, and retainers. Chassis bracing maintains alignment Mugen FG360 piece. Other The upgraded cylinder head angles and spring rates intricate details include a allows the A-Sport 48mm indi- by greatly reducing Mugen pedal set and shift knob. vidual throttle bodies to oper- body or chassis flex. The exterior Mugen Many would have skimped ate at optimum efficiency. The aero kit painted a bit on the remainder of the Mugen theme is carried over valve cover as well as its twin- championship white. build what with all of the to the engine with a Mugen loop exhaust system. Running on an AEM EMS and tuned by Autotech of Huntington Beach, California, Mandy was able to The lower arm bar helps produce 204 whp and 152 lb-ft reduce weight over the of torque. stock bracing without If you didn’t know Eric, you compromising strength. would probably suspect him of being a little crazy, maybe even a fanatic. Realistically, who owns that many vehicles? The guy has owned more Hondas than most will own cars over the course of a lifetime. He has a four-car garage and yet still runs out of room. It’s crazy when you think about it. The truth though is that Eric is a Honda enthusiast in every sense of the word. He’s no dif- ferent than any other person who has a hobby and col- lects the things that he loves. 16x7 Mugen MF10 Eric just happens to do it on a wheels wrapped in larger scale. Yokohama Advan A048.

TURBO MAGAZINE VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 02