Tagged along for a ride in my friend's fully-loaded K24 powered Civic EG hatchback with dog-box transmission & it left a very profound impression on me ~ one that leaves a big grin on my face (thrill-factor) & sweaty palms (scare-factor)...
Here's a shot clip of the thrill ride ~ on a casual cruise with gradual acceleration; & only running on road tires... insanely fast & pretty damn scary if u ask me! This is how 280+ naturally aspirated wheel-horses gone beserk on the tarmac feels like! Definitely one of the fastest car point-to-point, if rode in... this monster's got serious supercar slaying potential =D
In my 5 years of ownership of this little sedan, she has had her fair share of adventures in the quest for more power; from a simple B16A transplant just a day after getting her keys (she was originally a single-cam non-VTEC), picking up basic bolt-on upgrades along the way, to a loaded & extensively modified NA machine she is today. It has taken 3 dyno sessions to get the settings & tuning dialled in, with progressive improvements. Essentially, she's still retains her 1.6 litre naturally aspirated heart, with extensive work done on the engine head, the engine block receiving some beefing up to handle the power, & a transmission swap to the rare & highly coveted 98' ITR gearbox with LSD & a 4.785 final drive to exploit the increased capacity of the powerband.
The final output on the dyno reads 168.12whp & 147nm, which translates to 205.5bhp & 179.3nm at the crank(considering 18% transmission loss, which is typical for B-series engines). A stock B16A is rated to make 170bhp at the crank, & typically 120+ to 130whp. While the figures may not be much to shout about, if you put it in the same league with high performance cars like EVOs, STis or 350Zs; to put things into perspective, 168.12whp from a 1.6 litre NA engine ~ that's already an output of more than 100 wheel-horsepower per litre! 105.1 whp per litre to be exact, achieved without resorting to turbocharging or supercharging. Admittedly, that's a consolation for me, for not breaching 200whp mark which I earlier thought was easily achievable (not unless I stroke it to 2 litres *will discuss about it another time*). Power figures aside, it's the driving impression that will matter most, at the end of the day. In terms of response & power delivery, it's very swift, extremely smooth & linear all the way to the redline (as evidenced in the last dyno chart); to the extent that the 'VTEC kick' typically felt during the VTEC transition could no longer be felt or heard as distinctly. Such is the characteristics of the most aggressive camshaft design from Skunk2, the Pro Series Stage 3 bumpsticks. *It takes a little used to (without the VTEC signature loud bark), to start appreciating how much faster it is from point to point*. To sum it up, the car pulls much harder now, with significant gains & useable power throughout the rev range, especially from mid range all the way to the redline. The real fun starts from 7,300rpm onwards ~ watch the needle sweep across to the limit in one fluid motion =D The torque band feels pretty broad & easily accesible from as low as past 2,300rpm, making hard launches prone to wheelspin, but the forward motion & traction is effectively remedied by the LSD & the thicker profile rubbers in using.
0 - 100km/h? With this setup, I reckon it should be in the mid, to low 6 secs *if i don't get sucky on my shifting Quarter mile? Yet to try, I'd be very happy to be able to run 14 second-ish passes It just takes a spirited drive out in the open roads to put a grin on my face. Quoted "there isn't much out there that will beat the thrill of a high strung, naturally aspirated engine, angrily & furiously screaming its way up to 9,000rpm" ~ I can't agree more... =) It feels much faster in the open roads, pulling easily across at century speeds (80km/h - 160km/h), and acceleration is ample even at high gears (got to love the close-ratio gears & high final drive). Though it may not be a blistering straight line performer (by tuned car's standard), I believe it's got enough to hold its own against higher spec-ced performance cars out on the open roads ~ "may not be able to beat, but won't go down easily either". Though, she still needs a little more upgrade in the handling department. Now, I'm fairly contented with the new found power she's making, still getting accustomed to driving her effectively to exploit the finer points of her potential =)
I try to keep the exterior & visible interior stock, simple & clean coz 'less is more' & to avoid unwanted attention. It's already enough having a bloody loud exhaust system. I had to cap it with a silencer to keep the noise levels within acceptable levels, & so that my neighbors don't hate me, at the expense of a few horses & a bit of fuel consumption due to back pressure from the restrictive silencer outlet -_-"
Measured fuel consumption now is 7.54 kms/litre, down from a fairly efficient 10.9 kms/litre before the extensive upgrade. So Project Civic is now officially a fuel guzzler that takes in premium 97-octane or higher fuel only (high-compression-engine friendly).
