jkrout

#1
On October 8th I traded my 1994 Integra LS Sedan for this 1992 Civic VX hatch with JDM B20B swap. I had a build thread for the Integra here, so I wanted to start one for the Civic too. This is going to be a long project and one that I hope to keep going for many years.






My first car was a Milano Red 1994 Civic Si hatchback and I have wanted to get another red hatchback ever since I sold that car. I was looking for them a few years ago and couldn’t find any worth buying at that time and ended up settling on the Integra. Now, 3 years later, I am back in a Milano Red Civic HB. The car is going to primarily be an AutoX car with hopes of doing track days in the future. I also want to keep it streetable enough to enjoy cruising around town and going to local cars and coffee events.

Mechanically, the car felt pretty strong and ran well on the hour drive home but I didn’t really push the car much to be sure I would make it to my driveway. The exhaust on the car was a 4-1 header, welded to a straight pipe, and exiting out cheap 3” piping and muffler. It was extremely loud and annoying so that’s the first thing to go. Since the whole system was welded together, I needed to pull it all off. I had put a header on the Integra and had the OEM exhaust manifold from the B18B laying around so it’s going on the B20 for now. The previous owner had installed the header with cheap bolts so I installed new manifold studs as well. The heat shield will get a fresh coat of silver paint soon to give it that OEM look.


Someone had threaded a fine thread bolt into one of the holes instead of the proper thread pitch so that needed to be cleaned up.



I had a Yonaka catback exhaust on my Integra and was really satisfied with the quality and performance so I am putting one on this car as well. They offer them in an all-black powdercoat finish now so I went with that for a more subtle look. This exhaust has a fairly large resonator and oval muffler so it should quiet things down quite a bit. I have the exhaust loosely fitted now and I am just waiting on my new catalytic converter to arrive so I can finish bolting everything up.

The previous owner didn’t know many specifics on the car but from what I can tell, its setup with a JDM B20B from a 1999 CRV. It has an A1 cable transmission from a 92-93 Integra LS that has been converted to work with the hydraulic setup in the Civic. It has a P75 ECU that is supposedly chipped but I don’t know any specifics. The O2 sensor was disconnected but it’s not showing any CEL so I’m guessing that it was bypassed which means the car is running in open loop? I know there will be many more questions as I dig deeper into this swap setup.

The suspension on the car is shot. This is something I knew I would be replacing anyway so it wasn’t a big concern. It’s currently riding on cheap coilovers with completely blown struts. The rest of the suspension components are stock which makes them 25 years old now.

I bought a complete front end kit which includes inner & out tie rod ends, upper control arms, upper & lower ball joints, and sway bar end links to help tighten up the steering on the car. I also got a set of 94-01 Integra rear LCAs so I can mount the 24mm sway bar I had on the Integra. Those will be cleaned, painted, and fitted with ES bushings before going on the car.

There is a lot of slop in the shifter so I ordered a new shifter ball seat and rubber boot to install with the Skunk2 short shifter I had in the Integra. I will also be replacing the shift bushings ASAP.

I also had an older Nardi Gara steering wheel installed in the Integra so I kept that and it is now in place in the Civic. I bought one of the billet aluminum hubs from eBay and had to do some modifying to make it work but it is in place now and looks great.

Upcoming Projects
- Clean EVERYTHING (interior, engine bay, chassis, etc.)
- Install new front suspension/steering
- Engine tune-up (plugs, wires, distributor cap/rotor, fuel filter, fluids, etc.)
- Install Skunk2 shifter
- Install OEM front strut bar
- Refurbish 94-01 Integra LCAs

Long Term Plans
- Full coilovers/suspension setup
- Interior recondition
- Bodywork/rust repair/full repaint
- Rear disc conversion/new brakes all around
- Racing seat
- Roll cage
- Jackson Racing Supercharger???

I am really looking forward to building this car but this will be the first car I’ve had that has been someone else’s project. I’m sure I’ll uncover plenty of gremlins along the way. More updates/plans coming soon!

