Civics are Integras are based off basically the same chassis. Thats why integra swaps are so common in lesser powered civics. However for your accord I would not recommend an integra motor swap. There is however a very good swap I would recommend. A Prelude motor swap makes the best sense. Preludes and Accords share the same ties that Civics share with Integras. The H22A dropout from the prelude is the easiest swap that you can do with your accord. The h22a factory usdm come with 200hp and 161tq on a factory 2.2L dohc vtec 4 cylinder. There are exhaust systems that don’t sound like lawnmowers. I would recommend Apex-i, HKS, Greddy, Tanabe for your car granted they have an application to fit your particular model accord. Do not go with the cheap universal bolt on muffler systems. Do a complete catback exhaust system. The lawnmower sounding exhaust systems annoy the hell out of me as well. Look to spend about 600-700 dollars, but I assure you it is well worth it. I have a Tanabe Racing Medallion catback system that I spent 700 dollars on and I don’t regret it at all. You get what you pay for. If you don’t want to do a swap then tell me what motor you have in your accord.
jdmskyline- Welcome to the boards… look around, and I’d be willing to bet that you find more than this thread that would interest you. However, please try to keep the fire and brimstone to a minimum. It can get you in trouble here to talk about illegal things, such as running from the cops… and it’s not advisable anyways. Most of the people I see who talk about it are lying, and those that aren’t will advise against it… they know you can’t outrun the chopper.
That being said, you and several others here are trying to dredge up the stupid Import v. Domestic arguement. Like I’ve said, take it to the Pit, there’s a thread there for it. Cars is cars.
Scylla- Consider yourself smacked over the head with a nitrous bottle.
gonzalo- While it is true that the earlier versions of the Civic were for ladies, the newer generations have been getting better each time (at least in theory… I know lots of people that hate the newest version). Suspension is everything, and the Honda engineers knew that the target audience had shifted to young street racers… hence, a better suspension. As for racing FWD… well, to each their own. As a general rule, we usually end up racing each other rather than FWD cars, and in drag racing, the turning doesn’t matter much…
As for your tuned Crown Vic vs. tuned Civic, I would like you to define tuned. My roomies Civic beat another Boxster the other day on the freeway… not smart, but the Porsche owner pushed it… thanksfully it was 2:30 am. I still yelled at him when he got home though… street racing for ANYONE, ANYTIME, is foolish.
Doctordec- I am well aware of what a trade imbalance is. However, as I’m not Prime Minister of Japan, I can’t fix the unfair trade rules that they impose on the US. While I buy American in most things that I can, I happen to like the Japanese cars. And, as I said, since the odds are good that it was built here in the US, I’m still doing my small part.
Grelby-engine swaps are quite reliable, if done right. What year Civic are you talking about?
Tony- I am interested in all aspects, though primarily drag racing such as the IDRA (which has changed, but I can’t remember the new name… ). As for stressed vs. non stressed, if we’re talking about the same thing, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a stressed engine mount car. However, while I think it would be good, for a daily driver I just don’t know. My other roomie (I have 5) swapped out his stock engine mounts for Eurethane bushings… it helped him get more power into his launch, but the noise level inside went up quite a bit.
racekarl- I love the looks of German cars. That being said, I would disagree with you on the statement of “better quality”. Having looked around, I tend to think of them as on par with each other. The problem is, to get the REALLY nice Japanese stuff, you have to pay much more to import it.
Frank#2 and others- Yeah, there is a regular problem with people putting on parts that counter-act each other, or putting the wrong parts on for their application. However, the people who are putting out the really good times, and the people who are “in it to win it”, as my friends say, research before they buy ANYTHING.
As for exhaust tips… exhaust tips are silly. If you need better flow, you should research and get the full exhaust in the proper diameter for your application. The stock exhaust is more restrictive to comply with smog laws and such, and you can usually free up a couple o’ horses with a better exahust and an intake. Intakes… well, I thought you would be right, that it wouldn’t make any difference, but the fact is it’s a matter of breathing better, not just colder. Short rams get better flow.
KKKbatousi-jdmskyline covered the accord information pretty well. As for the Nissan, well, the drivetrain is stout as hell… but the engines have been detuned, or completely changed in that last generation. The old SR20D engines used to be able to handle a lot of tuning… strong, and reliable. Now… we’ll have to see.
Sorry I took so long. They changed my days off, and this thread pretty much exploded while I was gone. Keep 'em coming, hopefully we’re fighting ignorance here and educating some folks.
For those interested in the minute specifics of Honda and Acura, there is another forum dedicated solely to tasteful (not ricey) modifications. Not surprisingly it is Honda-Acura.Net
Oh I know. I left my experience out of my previous post so I wouldn’t be taken as a “hater”. I’ve been drag racing (at the track) for about 2 years now. My current (and only race car) is my Mustang with a puny V-6 engine. I did however just recently get in Muscle Musangs & Fast Fords (A scanned copy of the page)
I have many questions about what some of the import enthusiasts do, but it mostly comes down to a difference in taste. Tristan, hopefully we can have more adult conversations about cars in the future. It’s nice when mature people can talk about mutual interests.
