[the171]

Hi. I am your average Honda guy, I come on the forum all the time and read about the greatness of the K series cars and all the fun stuff that you can do with them. I actually had an A2 EF civic once, and it was a blast. I would love to build another car... Unfortunutely I have come to the realization that this stuff is overpriced.

I may get flack here and that is fine. Or maybe you already know what I'm talking about. Anyway, if starting from scratch, once you have a complete swap it is going to cost about another $6k just to get the thing running. Including the swap that is about $9-12K for a basic running 200-220 HP K-car, and that is if you are being financially conservative! Although there are some very serious people on here creating non-budget all out machines, the average Honda enthusiast is budget conscious. To me that is what the civic is all about... if not I might have a 911 or something.

Now, I understand that many of the parts we need require serious development/engineering and thus have a related price tag. Stuff from Hondata or a nice header or something cost a lot to produce. However I see clutch line kits advertised for close to $300. Engine mounts go for over $600... Yes this took development but really all you have here is some machined aluminum, bushings and bolts. Want to rev higher and get more out of your head? 2800 for cams & springs. :wow: This is crazy. Maybe its justified and I'm ignorant... But with today's economy I just can't do that.

However, there are deals out there. A guy on Ebay sells a complete, ready to go RBC kit for $350. I saw that Nikos is selling built K24 shortblocks with the customer's required specs for $3k including warranty. An LSD can be had from OBX for under $500. This tells me that the stuff we need doesn't have to be so expensive but is such as a result of huge markup.

I think what we need here is a K revolution... perhaps a band of people willing to put together complete kits at realistic prices. Maybe this small industry just needs more players to get a little competition going. Until then however I will have to stick with my 5 SPD B in order to refrain from debt. Want proof of what I'm talking about? Just at the cars in the classifieds... Usually almost completed pieces that the owner never got to enjoy going for a fraction of the $ put into them. This could just be the reality of the hobby as a whole, of this I am aware.

Have an extra 2 cents of your own? Share!

 

[Messageman87]

You say you want a revolution. Well, you know, we all want to change the world...

Who said that? The Beatles? Yeah, sounds about right.

I actually completely agree with you here. But looking at posts from a couple years ago, prices for these sort of parts have dropped considerably. Think Ill just wait it out another year or so and work on other parts of my car in the meantime. Or, like you mention, buy one from somebody at 1/4 of the price they paid for the swap.

 

[9JDMCRX0]

i think there is a lot of truth to what you're saying but you have to realize that most people on here aren't going to buy stuff from the small names. Most people want the big names with the tried and true parts that they know will work. Alot of the peices are overpriced i do agree but, in any automotive hobby you usually have to pay to play. i think this will be a pretty hot topic though!

 

[drhonda]

I understand where some of the cost comes from being an engineer. For those fancy billet mounts, I can understand the cost and even other parts.

Think of the machines you need to create such parts. Some CNC machines are 100k+

yes I agree some things are overpriced but in this market you definitely get what you pay for.

I didn't get all of the best parts for my swap but I got what would fit my needs. OEM lsd, I bought a used header and other used parts to save some cash. I believe if you search you can definitely do this swap very conservatively.

Clutch lines are only about 100 bucks but you could make your own. Even fuel lines, buy the supplies and make your own like I did. A lot of it you can do yourself. Mounts have definitely come down in cost since the beginning. I paid over $600 for mine (that was almost 5 yrs ago) but now you can get them for probably $450ish new.

 

[1320WhtRex]

Well there's not much really to say on this here IMO... People here go all out on their swaps because they want to.. It will always be cheaper to buy someones car already running with a K swap... But you lose the experience of putting it together. Built or not... There are people on here who have gotten a K swap running for under $6K. Will you buy brand new parts? definitely not... But it is possible.... Prices have dropped alot and will still go lower.. IMO... If you cant afford it now, then just step out of it until you can.

 

[signalpuke]

I agree, the cost has come down considerably in the last 4 years. EF mounts were over 700 dollars msrp when they debuted, now you can get them for half that. Axles have come down in price, same with conversion harnesses. Motors have dropped as well, not to mention the number of used headers, cams, and k-pros floating around.
Interested in seeing this $2800 set of cams with valve springs though :silly:

 

[migs]

Hi. I am your average Honda guy, I come on the forum all the time and read about the greatness of the K series cars and all the fun stuff that you can do with them. I actually had an A2 EF civic once, and it was a blast. I would love to build another car... Unfortunutely I have come to the realization that this stuff is overpriced.
This could just be the reality of the hobby as a whole, of this I am aware.

Have an extra 2 cents of your own? Share!

While I dont agree with some of the prices, you have choices when you shop. You can participate and make your purchase, or just move onto another hobby. Dont confuse your opinions with the market. Im am 90% finished with my swap and I understand the cost of goods. You also have to understand too, we are in country with a WEAK DOLLAR. And this always doesnt mean the people you buy from are millionaires too. I promise you, the people that run these shops you buy from, are making no more than 50K personal annual income.

 

[kommon_sense]

Some people get a bit too carried away and buy more than they need. I'm sorry, but a normal k-swap doesn't need a $1200 header. It just doesn't. Some people also want to buy a "kit" for everything. $100 clutch lines and $400 fuel lines are ridiculous. A DIYer can definitely save a lot of money but it is still expensive.

At the end of the day though, you do have a very reliable car that is significantly cheaper than anything that can compete with it performance wise with the same level of reliability.

You just have to know where to spend your money when doing this swap.