94 GSR mid-engine RWD H22A4 conversion

[dfddfd2]

Post #DC2H22-1



Photo: Ralph Hawkins

The finished car at the Streets of Willow Springs in California for the 2007 Sport Compact Car Magazine Ultimate Street Car Challenge (USCC).


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Index of Updates with Topics:

Post #2, page 2 - money (cost), time, alignment, why do it?
Post #3, page 2 - weight dist., engine orientation, cabin heat, racing
Post #4, page 2 - trans, uniqueness, radiator
Post #5, page 3 - weight dist., body stiffness
Post #6, page 3 - body stiffness, target numbers, do mine?, for a living?
Post #7, page 3 (pics) - UCA's, alignment
Post #8, page 4 - experience (RX83-C)
Post #9, page 4 - experience (RX83-C)
Post #10, page 5 - shifter, electrical, inspiration, sponsors, streetability, vacuum, gas tank, roll cage, front space, bolt-in-ability, interior
Post #11, page 5 - brake distribution
Post #12, page 6 - roll cage/bar
Post #13, page 7 - seating, right hand drive, interior
Post #14, page 10 - suspension geometry
Post #15, page 11 - (pics) UCA mounts, spring buckets, fuel door
Post #16, page 12 - (pics) rear frame tie-ins, RWD delSol project link and video
Post #17, page 13 - (pics) left rear wheel well
Post #18, page 14 - (pics) right rear wheel well, fuel door
Post #19, page 15 - (pics) fuel door, fuel tank
Post #20, page 16 - (pics) tie rods, bump steer
Post #21, page 18 - (pics) quarter flares, wheels & tires, concept sketches
Post #22, page 20 - (pics) wheels, tires, fuel filler
Post #23, page 25 - (pics) sitting on wheels, quarter flares, engine installed
Post #24, page 29 - (pics) weight with engine
Post #25, page 31 - (pics) dash & console
Post #26, page 36 - (pics) HVAC & steering column
Post #27, page 39 - (pics) HVAC fab
Post #28, page 40 - (pics) Heater box, Battery mount
Post #29, page 41 - (pics) Shifter mechanism
Post #30, page 43 - (pics) Shifter mechanism complete
Post #31, page 44 - (pics) E-brake mechanism
Post #32, page 46 - (pics) brake lines, throttle cable, bead roller
Post #33, page 48 - (pics) shop tour
Post #34, page 49 - (pics) radiator, coolant lines
Post #35, page 51 - (pics) A/C lines, fuel filter, EGRCV
Post #36, page 53 - (pics) camber adjustment, rear brackets?
Post #37, page 54 - (pics) exhaust, fuel lines, clutch damper
Post #38, page 56 - (pics) strut tower brace, fuel lines, expansion tank, evap. controls
Post #39, page 58 - (pics) engine removal
Post #40, page 58 - (pics) right quarter, shaving, misc.
Post #41, page 59 - (pics) side scoops
Post #42, page 60 - (pics) side scoops
Post #43, page 63 - (pics) fuel tank cover
Post #44, page 64 - (pics) rear wiper & power window switches
Post #45, page 66 - (pics) teg vs. prelude door panels
Post #46, page 68 - (pics) fuel tank cover, CAI (air filter), rear floor
Post #47, page 70 - (pics) heat shields, fuel tank cover
Post #48, page 71 - (pics) side skirts
Post #49, page 73 - (pics) LSD
Post #50, page 74 - (pics) engine cover
Post #51, page 76 - (pics) cruise actuator, LSD install
Post #52, page 77 - (pics) LSD install, seal driver
Post #53, page 79 - (pics) engine cover hood, rear tie rod boots
Post #54, page 81 - (pics) engine cover/hood latch
