HCF Project Section - Hybrid HX

After looking at all of the cars on this forum for a couple of months, this weekend I started on my project.

Take my 1999 HX and turn it into a fun driver that looks deceivingly ordinary but is anything but.

Plans are as follow:
Engine swap - B18C5 with transmission and full exhaust (some extras in the swap: suppercharger, upgraded ignition system, Toda header)
15" SI wheels
Rear disc brake conversion
Suspension - KSport coilovers, LCA, and other small items to give it better handling and to drop it a little
Appearance - SI grille and front lip maybe an SI spoiler (I'm not sure about the spoiler yet) and paint
Other items - I'm sure something will come up



Here are some starting pictures and as upgrades are made I will add more pictures and information.

Started pulling the engine and transmission this weekend to make room for the B18C5 out of an Integra Type R. Installed the first new (to me) part. B&M short throw shifter. Waiting on motor mounts now. We will pull the engine and cleanup the bay before they get here.

My new SI rims came in as well and they are going to have some Nitto Neo Gen tires (205/50/15) installed today. Pictures to follow.

Nice choice on tires. Where did you get the motor from, thats a pricey swap?

There are two Integra Type Rs in town and the one I got cam from a guy that want to do a K20 swap in his car. So I got his engine for a good price, especially considering all of the parts that came with it. The only thing I am buying is a set of motor mounts everything else is coming from the Integra. Including the Toda header and other nice parts.

I am already loving this thread, subscribed.

loving this thread as well. post lots of pics and keep us updated. this hx is going to be a beast when its all set and done. btw, any plans to paint the black moldings? man you should get some CTR headlights. when this is all done i'm sure we can swap hx's and you can work on another one. lol

I will keep posting pics. Right now I am on hold because of the motor mounts. They should be here by the end of the week. If it quits raining I am hoping to get some pictures of the new wheels and tires.

I have not decided about the trim pieces. I like the contrast between the silver and black but I quess we will have to wait and see. I think a lot of it will depend on how it looks with the grille and front lip.

sounds like its going to be a sick build

Couple of new pictures. Engine removed and the new tires on the new wheels. Hoping to get the motor mounts by this weekend so we can get the new engine in and start tuning it.

nice cant wait to see the new engine in there. how much did you happened to pick up the si wheels for? also i recommend you to pick up a set of wheel lock. they sell them at your local auto parts store or you can get some oem honda ones on ebay for about $20-$25, the dealer sells them for $50-$60

EDIT: Needs that drop fast!

I got the SI wheels from DCH Honda in California for $581. www.dchautomotiveparts.com/ pretty good group of people. You are correct, I will need to think about wheel locks and some other security measures now that I will have a Honda that has parts worth stealing. I have a line on a set of KSport coilovers but I am trying to get all of the rear disc brake conversion stuff together so I can do both at the same time. I don't want to have the suspension apart more than once.

oh right, i forgot you were doing the rear disc brake conversion. how's that coming along? does your civic have an alarm system already? if not i recommend a 2 way paging system from clifford or viper. you'll definitely need some good security components. maybe lojack?

Looks like you got a hold of one very clean Ej there.
For one this, that Ksport coilovers you have is a very nice set up, there are a ton of guys around here running them with the camber kit's.
And if anything, try to get the lojack, i had it on my 05 Si and loved it so much that i am getting it for my hatch.
Good luck with everything.

Well, the saga continues. Found out on Monday the place that I order my motor mounts from won't have them for three weeks. They send me a tracking number but it turned out to be bogus. Finally got in touch with them and I did get a full refund (that is the good news). Now I order better mounts from a different place (swapshopmotors.com). Seems like they have everything that you need to do all kinds of swaps and other accessories. Plus you can call them on phone.

So, motor mounts should be here by the weekend (fingers crossed). But in the mean time I am working on the rear disc brake conversion. I have most of the parts (waiting on LCAs and stainless steel brake lines). I am hoping that by the end of the weekend I will have more pictures and maybe a driveable car.

Started on the rear disc brake swap. Not finished yet but here are a couple of in progress pictures. Tomorrow finish pulling off the parts that will be replaced rotors and calipers. While they are off the trailing arms and calipers will be painted (black). Put on the new pads, some LCAs and replace the master cylinder and proportioning valve. Get the stainless brake lines and clutch lines put on.

Also, the post office has my motor mounts so the engine will be going in soon. Can't wait to get it back on the road and see how the new motor feels. I'll post more pictures later.

The rear disc conversion is finished. Painted the trailing arm assembly, added new rotors, new calipers and stainless steel braided lines. I am pretty happy with the outcome. Also, add some LCAs while I was at it. Here are some pictures.

Motor mounts arrived this morning so new motor will be going in the car soon. I will definitely need to do the coilovers soon or add a rear camber kit.

that is sexy. dropping yet? hows the engine coming along?

Just got the engine mounts in the car. I have to say those Innovative mounts looks very nice. This next week the new engine will go into the car. Had to order a rear camber kit because I didn't read the fine print on the LCAs :mad:. The LCAs that I installed are shorter then OEM and require a camber kit. I thought about just getting the KSport coilovers since they are adjustable for camber but just don't have the cash right now. Besides I want to get the car back on the road. I have to tell you I am skeptical about ordering stuff from eBay because of this project. I have had a few delays because of eBay sellers and their shipping. In the future I might just pay the extra money and buy from a regular store.

But I guess once the car is on the road and I have all that horsepower it won't matter.

