Civic Hybrid into a hubrid? :)

[jsimon7777]

How good a K20 swap candidate is the Civic Hybrid, you know the one with the batteries and such. In California, they don't smog test the hybrids, so I was thinking I could go crazy and make a 500+HP beast yet still drive it on the road and not worry about smog.

Engine mounts? Transmission? Electronics? How hard would it be compared to a normal Civic --> K20 swap?

They made a manual Civic Hybrid from 2003-2005. Is it the same transmission as the normal Civic? I do know that the Hybrid's engine is from the same family as the fits, but with 1.3L instead of 1.5L, plus the whole motor between the tranny and engine.

Thoughts?

I figure I could get a Civic Hybrid used for 4-5k, get a built, turbo K20 of some sort, and have hellaciously fun road and trackmonster for 20k.

 

[phunky.buddha]

I'd check the mount locations between the one you have and an existing non-hybrid Civic. If you're looking at the current generation Civic, go to a dealer lot and poke around for a few hours with a camera and ruler / measuring tape.

 

[jsimon7777]

I wish there were part numbers somewhere I could find.

 

[TurboMirage]

sooo what happens when you get to the ref and they pop the hood?

 

[Briansol]

I'd be most concerned with the batteries and electronics. Taking that stuff out wrong could kill you. lots of volts stored in caps waiting for you. Make sure you know what you are doing if you do decide to go down that route.
as for smog issues, it's up to your regions rules... we probably don't live near you so that's on you to research. and what happens if/when they change that law?

will it fit? I don't think anyone has ever done something like this before. I'd suggest putting a call out to a place like hasport to see if they can confirm their mounts will work.

 

[Fernpatch]

Might be worth a chat with the guys at LHT performance seeing as how they have swapped k motors into insights ans cr-z's. they may have some info on how to safely remove the hybrid components.

 

[jsimon7777]

sooo what happens when you get to the ref and they pop the hood?

In California, no smog checks for hybrids, at least not yet.

 

[TurboMirage]

im sure it wont SOUND like a hybrid

 

[jsimon7777]

Well, that's another question. Is it possible to make a 500hp monster that doesn't sound like a 500hp monster? I'd split the exhausts so there wasn't one gigantic tailpipe with a fart can.

 

[jsimon7777]

I'm not so worried about the batteries and safety in removal. That's not terribly difficult to figure out. It's the gauges, AC, and so on. I'm guessing I'll have to at least replace the dash cluster. Don't know about axles and all that. There's hybrid hardware all over the place.

 

[reikoshea]

I'm pretty sure if you ever got pulled over in that car, you'd get a ref ticket. Same as a kid that has a GSR in a old civic.

 

[phunky.buddha]

Well, that's another question. Is it possible to make a 500hp monster that doesn't sound like a 500hp monster? I'd split the exhausts so there wasn't one gigantic tailpipe with a fart can.

Big turbo, recirculated BOV, wastegate dump into exhaust as early as possible, tons of baffled mufflers, tiny tailpipe.

 

[dc4dude]

Big turbo, recirculated BOV, wastegate dump into exhaust as early as possible, tons of baffled mufflers, tiny tailpipe.

True, but how do you hide the acceleration? Which is NON existent on a civic hybrid...

 

[phunky.buddha]

True, but how do you hide the acceleration? Which is NON existent on a civic hybrid...

If you're hiding that too, you might as well just leave the hybrid alone...