well, heres the deal, whatever i do, i want a b18 (not sure which one yet). if i get the civic, ill have to do a swap, if i start with the integra, i can shoot right for the turbo setup. heck, i dont know, i guess ill just see what you guys have to say, i appreciate the feedback :thumbup:

also, are the nonvtec b18's a better platform for turbo?

 

yes the 18b1 now vtec is a great starting place for turbos do to its lower compresion.. alot of people say that a GSR is always better, thats just because the GSR is the most popular motor, one day you will all see LS owns you hehe:fawk:

 

Someone tell me how an LS is better. Bolt the same turbo onto an LS and GSR, set the boost controller to 8 psi and get the fuel straight on both cars. The GSR makes more power and neither one blows up. You want to run a lot of boost in either car and it's time to upgrade to forged pistons which means the stock CR of the GSR becomes a non-issue.

Anyway back to the original topic, how's the car going to be set up? Gutted with a 1-piece seat with a cage? Street legal?

You can find a '92-'95 CX hatch for like mad cheap, probably 2 grand tops. With the other 8 grand you can pay for a swap, big brakes, suspension goodies and a decent supply of Hoosiers. Ligher is better, screw wheelbase or weight distribution. Hatches are 500 to 600 pounds lighter than Integras. Who cares if they're nose heavy, there's so little weight that you can manage weight transfer fine with suspension adjustments. This is especially true for road racing where the corners are generally faster and smoother than in autocross.

 

it will most likely be gutted, probably just keep a passenger seat, it doesnt need to be street legal as i have my daily driver. i will not be autocrossing what-so-ever.

 

I'd go with a hatch. You can get an Integra down to around 2300 lbs if you try really hard. If you rip a bunch of weight out of the hatch and slap a B-series in there you'll still be at around 2100 lbs tops.

 

w0rd

Losing weight is much easier than trying to harness power in a front-wheel drive.

Shingo

 

Even though I say the Civic is better, since you're going to get a b18b engine anyway you might as well go for the integra. You're limited to $10000, and an engine swap is not cheap, unless you're willing to do it all yourself. That is not something you can learn on the go very easily. If you bought the Civic you'd end up buying 2 engines. I mean, how easy is it to sell off you Civic engine once you get the b18b in there? Didn't someone mention that turbo isn't great in autocross since you don't have time for it to spool up?

A no-tec is easier to boost, but, if you're good at it any vtec engine will give you more power in the end.

 

LS swaps can be had for $1500 complete......or better yet, go b20 and have more torque. Here'd be a good setup for all motor....

Rolling shell hatch - $3000 (high)
B20VTEC - fully built - $5000
Suspension & brakes - $2k to start

 

Once again he's not going to be autocrossing, he's going to be road racing. Setups for the two are very different because the courses you drive on are very different, it's that simple. Secondly, labor on a swap without taking apart the motor and messing with the insides will usually top out at $1000. Couple that with the fact that in a hatch you don't have to deal with the power steering, ABS, etc and it's relatively simple. I figre to accquire a hatch and have a B18C swapped in will run you about 6 grand. It's pretty tough to find a GSR with a solid motor for 6 grand. With either car you still need to deal with the chassis preparation and the associated costs will be about the same.

 

how much heavier are the b20's? dont they 'lean' the oposite direction as the b18? as in, the way their weight is transfered? its already going to be front heavy with the b18