Honda Swap, Twin Turbo 3000GT, 2JZ Eclipse and more - Import Tuner Magazine

Eric Hsu facts:
• Eric's mom has a heart tattoo that reads, "son".
• The cars Eric tunes get heart tattoos that read, "daddy"
• Pluto is actually an '87 Aries, kicked into orbit by Eric after its owner asked him to swap a 2JZ into it.
• Eric's usual King Taco beverage is a tall cup of red sauce. No ice.
• Eric's Honda Harmony riding mower is powered by two 1,200whp 2JZs.
• In the future, Eric will tune a car and drive it so fast, it will break the speed of light and go back in time, bringing Eric and all his tuning knowledge into the past. Hence present-day Eric. He probably already knows which questions you'll send, but send them anyway and hope he's in a good mood.

questionit@importtuner.com

Honda 2.2L Swap
My automatic '98 Honda Civic DX coupe gets great gas mileage but is slow as hell. I want to do an engine swap and have been leaning toward an H22A engine from a Prelude. A buddy of mine owned a Prelude that was totaled in an accident, but he was able to salvage the motor, manual trans, ECU, and axles. I have the H22A Hasport motor mounts, but have been told that the 2.2L engine is "too much motor" to drop in my Civic. My other engine choice would be a B16A, but I really want to use the H22A since I already own the engine along with all the necessary parts for the swap. I plan to keep this car a sleeper and do simple upgrades like brakes and suspension for the time being. What route do you recommend I go, and would you suggest any other items I may need?
Richard
Orlando, FL

If you already have the Prelude engine, I suggest you use it. Don't forget you'll need an adapter for the H22A's cable shifter. That swap in a Civic is great fun, and if you're drag racing or just blasting around town, the extra weight on the front wheels isn't going to kill the car like it might in road racing situations. But you should still get some heavier springs at the front of the car. Contact Tein for that: www.tein.com

Love It or Leave It
I own a '95 3000GT (naturally aspirated, FWD motor) and absolutely love it. Is it worth transplanting the twin turbo engine from a VR4, or would I be better off selling the car and purchasing the real deal?
Tyler Walsh
Via Importtuner.com

I've heard of people bolting in the twin turbo engine from a VR4 with success. If you love the car and have some time and extra money, give it a shot. You might try the guys at Altered Atmosphere in Maryland for some advice or leads on cheap, stock VR4 parts. www.alteredatmosphere.com

Beating a Dead Horse
I am a first-year automobile technician student who owns a '97 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS. I know this model is a piece of crap and can barely handle 400 hp before blowing up. I've been doing research on the more horsepower-friendly GS-T and AWD GSX models, with plans of performing an engine swap in the near future. I know this question might be a bit off the subject, but can I fit a '94 Toyota Supra 2JZ engine and tranny in my Eclipse? The reason I ask is because both cars look to have similar body shapes and engine room. What should my first step be in making this swap possible?
Panama James
Hornell, NY

Yes, you can swap a 2JZ engine into your car (or any engine, for that matter), but it's not practical unless you plan on changing the car to rear-wheel drive and have a shitload of time and money on your hands. I suggest you stop your imagination from getting the best of you. It's wasting both of our time.

Low-Buck Brawler
I'm having a hard time deciding what car to build as a low-buck project. I recently sold my '94 Integra LS because I wasn't too thrilled with the body style. Plenty of friends have said to get a Civic-the cars are cheap and parts are easy to come by, but I'm not interested in owning one like everyone else. I'm leaning toward purchasing a Starion, Conquest, or an early model RX-7. Which of these cars do you think is a good platform to build, or would you suggest some other vehicle?
Dustin Cathcart
St. Mary, MO

I'm a rotary guy at heart, so I have a soft spot for the early RX-7s (all RX-7s, actually), but I also have a soft spot for Starions. The Starion was the first performance car I bought when I was 16 years old. The stock G54B engine that came with the Starion is pretty shitty, but you can buy JDM engine mounts allowing the first-gen 4G63 to bolt right in. Give the guys at Buschur Racing a call if you pursue this route. I'd probably choose the Starion with a motor swap-the 4G63 is bulletproof and a rotary engine simply is not.

Maximum Revs
I've been trying to find out how to build high-revving motors. I have been told camshaft designs determine how high the vehicle's rpm can be. My understanding is for a motor to rev to 11,000 rpm, it is going to take more than a set of camshafts and upgraded valve springs. I learned when air moves through a small hole it moves faster than when passing through a bigger one, so if an intake valve is bigger, it would need a higher rpm to keep up the motor's volumetric efficiency. Also, I have been told by mechanics that any high-revving engine would need to incorporate short-skirted pistons and a shorter stroke-to-rod ratio. If that were true, why does the 350z have a stroke of 81.4 mm while the S2K has a stroke of 90.7 mm, yet the S2K revs higher? And I'm not sure if the number of pistons factors into this, but I've noticed higher-rpm motors are less prone to traction loss off the line. If all this sounds dumb, sorry for wasting your time. I just like studying all aspects of performance and how power is applied to best suit driving demands.
Robert
Lemon Grove, CA

No, your questions are not dumb, but they can be answered better by reading books on race engines. The answers you seek will fill more than the issue of 2NR you are holding now.

Old School
I own a '79 Datsun 510 hatchback that I would like to modify. Where can I find some info on interchangeable suspension parts? Also, what type of engine would fit under the hood? Any help would be appreciated.
Mark Bremmer
Tulsa, OK

Sorry Mark, I honestly don't know anything about Datsun 510s. You might try a Nissan forum like freshalloy.com or nicoclub.com . The SR20DE or SR20DET seems to be the common engine swap for 510s. I'd go with a rotary (see previous answer), but the choice is up to you.

Canadian Drama
As of recent, the Canadian government has proposed a ban on JDM imports due to their crash safety standards, but I am deeply in love (maybe a bit too much) with the R32 Skyline GT-R. I was thinking an alternative to buying a GT-R would be to take a 240SX, transplant an R32 front end, custom-fit a set of R32 tail lights, and install an RB26DETT engine. I've heard the RB26DETT swaps into 240SXs using an RB25DET transmission, and allows fitment in the factory transmission tunnel without modifications. How difficult or expensive would it be to throw the GT-R's drivetrain and transmission on a 240SX, making it a legit, left-hand-drive, AWD machine?
Ben Normous
Montreal, Canada

Whatever floats your boat on the body modifications, but the drivetrain swap and complete conversion have been done before. Contact the guys from Full-Race with your questions. I believe they had a conversion kit at one time or another. www.full-race.com

G-Unit
I just bought an '88 Nissan Sentra and was wondering if there is anything that I can do to modify this 21-year-old car.
SPC. Cedric Barnes
Fort Leonard Wood, MO

That's like the red car they do drive-bys in, in the movie Boyz N the Hood, right? You might want to visit www.motoiq.com and check out the articles on Chuck Johnson's '88 B12 Sentra. Chuck takes the car to over 159mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.