Honda Engines Can Power Almost Anything
Honda engines continue to fill the need across multiple communities, including drifting.
As cars get older, so do the parts supporting them. Usually after 10 years or so of production, automobile manufacturers will begin to discontinue those critical items you’re in search of to keep your project car on the road. You may find yourself looking to the aftermarket or fully custom routes to not only maintain a car, but possibly improve it so that it continues to do what you want it to. Whether it be a weekend cruiser, circuit focused race car, or a drift car meant for all the in-between.
In this case, it’s a Nissan 240SX that has definitely all the tell tale signs of a purpose built drift car. There’s possibly an angle kit, over fenders from Origin Lab, and some very low offset wheels with different camber angles front and rear to help with stability at speed. These cars came factory with a KA24DE engine here in the US. That is a naturally aspirated 2.4 liter engine that is either loved or hated, but usually swapped out for an SR20DET from Japan. These Nissan’s began production sometime in the late 1980’s and continued through the early 2000’s which means parts, especially the engines, are likely expensive to find now.
Honda’s K-series engine has been celebrated amongst several communities spanning drag racing, drifting, and circuit use. With a small package, relatively modern technology, and tons off to shelf swap parts available, it’s an easy choice. However, to make more power it still takes additional modifications to achieve larger gains and torque may still be lacking.
The J-Series engine, as shown here resting in the engine bay for a mock-up, offers up the torque and powerband of a V6 engine and is pulled from vehicles such as the Honda Odyssey, Pilot, Accord, and CL/TL. This means plenty of engines are out there for repurposing into places like this 240SX. It’s a less commonly completed swap but with some fabrication skills and a few calls around, everything can come together very similarly to a K-series swap, at the fraction of the price. A K24A long block at this current time goes for about $800USD, while a J35 will likely be half of that, with close to 250HP at the crank from the start and a modest 240ft-lbs of torque to boot.
Just like any engine swap, you will need mounts, a clutch, fuel system, oiling system, and all the other fixings to get it to work in your car. With some planning and a few phone calls, this swap can be a close to drop in affair with minimal (to none) changes to the shell of the car its going into. For this 240SX, the engine sits right between the frame rails with ease but has a bit of a clearance issue with the steering rack. This will be alleviated with a dry-sump system for optimal oil pan clearance and ensuring the engine doesn’t starve during heavy use. Since the J-series was originally for a FWD configuration, rotating it 90 degrees and tilting it back could cause oil starvation issues – just something to consider if you embark on the same quest.
Purists will cry, collectors will not understand, and you will often question yourself. But, builds are fun for this reason: there are no rules. Decide what you want for your build. If cheap horsepower, plentiful replacement parts, and peace of mind is what you crave then likely a Honda engine will be your best bet.