You got to be hardcore to be driving Project Civic on a daily basis. With the level of mods, she's a car that begs to be driven hard & fast. More effort & coaxing is required to drive her in a civilized manner (already detuned, with emphasis on favorable daily driving, rather than all-out track days), to blend in with the masses & keep under the radar of the men in blue. Yes, she's definitely a bitch to drive, in heavy traffic... xp
Project Civic ~ that's a true driver's car, for me =)
It's been a long while since i last been to Sunday Club ~ sort of like a local track day of all sorts (anything that runs on an engine & can be raced =p); came across some interesting video clips of it on Youtube...
I see some very familiar rides... ^_* these guys are fast!
Battle of the VTECs! ~ check out WTF!! moment at 1.22 that was one amusing close call xp
Action from inside the cockpit of an EG6 ~ i have always loved the way a track car sounded & handled *sweeet!*
This is what a 200whp All-Motor 1.6L sounds like ~ also what i aspire to realistically achieve with my Project Civic *soon; 200 naturally aspirated horses, at the flywheel, at least - to hit that magical output of 125hp per litre from a high revving potent little engine =)
Had a chance to take a joyride in the highly coveted latest Civic Type-R a.k.a FD2R, courtesy of a friend of mine; this is one fine breed of a street / race machine straight off the factory ~ powered by the potent tuned K20A1, race prepped chassis, fine-tuned handling, close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission, significant reduction in weight compared to the base model, aero-effect parts, a set of light weight forged rims & rubber slicks ~ all in stock trim. But as with any true tuning enthusiast, stock is never good enough, since there is always more performance potential to be realized, even from a legendary R-breed. This particular example is anything but stock; she has been graciously endowed with quite a bit of bolt-on go-fast bits from reknowned brand names that would make any motorheads drool over. Modification list includes a full intake & exhaust system upgrade (J’s racing titanium muffler rocks big time!), oversized pistons?, Ogura racing clutch, 18” Mugen GP forged rims + Toyo 888 slicks, Hondata K-Pro ECU, electronic throttle controller, a host of Defi gauges & an ultra cool (& expansive) Gtech-Pro EGS (Expandable Gauge System) ~ basically a multi-display meter with in-built self-contained data logger that can be easily configured to tap into existing engine sensors to capture multiple engine parameters in real-time driving condition and then be played back to facilitate DIY fine-tuning of the K-Pro plug-n-play programmable ECU. Oh yea, did i mention he’s got the Sabelt 4-point harness installed on the bucket seats as well. I’ve yet to see another brand new 200K FD2R done up to this extent, in Kuching... This baby really runs, handles & sounds like a focussed track car; it’s f*cking loud! Even with the reasonably well insulated cabin of newer cars of such stature, it’s still deafening inside the cabin with the windows all rolled up when this baby runs on all cylinders with the VTEC orchestra on full song all the way to the redline! The handling of the stock suspension & brakes are pretty impressive, *i likey* though may be a tad too stiff for some. According to the owner, it’s nothing to shout about, just yet; he’s commission another race-built K20A engine with K24 block in progress.... now that’s going to be a monster engine once it’s complete!
This is his other race-built engine; of the B-series which i could relate to better, coz afterall i’m running a similar B16A currently. It’s a B16 / B20 hybrid stroked to 2.2L with *if i can recall correctly* Skunk2 Pro Stage 3 cams + valves + valve train, Toda adjustable cam gears, S2 Pro series intake manifold, Super90 70mm throttle body, ported & polished head, forged JE pistons, balanced crankshaft with ACL race bearings, lightened flywheels, upgraded fuel line & injectors, manual transmission with LSD + 3,4,5 Kaaz gear ratios, running on Hondata S300 ECU & the long list goes on & on...
Not sure how much horsepower this monster engine makes, but the rough estimate in the region of 250 to 300 horses at the flywheel sounds reasonable conservative. On the quartermile run this engine had easily recorded a 12 second-ish mark on a 800 ++ kg stripped out 2nd generation Prelude engine on bald tires... That’s awesomely fast for an NA car. I wonder how it’ll perform if i were to plunk this monster engine into my car.... =D
And then there’s also my mate’s auto EG9 B16/B20 hybrid. Though on different league compared to the earlier purpose-built race machines, due to the nature of the modification levels, this light-tune hybrid powered ride of my friend is also a force to reckon... Still retaining the stock head mated with the stock auto slush box with only the block modification, this ride can also pull hard all the way to the redline; it’s got tons of torque at the low end coz of the increased engine capacity, good for a strong launch. Pitting it against my mildly modded 1.6l, i think i’m going to have problems outrunning his car despite my gear ratio advantage. When it comes to making horsepower, there is no replacement for displacement (cc); or you can cheat by turbocharging or supercharging the engine... For the tuning path for NA B-series, B16/B20 combos are the way to go; people keep telling me i’d be wasting $$ putting more modifications into the torqueless B16 engine. Somehow, i’m stubbornly insisting on realizing 200-horses from my tiny NA 1.6L 4-cylinder screamer. Will see how it’s going to turn out to be in the near future. =)
Here’s a testament to why the days of the puny B16 ain’t over yet. I’ve posted this video before; just can’t get enough of the noise of VTECs on steroids!