Eddie

Good luck with the build looking forward to updates

tony_2018

IN.

jkrout

Thanks! My new catalytic converter arrived yesterday so I should be able to finish bolting up the exhaust this weekend. Once that's done I hope to drive the car a bit more and get a better feel for how its running/driving.

jkrout

#2
Made a little progress today. I finished bolting the exhaust and catalytic converter on last night and it sounds great. I took the car out for a drive and the engine feels strong. This car is pretty quick with the torque of the B20 in a car that weighs just over 2000lbs. The suspension is really bad so I need to get started on that soon.

I took some time to do some much needed cleaning under the hood. Still a long way to go but it’s a start.
Before (right) and after (left)

The window tint on the driver’s side window was in bad shape so I pulled all that off today too. I need to do the passenger front window next because I can’t live with the asymmetry but may leave the back three windows for now. I started getting to work on cleaning the rest of interior but my shop vac died so I called it quits for today.

jkrout

#3
Got a little more done today. Both of the locking mechanisms on the interiors doors handles were broken so I ordered some replacement handles. I was able to get those installed today and now the locks are working as they should.


For whatever reason I held on to some parts from my '94 Si hatchback that I sold in 2009 and now that is proving to be a good decision. I installed the stock air box that I had to replace whatever intake came with the car. I like the OEM look but I might end up doing a hybrid tubing/box setup later on. I removed the wiper fluid reservoir since the tubing wasn't even connected. I might replace it at some point but for now its not needed.


I also removed the broken and poorly fitting one piece headlights that came on the car. Also from in the parts bin was the stock corner lights from my old hatch. I need to get some replacement headlights soon. If anyone has a set, please let me know.



As I mentioned before, the shifter was extremely sloppy too so I went to work pulling out the old shifter and shift linkage so I could install my new shifter hardware. I ended up finding a nice surprise.

The car came with a Buddy Club short shifter installed. The shifting was so vague that I couldn't tell it had a short shifter already installed. I think I'm going to install my Skunk2 shifter because I prefer the single bend over the dual bend design. I should be able to sell the Buddy Club shifter though and restore some funds. I plan to clean and paint the shift linkage before I put it back in the car along with new poly bushings. I'll be taking apart the front suspension/steering components next and installing all the new parts that I have sitting on my shelves. I also got new Prothane bushings for the front lower control arms so I can replace those while I have everything apart.

94 Civic Si

Nice detail work! I like how you are cleaning and fixing it all. The little things matter and will set this apart!

jkrout

Thanks! I always try to pay attention to the details and especially as I move forward on this car. My problem sometimes is being patient. I know going into it that this is going to take a few years to get it where I want it to be. I just have to keep reminding myself of that as I move along.

Yesterday, I started tearing into my front suspension and starting pulling off the old components. I didn't take any pics but I'll get some when I do the other side. The stuff is definitely in need of replacement so its going to make huge difference in how the car rides and handles when I get it all done. I will take the time to clean up and either paint or undercoat the wheel wells while I have everything disassembled.

Today, I talked to tech support at Progress Technology as I'm planning to run their CS2 coilovers on the car. I had a couple questions about setup and spring rates and they were very helpful. I was running Neuspeed sport springs on my Integra with a 24mm rear sway bar. That setup was originally intended to be more street friendly and while I did well at my local autox's, as I gained experience I found myself wanting a stiffer setup. On this car I was planning to go with 350/350 rates for a combination of street/autox duty but after talking with the Progress tech I think 450/350 is going to suit my needs better, especially because I have a B-series in the car. I plan to run the same 24mm rear sway bar setup so that should help the car rotate but without the harsh ride that a 450 rear spring would cause. I'm hoping to get those ordered in the next week or two.

94 Civic Si

I will be curious how you like that setup!

jkrout

I am looking forward to getting them on the car this winter but I do have a lot of work I want to do before I'll be able to take it out and drive it

jkrout

I have been wrestling with the idea of buying a parts car or just slowly sourcing all the various parts I am going to need for this car. I haven't had much luck finding anybody parting a car out locally yet but that's what I'm hoping for to source all the various interior, trim, hardware, pieces, etc. I don't really want to get nickle and dimed to death by buying everything on eBay and paying separate shipping on all these various items. I did find a listing for some OEM headlights, made an offer on them and it was accepted today. Pretty happy with the deal I got on these and glad I will be able to put OEM lights back on the car.

jkrout

I started working last weekend on removing the old front suspension and steering components and was able to finish that up today. I borrowed my dad's impact gun and it really helped speed up the process. I noticed right after I got the car home that the driver side axle had started leaking and slung grease all over. I wanted to pull the knuckles so I can clean/paint them and I just pulled both axles as well. I'm going to have to replace the driver side but the passenger side looks fairly new. There is also a new front LCA on the driver's side. Everything else is pretty rough and in major need of replacement.


