The Civic and Drag Racing
 

I am not a drag racer and I'd rather drive fast but safely when I go around with my wheels. I have a friend though who's been into drag racing and he told me that a lot of racers he know prefers the Civic for their modding. They tore out the engine though and replaced it with a high performance one.

This made me think? Do they do this just because it's an economy car, or is the Civic really good for racing, aerodynamically that is...

The new 2006 Civic gets two thumbs up for me though...


http://www.newstreet.it/img/magazine/max/918.jpg

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

well the civic is a leightweight car, but makes on average under 100hp at the wheels, I just bought an 05 mustang for around 18,500$ and it is a lot better for racing but costs close to the same.(210hp 245lb ft) I think the reason the civic is so popular for racers, is bc of pure ignorance! It costs much less to increase the performance of a mustang than a civic. People must just like the body styles or something, its a mystery to me, but if your gonna start racing the civic's new platform is better than the older ones. The only problem is the front wheel drive trans axel is only capable of handling around 200hp anyways, which would only have you running in the 15s anyways with major mods, so if you want to put thousands into your car and only be running about equal with most trucks than the civic is a good choice

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

The 06 si produces 197 hp out of a 2.0 eng. the mustang engine c.i.d. is a lot larger. Some day the Great American made ford will develop the technology to develope more horse power out of a smaller engine.

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

theres no unwritten rule that the engine has to be tiny, build one with some gearth. Now guys,dont start something you cant finsih w/ a mustang guy about drag racing :)

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

Dear James4.0litre. I'm not sure where you are getting your information but almost everything you have said is wrong. First, the only way that the average horsepower of the civic is less than 100hp is if you include the very first models of the civic (late 70s and early 80s). However, if you are then we need to figure in the 70s, 80s, and 90s mustangs with 4cyl engines to reach an average horsepower for the mustang. Second, horsepower is not the only factorwhen it comes to drag racing. There are many inculing gearing, weight transfer, andhorsepower to weight ratio(just to name a few).Therefore, you can't justify a car being a good drag car by the horsepower that the engine is rated at. Third, it doesn't cost much less to fix up a mustang. If you knew anything about mustangs and racing you would know that there is much moretime and moneyinvolved in increasing the horsepower and stability of the mustang to drag race (especially your new 6cyl) than to increase the horsepower and stabilityofthe civic to drag race.I own aclassic ford with a 302(5.0 litre)and have looked in to buildingthe engine. Any one who knows engines knows that the 302 is the cheapest and most popular Ford engine to build. However, after Ifigured the cost to horsepower ratio I went with the civic.Fourth, I personally know that the axles under a 90 civic will hold up to way more than 200hp. My best friend drag races a 90 civic with a b18b swap that is running low to mid 7s through an 1/8 mile (NOS and other modswithout a turbo). The axles are out of an 89 integra and held up fine while he smoked abuilt to drag 91 mustang v8 (a lighter and way more powerful car than yours) and many other v8 cars ( I alsohave the video ofthis race and others if you are interested). Finally,just because you own a mustang does not make you any smarter when it comes to drag racing (that is a proven fact).I look forwardto seeing your petty 6cyl.on the interstate. I will be in the white 91 civic thatmakes you wish you would have bought a honda.(P.S.- It is better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and prove it!)

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

haha nice sublevel54, well first of all I HOPE i see you on interstate, thatd be sweet. And you are correct, horsepower isnt the only factor, but torque and horsepower are about 65% of it. My car weighed in at 3200lb. Sure, you can find in the 80s a couple 4cyl engines from a mustang that sucked, but 95% of the stangs have the hp and TORQUE advantage. Ok Ok, sure some civics have more than 100rwhp, but not many. Im talking at the wheels, if they are over 100 its by maybe 20 max. Yes gearing, weight transfer and horsepower to weight ratios are important. Wow, you something, My car has all that. Plus it has a live rear axle that can handle the power, unlike those trans axles that snap when and if you 200hp to them. Ive beat so many civics I lost count. GSRs bwhatevers, same result. My most recent kill was a 1990 something prelude si. Killed him off the line and it was over. Those things just dont have the torque (245lb ft ) that mine has. I know you dont want to talk about 5.0s. Those things are so light and fast, you put 5 grand into one and your in the 12s easily. You did amitt my car was pretty, thanks thats sweet of you! I wonder why nobody else has their car on their signature? Weight transfer? my car is almost 50:50 weight distribution with a perfect pitch up of the nose under hard positive acceleration. Nitrous is the cheap way out but if you must talk about it, I know of two 4.0s I can send you to their websites, that w/bolt ons and nitrous are running MID 12s.