FD2R Vs B20 EK9 Vs B16A EG6 ~ 3 generation of Civics worthy of the legendary 'R' badge battling it out on a trackday in Sepang. This is VTEC battle at its best! Viewed from the cockpit of a superbly fast built B16A EG6 ~ it even gave the much superior all new FD2 Civic Type-R a run for its money! I dream of indulging in trackdays like these, after having 1st hand experience riding shotgun in my own ride in a similar autocross event. It's addictive! Though my ride is still far from being track worhty ~ there are still various aspects to be addressed ~ cooling, handling & braking...
Sunday, July 29, 2007
CivicType R
The Type R models were first conceived for racetracks ~ street-legal performance oriented driving machines equipped with tuned potent VTEC engines, refined suspension setups, close-ratio manual gearbox & extensive weight reduction. Creme' of the crop of the Civic models, the Civic Type R is arguably the most famous of the Type R breed, having attained a cult status worldwide; one hot hatch any petrolheads like me can definitely identify with. EG6 SiR2 ('92 - '96) Engine: B16A2 DOHC VTEC (1.6L) Output: 170ps @ 7800rpm, 16.0kg-m @ 7300rpm Redline: 8200rpm The closest you can get to a Type R before the first official CTR model rolled out. The current powerplant i'm running in my ride. Costed me an arm & a leg. Good enough to clock a 7s flat 0-100km/h run. Also good waking up the neighbourhood when tearing down the lorong & engaging the VTEC at full throttle.
EK9 ~ 1st Gen. CTR ('96 - '99) Engine: B16B DOHC VTEC (1.6L) Output: 185ps @ 8200rpm, 16.3kg-m @ 7600rpm Redline: 9000rpm This has always been my dream ride. The best looking CTRs to date. The B16B power plant boasted the highest output per litre all time for an NA engine at 185ps from a compact 1.6L engine; which is greater than that of a Ferrari Modena 360! Probably the reason why a B16B complete halfcut costs as much as a 2nd hand kancil.
EP3 ~ 2nd Gen. CTR ('01 - onwards) Engine: K20A DOHC i-VTEC (2.0L) Output: 215ps @ ?? rpm Redline: 9000rpm? The least popular of the CTRs, probably the ugliest looking of them all, though it still remains a solid performer. I call it the fat ballerina. This is 1st CTR to get it's powerplant boosted to 2.0L & uses the more refined & powerful but less exciting i-VTEC. Also gets a 6-speed manual tranny.
* Have always loved the hatchback version ~ shorter wheelbase=sharper turn-in + quicker response, weights less = no better tuning than weight reduction, plus hot hatches = chick magnet; Damn, i should have gotten a hatchback...
FD2 ~ 3rd Gen. CTR ('07 onwards) Engine: K20A3 DOHC i-VTEC (2.0L) Output: 225ps @ 8000rpm, 22.0kg-m @ 6100rpm Redline: 9000rpm?? Transmission: close-ratio 6-speed manual Another 1st (CTR) to use a 4-door sedan chassis but still performs impressively. Definitely a looker & gives Civic enthusiast all over something to be excited & shout about. At least now they have a real alternative; most of the lesser run-of-the-mill FD Civics running around have non-performance oriented engines & lame auto-trannies fitted. Handsome & dashing on the outside but nothing under the hood.
The 2007 Civic Type R comes to save the day, but expect a very hefty price tag attached. Got a Type R?
Saturday, April 28, 2007
This is going to be yet another costly visit to the ‘engine surgeon’. What initially seemed like a drive shaft agitation problem is turning out to be some bigger shit. A quick jack-up check confirms the worst of fears; it’s coming from the gearbox – bearing problems of some sort on the final drive gear or worse, damaged gearbox housing. Fuck the gearbox. I’ve had some pricey lesson on gearbox before; not due to gear mis-shifts at high rpm run causing the gearbox to go kaboom, but rather some screwed-up job during the initial engine transplant. Sourcing for a B-series manual transmission gearbox in immaculate condition can be nightmarishly difficult; being highly sought after & ricer boys keep busting them.
My ride, well she’s getting old; her maintenance costs can run me up the wall at times, but for most of the time she’s quite well behaved. Still handles sweet, roars like a lion & runs like a race horse when I ‘feel’ it. She’d be going under the knife soon; it's going to be nothing short of a gearbox overhaul ~ i’ll definitely be missing my daily dose of VTEC fix.
