Sleepy K20-Swapped Civic Cranks out 800 Horsepower
Few would ever see this Civic and guess the level of insanity going on under its shiny hood.
Looks Can Be Deceiving
There was a time when cars like this 2000 Honda Civic were everywhere, and they're still a very common sight on the roads today, a couple of decades later. This particular example, which was recently featured over at Super Street, just looks like a very nice, very clean, mildly modified car from the outside. But there's so, so much more going on underneath that shiny skin.
Photos: Super Street
Super Clean
Sure, this Civic is incredibly clean on the outside, with a nice set of Volk Racing TE37 wheels, J's Racing front fenders, Spoon side mirrors, and calipers, and JDM headlights and side moldings. The whole thing is covered in a gorgeous NSX color dubbed Midnight Purple Pearl. The only real clues here as to what's going on under the hood are the race diffuser and cutout for the turbo inlet pipe.
Photos: Super Street
>>Join the conversation on this K-swapped Civic right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Back It Up
As nice as this Civic is on the outside, it's inside the engine bay where it really shines. There you'll find an equally sanitary K20 resting in what's also a show-quality environment. But make no mistake - this is not one of those show cars that doesn't have the parts to back up its looks. In fact, the swapped mill pumps out 800 horsepower and has propelled this Civic to a 10-second quarter-mile pass already.
Photos: Super Street
>>Join the conversation on this K-swapped Civic right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Keep It Simple
"When I started the turbo build, it was to push it to the limit, like I always like to do, and have a 10-second streetcar," said the Civic's owner, Mike Andrada. "I didn't set a specific horsepower number but I knew I had to go with something that has been proven countless times. Key components are the Darton-sleeved K20 block, Manley Turbo Tuff rods, Traum forged pistons, and Precision 6270 turbo. Incorporating sufficient supporting components got me 742hp to the wheels and 465 ft-lb of torque at 35psi. My current best at the track is a 10.8 at 137mph with the full interior in the car. I think keeping it simple is the key and just like my friend Kevin at SpeedFactory said, let the turbo do the work."
Photos: Super Street
>>Join the conversation on this K-swapped Civic right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
All About The Details
Clearly, this build is all about attention to detail as well - it's no clapped-out racer. Just take Andrada's favorite little thing on the car as an example. "I get asked a lot about my turbo manifold I built and why I didn't go with the traditional sidewinder turbo manifold for this engine. My mentality has always been that I will not sacrifice function over aesthetics when it comes to the that type of component. K-series are notorious for boost creep and the only way I was going to alleviate that is to build a top mount wastegate priority manifold even though it is buried under that nice shiny turbo. It's always overlooked but it plays a big role keeping the engine together."
Photos: Super Street
>>Join the conversation on this K-swapped Civic right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Less Is More
As far as styling goes, Andrada admits that he's a fan of the OEM+ look, and loves that his car doesn't even pack a ton of gauges all over the dash and other things you'd typically find on most cars of this caliber. "I have always loved simple and clean builds. In my eyes, if it doesn't need to be on there, I don't use it. Less is more to me, but has the essentials. My favorite thing is when a domestic car sees me on the road not expecting to get gapped by a Honda. Always puts a big grin on my face."
Photos: Super Street
>>Join the conversation on this K-swapped Civic right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!
Smile Maker
Andrada has owned this Civic since he was the ripe age of 22, so you can bet that it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And though it's gone through many changes over the years, he's obviously going to leave it in its current state and simply drive and enjoy it. And who can blame him? Surprising people at stoplights in a car this mild in appearance is something that'll never fail to put a smile on his face.
Photos: Super Street
>>Join the conversation on this K-swapped Civic right here in the Honda-Tech Forum!