The brakes are finished. I now have stainless steel lines all the way around. Installed the rear disc brake conversion which included an SI Master Cylinder, Proportion valve and emergency brake cable. Brakes bleed just fine since I was using a vacum pump. It makes projects a lot easier when youhave the correct tools. BTW if you live in the Knoxville area give me shout if you are wanting to do some work on your Honda. I can put you in touch with a great shop.

The engine is now in the car. Lacking an angle bracket for the rear motor/transmission mount. The Apexi WS 2 catback is on order and should be here by Wednesday. We ran into some problems with the wiring harness. The original from the Integra did not work with the Civic but thaks to some generous people I have a new wiring harness and the computer is hooked up. As soon as the angle braket is installed we should be able to finish up the engine hook up.

Except for a few minor delays (parts shipping) the project is coming along nicely.

Also, had a change of direction on my suspension setup. Instead of the KSport coilovers I think I am going to go with the Eibach Sport System Plus (this kit includes springs, shocks and rollbars). I need to get some more pictures and I will post them soon.

Fired up the new engine for the first time today :D. It is still missing the exhaust (Apexi WS 2) should be here tomorrow. I think by the end of the weekend it will be ready except for the rear camber kit. The camber kit is not due to arrive until Monday :(. Here are a couple of pictures.

thats a nice setup man

Thank you. I am pleased with the way it is coming together it is just taking longer than I expected.

Well, the exhaust did not show up today. Hopefully it will arrive on Monday. Need to get the exhaust on so we can do the final tune. But I received a special bonus today, a guy came into the shop wanting to sell a set of Tein springs (brand new in the box never opened). I bought the springs and put them on the car. It dropped the car about 1.5" front and back. Some pictures are attached (bad angle need to get better pictures). I should have gotten a side shot of the car but I was too busy admiring my handy work. Also, the car was switched over to OBD1. I don't have pictures but we installed a nice set of AEM gauges in the dash (boost and air/fuel mixture). I will need to get more pictures and put them up soon.

Here is a good side shot with the new springs on the car. I am pleased with the way it sits now. Opinions?

what springs are they, do you know? h-techs? but give it a week and it'll lower a tiny bit more, cant wait for more updates

Their tein but I am not sure exactly which ones. I got to drive it today for the first time and wow what a difference. With the new suspension, engine, transmission and brakes its a different car. Now I have to learn all about the car again, but it will be fun. Waiting for the boost gauge so we can do the final tune. It has a little bit of a flat spot around 20% throttle. I love the sound of the Apexi WS 2. It sounds stock until the super charger starts whining and then you can definitely tell this ain't your Daddies Civic.

All I can say is WoW what a difference. It was worth the wait.

looks good, nice little drop there. Are you on stock struts? I like how you got a sleeper look going on. Also if you painted the side skirts and side moldings I think it would look really good.

EDIT: Also just look at the engine bay, lookin good again, but man if you repainted that valve cover like a candy red or a glossy red i think it would look amazing

Yes, I am planning on painting it in the spring. I plan on painting all of the black molding the same color as the car. I was going for the sleeper look and I think I have achieved it. Not sure what I want to do with the engine bay/engine yet.

the superchargers dropped in already? post pics of engine please, might as well post up lots of pics of your civic as well. you definitely have one of the best HX's in this world.

Post #20 has a couple of pictures of the engine. Yes, the super charger is on. Need to figure out what I want to do with the intake. I founbd one at password jdm made out of carbon fiber that looks pretty nice. Here is a link any opinions or has anyone run this type of an intake? http://passwordjdm.com/PasswordJDM-Dry-Carbon-Fiber-PowerChamber-Intake-DC-94-01-Integra-GSR-P1917C334.aspx

its completely just for looks, the carbon fiber doesnt do anything. I love that intake on cars with wire tucks, looks so clean.

Well, I have been driving the car for a couple of days now and I still have not stopped smiling. This is definitely not the same car. The ride with the Tein springs is firm but not bone jarring. Because of all of the power the car just pulls around corners now. It still has a little body roll, so I think a sway bar in the back and a better sway bar in the front are in the future. The B&M shifter and stiff clutch took a little getting use to but I think I have the hang of it now. I will probably do some other minor cosmetic things (new grille, front upper strut brace, rear tie bar, hood dampers and fog lights) and that will be about it for now. In the spring time I am going to paint the car and then I will be finished. I am still thinking about a new intake since we just threw one on that was laying around the shop (Specture, I think it was an eBay special). If anyone has any recommendation please send them my way.

The project has been worth the time and effort. The only thing that I would have done different (looking back) is to have another car to drive during the project. I borrowed my mother in laws car about a week into the project which turned out to work well for both of us. She got her car washed and cleaned and I got transportation.

keep it a sleeper, keep it stock. lol

It is definitely a sleeper. After we did the springs and lcas I took it to a Firestone dealer to get an alignment. You should have seen the guy when he got in to put it on the rack. He even took some pictures with his phone so he could show it to his buddies.

Here is the new gauges that I got because of the supper charger.

so what #'s u putting down?

According to the dyno Max Power = 225.78 Max Torque = 160.1

Enough to make that HX body sprint......

im sure
but isnt 160 tq a lil low? jw

those numbers seems a bit low for a supercharged B18, but those are some sick looking gauges

I asked the guy to tune it very conservatively since it is my daily driver. He told me that it could go much higher but I wanted safe power :).