Converting to RWD is a LOT of fab time. I just did mine to rwd because I am a welder and fabricator. I have all the tools I need at my house. If your going to have a shop do it, your looking at $5,000-$15,000. Shops charge $50+ per hour of work. It really takes a long time to do this kind of work. Every piece has to be fabbed in, nothing just plug and plays. I personally made a tube chassis that the hatch shell dropped onto and bolted down to.

Your best bet in a civic is to keep FWD, and do a motor build/swap. You can find a 240SX for about $1500. Then you can throw a rb25 < 6 cyc turbo motor out of skyline > in for under 3k.

 

You're completely ignoring weight transfer on launch

Now, for everyday driving, yes, fwd tends to be more practical, especially when snow is involved. But when you're talking hard launches, the front will naturally lift, putting more weight on the back wheels, increasing traction. Now, also think FWD in performance/handling situations. The front wheels are both driving the car and turning. That means their traction is divided between two tasks during hard turns; it's easier to break traction. In a RWD car, the front wheels have one job: steering. That means you can add more throttle during turns without losing your ability to steer.

And don't get me started on the box analogy

 

My bad, i actually thought i put that in there.... But the only down side to that, is you do need to be in a "Hard launch" situation... and with doing this conversion on a civic... man... to get all of the Geometry correct if you built it yourself... It would be easier to find a ladder frame from another RWD car that fit inside the civics shell....

But no Reaper your totally right.

 

+1 Geometry was a bitch. Thats why I let my step-dads buddy do that part for me. =P Not goina lie, I refused to even try to understand or help with that. Math is NOT my strong point. =P

What your not thinking of is how hard a RWD converted civic can launch.

 

No problem, just wanted to make sure the pros/cons of either were made clear

But yeah, I can't imagine how hard it would be to get the suspension geometry right. Not to mention since the civic is built for fwd applications, I'm sure there'd be a little bracing involved to get rwd to work with no problems.

 

RWD is crap, it can't even handle in snow. Stay FWD or maybe go 4WD?

 

Yes, because understeer is so much better than oversteer. Have you actually driven a rwd car? I've personally driven FWD, AWD, 4WD (yes, there's a difference), and obviously RWD cars. FWD understeers in general, as does AWD/4WD. RWD cars are almost always neutral with a hint of understeer, but not enough to not be able to induce oversteer. In the snow, the understeer in FWD cars is extremely pronounced. In snow, RWD vehicles tend to have traction problems from a stop. If you know how to drive, this isn't a problem.

Also, since the OP lives in Texas, I don't think snow is a huge concern. Not that I think you know what you're talking about or actually spent the time to read the thread or anything.

Oh, and your avatar is getting changed to something more appropriate or you're going to find yourself unable to post. This is warning one of one; I don't give second warnings.

 

Jeeze someone got their knickers in a twist, I'll get right on it. I didn't realize trees had a capacity to be inapropriate. Sorry. FTR - this ice age is coming, they had snow in FL and Texas this winter. Just putting that out there.

 

What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?
What you don't realize is the fact that RWD is not crap, and can handle in snow. It is the driver in question which is both crap and cant handle in snow. You are ignorant sir. Both in the world of cars and in the world of common sense. This forum, like many forums, is a family based forum. Your avatar may be funny to you, but is inappropriate.

 

It snows in FL every couple years. It's been this way for a long time. It never sticks and it never lasts long (with the exception of north FL... it sometimes sticks but still not for long). FL is not the paradise you probably think it is, it still gets cold here in the winter. Getting this cold in January is not that weird.