[RichQY]

Saw some ads on civics with swapped motors recently, and realized how cheap they are....

Thus, i am fondeling with the idea of getting a Civic hatch with a swapped engine in it. Probably will use it for Touge, and some Track events.

EG or EK, probably with a LS/Vtec motor cuz it's cheap, will definitely remain NA.
The idea of have a 2200 lb chasis with around 180-200 whp and low maintainence is pretty damn sweet.

I dont' know much about civics nor has driven any fast ones (only seen fast ones), so this idea might be pretty stupid.

What do you guys think? any inputs appreciated.

 

[Splitime]

I miss my eg with type R swap... was an awesome track car. Some local kid offered to buy it and I sold it, not often you get most of your money back. With intentions of building a more budget minded civic for track.... a great deal on a miata came through... and those track car build plans changed.

I'm very much looking forward to my Miata build.... no second thoughts... even though I miss my old car. I've enjoyed this car enourmously with just an alignment and fresh tires... so fun stock! Can't wait to see what its like when I'm done.

194/130 to the wheels in a 2100 pound car and very setup suspension had me passing m3/evo/sti on track... it was fun

 

[RichQY]

I miss my eg with type R swap... was an awesome track car. Some local kid offered to buy it and I sold it, not often you get most of your money back. With intentions of building a more budget minded civic for track.... a great deal on a miata came through... and those track car build plans changed.

I'm very much looking forward to my Miata build.... no second thoughts... even though I miss my old car. I've enjoyed this car enourmously with just an alignment and fresh tires... so fun stock! Can't wait to see what its like when I'm done.

194/130 to the wheels in a 2100 pound car and very setup suspension had me passing m3/evo/sti on track... it was fun

thats hot!!!, was it hard to swap it? how bad was maintainence/upkeep.

ever hassled by the 5-0s?

the most important question, was it more fun to drive than the Miata?

 

[Splitime]

Its an entirely different beast. I have not tracked the miata yet either... nor been at the speeds I was with the civic. Only autox'd and daily driving.

That civic was setup for track... abusive for daily driving. I loved it. Swaps aren't hard... but don't expect to get alot of power for cheap unless you know people that have parts, buddies, hookups etc...

Mantinence... oil changes, tranny fluid changes... pads/rotors and rubber.... and I beat the snot out of it.

Drove from chicago to new york (watkins glen) did a 2 day event and drove home.

I had an untouched b18c5 longblock and alot of boltons... and i spent alot of time tuning it. Great car and with no external mods other than being lowered... cops never bothered me. (just kept off the throttle around them )

 

[RichQY]

i figured any swap + bolt on can yield much higher p/w ratio than the miata.

hahaha.

 

[Bryan]

I love my 99DX, but it's very stock. Needs new front calipers

 

[Fritch]

I'd love to have one for fun someday, but at the rate they are getting ripped off and stolen around here is getting rediculous

 

[vicious-s]

i've always liked hondas, despite their "wrong" wheel drive. they're incredibly cheap, parts are everywhere, and most of all, they're LIGHT!

but i haven't gotten one because of the theft rate. i just started working part time at a gas station again, and i see at least two different hondas (civics or integras) a week that some shady fellow is driving, using a screwdriver for a key.

 

[Caldera]

eddie at Adrenaline is trying to sell his right now... 99 (i believe) EK hatch, black with:

B18C, Supercharged w/hiboost kit, GSR head, ITR LSD'd trans, spherical'ed everything in the suspension, Teins with remote resevoirs, the works.

Take it off his hands. There's more info, but just ask him for the details. It's scaryfast, but fun. FWD isn't nearly the defecit in that car that it is in others. I had a BLAST with it at Thunderhill.

 

[RichQY]

eddie at Adrenaline is trying to sell his right now... 99 (i believe) EK hatch, black with:

B18C, Supercharged w/hiboost kit, GSR head, ITR LSD'd trans, spherical'ed everything in the suspension, Teins with remote resevoirs, the works.

Take it off his hands. There's more info, but just ask him for the details. It's scaryfast, but fun. FWD isn't nearly the defecit in that car that it is in others. I had a BLAST with it at Thunderhill.

Thanks for the info, I 'm leaning more towards N/A and CHEAP!

