1974 Civic with 1990 RT4WD running gear, D15Z1 turbo

CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
in Rides & Builds- Everything Else
Back in 2003 I grafted a 1990 RT4WD wagon pan into a 1974 Civic shell. I ran the d16a6 for a couple years, it started using water so I went to a d15b vtec. It started using oil so last summer I put in a vtec-e d15z1 with a small turbo. I made a u shaped pipe for the turbo and put it where the battery used to be, which is now in the trunk. The exhaust runs out through the fender and to a side pipe on the passenger side. I have put 130K miles on it since I first got it on the road. Sadly, my mpg have steadily declined. I got 31 with the a6, 29/30 with the d15b and am now getting 28 with the d15z1, which is a 50mpg motor in a VX.
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Comments

  • danzdanz Wagonist
    haha this thing found its way over here too! last i saw this u were showing it off on d-series.org
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
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  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
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    I used the wagon dash. It's got air conditioning, cruise control and a power window on the passenger side. After the turbo I was slipping the stock clutch under boost so I put in a "stage 2" Chinese ebay clutch. Something is going wrong with it. It is shifting hard and grinding gears so looks like the motor is coming out again soon. Thinking maybe I should go back to a d15b or z6 since I'm not seeing very good mpg with the z1.
  • ragenasianragenasian Moderator
    Different, odd, but so bad ass :mrgreen:
  • CharbCharb Administrator
    Crazy, but I like!
  • JakerJaker familEE
    Carwhisperer wrote:
    Something is going wrong with it. It is shifting hard and grinding gears so looks like the motor is coming out again soon.


    Check your clutch pedal assembly. The pivot might have broken free from the stamped metal bracket. Happens all the time with the Wagon pedal assemblies.

    Oh, and your engines might last a bit longer if you run an air filter :wink: .
  • dportdport Band Wagon
    That is an awesome civic man. How long did it take you to build it?
  • kylerwhokylerwho Wagonist
    this thing screams retired euro rally car.

    very intense project.
  • DarinDarin Wagonist
    i like it.smaller wheels bigger tires tho.
  • 1988rt1988rt Senior Wagonist
    This car screams don't F@#* with me, I like it
  • AaronAaron Wagonist
    is the turbo on the intake????
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    It took me about 6 months to build it. The turbo is on a u shaped exhaust pipe and, of course, it connects to the intake. I put it where I did mostly so that I could keep the factory AC lines in tact. No intercooler. Here is a pic of a manual 4WD shifter I installed. I took out the viscous driveline and installed a direct one. And pic of me pulling a stuck Fed Ex truck up a snowy hill on my street. Actually this is the top of the hill. The grade was probably 5% or so.
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  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    Darin wrote:
    i like it.smaller wheels bigger tires tho.
    Yah, I've got 3 sets. 15's, 16's and 17's, it all depends on the occasion. 15's are for the snowy months. I live in Pollock Pines, CA. 4000 feet elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Sometimes we get 18" of snow in a 24 hour period. I can drive through about 4-5 inches of snow but that's about it.
  • danzdanz Wagonist
    take some pics of the manual 4wd conversion, thats just sick!
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    Here is a pic of my most recent project. CJ7 body on a 1984 Corvette C4 chassis with a 2001 Silverado 5.3
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  • ragenasianragenasian Moderator
    I hear the Monster, Monster garage theme music playing somewhere.
  • 1988rt1988rt Senior Wagonist
    ragenasian wrote:
    I hear the Monster, Monster garage theme music playing somewhere.


    X2 I was thinking the same thing :lol:
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    '75 Volvo 245 wagon, Jeep Dana 30 up front, '99 Chevy 3.8 V6, 700R4
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    '73 914, Ford 2.3 turbo (23psi) mounted transversely, Corvette 17's & 18's. I miss that car.
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    '81 MB 300TD turbo diesel wagon, Nissan 720 4x4 pickup chassis.
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    There were a few others I built in the 90's.
  • MonkeeyMonkeey Band Wagon
    can i come and live with you now ? :lol:

    those are some cool cars you built !
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    Thanks for the interest!
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    Rear disc conversion.
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  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Wow, great stuff. I like the way you think.
  • CSM ShaunCSM Shaun Band Wagon
    That '74 is awesome. Such cool looking cars.
  • kylerwhokylerwho Wagonist
    rear disc brakes on an awd setup?
  • thaddeusssthaddeusss Band Wagon
    your civic as wicked. I always wanted to do something like that... a 78 civic was my first car. many a pizza delivered in it.

    did you have trouble fitting the engine/tranny between the frame rails? the last time I looked they seemed narrower than the later models.
  • wago91wago91 New Wagonist
    Hella cool build man!
  • DarinDarin Wagonist
    diggin the new project.its gonna be bad ass.a wagon with a snow plow on the front would be sick too.lol.
  • CarwhispererCarwhisperer Band Wagon
    thaddeusss wrote:
    your civic as wicked. I always wanted to do something like that... a 78 civic was my first car. many a pizza delivered in it.

    did you have trouble fitting the engine/tranny between the frame rails? the last time I looked they seemed narrower than the later models.
    I cut the entire floor and firewall out of the 74 then grafted in the entire floorpan/firewall from the 90. I shortened the wagon pan 9" to fit.

    Yeah, discs on the AWD rear end. Did it back in 03 when I first built the car.
  • DRMORTYDRMORTY Council Member
    Awesome mutts.. love custom builds.
  • iboymaiboyma Wagonist
    Love the original hand crafted works!

    Keep up the good work.
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