PICTURES PLEASE!

And WELCOME to the CRVOC.

Some of your questions might be answered in various sub-forums (not Generation specific) so look into them./ Learn to use the ADVANCED SEARCH.

Also, please update your Avatar to include your car details (Account Settings).

 

Roger that sir. I’m just learning how to use the functions. 😂

 

Hello and welcome to the forum VoodooCRV.

Given your list of planned modifications.. I would say you certainly picked an exemplary title for this thread.

My only comment at present on your monster is... please make sure the chassis is sound and free of any classic age related corrosion that could jeopardize safety BEFORE you go "full hobby investment" on your monster. Some of what you want to do is going to put stresses on the vehicle it was actually never originally designed for, and add 20 years of age related degradation and you have a perfect storm for trouble unless the vehicle is a cream-puff on the undercarriage.

And as Carbuff2 noted.. some of the answers and feedback you seek in this forum will be best served by topic specific thread posts in the correct sub-forums. We have them pretty logically broken down into specialties (like tires, suspension, electronics, etc) in addition to generation specific subforums.

Good luck! You will definitely get a lot of eyeballs-of-interest from fellow members in the forum.

 

Good call on the chassis. Mostly I’m worried about the torque it will put on the axels and differentials. I’m swapping the motor for a jdm as well as the tranny. But I haven’t found a way to beef the diff yet. I’m still researching loads of things. I’ll be reading this forum cover to cover😂.

Hello and welcome to the forum VoodooCRV.

Given your list of planned modifications.. I would say you certainly picked an exemplary title for this thread.

My only comment at present on your monster is... please make sure the chassis is sound and free of any classic age related corrosion that could jeopardize safety BEFORE you go "full hobby investment" on your monster. Some of what you want to do is going to put stresses on the vehicle it was actually never originally designed for, and add 20 years of age related degradation and you have a perfect storm for trouble unless the vehicle is a cream-puff on the undercarriage.

And as Carbuff2 noted.. some of the answers and feedback you seek in this forum will be best served by topic specific thread posts in the correct sub-forums. We have them pretty logically broken down into specialties (like tires, suspension, electronics, etc) in addition to generation specific subforums.

Good luck! You will definitely get a lot of eyeballs-of-interest from fellow members in the forum.

 

What engine would you be buying?
Which ECU?

 

From all ive read, hondata is the best route. But open to suggestions. I’m just in the infant stages of planning. I haven’t decided on a motor yet. There is a lot I can do with the one I have. But it will need to be rebuilt. Again, any and all suggestions are most welcome. It’s not only the combining of many different vehicles that makes this a Frankenstein build for me. It’s also the ideas of so many different people. 🤙🏻

 

Hondata has a good reputation and proved solid.

Depending of how much power you are going for....
A B20z2 (99-01) has around 140ish Bhp, where as the 96-98 it's only 128bhp
Jdm engines are rated about the same Bhp as US engines
If building an engine the B20z2 has 20hp advantage over the B20b4 right from the start.
Stronger valve springs, better camshaft...

If you are aiming for 300+ or even higher consider a B18 block. The piston sleeves are thicker than b20s and generally considered a stronger block.

 

Hondata has a good reputation and proved solid.

Depending of how much power you are going for....
A B20z2 (99-01) has around 140ish Bhp, where as the 96-98 it's only 128bhp
Jdm engines are rated about the same Bhp as US engines
If building an engine the B20z2 has 20hp advantage over the B20b4 right from the start.
Stronger valve springs, better camshaft...

If you are aiming for 300+ or even higher consider a B18 block. The piston sleeves are thicker than b20s and generally considered a stronger block.

 

Thank you so much @new-2-me-CR_V. I will deff give it some thought and let you know what I come up with. Keep them bolts tight bro🤙🏻

 

 

What do y’all think about a k swap instead of a b? I’m finding them between 400.00 and stupid $. Low ends are in need of heads and gaskets. Which isn’t a bug deal. But folks are proud of them heads.

 

WTF do you mean by exoskeleton? You’re going to put a roll cage on the outside?

without a real 4x4 system you can put larger wheels and a lift and more HP but still end up with a mediocre off-road vehicle and also ruin the on-road handling.

I wonder if you’re better off going for a stiffer suspension and road tuning it if you want to turbo it and make a fun car to drive in the road.

I have seen YouTube videos of k swapped RD1’s and it seems cool but a crazy amount of work.

I have seen videos of B20’s with a vtec head swap and they look way simpler and just as much fun.

the RD1 is pretty fun to drive with the stick engine and I know mine would be a lot more fun with a manual and a more road tuned suspension.

the plastic exterior trim and bumpers goes that whitish grey from wax from car washes. Clean that off with lacquer thinner or freshen them up with paint. I’m also not a big fan of that colour and would consider a wrap which could get a killer colour.

#1 is spend your money on good tires and basic maintenance (make sure timing belt is done, adjust valve lash, change all fluids with genuine Honda)

first of all, did you buy the car?

 

I drove it home yesterday, signed sealed and delivered. As to a couple of your points:

*mediocre off road is all I will be doing. Imogene pass is the goal (have a google. It’s beautiful) most of what I’m doing is rocky terrain. And I’ll never get a rock crawler out of a CRV 😂. But rocky trail riding is what I’m up against.
*k swap is a crazy amount of work I agree. But the fun for me isn’t just in the destination. It’s in the build. Trial and error. Seeing what I can make happen
*honestly I may just do the vtec. But I’m still researching for what is actually doable.
*im deff switching from auto to manual. I will need the torque in the lower gears due to not being able to make it switch to 4wd.
*bumpers and trim are coming off. I will be fabbing my own.
*asto color I’m having two thoughts (please give an opinion) 1-new York jets emerald green with the metal flake. 2-take it completely down to bare metal and clear coat it. (Frankenstein style😎)
*im doing a full suspension. 6” lift from HRG. 3” subframe. I’ll end up clearing 34x12.50
*finally the exoskeleton…yes it’s a roll cage on the outside. It will do very little in the way of safety and is mainly a cosmetic thing. The devil is in the details. I’m trying to make this unlike any other CRV out there.
….chime in with ideas or changes you think. If nothing else. It’s fun to talk about. Time line is gonna take me a while. But if I wanted instant gratification, I’d have picked a diff vehicle. 😂😂

 

Mmh yes. We shall be watching your adventures with great interest! 😂 PLEASE let us (the community) know if you run into any interesting problems. I would love to do something like this to my CRV, and I will take any advice you got! BEST of luck to you my guy!!

 

Well it sounds like a good “vehicle” for learning all kinds of mechanics and that’s a great end in itself. My vote would be the emerald metallic green. Or….camouflage. The problem with doing a nice paint job is you ha e to worry about taking it on trails and scraping it up.