Frank#2- I agree completely, but in this arena it seems to be a rare thing. I’m more than happy to try to answer any questions that come my way… that’s why I started this thread.
Your car looks clean… something we (I mean my club in that…) always appreciate. I’m curious as to the tires you’re using, and if you’re spinning through first. My roomie had that problem that last time he went to the track. Now that he’s boosted, we’re still working on tuning (10 hours of dyno time and counting… stupid Sacramento) but once that’s done, we’re hoping for 220-240.
When you deal with other Import folks on the road or on the track, how do they treat you? We try to give respect where respect is due, but when we get flipped off by the guy we beat, it’s never a happy feeling.
Thanks for the compliments. The tires I had were the stock 15"s with 26"x10.5" e/t streets. No spinning, good traction (probably too much tire for my car). I have since got a set of Weld Draglite XPs and they look waaaaaay better.
I don’t like to street race, too dangerous for me. The few times I have I give a congrats to the other driver, win or lose.
I normally ignore imports when I’m on the road. Many times I don’t like what they have done but I keep that to myself. I don’t see the point in putting someone down because of their car. It’s only a car.
I treat people with respect until they show they don’t deserve it.
Heh, Tristan, you guys have to be sure you are really beating them. When I had my Audi (A6 2.7T) I was often a victim of (excuse the slang) the “ricer fly-by”.
The A6 even in stock form could handily dust off most tuned imports. I don’t like street racing at all, but sometimes a kid would see that my car was lowered etc. and try to goad me into teaching him a lesson. The Audi would put them behind up until I felt like I had made my point. I’d shut it down, and then 2 seconds later the kid would go whizzing by at an absurd speed, then turn on the flashers as if he’d just beat me…
Oh, please. The domestic/import debate ceased to be a black & white issue at least 25 years ago. Remember those VW Rabbits with rectangular headlights? Made in the USA (Kentucky, IIRC). '84 Chevy Nova? Based on the Toyota Corolla. The Ford Focus? Originated in Great Britain.
racekarl- Oh, I am aware of that. It’s happened to us a few times… you know, the stock accord, with the aluminum wing and a really crappy sound system that revs on you at the light, then guns it, and grins and does the happy dance because he “got a good kill”? Yeah, we know all about those.
Best feeling in the world is pulling up next to one of those at the track later that day. Has happened to one of ours a few times.
You know, I thought there would be more questions. Either 1- Folks don’t care or 2- I (and others) answered everything or 3- People are just assuming that I’m a ricer and aren’t coming in.
I’m sort of disappointed.
Well don’t feel bad Tristan. It’s probably that many people read the subject and thought the post would be full of stuff like what jdmskyline wrote. Your OP was reasonable and set a tone to intentionally keep the discussion informative.
Based on what went on in the pit around this subject, I think a lot of people may just have been spoiling for a fight amd sort of wandered off when they realized they weren’t going to get it.
I have skipped reading this thread because nothing in the riceburner/riceboy/riceracer movement interests me in the least little bit. Anyone with a late model Honda/Acura and a few spare bucks can play the riceracer game. There are so many on the roads around where I live they are like assholes, everyone has one. But I digress, that was not the intent of my post in this thread. But something happened yesterday and this thread seems like a good place to tell what happened.
I have been off work the past few days do to a nasty viral infection. Yesterday afternoon I had another doctors appointment and decided to take my 66 GTO, the weather in the Seattle area has been bright and sunny all week and the GTO hasn’t been driven in about a month. I was stopped at a red light, the first car in the left hand lane of 2 lanes heading eastbound. In the right lane, a white Honda/Acura with full spoiler kit, high mounted spoiler, and coffee can muffler stopped next to me. What makes this interesting is that the 2 eastbound lanes become one lane about a quarter mile from the signal light. Riceboy, thinking he is real cool, raced his engine a couple of times. I put my car in neutral and gave him 389 cubic inches of American muscle back.
The light turned green and the sounds of a racing engine and gnashing gears interrupted the normal traffic noises. Riceboy takes off, smoking his left front tire for a short distance and quickly pulled away from me. I left the light in my usual geezerlike fashion, I suckered another Ricer into a non existant race. Riceboy went out of sight over a hill and I figured I wouldn’t see him again. About 5 miles later I came over a rise and saw that one of King County’s finest has stopped a paying customer. Yep, Riceboy was caught going a little to fast. As I drove past, I saw him point at my car like it was going to help. All I could do was smile and wave back at him. I shouldn’t enjoy doing that but I really do.
So… anyone caught 2 Fast 2 Furious yet?