Post #55, page 84 - (pics) engine compartment fan
Post #56, page 86 - (pics) paint booth
Post #57, page 88 - (pics) right side bodywork
Post #58, page 91 - (pics) right side primer
Post #59, page 95 - (pics) left side primer
Post #60, page 96 - (pics) hatch & fenders in primer
Post #61, page 98 - (pics) paint #1
Post #62, page 99 - (pics) paint #2
Post #63, page 101 - (pics) paint #3a
Post #64, page 102 - (pics) paint #3b, shell
Post #65, page 105 - (pics) paint #4
Post #66, page 107 - (pics) seam sealer
Post #67, page 109 - (pics) sound & heat insulation
Post #68, page 111 - (pics) valve cover refurb., Thanks MorningZ!
Post #69, page 115 - (pics) paint #5
Post #70, page 116 - (pics) paint #6
Post #71, page 118 - (pics) STS (shell transport system)
Post #72, page 119 - (pics) shell prep.
Post #73, page 120 - (pics) paint #7 (shell)
Post #74, page 121 - (pics) final assembly #1
Post #75, page 122 - (pics) final assembly #2
Post #76, page 123 - (pics) final assembly #3
Post #77, page 126 - (pics) final assembly #4
Post #78, page 129 - (pics) final assembly #5
Post #79, page 130 - (pics) final assembly #6
Post #80, page 133 - (pics) final assembly #7
Post #81, page 136 - (pics) final assembly #8
Post #82, page 138 - (pics,video) final assembly #9
Post #83, page 143 - (pics) final assembly #10
Post #84, page 144 - (pics) final assembly #11
Post #85, page 147 - (pics) final assembly #12
Post #86, page 150 - (pics) final assembly #13
Post #87, page 152 - (pics) final assembly #14
Post #88, page 154 - (pics) final assembly #15, Phase II #1
Post #89, page 158 - (pics) spare tire mount
Post #90, page 162 - (pics) new muffler
Post #91, page 166 - (pics) carpet
Post #92, page 169 - (pics) passenger sun visor
Post #93, page 172 - (pics) caster, bump steer
Post #94, page 173 - (pics) tie rods, spring perches, special thanks
Post #95, page 174 - (pics) traction bar
Post #96, page 175 - (video) walk-around
Post #97, page 179 - (video) cold start
Post #98, page 181 - (pics) ITR lip
Post #99, page 186 - (video) composite preview
Post #100, page 189 - (pics) sound deadening, safety harness
Post #101, page 192 - (vid) "The Back Out"
Post #102, page 195 - (vid) "part-throttle VTEC"
Post #103, page 198 - (pics) new parts from Jason
Post #104, page 201 - (pics) on the trailer
Post #105, page 203 - (pics) boot tray
Post #106, page 205 - (pics) radiator inlet seal
Post #107, page 209 - (pics) rear diffuser template
Post #108, page 210 - (pics) rear diffuser, belly pan
Post #109, page 211 - (pics) wheel well seal, radiator cradle seal
Post #110, page 212 - (pics) front "A" emblem
Post #111, page 214 - (pics) under-body aero panels
Post #112, page 217 - (pics) engine cover carpet
Post #113, page 219 - (pics) dash end covers
Post #114, page 223 - West Coast Trip Sponsorship
Post #115, page 226 - (video) Baseline Dyno
Post #116, page 233 - (pics) West Coast Trip - NC to CA
Post #117, page 234 - (pics) West Coast Trip - Murrieta, Meet & Greet
Post #118, page 234 - (pics) West Coast Trip - Eibach Meet
Post #119, page 235 - (pics) West Coast Trip - Return to NC
Post #120, page 246 - (pics) USCC #1
Post #121, page 250 - (video) USCC #2 - Raw Display of Horsepower