Nasty old ball joints...


Tie rod ends are just a little worn


I'm going to clean all this caked dirt/grease off the wheel wells and spray them with some fresh undercoating


I had been considering pulling the engine & trans so that I can thoroughly clean both it as well as the engine bay. I'm thinking now that is going to be the next step. I always try to avoid doing things twice so I figure I might as well just take of it all now since I already have a lot of the work done.

I also ordered my coilovers from Progress today and went with 450F/350R spring rates as planned

jkrout

Replacement headlights arrived today...

The bumper isn't attached so its just mocked in place for the moment. Nothing special but much improved from the ill fitting eBay one-piece lights that were there. They're coming back out when I remove the engine/paint the engine bay. That is going to be a slow process given my current schedule but I should be able to work on getting everything disconnected and ready to pull the engine when I get time

78F350

Nice project. I swapped a JDM B20B into a '95 Del Sol a few years ago and it was a fun car. I loved having all that torque compared to the D15B7 that had been in it. This year I ran a Porsche Boxster in a couple AXs. Fun, but I missed the lighter go-cart raw feel of the Honda. Seeing yours gets me thinking of looking for an old hatch or CRX to play with again.

jkrout

I was surprised by how much lighter this car feels than the Integra I had. You’re right about the torque of the B20B though. I haven’t driven a Honda that has the low end pull that this car has. Should make it fun on an autox course

tony_2018

lol, too many fools who dont know the feeling of a high compression b20

jkrout

I got the engine wiring harness pulled out today before work. Next up is cleaning and stripping off the old tape/loom. I am going to refresh the whole thing with new looming, tape, and replace any connectors that need replacing. I am also going to label each connector before re-installing in the car. I placed an order for some various cable ties, harness tape, wire connectors, heat shrink, etc. Still need to get some wire loom but haven't decided if I want to get split braided loom or just stay with the original style.



Any recommendations on cleaners/degreasers that would be safe to use on the plugs?

danteisme

iTrader: (2)

This car looks to be in better shape than the acura! for the plugs, i've used CRC's electronic cleaner. it comes in an aerosol can, bought mine at either autozone or advance auto parts.

jkrout

Good call on the electronics cleaner! Now that you mention it, I've seen this stuff at the parts stores but never had a need for it before. I'll add that to my list of supplies

The car is in decent shape but it has had some body work on the rear quarter panels. I'm a little nervous what I might find when I dig into the body work eventually. It also just needs lots of little interior pieces that I'm sure will add up.

jkrout

Made a little progress on the wiring harness tonight...






All of the old wiring loom and electrical tape is removed. I still have a little cleaning to do before I re-cover this thing. There are two plugs for sure that I need to replace so I'm going to need to get those ordered soon. I was going to use standard wire loom but now I'm not sure and thinking maybe I should splurge for the split braided loom for a more upgraded look. Thoughts?

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

Braided wire sleeving looks sweet. It's also a little less bulky and a lot more flexible.

This adjustable stuff looks neat but I don't know if it's made to handle the extreme environment of an engine bay:

https://www.cableorganizer.com/grip-...xoCIv8QAvD_BwE

jkrout

That stuff looks like it would be nice but its pretty expensive.

I ended up just sticking with standard wire loom. One, it was available locally so I just went out and got some so I could get started. Two, given the intended use of the car and the amount of other things I still need to get for it, I figured this wasn't an area that was worth spending extra money. Its still going to be much improved aesthetically over the old, peeling tape and wire loom that was in there before. It is a little bulkier than I wanted but oh well. I have most of the harness done but I'm waiting on a couple replacement plugs to arrive before I finish those sections.

94 Civic Si

Did you get your plugs from Honda Parts Hero?

jkrout

No, I found some on eBay but now I'm feeling like that was a mistake?

94 Civic Si

I think he sells on eBay, so maybe you got from him after all. He posts a lot of info on wiring: https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-...guide-3146770/