Check out this V8 Swapped RSX: Wait, WHAT?!
I’m sure you all have heard the saying, “There’s no replacement for displacement.” It’s a popular line amongst us car enthusiasts – both of the domestic and import tuning cultures. Whether this statement is true or not depends on the eye of the beholder. What if there was a way to bring both the domestic and import tuning cultures together in one vehicle? In this case – an ’02 Acura RSX with a GM LS4 V8 sitting inside the engine bay. A few of you may be wondering, “What is an LS4?” In the early 2000’s when GM was drunk with power and money, they decided that front-wheel drive family sedans should be fun, too. So the company developed a transversely mounted LS V8 to fit into the big body Chevrolet Malibu SS and Monte Carlo SS, Pontiac Grand Prix GXP and most bizarrely: the Buick LaCrosse Super. Yes, the car your grandparents are driving around in right now could have glorious LS V8 power lurking under the hood, mercy.
Just when you thought a V8-powered RSX was ludicrous enough, it gets even better. The owner Ryan Standke wasn’t quite satisfied with leaving the motor naturally aspirated, so he added a Garrett 80mm T6 turbocharger for more power. To be exact, the goal is to reach around 750-800 horsepower.
Initially Ryan had planned on swapping to a J-Series V6, but his buddy Sean Rimbey who owns an LS swapped Saturn SL1 steered him away from that idea in no time at all. With the goal of setting his DC5 apart from the rest, going with a V8 swap was definitely going to do the trick. As of now, the build is still underway with fabrication of custom axles and putting together a custom standalone engine harness. Ryan advised that he would not be using the GM-supplied 4L65E 4-speed automatic transmission designed for the LS4, but was instead hoping to make a manual transmission work. Somehow.
In addition, Ryan plans on tearing the motor apart for a complete DOD (Displacement on Demand) delete, aka cylinder deactivation, and to prepare for an LS9 cam and Melling high volume oil pump. He’s currently debating on rockers and ARP hardware all around as well. The 70k mile block will stay stock other than heads done up to match the cam package.
It’s been 8 months since the project began until now. Ryan’s goal is to have the monster DC5 fully operational by May 20th next year for an event called AutoMotion which is located in Wisconsin Dells, WI. We wish him the best of luck and can’t wait for the next update.
What do you guys think about this V8 boosted DC5? Let us know!