 

[LUV2TURN]

I don't think you can say Honda's are "cheap" per say, but definitely tempting. Early this year I actually almost traded my Miata for a 93 hatch with GSR engine/suspension/brakes

The Miata handles crazy good, but it is stupid slow, and honestly, I think the Miata engines, both 1.6L and 1.8L suck.

 

[brian]

i loved my 96 integra but it wasnt nearly as fun to drive as my miata. it had tein ss c/o's, tanabe strut tower bars and under braces, skunk2 camber kit and an autopowr 4point rollbar . so it was tight and handled. the main thing that ruined it was the paranoia of it possibly getting jacked especially after scaring off a couple dudes once at 2 in the am. one week 3 of my aquaintances had their cars jacked. great car but the honda crowd sucks and will jack you!

 

[ExHondaMan]

You can get a high-mileage EG for as little as $2000 or an EF CRX/Civic for even less, but the swaps itself are not cheap. Depending on the swap and engine, the custom engine mounts cost at least $400. And then depending on the swap and chassis, you might need a different wiring harness and/or ecu. It's a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing or who to ask. The best way is to buy a complete hybrid car. Sure, there's little pride in buying a hybrid car you didn't work on, but you'll be crying all the way to the bank.


If you want to read up on hybrids, peep the old hybrids archives at http://hybrid2.honda-perf.org/ There's some good reference articles on there. And if you want to learn more join the other darkside at the http://hybrids.jp forums. Lots of O.G hybrid members that made honda swaps popular still post on there (I post as Tam) today. The knowledge is unbelievable.

And here was my beloved crx http://hybrid2.honda-perf.org/people/tam/crx/tam.html

 

[Closedkid]

yeah same here. i've always loved the raw power of the N/A swapped civics but the only reason i never got one is because of the high theft rate here. oh well at least my Miata takes lead in the twisties =D

 

[ExHondaMan]

My CRX was waaaay faster at the track and through the twisties. They were both fun but required different driving styles/techniques.

 

[smog7]

ive always loved the design of the eg hatch.. ill probably end up getting one in the future.

 

[Bryan]

ive always loved the design of the eg hatch.. ill probably end up getting one in the future.

Kinda sucks around here. If they're not already modded (and badly for the most part), they're rusty and neglected...

 

[RichQY]

You can get a high-mileage EG for as little as $2000 or an EF CRX/Civic for even less, but the swaps itself are not cheap. Depending on the swap and engine, the custom engine mounts cost at least $400. And then depending on the swap and chassis, you might need a different wiring harness and/or ecu. It's a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing or who to ask. The best way is to buy a complete hybrid car. Sure, there's little pride in buying a hybrid car you didn't work on, but you'll be crying all the way to the bank.


If you want to read up on hybrids, peep the old hybrids archives at http://hybrid2.honda-perf.org/ There's some good reference articles on there. And if you want to learn more join the other darkside at the http://hybrids.jp forums. Lots of O.G hybrid members that made honda swaps popular still post on there (I post as Tam) today. The knowledge is unbelievable.

And here was my beloved crx http://hybrid2.honda-perf.org/people/tam/crx/tam.html

Thanks!! i will do some research there before I do anything.


When you guys claim afraid of being Jacked. do you park outside? or when you go out.. I am planning to keep this car garaged... and leave the miata out.

 

[RichQY]

this is from Ex-honda Man's site..

my favorite write up period!!!


"In an attempt for more road race-comfort and to impress the local underaged-girls at the junior highschools and highschools he frequents...Tam's CRX is equipped with the following..

Sparco steering wheel
Sparco aluminum pedals for the heel-toe dorifto into the curb-o action
Autometer shift light
short shift kit
black Spoon Sports shift knobby
many missing parts
a passenger-side mounted 'OH ****' brake pedal (I've put this to good use while riding with Tam)
miscellaneous Tam-stains..."

 

[roadstar_soul]

You just missed it. I sold my GSR powered 96 civic hatchback just 2 weeks ago. Very great cars, reliable too!

I really hated the theft factor though. I was really paranoid of my car getting stolen, because it was broken into and the radio stolen, and then some chump tried putting a screwdriver to my keyhole in the same week.