I'm not expecting 400hp from my R18 but really wondering what I should swap my engine and tranny for.
I can't seem to find any local garage specialized in Japanese cars & I'd like to know what you Honda guys would do, if you were in my position.

I'd like something close to to 400hp. If my engine could take it would be great but I'm also not trying to blow it out.
I've seen some people talking about getting a SI head cover and changing a few things for extra power but really don't know where to start.
Would I be better off swapping? if so, what are some of my options. I looked online and always ended up on eBay turbo kits and that stuff worries me because I don't know the quality of it.

Thanks in advance sorry if this was answered somewhere else I looked but did not find this info on this forum.
Just trying to do a little homework here before I start doing something stupid lol

 

That's a lofty goal for any Civic.

Smart money would be sell the Civic and buy something that comes with 400hp+ from the factory.

 

Personally, I would need to know more about your position to say exactly what I would do.

What is your overall goal and intended use for the car? what condition is the car in and how long have you owned it? Why 400hp? what have you driven before with that power level?

Safe to assume anyone looking to have a reliable car with 3X the factory power has adequate funds available, but to have the full picture what's your budget cap?

 

I'm not against this thought, I just don't know what car too look at.

 

I've owned the car 5 years now, Had it since 50k km, now around 150k.
Body is in great shape except so minor rust that I'll be removing pretty soon.
I want to do lapping some but also want something on the cheaper side when I do end up breaking parts.

Up to 400hp is what I'm considering, I think anything around 350 would be perfect.
I also want something fun to drive that I can take on the track.
I do have a little track experience. I also use my simulator a lot.

My last car was a Mk4 Jetta with 230 hp 300lbs of torque.
It was alright, lacked in power but the car was also twice the weight of my current civic.

I'm expecting a set up to be in the 20k range all around
But trying to fit it in 15k range.
Kind of why I'm asking before I dive into this without thinking.

 

I don't know what prices and availability are like there in Canada, but in my local market selling your civic and replacing it with the factory K20 powered, 6spd manual Si of the same year and mileage would be the smart move. That would be the engine to have for making the power you want. 200 stock, but capable of much more through good after market support. Swapping that drivetrain into your current car would be feasible, but the price of a good used engine would be close to the difference you'll pay between selling yours and buying an Si (USDM). you'll get the benefit of the uprated brakes and suspension ect. for no additional cost.

my guess is you'll pay $4-5k net to switch to the Si, which leaves about $10k in your budget to add some forced induction and have it tuned. For $6k, a kit like this will get you within spitting distance of your goal

I like doing engine swaps, but I also like saving time, money and unnecessary effort so that's what I would do.

 

Thanks for the input!
Considering the market here 8th and 9th gen Si are kind of rare or with ultra high milage, most of the people in my area sell them for almost 10k with over 275k km.

Ill keep looking to try to find a good deal.
I'll look at dealers and see if I can trade in my car. Dealers are paying stupid money for used cars atm.