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

Again you have steppedout ofthe realm of reality. You are talking about your car having 210rwhp (btw, civic has no rear wheel horsepower, rwhp, it is front wheel drive) and it says on the Ford Mustang website that the 210hp engine in your car is S.A.E. net, not rwhp. Get your facts straight before you use them. You are also showing how much you don't know about mustangs. From the late 70s through the early 90s Fordsold the mustang (more than just a couple and way more than just 5%) with the 2.3litre 4cyl. engines for the guys who can't afford a v8. You say that your car has all it needs to be a drag car. Funny thing to me is that I don't see many stock 6cyl. mustangs drag racing. Do you really think that 50:50 weight distribution is what you need to drag race? Haven't you ever watchedthe real v8 drag cars do wheel stands as they leave the line? There is a reason for that, its called traction via weight transfer.Without it the car would just sit and spin the tires. However, with a civic weight transfer is not such a huge issue because the bulk of the weight of the car (engine and trans.) sits on top of the drive wheels (same as porsche), not at the other end of the car. Oh and by the way I do want to talk about 5.0litre engines, I own one. Yes you can put little money into a 5.0litre and run decent times (probably not 12s) but to get a second or twofaster requires $20,000 and a ton of work to the car (not just the engine). Where with the civic that money goes into the performance of theengine, not tweeks that keeps the car from coming apart. You say nitrous is the cheap way out butit has become a standard inmodern drag racing. Watch drag racing the next time it comes on the speed channel. Most of those guys are running juiced cars no matter what size or type of engine theyrun. If you have the money to put in to it, bigger engine displacement will always beat smaller displacement in racing, everybody knows that. However, you want to come on this site bragging about how much faster and betteryour car is than a honda when you are running twice the engine of the cars that you are comparing it to. That is no reason to brag. Go get one of the mustang4cyl. cars and thenwe'll see who has bragging rights. Better yet, go race an Acura tl that has the honda 290 hpv6 and then we'll compare v6s.Also, I did not say your car was pretty , I sad PETTY (look that up in the dictionary).

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

the reason people like to use civics is becouse the aftermarket part are more redally avalable and the cost is a wonderfull thing. so many options its like walking into a toys r us at the age of 10. take my neon for example the parts cost almost twice as much. some of my best drags have been against civics but ive never lost to a mushstang. cant post my pics youll have to come to dodgeforums.com name fullbuilt.

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

yeah your right about the rwhp, im sorry, just used to talkin about real cars, of course i meant horsepower at the wheels, cmon seriously. Of course my car doesnt make that at the wheels stock but with a couple of bolt ons it has that at the REAR wheels. Ok dont use the 72-85 mustangs, we dont talk about those (too many enviornmental factors (oil shortage, emmissions control) those stangs werent real stangs and they SUCKED. im talkin 64-71, 86-2007. The only real mustangs. Actually there are a ton of v6 stangs, the new 4.0liters crowd the tracks. I was talking about handling (your civics only claim to fame) when discussing 50:50 weight distribution. The 5.0 in the hands of a decent drag racer can destroy all. OH yeah compare my 18k dollar car to your top priced cars? Ive never raced a TL but that thing costs a lot more too. Ive just got sick of racing civic bc they just make a lot of noise and get smaller in my rear view. Face it Civic vs. Mustang in Drag racing is a ridiculous topic. Its the Mustang's domain period. Oh wow you didnt type pretty, dang you sure got me. No one questions my mustang knowledge, I know all fools!

RE: The Civic and Drag Racing
 

cmon a neon? i dont car if they run in the 6's, your still driving a neon, if you dont know whats wrong with that, i cant tell you. compare pictures, cmon you blind kid