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After purchasing a wrecked 97 Prelude VTEC with 90k miles off eBay and a theft recovery 94 GSR in Charlotte, the conversion process is now well on it's way. I spent most of the spring designing and planning the conversion and began the fabrication process in July.

I basically chopped the front end off the Prelude at the firewall and stripped it down to the front horns, shown here with the cross members and lower suspension arms mocked up.

P1


P2


After stripping the GSR down to the shell and shimming under the jack stands to get it level (I have no surface plate), these pics show the frame used to transfer measurements taken from the structure above into the back of the GSR. The frame is square and level so I could use a plumb bob to locate points from the Prelude front structure into the GSR and cut the hole.
P3


P4


P5


P6


P7


Note string down centerline. Very important to have everything centered and square so the car doesn't "crab" down the road.
P8


This shows the cardboard pattern I made of the Prelude horns to help locate the cut as precisely as possible. I had to cut the shock tower out of the way to place the pattern square and level.
P9


P10


P11


The hole's been cut...It's on now!...No turning back
P12


P13


P14


P15


Sorry for the dark pic, but these next few show 97 Prelude front uprights (knuckles,spindles...) purchased from a junkyard adapted to the GSR front suspension for 5 lug hubs all around. This also gives me the large front brake rotors and calipers from the Prelude at all 4 corners.
P16


P17


P18


There are only two things I had to do to use the Prelude uprights. one was ream the lower ball joint hole in the GSR lower control arm to accept the larger Prelude upright lower ball joint. (holes are 7 degree standard taper, 1.5" per foot). The other was to drill and tap the GSR rack ends to accept the Prelude inner tie rods.
P19


I also converted the GSR power steering rack to manual by drilling a 1/2" hole in the rack and removing the piston seal and by connecting the fluid inlets in rack with tubing so the air in the cylinder can move back a forth freely as the car is steered. The 1/2" hole is sealed with a piece of flat rubber held by a pipe clamp.
P20


P21


No longer front wheel drive, thus no front drive axles, I used a 1" grade 8 fine thread bolt torqued to 192 ft.-lbs. to hold the preload on the front wheel bearings. There is a conversion formula to calculate bolt torque for equivalent tension load between two different bolt sizes and thread pitch. I also made a small bushing to hold the 1" bolt centered in the splined hole in the hub.
P22


This pic shows the cuts made in the quarter panel to flare it for the wider track of the Prelude. Otherwise the stock 205/50R16 tires on stock 6.5" wide wheels stick out past the quarter about an inch. I'll flare the quarters out 2" to allow for 16x7.5 wheels in the rear.
P23


This series of pics show front supports from the Prelude being fitted into the hole in the rear of the Integra...
P24


P25


P26


Frame jig used to locate hole is re-installed to locate the frame structure.
P27


P28


P29


Right rear wheel well with lower suspension arms installed to make sure wheel is centered in wheel well.
P30


Left rear wheel well.
P31


The process of welding the frame to the shell has begun and I've been working on adjustable upper control arm mounts. More pics of that coming soon!

Questions and comments are welcome and encouraged.

Thanks,
Dave

[itsHumble]

OMG, that's amazing man. i can't even imagine the amount of money and time u've put into this thing and still have to go. can't wait to see the end result of this awesome monster.... mad props dude

[jojo]

Very nice and ballsy. I would be worried about the alignment issue...but then you probly have that figued out.

[tony4311]

holy sh*t that's insane.

AWESOME work, and I thought the rwd integra was crazy. This puts it to shame.

[vtecbully]

i just wanted to ask where all this is going? This car going to be built for racing or just decided to make a project?

[jojo]

If its for racing...it will have to be an "open" class...lol

I dont think you'll have an understeer problem....

[TheGSRGuy]

Good work! Keep us all updated.

[Officerpacey]

That is simply amazing and very ambitious, looks like you've got some know-how tho, best of luck.

[lildevock]

thats awesome, that is going to take so long but it will be worth it.

[CrackerTeg]

Completely and utterly insane! I love it! Sounds like some crazy sh*t I would try, if I could afford it.

[DC4KiD]

SKiLLZ! You got skillz man! Can't wait to see the final product.

[jm_m3]

that's crazy!! but real nice!

[blu99teg]

Wow, that is awesome man. I wouldn't even have thought of anything like that. You sir, are a mad genious. Lol, Mad props.
Micha

[hpracing007]

god damn, I can't wait to see what happens