Turns out an Acura V6 doesn’t fit under the hood of a 1992 Honda Civic.
Normally, when you think of an early 90s Civic, you think of a small, four-cylinder econobox. After all, this car was famed for returning up to 55 MPG on the highway in its day, according to then-current test cycles. While a 1992 Honda Civic VX hatchback was great on gas, it wasn’t exactly fast. A 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine and less than 100 horsepower, even with a light car, meant the Civic wasn’t winning any races. However, after this Civic ultimately met its maker and was totaled, someone came along and gave it a new lease on life.
In this video, Larry took this 1992 Honda Civic, bought from an insurance auction, and started going to work. Ultimately, the original motor was scrapped in favor of another junkyard find. The V6 engine stuffed under the hood is from an Acura CL Type S. Perhaps “under the hood” isn’t the right way to put it, since the engine sticks out way farther than the Honda’s four-cylinder ever did. It’s also helped along by way of a GM supercharger pulled off a 3800 Series Buick V6. That supercharger was used in cars like the Buick Park Avenue, Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight and Pontiac Bonneville.
In its stock form, the V6 engine in the Acura CL Type S put out 260 horsepower and around 230 lb-ft of torque. Naturally, the supercharger boosts that output significantly. Throw in the lightweight chassis of an early 1990s Civic and you have a lively combination, also thanks to a limited-slip differential. The car is currently capable of getting down into the 12 second range on the quarter mile. Is this one beastly Civic? We certainly think so.
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