To K or not to K

[Justadad]

Well I’m posting this here because I feel this is the best place to get some info from some knowledgeable OP’s! I currently have a 99 gsr with 9x,xxx miles and in need of a rebuild of some kind very soon. I completely overhauled the outside and have repainted the entire car minus the engine bay. I purchased all the moldings I could on the outside of the car so it looks incredible from the outside. The interior is also damn near perfect so my last area is the motor. I’m going to be pulling it this winter to paint the bay and that’s the time to refresh or replace. I know the k swap gets pretty expensive and I’m an old man with two kids and tons of other things far more important than my car. I love this car so much and it’s my 5th integra. Three previous type r’s and two gsr’s. I love the raw feel of the b series but I hear k is far better to gain power. Any thought/advice I would greatly appreciate.

[aklackner]

I think there’s a lot of support (shared knowledge and product) for this swap now so it’s probably a lot more accessible than it was early on. At this point I’d say all major issues are resolved and most annoyances have prepared solutions too.

Like most modifications I think the group here would want to hear about your goals (i.e. fun around town, track day, track dedicated, drag, show/looks/hard parking, specific hp/tq target) and requirements (i.e. must keep power steering & AC, intact oem interior, no drilling or cutting, dependability/tolerance for fiddle factor, effort to pass relevant emissions, etc). These are generally the difference between relevant advise and general opinion. These will also play a part in the expense of the swap; generally the more/higher requirements and goals the more expensive it will be.

Yes a k-swap can be done, very probably cheaper than building an NA motor to similar output but you’ll want to be sure this remains true for the trade-offs you’re willing to accept.

Also forced induction on a GSR can be a fast inexpensive way to add as much power as your willing to push the motor to. Similar to a swap there’s a lot of support for this. Like a swap you need to know what you can trade.

There’s also going to be a strong argument to be made for not messing with the balance and dependability Honda engineered into the factory vehicle.

I will say it raises some concern for a project to express a high aesthetic interest (recent repaint of entire car and all new moldings) and simultaneously express concern around project budget. I haven’t seen many projects (especially for the aesthetically sensitive) run under what was originally estimated. It’s probably not a bad idea to start with a solid estimate (maybe $6500) and add at least a 30% margin to that if you’re unfamiliar with the work and adjust that based on your personal/aesthetic standards. Make sure you’re realistic about your goals and expense to achieve them.

[Dave7CDMTYPER]

One way to look at it is that it is a gs-r. If it was a type r, then k swapping would devalue it immediately, despite the cost. But it won't necessarily do that to a gs-r. This is my view at least, others may not agree.

[aw614]

Like aklackner questions, what is the budget and requirements determines if you want to go K.

I know if I were to go K, I want to keep every creature comfort still on my car, AC, PS, uncut shifter with intact interior, etc. I stuck with a b series, yeah the power isn't as much as a b series and compared to modern cars probably is lacking some, but I really like how the b series looks in the engine bay when it is an OEM+ configuration. Something about most K series swaps I dont really like how they look in 92-00 hondas for some reason. I think for me not having an OEM like airbox is an OCD thing for me lol. I think I've seen one K series engine bay in 92-00 honda I really liked. IG user kansasstance's ek.

I thought the amount of money I spent on a B series VTEC rebuild and install into my LS chassis car was approaching the budget K swaps, but I was looking for a lot of OEM odds and ends and bought them right before honda discontinued most of those items. I think if I went K it would be 3-4 times what I spent if I did the same

[DC231]

Well I’m posting this here because I feel this is the best place to get some info from some knowledgeable OP’s! I currently have a 99 gsr with 9x,xxx miles and in need of a rebuild of some kind very soon. I completely overhauled the outside and have repainted the entire car minus the engine bay. I purchased all the moldings I could on the outside of the car so it looks incredible from the outside. The interior is also damn near perfect so my last area is the motor. I’m going to be pulling it this winter to paint the bay and that’s the time to refresh or replace. I know the k swap gets pretty expensive and I’m an old man with two kids and tons of other things far more important than my car. I love this car so much and it’s my 5th integra. Three previous type r’s and two gsr’s. I love the raw feel of the b series but I hear k is far better to gain power. Any thought/advice I would greatly appreciate.

if your GSR is VIN matching then i would go with rebuilding it to fit your needs as long as your goals are attainable with the GSR displacement possibilities. if you want NA then there is no replacement for displacement and K series is king as far as making easy power/torque. what are your power goals? do you want to stay NA or are you ok with turbo? K series is a great starting platform for NA and you can make similar power with a stock motor as you can with a decent built b18/b20 VTEC. if you are ok with turbo then it could be much more cost effective for you to stay B series for sure.

[3pedalJohn]

Keep the B series in there that's my vote, keep the GS-R a GS-R. I feel like if it was an LS/RS Integra or a Civic a K series would be acceptable.

If you want a K20 engine you can get a B series engine to the 2.0L mark pretty easily and it will put down a respectable 200whp plus on 93-91 pump gas without much drama. Doesn't hurt that B series parts are everywhere and inexpensive.

K24 is another story as you just can't get a B series that big. 6 gears would be nice for the highway.

[Justadad]

Little info on me might help. I’m an autobody tech and have done the entirety to this car other than spraying it. I had to put a qtr on it and while I was doing that I shaved the moldings. It is as nice exterior wise as it can be. I have been buying odds and ends from acuraexpress for months. I only plan on some spirited driving and an occasional car show with my girls. I feel at home in an integra and at my age I appreciate this car far more than any of the other 4. I love the stock look meaning I want whatever I’m running to look as oem as possible. I want all the creature comforts I can get but would love 200+ whp. I just have no idea what to budget to have it rebuilt. I will pull it and bring it to a shop and I will reinstall it when the time comes. My labor is free. Sounds like staying b might fit my needs/wants better!

[Dave7CDMTYPER]

Yea man, I think staying b series will get you at or close to the power goals, and save potential headaches from a k swap.

[carpayments4life]

A guy has a series on YouTube called
Project No Rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkZyZiTuAX8

[Dave7CDMTYPER]

A guy has a series on YouTube called
Project No Rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkZyZiTuAX8

Loved that video, thanks man.