WWJD?
Sean Klingelhoefer
Dear Jesus,
First on the menu, I'm glad you're on the Super Street staff! You've "revived" the mag with your words and photos, of which I check out all the time on Flickr. Now to the point of this letter: I'm not new to the Honda world by any means, I've owned my Integra for five years now, but being a broke high school kid (now college kid) upgrades were few and far between. Now that I'm holding down three part time jobs, my cash flow has increased a wee-bit, so what better to do than blow it all on my car, right? So here's what I'm working with: 1994 Integra LS, 202,468 miles, solid body and small bolt-ons. Overall the car runs strong, but I'm sure not nearly as strong as it once did. Being Honda guys, we all know that VTEC is king and that's just the way it is. So here is my question, would doing a B18C VTEC head swap at this point really gain me anything, on a bottom end that has 202,000 miles? Should I just save up and buy a B18C? I would just scrap the Integra all together and go for a GS-R or a Civic SI, but this is my first car. I feel like Thomas Storm and his '89 Civic, I'll die with this car. That being said, eventually the car will get a VTEC swap, I just don't know when. I'm trying to maximize my "cash to car ratio," what's going to get me the best bang for the buck. I don't race, go to the track, show my car, (nothing happens in Missouri) and I rarely rev over 5,000 RPM's. I just want a clean daily driver with a little more punch when I feel the urge to go a little faster. Plus I just feel "inferior/left out" because everyone around me rocks a VTEC on a daily basis, my friends (B16A2) and even my parents (K20Z3). So, to VTEC or not, that is the question? Words of wisdom are needed, please.Thank you,Justin
Well Justin I'm glad to hear you enjoy the magazine! To VTEC or not isn't even a question, it's a no-brainer... VTEC FTW! The real question is how much money do you want to spend? Fortunately, due to the rise in popularity of K-series engines, B-series stuff is slightly dropping in price. Also the LS-VTEC swap is becoming much easier to do with full bolt-on kits now available - as a matter of fact on the shelf next to this issue of SS you can find Project Car #11 with a full build-up that you can use as a reference to build your own LS-VTEC. I would recommend having a leak-down test done to check the amount of blow-by on your rings since you have over 200k, there's a good chance you might need a simple re-hone and new rings. If your stock motor is completely shot though, you may be better off buying a full VTEC swap - but that's going to be significantly more expensive. At the very least, I'd recommend taking a look at Project Car so you can get a feel for the kind of work involved and decide if you're up to it. Either way, good luck and happy VTECing!Sincerely,Jesus
You've got questions, I've got answers! Hit me up online at mailsack@superstreetonline.com w/subject "WWJD" or snail mail me at Super Street, ATTN:WWJD, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048