Wrong-wheel drive! Front-wheel fail! The spastic online quips from the anti-Honda establishment that base their opinions of the brand on nothing more than the random run-together with that teenage punk that threw a pathetic 95hp rev their way as they exited the freeway are posted on any and every automotive related outlet in existence. Incredible facts and figures, like inescapable transmission failure at 30,000 miles and spontaneous CV joint explosions at less than 20K, all but call for the complete abolishment for each FWD car in existence. rumors, Internet and embellishment reign supreme, completely overshadowing any sort of real-world experience, just like most things on the Internet. Even though FF vehicles aren’t inherently suited to dominate in a drag race environment, especially with the gas miserly powerplants underneath the hood of most offerings during the last 20 years, major progression viaresearch and development, and dedication has been made. Still, guys like Alberto Casas and Chris Horton, owners of B&C Performance in Nevada, had their share of FWD experience, both good and bad. There is a knack for rethinking things and essentially creating what most could only daydream about. That’s the difference between this pair and most others.The vehicle you see pictured certainly didn’t start off as a boosted, all-wheel-drive bright-blue hatch blasting 9-second passes. Instead it sat in a friend’s backyard draped in its factory teal paint, with an almost complete K20A3 swap. Alberto adds, It had no ECU, so that it didn’t run. I paid $2,200 to the car the actual way it sat and I was among the first K-series [swaps] in Reno. The list of missing parts included a hood, front bumper, fenders, and pretty much the entire interior. Chris sourced some of the interior bits together with the missing body panels, then plugged in Hondata’s K-Pro management to get the car running. It roasted the tires most of the way down the 1320, even though equipped with a 75-shot of nitrous, the A3 swap pulled the car to some respectable 12.5 pass. My car had bad traction problems, Alberto recalls. I actually lost a race due to the horrible traction, so I was considering ways making it better. During the routine maintenance visit, a chance encounter having a customer’s Element planted the seed, and after a few months of brainstorming, creating theories and counter-theories, Chris and Alberto stockpiled the necessary parts for an AWD conversion. A lengthy series of cutting, welding and measuring and plenty of spending, carried on for two months, a block of time which was every bit as frustrating as it was rewarding once the finish line was finally in sight.
To keep things in perspective, this is by no means a bolt-on and go affair. Custom fabrication, which B&C Performance does in-house, is crucial for you to make the conversion a reality. Even though the intricate info is kept under wraps, a mixture of OEM and aftermarket parts needed include: a CRV 5-speed transmission, an AWD Honda differential and rear axles, as well as a custom-built driveline.
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In between bouts of battling the drivetrain equation, the guys found time to develop a K24A2 block with Eagle rods and CP low-compression pistons and topped them back with a built K20A2 head. Precision’s 5758 turbo was elected to generate boost to take advantage of the newfound traction. On the dyno, the automobile was able to eclipse the 500hp mark and with the power being put to the ground, recorded a 10.7 at Top Gun Raceway. A follow-up tuning session in Sacramento, along with a somewhat more seat time, brought that number as a result of a 10.4.
Following its stellar debut, the automobile was treated to an array of upgrades, together with a Precision 6262 T4 turbo, Sheepey Built sidewinder exhaust manifold, and Turbosmart wastegate, which all required another dyno session to fine-tune. The result had been a 100hp surplus as the Civic pounded out 604 hp. A rematch with Sacramento Raceway would bring about the car’s best performance: an impressive 10.1 at 139 mph (more recently, 9.50 @ 150 mph).
Not surprising, B&C Performance isn’t satisfied with being just an arms length away from the 9-second club, and they have a quantity of plans already brewing for a new build to make its way underneath thethat helps B&C spin all four corners.
If you’re wondering whether B&C Performance can replicate the build for customers, the answer is yes. Chis states, We set up a few videos of our AWD conversions online and got a lot of response. People started contacting us about building an AWD setup to them. As a matter of fact, we have a customer’s K-series del Sol within the shop at this time that we’re converting to AWD. A complicated and time-consuming operation, Chris estimates that a typical conversion takes about 3-4 weeks to accomplish.
The task of taking a front-wheel-drive vehicle and adapting an all-wheel-drive setup is daunting to say the least. The idea of throwing over four times the amount of power deemed necessary by Honda on factory components seems all but impossible. They’ve also was able to land just shy from the 9-second mark, although not just has B&C Performance done the impossible. Furthermore, they’ve got two heads full of ideas to jump over that hurdle as well.